God fulfills dreams. Almost 5 years ago I stepped onto American soil, full of hopes and dreams. Dreams of completing a Ph.D. in theoretical physics, dreams of fulfilling the expectations of my professors back in Holland, dreams of making real friends, dreams of finding strong Christian fellowship.

And one more dream ... of serving God within the rich diversity and community of students He brought here from all four corners of the globe -- "so that they would perhaps reach out to him and find him." God has been faithful, and for the last three years immeasurably enriched my life through the Cornell International Christian Fellowship (CICF). Maybe some of you have similar dreams for your campus. I pray this paper will encourage you to trust God to fulfill them!

Contents

• Putting Things in Perspective: A Typology of Campus Christian Groups
• Practicalities of Developing a Fellowship: Some Simple Pointers
• Keeping Yourself Sane in Spite of Your Workload: Thriving Not Just Surviving

Several kinds of Christian fellowships grace our campuses:

Mono-Ethnic and Multi-Ethnic Groups:

American mono-ethnic groups - These are the most common groups on campus and are dominated by one ethnic group, i.e. Anglo/Hispanic/African/Asian-American

International mono-ethnic groups - These groups are based around a common non-American language or ethnic group, i.e. Mandarin Chinese, Indonesian, Korean etc...

International multi-ethnic groups - These are groups where no one ethnic background dominates. This paper will focus on such groups.

Staff or Student run groups?

Staff workers are great (if you can get one). But basically there are not nearly enough to go cover all the campuses with international student populations. Thus student led groups are an essential link in reaching Internationals.

Strengths of student led groups:

1. Empowerment of students!
   
   
2. We learn so much more by doing than by hearing.
3. The lack of staff support forces everyone to get involved.
4. Staff-time dilemma.
5. Low barrier to take on leadership roles.
   
   
6. Students are naturally in tune to the rhythms of college life.
   
   
7. Students take on real ownership.
   
   
8. Reinventing the wheel can be invaluable experience: The process is sometimes more important than the result.
   
   
9. Back home there will probably be no staff workers.

Weaknesses of student-led groups

1. Sustainability!

   What happens when the current batch of leaders leaves? Groups often have informal and unofficial leadership structures that collapse when students graduate. Be intentional about bringing new people on as soon as possible!

2. We are all peers.

   Thus there is often no "higher-up" to mediate conflicts or help counsel difficult situations (e.g. marriage problems).
   

3. Lack of outside input and connections.
   
   This is especially true of international mono-ethnic groups, most of whom are completely student-led. The internet can facilitate outside input and connections (e.g. I maintain eMail contact with Ned Hale in InterVarsity about CICF)

Staff empowerment of students

1. Staff model Christlike attitudes:

   Actions speak much louder than words; let people see your lives, be hospitable.
   

2. Staff need to think in terms of fostering "networks of relationships" rather than creating "organizational structures" or "programmed events.
   
   
3. Staff need to resist:

4. Need to control, even when you can do it better.
   

5. Need to build concrete monuments/programs or to prove yourself.
   

6. (Implicit) pressure from supporters to "produce."
   

7. Feeling threatened by other's spiritual gifts.
   
   

8. Staff need to give students real ownership:

   Encourage them; affirm them; allow them to set the vision.
   

9. Allow students time to develop leadership skills -- don't set initial standards too high.
   
   
10. Trust the Holy Spirit to guide and teach.

"We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me." -- Colossians 1:28,29

"We proclaim him...."

Where do I start?

1. Prayer and Fasting!

   This is absolutely crucial! Without sustained prayer and fasting, all our best efforts will go to naught. My first attempt to start an International Fellowship failed because I didn't give this enough priority. (silly me!)
   

2. Find like-minded people for support and accountability.

   Teamwork is part of God's plan for us. (Matthew 18:19) Working together increases strength geometrically!
   

3. Don't despise the day of small beginnings - But don't limit your vision either.

Where do I meet people?

1. Crucial time: the beginning of the year -- school intro activities
   
   
2. Internet / posters
   
   
3. Absolutely the best is friends bringing friends

"...admonishing and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ."

What are some issues to think about in your group?

1. Relationships are the key!

   Over the last 3 years of CICF, every person who's life has been transformed by Jesus Christ arrived at that point through a meaningful friendship with someone else. Fostering an environment where Godly friendships can form, with real community - the body of Christ, is the key to lasting fruit. In this ministry friendship is much more significant than "technical" skills.

2. Needs of Christian international students:

3. Many don't feel at home in American Christian groups.
   
4. Difficulties with English
   
5. Proficiency in "American Christian idiom/subculture"
   
6. Cross-cultural miscommunication
   
7. Differences in leadership styles: high initiative v.s. low initiative
   
8. 2nd generation Christians: pseudo-maturity 
9. Young believers v.s. more mature believers
10. We must develop student leaders:
    
11. A key to returnee success is learning how to serve
    
12. We learn primarily by doing
    
13. A fellowship can provide opportunities for learning how to serve God and each other that are unavailable back home
    
14. keep initial barriers low
    
15. Provide an atmosphere where people can make mistakes
    
16. It's important to learn how to fail
    
17. Decentralize! Delegate! Let go! Even if you think you'd do it better.
    
18. Pair younger believers up with older ones in leadership roles.
    
19. Break up tasks into small ever increasing steps so people can learn responsibilities incrementally.
    
20. Encourage, encourage, encourage: People thrive in an atmosphere of encouragement; they shrivel up in an atmosphere of criticism.
    
    
21. Look for leaders who are FAT:

    Faithful (2 Timothy 2:2)
    Available - does the person prioritize time for spiritual growth and service
    Teachable (2 Timothy 2:20) open to change - Experience and / or knowledge are secondary.

22. Create an atmosphere conducive to building Godly friendships.
23. Needs of Non (Pre)-Christian international students.
    
24. The primary need is one of friendships.
    
25. Initially, people come back because of friendships.
    
26. Create an atmosphere where they are listened to, not us v.s. them: where no question is out of bounds, no matter how simple or hostile.
    
27. At AAYWAC (Ask Anything You Want About Christianity) Christians are allowed to say only testimonial things, no theological things.
    
28. Plan social activities to which you can invite your non-Christian friends
    
29. Love them! But as people, not evangelization objects
30. Some details matter; Some don't. (Effective leadership means knowing the difference)

    Details surrounding following people up, welcoming them, and making sure they have rides are details that matter. So is the accessibility and time of your meeting. How "nice" a place you meet in, a very smooth program and having everything worked out ahead of time are details of lesser significance.
    

31. Network with local Christians if possible

    For us as an entirely student led group it's hard to recruit, train and motivate local volunteers, even they can potentially be very valuable. Finding a local person to help with that can be very benficial. For example, at Cornell one lady who is single opens her house (which is next to the campus) to us for activities, hosts the study every Friday night over the summer, helps us coordinate with local volunteers and also counsels and encourages many of the women in the fellowship. As you may have guessed, she has a well-developed gift of hospitality and helps. Her quiet service is of immesurable value to the group: no wonder we call her home "Our Mother's House." ;-)
    

32. Retreats are a great way to build community

    We've found they're not too much work to organize as long as you radically delegate things and aren't afraid of a little chaos. The busyness of school makes it hard to build new relationships. One retreat can do more than a whole semester of Friday nights.
    

33. Be intentional about cross-cultural dynamics:

"Conflict arises not only from personal and cultural differences, but also from the fact that people often attribute moral force to their priorities for personal behavior and judge those who differ from them as flawed, rebellious, or immoral" -- Sherwood Lingenfelter

Just because we are international students, doesn't mean we understand cross-cultural dynamics better than the host-country compatriots we so often criticize for being insensitive and ignorant of these matters. It's important to be intentional, to talk about these things openly, to be proactive before conflict occurs. At CICF we make special effort to study and live out principles the Bible teaches about being the body of Christ. This is very attractive to non-Christians as well, especially to those who come from community oriented cultures.

"Do nothing out of vain ambition or selfish conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others" -- Philippians 2:3,4

Advice (partially taken from James Wann):

• There are lots more international students on campus than you think
  
• Go to places international students hang out -- International Living Center, International Coffee hour, many I-student clubs etc...
  
• Try to put yourself in a new international student's shoes, you have to figure out how to:
  • use the telephone,
  • address professors,
  • write papers,
  • go shopping,
  • pay bills,
  • use checks,
  • cars,
  • multiple questions of etiquette
  • and the list goes on. ....
    
• Focus on Jesus
  
• Be more oriented to those who are outsiders, no matter who they are.
  
• Step out of your comfort zone
  
• The reason we have fellowship is because of Jesus Christ. If we can keep that first, it will be always very attractive.

"To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy which so powerfully works in me."

In the early church things were hard, but not boring. The opposite is true today!

Don't expect that reaching out to international students is easy. You ll have to sacrifice many things, it's hard work. But hey, who really, deep down inside, wants to live a boring life?

At the same time, how can you keep from cracking under the pressure?

1. Time: the bane of student existence:

   Perhaps the main reason Christian students don't get involved in ministry is fear of not having enough time or energy. But the key lies in the verse above: We struggle with all his energy, not our own which is so easily depleted.

   Here are some pointers:
   

2. Pray before saying yes. Is this a "God idea" or merely a "good idea?"
   
3. Be ruthless and prioritize.
   
4. Don't sow on hard ground (Mark 4), don't throw pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6); there are way too many unreached people out there already.
   
5. Be intentional with whom you spend time.
   
6. Don't neglect your studies.
7. In the end time management is a constant struggle with no easy answers. We must continuously bring this before the Lord
   
8. Accountability -- don't be a "Lone Ranger"

   It's important to find someone or a group of people for regular prayer and support, and to keep one another accountable. Look for people who are not afraid to ask you the hard questions.
   

9. Don t neglect your own walk with God!

   It's oh, so easy to do this when you're busy helping others. Don't let others' problems dig into your time with God. Be careful, never "coast." Complacency in this area makes you rot faster than a ripe mango in the tropical sun.
   

10. Loving many people can hurt.

    "The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from the perturbations of love is Hell" -- C.S. Lewis

    Reaching out to people brings multiple opportunities for love, and with it multiple opportunities to get hurt, especially when working with new or pre-Christians who are not yet very "redeemed." There's no way around this one. An accountability partner or group is a good place to deal with these issues.
    

11. Prayer! "Pray continually" -- I Thessalonians 4:17

    I can't stress this enough. Working with international students means spiritual warfare, it's on your knees that the battles are won. Never slack. Prayer is indespensible to effective leadership.
    

12. Rely on the Holy Spirit. "Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. -- Psalms 127:1

    This is the starting point. God asks us to do our part, but we must in turn rely fully on him. In the end, He's responsible for the results, liberating us from the fear, stress and pride that so often trips us up. So believe God for a great work on your campus!

I welcome any comments or suggestions. Contact me at

Ard Louis
Dept of Theoretical Chemistry
Lensfield Rd
Cambridge CB2 1EW

+44-(0)1223-336530; ardlouis@theor.ch.cam.ac.uk

CICF http://www.cornellicf.org/