Monthly column on youth work

Admin is like Marmite: you either love it or hate it. For me, when it comes to hot buttered toast, I can't resist adding a dollop of the brown sticky stuff, but for all things administrative I am more than happy to put them off until another day.

So, after a recent bout of filing, I was surprised to find myself feeling encouraged and full of thankfulness to God. For one, my desk now looked respectable beside the desk of the girl I share an office with (who barely allows a piece of paper to stay on her desk for two minutes). More significantly though, I created a file labelled 'EN' and, as I inserted cuttings of this column from the last 18 months, saw how God has been working.

Kathy

At the bottom of the pile was the cutting of my very first 'Third Degree' column. I read the opening line: 'My name is Kathy. I'm from China, and I'm wanting to find out about God.' I paused (any distraction was welcome at this stage) and thought about Kathy, the student who had introduced herself to me at a lunchtime event at Leicester University. I thought back to her questions about Jesus - the character she had seen portrayed on films from Hong Kong, the one whose words she was attracted by, but about whom she knew little.

As I picked up the next items for filing, I thanked God for how he's worked in Kathy since that first meeting: just last month, I was at her baptism, where she publicly declared herself to be a follower of Jesus Christ. She returns to China next month, and is anxious to take the good news she has discovered here to her friends and family in mainland China. Praise God for how he is working in the lives of students, to bring them to himself, and then send them out throughout the world.

First contact

I tucked into another slice of toast and marmite to get me through the rest of the pile. As I leaf through the papers, it's clear to see that mission has been a theme of many of my contributions to EN. As I continued in my attempt to prove I'm not as administratively-challenged as my desk suggests, I filed reports on first contact evangelism, week-long mission on campuses, art students reaching out to fellow artists, and the latest gospel project. It's thrilling to be on the receiving end of news from students around the country.

I re-read the column from earlier this year where I wrote of the vision of a student at Newcastle University, to give every student on campus an opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. I reported on 'Firestarters', a programme consisting of two sessions of evangelism training for the CU, followed by door-to-door questionnaire work in halls. As a result of this initiative, most of last year's Freshers had some direct contact with the gospel. I've just heard that this year's Firestarters is already underway. God willing, by the end of this academic year, almost two-thirds of the university should have heard something about Jesus. Praise God for the vision and heart of Christian students to think creatively and strategically about how to share the gospel in their community.

Sharing with carers

As I file the columns, I recall numerous events that I've reported on, and thank God that so much is happening across this country and beyond. In 800 words a month I can only touch on the surface of what around 250 Christian Unions, and countless churches and other student ministries, are involved in as they seek to make disciples of Jesus Christ in the vast student world. The thing that strikes me though is that, amidst all the activity, the most exciting work taking place is with individuals.

Just this week I heard news of a student at Bath University who became a Christian at the mission earlier this year. A chronic epileptic, he has two carers who provide him with round-the-clock assistance. During the recent week of evangelism to international students, he shared with great delight how these two individuals are constantly hearing the Christian message as they have to accompany him everywhere he goes! Praise God that there are countless students who have a love for Jesus that gives them a heart to introduce others to him at any opportunity.

I must stop - my laptop is still surrounded by piles of paper, so I need to crack on with more filing, but can I ask you this month, to join with me in giving thanks for all God is doing in the lives of individual students throughout this country.

For weekly updates and news from CUs around the country, see www.uccf.org.uk/news.

Emma Balch

© Evangelicals Now - December 2003
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