By Kevin Chien / Campus Bible Study staff worker, University of New South Wales
Over the last few decades, we have seen people coming to our university campuses from many different nations—even places where
the gospel is not very accessible, such as China.
I serve with Campus Bible Study at the University of New South Wales and I have found that the whole campus is like a mission field! My ministry role is mainly teaching the Bible to international students, particularly those who speak Mandarin. I have been given endless opportunities to share the gospel with Chinese international students, as they are always around on campus and available for a chat.
Helping Chinese international students understand the gospel is one thing but helping them to follow Jesus is another. Often, they have deep-rooted barriers that prevent them from turning to Jesus. Many were brought up as atheists, and many are not prepared for the costs associated with following Jesus as their Lord in China.
In addition, as Chinese students trust in the gospel, often all the effort we put in to help them grow as Christians makes them think Christianity is all about them. Our challenge is to keep training our students in ministry skills so that they will see the need others have for the gospel and serve as part of the body of Christ.
Furthermore, one of the unique characteristics of the Chinese ministry on campus is that we are constantly thinking about sending—not just because our students eventually leave us as their university studies come to an end, but also because the gospel is for the world. Regardless of whether our students return to their home country or stay in Australia, our deep desire and prayer is that they will continue to share Christ and serve him. This means preparing our students well for the suffering they may encounter in the future.
As a Moore graduate, I am thankful to God for the time I spent at Moore College. The College taught me so much about handling the Word rightly and teaching it well in different contexts. It prepared me well to engage with the many different worldviews that I encounter on the university campus. I also appreciate the time I spent with faculty and other students, and how they encouraged me to love the word and love people, all in prayerful dependence on God.
Kevin Chien graduated from Moore College in 2013.
Prayer:
- Pray for the many international students reading the Bible with us regularly—that they will repent and trust in the Lord Jesus.
- Ask God to raise up more workers for the harvest to serve the students.
- Pray for brothers and sisters who have returned to difficult places and ask God to help them persevere in Christ until the day of his return.
