When I lick my finger and hold it up in prayer to try and get a sense for where God is moving and his Spirit is blowing I believe student mission is about to get a whole lot more exciting. I sense that holy breeze coming from two directions. Firstly, Christian students capturing and embodying the adventurous and wild Spirit, hoisting their sails and being blown into new evangelistic mission for the emerging landscape of student culture. Secondly, the local church becoming more radical in releasing and mobilising students for mission and in doing so adding thousands of new workers for the student harvest field.
Mass movement
International students have become one of humanity’s great mass movements. This year five million international students are likely to be studying for degrees outside their own countries.
Students have always been mobile.
In 1716 a certain Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf went to the University of Wittenberg. He started the ‘order of the mustard seed’. A seed was certainly planted and on August 13, 1727 as when Zinzendorf and friends prayed the spirit of God fell, a fire was lit and it resulted in a movement to the nations.
Nearly two centuries later in 1806 on another August day in a another prayer meeting Samuel Mills petitioned God with friends, the heavens opened and it was a catalytic moment that would eventually lead to a 20,000 strong student movement going to the nations.
Europe Calling
Now, in 2015 the nations are coming to the universities in a mass movement of students. Of those 5 million Europe is the top destination, hosting 48% of all international students.
Could it be that in Europe a fire is being stoked and the universities are the kindling?
The church has been entrusted with fire, with the very presence of God and Christian students have been charged with living highly flammable lives. I am convinced we will see greater climate change as more local churches play their part in student mission in 2015 and beyond. Will you join us for another year?
Escape and Pray
This June we will be sending teams out to European destinations to pray for students, Churches, cities and Europe. What seeds could be planted? What might it catalyse? It is going to be an adventure and if you are up for joining us please check out the details here.
