{"id":49473,"date":"2025-11-25T16:10:54","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T16:10:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ifesworld.org\/?page_id=49473"},"modified":"2025-11-25T16:15:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T16:15:04","slug":"great-joy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ifesworld.org\/en\/great-joy\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Gift This Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Praise God! A generation of worried and curious students is finding joy.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Your support for campus ministry is driving the kind of transformation that happened on the night Jesus was born. When shepherds were told about good news of great joy for all people<\/em>, their terror turned to curiosity<\/strong> (let\u2019s go\u2026 and see<\/em>). It was an openness that led to Jesus<\/strong> and left them glorifying and praising God<\/em> (Luke 2).<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Among an anxious yet spiritually open \u201cGen Z\u201d<\/a>, curiosity around Jesus is rising and dark worries are turning to deep worship.<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Today, will you share your gospel joy and gladly seize this moment?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Will you help further God\u2019s transformative work in the world\u2019s universities?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\n \n \n Give Now <\/span>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Offering Good News to the Curious<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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This year, students and staff in the IFES movement in Moldova were surprised by the spiritual openness they witnessed during their Serios?<\/em> Events Week.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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In a context where evangelism is usually seen as religious propaganda, they were delighted to see genuine curiosity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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One student even hung around long after an event had finished so that he could ask more questions. Read more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Across Europe, IFES movements are reporting a growing openness: <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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There seem to be more non-Christians at our activities!<\/em> (GBU France)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The group in Hasselt was one of our smallest\u2026 but it\u2019s now grown to about 25 students.<\/em> (Ichtus Belgium)\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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God is working\u2026 We\u2019ve seen students turn from witchcraft after encounters with Christ.<\/em> (CUI Ireland)\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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One Europewide IFES initiative that\u2019s empowering students, staff, and academics to publicly share the gospel in universities is FEUER. In November, over 200 delegates from across the continent had four days of training, sharing, and fellowship together.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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We had a fantastic time! But the real impact is not what happened at the conference but what will happen with many university ‘events weeks’ taking place all over Europe in the year ahead.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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MICHAEL OTS, FEUER FIELD DIRECTOR<\/p>\n<\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Will you gladly seize this opportunity to offer good news to a curious generation?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Your gift could help students attend training events that help them share the gospel.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\n \n \n Give Now <\/span>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Sharing Good News with the Worried<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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At this year\u2019s training for student leaders in Eurasia, it was striking how many testimonies included prior thoughts of mental health and harm. One student shared:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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I had many traumas and a corrupted view of life. I wanted to hurt my loved ones. I felt that only death would bring me peace.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Praise God that they found hope in Christ through student ministry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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But countless others struggle with dark thoughts. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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One student in Kenya recently shared how lives are being lost on campus because support is lacking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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In Latin America, the IFES regional team has been collaborating with Fuller Seminary\u2019s Centro Latino in a Mental Health Diploma program. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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This year, 19 staff workers from across the region gained new insights.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cI\u2019ve become truly aware of the immense need that exists \u2013 anxiety, depression, emotional exhaustion, and various forms of pain. And I\u2019ve come to understand that every small step toward emotional healing is a foretaste of the total restoration we\u2019ll experience when Christ returns.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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HENDI (STAFF WORKER IN COMPA MEXICO)\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div>

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Among \u201cGen Z\u201d on campuses worldwide, dark thoughts threaten lives and curious souls are longing for peace \u2013 now is the time to act<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u00a3<\/strong>10<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n\n
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per month could help equip student leaders to offer pastoral care and connect their peers with trained counsellors.<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\u00a3<\/strong>30<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n\n
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per month could help students offer Gospel hope to their peers by enabling them to attend IFES regional training events.<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\u00a3<\/strong>125<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n\n
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per month could help staff workers receive training to witness with Jesus-like compassion.<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Today, will you share your conviction that the birth of Jesus is \u201cgood news of great joy\u201d with a new generation? Will you make the most of their openness and turn worry into worship?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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\n \n \n Give Now <\/span>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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But the angel said to them, \u201cDo not be afraid.\u00a0I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.\u00a0Today in the town of David a Saviour\u00a0has been born to you; he is the Messiah,\u00a0the Lord.<\/strong>“<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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LUKE 2.10-11<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Praise God! A generation of worried and curious students is finding joy. Your support for campus ministry is driving the kind of transformation that happened on the night Jesus was born. When shepherds were told about good news of great joy for all people, their terror turned to curiosity (let\u2019s go\u2026 and see). It was…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":47215,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"area":[],"theme":[],"class_list":["post-49473","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nYour Gift This Christmas · IFES<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Praise God! A generation of worried and curious students is finding joy. 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