World Assembly Scholarships 2023
Growing in Resilience - Together
Please help give this year’s World Assembly
a truly global voice.
Your donation will help provide for at least 25 students and staff members from countries in Africa, Eurasia, the Middle East, and elsewhere to share their experiences at World Assembly 2023 and return home with new ideas and strategies.
This August we plan to bring 1000 students, staff, faculty and board members together in Indonesia, for a time of fellowship, worship and learning, focussing on resilience in witness. The IFES World Assembly 2023 is a time for our 160+ member movements to share experiences and equip each other to face the challenges ahead.
Each one has something to offer.
Each one has something to discover.
We all need to hear from each other.
For that to happen, we need your help. Will you help us fund scholarships for those otherwise unable to attend?
“Thank you so much for making World Assembly possible for me and my delegation. You opened the door for our lives to be changed and for our national movement to reap the benefit.”
Delegate at World Assembly 2019
So far, we have raised USD $34,548 towards our goal of USD 37,500 World Assembly scholarships on Global Giving Day and other online fundraising. Thanks to all who have contributed!
Please help provide a place at our World Assembly 2023
Growing in resilience – together
Around the globe, Christian students and the movements that support them often face secular opposition, persecution, isolation, under-resourcing or hardship. That’s why the IFES World Assembly 2023 is focussing on building resilience, to empower students and staff as witnesses in the university and beyond.
Your donation will help provide for at least 27 students and staff members from countries in Africa, Eurasia, the Middle East, and elsewhere to share their experiences and return home with new ideas and strategies: people like Dalin from Cambodia, Natnael from Ethiopia, Natalie from Panama, Desi from Bulgaria, and Vilisi from Fiji.
Meet our scholarship applicants
NATNAEL: A STUDENT LEADER FROM EVASUE IN ETHIOPIA
In Ethiopia, student witness has been hampered by the closure of some universities due to political instability, a lack of venues for worship and small staff numbers, relative to the number of fellowships. Still Natnael sees God’s hand at work: students are highly engaged within small groups; fellowships hold weekly assemblies and missions, and national summits enable leaders and mission mobilizers to connect nationally.
DESI: NATIONAL GENERAL SECRETARY OF BCSU IN BULGARIA
‘God is good,’ says Desi. It’s not easy to manage a ‘shifting’ team, tasked with providing in-depth care for higher than ever numbers of students, when staff also work extra full-time jobs to make ends meet. Yet the fruit of their faithfulness and hard work is evident. Throughout Bulgaria, students are inviting their friends to events and praying for them, non-Christians are attending Bible studies, and doubting Christians have become faithful followers.
NATALIE: A STUDENT LEADER FROM CEC IN PANAMA
Word is fast spreading about the new student group Natalie has started in her department. And she’s learning how sceptical mindsets can be a stumbling block to many students. Supported by faithful believers from other faculties, Natalie is confident of God’s continued provision and presence – even if there is no staff worker at present. Seeing just one student wanting to know more about Jesus reassures her that God is at work.
VILISI: A STAFF WORKER FROM PSFC IN FIJI
A culture of ‘prosperity Christianity’, the challenge of engaging with the university, and financial needs: these are some of the pressing matters Vilisi faces in her work on campus. Bible study is a priority. So is identifying the big issues for students, so the movement can provide appropriate training for student leaders and offer prayer for healing. And the biggest one is human trafficking. Through the training on Trauma and Healing and Human Trafficking and the prayer ministry, Vilisi is seeing God healing and transforming lives.
DALIN: A STUDENT LEADER FROM SONOKO IN CAMBODIA
Cambodia is largely a Buddhist country where, says Dalin, people have little time for God. Most feel they can succeed by their own efforts, and students are preoccupied with earning money on top of studying. Christianity is seen as a foreign religion, with student believers suffering bullying, rejection, and isolation. But God is at work, inspiring student leaders to be ready to serve, lead and face the challenges.
JULIUS: A STAFF WORKER FROM GBUST IN TOGO
Julius’s organisation has a real vision for growth: setting up groups in new kinds of institutions, purchasing land for a ministry building and focussing on small groups since larger gatherings are still prohibited. For university students and school pupils unable to attend their own groups, they’ve also developed a model of ‘mixed [local] cells’ that ‘keeps everyone connected to the word of God in fellowship and prayer and ensures a better vitality of the movement.’ All of these create new opportunities and also challenges that he would like to share and discuss with others at World Assembly.
Please give what you can afford to help these and other applicants share, connect and discover more about growing in resilience at the World Assembly.
Whatever you can afford to give, we – and our scholarship applicants – will be so grateful.