STUDENTS TRANSFORMED & THRIVING TOGETHER

They’re at a formative period in life – exploring their identity, asking questions, seeking truths, and establishing lifelong habits. And they’ll impact the world – becoming leaders in government, business, education, and academia.  

Are you excited by the opportunity to reach and shape the fast-growing number of university students across the globe? Then seize it. Support IFES today and help students be transformed by the gospel and thrive together in Christ.  

Join with students like Sency, Trevor, and Anabel. They are part of IFES – in a local group, in their national movement, in global fellowship. By praying and giving, you can support and empower students and staff in more than 180 countries and territories around the world.  

We believe that our four Thriving Together priorities will shape students that are more confident to share the good news of Jesus, better equipped to engage biblically with the issues affecting them, and fully empowered to be life-long agents of transformation in society. 

THRIVING IN WITNESS 

Students are best placed to take the gospel to the university. They can relevantly engage with their peers, sensitively listen to academic discourse, and credibly present a Christian perspective on key issues. 

So, IFES equips students to thrive in witness – to initiate spiritual conversations, hold evangelistic Bible studies and mission events, and live lives of grace that point others to Jesus. 

Introducing the Gospel. Many IFES national movements have used and adapted Uncover, a concept that started in the British movement (UCCF) in the 1990s. Students offer attractively designed copies of a Gospel to their friends, who are invited to read and discuss it. In 2021, the movement in Vanuatu (GNYF) distributed a Melanesian form of Mark and accompanied it with the ancient storytelling art of sandroing. They plan to do the same with John’s Gospel in 2024.

Facilitating evangelism. The Fellowship of Evangelists in the Universities of Europe is an IFES network that trains, equips, and encourages young evangelists. In November last year, 225 delegates from 45 countries gathered in Spain. They explored how to use dialogue alongside proclamation and how to incorporate creative elements, such as music, drama, testimony and art. One participant said, “we’re now thinking about organising evangelism days this year. We heard how other small groups with few resources have been able to do it – and seen fruit.” 

Holding mission weeks. Many movements set aside one week each year for focused outreach on campus. In 2023, the national movements in Ghana (GHAFES) and Germany (SMD) joined with other mission partners for the University of Ghana Mission. The program included drama, door-to-door visits on campus, lunch bars (snacks with a topical talk), personal testimonies, and evening talks. By the end of the week, over 1,000 people had made a first-time commitment or rededication to Christ. GHAFES reported:  

Showing love. When a fire claimed the lives of 20 girls in a dormitory at a secondary school in Mahdia, Guyana, the national movement (IS/IVCF) sent a team to serve the local community. Over five days, the team handed out leaflets on grief and loss, offered a listening ear, and prayed with individuals. They also offered support to the school and subsequently sent financial support to the Dorm Mother. 

THRIVING IN WHOLE-LIFE COMMITMENT  

Student followers of Jesus need to authentically engage in all aspects of campus life and discourse if they want the gospel to transform their contexts. The gospel gives them something vital to say across every discipline – from politics, economics, and science to ethics, education, and the arts. 

So, IFES equips students to thrive in whole-life commitment to Christ. We empower them through regional consultations, resources, grants, e-learning, and mentoring to think biblically and live missionally in all areas of university life. 

Growing in groups. In most IFES movements students meet regularly in small groups to share, read the Bible, and pray together. Even in sensitive countries, where gathering on campus is forbidden, students find ways to fellowship together – in one north African country they met in cafés or outside in the forest. Small groups help students in a particular context to grow in faith by biblically engaging with issues most relevant to them. In IVCF Canada, a staff worker is encouraging (post)graduate students on one campus to see how Scripture addresses their challenges of work and rest, identity and worth.

Learning to engage the University. To help students think biblically and critically about their context and calling at university, a wealth of written resources and training opportunities are available.  

Connecting science and faith. One expression of engaging the university is the Logos and Cosmos Initiative. It equips young Christian academics to lead ‘theology and the sciences’ projects in Latin America and Francophone Africa. These ‘catalysts’ collaborate with their IFES national movements to implement projects that spark curiosity and wonder about the connections between God’s Word and God’s world – and stimulate action. Many tackle immediate challenges in their local and national contexts, such as student mental health, poverty, climate change, food security, and gender-based violence. 

Shaping student leaders. Many IFES movements participate in regional gatherings, providing opportunities for students to mature in their faith and develop gifts of service. Last year, the Eurasia-wide Formación conference took place in Georgia, bringing together over 140 student leaders from across the region. A student leader from CSC Moldova said:  

 

THRIVING ON NEW GROUND 

For over 75 years, IFES students, staff, and supporters have been striving to see a vibrant student-led witness to Christ in every university in the world. We’re delighted that 164 national movements now exist, but there are countries, territories, subregions, and campuses without a student witness. 

So, IFES equips students and staff to thrive on new ground – to start or relaunch groups and movements so that every student has the opportunity to respond to the gospel. 

Pioneering work in new countries. IFES staff in English- and Portuguese-speaking Africa (EPSA) had long been seeking an opening on the island nation of Cape Verde. By God’s grace, connections with local churches and a lecturer at Universidade de Cabo Verde paved the way for the formation of a national board and the appointment of a local volunteer, leading to the launch of GBU Cabo Verde in January. Alongside these exciting developments, IFES staff in EPSA have helped train up eight students at two universities so that they are now able to lead seeker-friendly Bible studies.

Launching ministry in new cities. In Mongolia, the national movement (FCS) has been establishing ministry in the city of Hovd, a hub for higher education in the western provinces. It’s a tough context: Christians are less than one percent of the population and the spiritual atmosphere is heavy with shamanism. FCS staff helped start a group in 2020, which now has almost a dozen regulars. They are creating spaces for study, fellowship, and spiritual growth, fostering a culture of family and refuge. 

Revitalising ministry in existing movements. The national movement in Ecuador (CECE) has been re-pioneering student ministry in Portoviejo, which ceased in the wake of the pandemic. Through the awareness building efforts of CECE students and staff, five students from two campuses in Portoviejo showed interest in starting groups – they invited a further 20 students to attend workshops on Bible study and outreach. Veterinary student haroline has been inviting classmates, praying for them, and eagerly preparing studies. In September, her group delivered more than 80 invitations for their first meeting of the semester.    

Breaking New Ground (BNG). The BNG program offers grants, training, and resources to movements that have a vision and a plan for pioneering ministry. Nigel Pollock, program director, notes, “pioneering work has always been a part of the DNA of IFES. Through BNG we are prioritizing projects that arise from the grass roots, support student initiative, and start work in a new location. We’re looking for creative, sustainable proposals that will have the capacity to multiply impact moving forward”.

THRIVING INTO THE FUTURE  

Governance Development. To help national movements build a strong culture of good governance that is well-structured and God-honouring, the Governance Development team offers training and resources, in person and online. A worldwide team of trainers gives direct support to national movement boards through on-site visits, whilst e-learning courses make training more widely accessible. Courses available are: Caring for your General Secretary, Evaluating your National Board, Developing a Strategic Plan, Passing the Torch: Making Change a Positive Experience, and Vision, Mission and Core Values. 

Indigenous Support Development. IFES also provides training and resources to help national movements embrace a biblical understanding of gospel partnership and give them the skills they need to find and develop partnerships. These partnerships may involve prayer, resources, personnel and finance. As a result of this support, graduates of GBU in the Democratic Republic of Congo managed to raise 6,000 USD in two months, enabling the general secretary to stay longer on staff, and in GBU Rwanda the movement doubled its local income in one year, enabling them to employ an additional five field staff. 

Regional and global fellowship. Gatherings of IFES movements regionally and globally play a vital role in sustaining our international partnerships and global vision.  

The quadrennial IFES World Assembly is one strategic way that resilience and integrity is developed in our national movements. In August 2023, 845 participants – students, staff, and guests – from 162 countries gathered in Jakarta, Indonesia. The theme of tabah dan tangguh (Indonesian words meaning “resolute and resilient”) was poignant for delegates, many of whom were still recovering from the impact of COVID-19, living through persecution, dealing with ministry disappointments, or facing political turmoil. The honest sharing of testimonies was a great encouragement. One delegate from the Caribbean said:

PRAY. Use Prayerline, our regular snapshot of what God is doing around the world through university students. With grassroots stories and helpful points for prayer, it will keep you informed and inspired. Subscribe to get it straight to your inbox. 

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Tim Adams, IFES General Secretary