Getting Students Out of Town

Some years ago I asked five of the top College Ministers I knew to tell me "the one thing" for them as a College Minister. What was the one thing they thought was most important in their large and strong ministries. One said he thought getting students out of town on missions was the most important thing.

Roger and Rose Bear are legendary College Ministers at Indiana State. Rose wrote this in their June newsletter:

"One of the best things about BCM is our summer missions program. There are great things about short term mission trips. We do one every year. However this experience does not begin to compare with that of summer missions. On a short term mission trip, you're with your friends and an adult leader who is taking care of you, and you're there for a week or two. When you are a summer missionary you go alone into the unknown and have to depend on God in a much deeper way. You stay long enough for the excitement to wear off. You stay long enough to build relationships. You stay long enough to experience the joys and heartaches of ministry. Over the decades God has used BCM summer missions to call out generations of ministers and missionaries. I would not be a missionary in Indiana today if I had not been a summer missionary in Rhode Island in 1095 and Nebraska in 1976."

Through the years I have seen God use missions experiences to call students to ministry. Are you making sure your students are challenged and hear the opportunities of missions service for them? Early this fall maybe they need to hear testimonies from this summer.