This is Part Two of a two-post series on reaching international students. In Part One, I addressed the WHY, with 9 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE REACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS…YESTERDAY. Now in Part Two, I’ll present a list of ideas on HOW.

1. Determine to Befriend ONE International Student

Like Jesus, who poured himself into a handful of people on a deep personal level, we too can only be close to so many people. So before setting out to launch an elaborate program and attempting to attract hundreds of international students, why not start with ONE?

ONE new friend. That’s all. Pray to meet, serve, and befriend one international student. Then extend that same challenge to everyone else you know.

2. Be A Friend, Whether They Express Interest in Christianity or Not

Have you ever felt insulted when a friendly telemarketer hangs up on you as soon as they realize you’re not interested in buying their product? If so, then you can begin to relate to the way international students sometimes feel.

Smiling and asking questions, hosting events with free food, and inviting international students to Bible studies are all good things. But the true test of our friendship comes when the international student isn’t as “receptive” as we had hoped. Don’t be the Christian who disappears and moves on to the next “prospective convert”. Be a friend.

People have value no matter what. We need to go out of our way to communicate to international students that our friendship is not contingent upon them agreeing with our faith. We must show a genuine respect and interest in their lives, and affirm that our friendship has no strings attached.

3. Participate In International Student Organizations

You can meet international students in many different ways. One of the easiest ways to do this is to attend the club meetings for the international student organizations on your campus.

Encourage the American students in your church and Campus Ministry to participate in these clubs and their activities. Generally, you can discover the club meeting times on the college website under Student Organizations. You can also “Like” them on their Facebook fan pages.

4. Invite Them To Hang Out

When you meet a new international student, it’s important to exchange contact information, so you can follow-up.

Invite them out for coffee or lunch, ask lots of get-to-know-you questions, and try to find some common ground.

Inviting them to the activities of your church or Campus Ministry is a great way to introduce them to other Christians too. Just be sure to give the students a heads-up if the event you’re inviting them to involves a religious aspect such as prayer, worship, a testimony, or Bible study.

 

5. Experiment With Programs

There are many organized programs that can be used to reach international students.

• Volunteer on Campus – Contact the International Student Advisor at your college to see how you may be of service. They’re always looking for volunteers to pick up students from the airport, give rides to Walmart, or give campus tours.
• Conversation English Tutoring – A lot of resources exist that equip people to offer English tutoring using the Bible (see the links at the end of this post). This enables internationals to practice their English and get more familiar with the Christian worldview at the same time.
• International Friendship Program – Whether you encourage volunteers to plug into this program the college already offers, or you start your own, this opportunity often proves to be one of the most meaningful. Basically, international students and American families or individuals sign up to be matched together. Americans commit to spend time with their international student. This may include inviting them over for dinner at least once a month, allowing them to join you for holidays, going to their school activities, etc.
• Discussion Parties – These events can take many shapes. You might have a game night; watch a movie; host a dinner; have a theme party; etc. The point is for American students and international students to mingle, have fun, make conversation, and establish friendships. Again, if the event involves a religious element – like watching The Jesus Film for example – just be sure to mention that.

 

6. Cast the Vision & Enlist Volunteers

The more volunteers there are that offer help, the more international students there are that receive help.

To recruit volunteers, you can extend a public invitation for groups to attend a formal presentation, or you can extend a private invitation for individuals to attend an informal presentation.

However you prefer to do it, you want to cast the vision to people who will prayerfully consider getting involved, one semester at a time. It can be as simple as a slide show with sign-up forms, or as elaborate as a room decorated with flags and maps, complete with ethnic food, worship songs in foreign languages, and games and skits. Just be sure to have handouts and sign-ups forms readily available.

For a great recruiting video, check out “One More Friend” by Chi Alpha Campus Ministries.

http://www.onemorefriend.org/videos.html

 

7. Do What You Do With American Students

In case you feel overwhelmed with all these new ideas, just take it slow. So many of the things you’re doing to reach American students can be applied to reaching international students. These may include:

• Spreading the word on campus by way of booths, posters, flyers, websites, etc.
• Planning activities, retreats, mission trips, and service projects.
• Inviting students to church services.
• Offering Investigative Faith Studies to those searching for God.
• Plugging students into Small Groups and Discipleship Studies.
• Attending conferences.
• Equipping and sending out students as missionaries where ever they may be going after college.

 

8. Utilize Resources

You’d be surprised at the amount of helpful resources that are out there. These include books, videos, podcasts, websites, and conferences.

Not only are these instructional resources geared toward Christians looking to minister to international students, they also are geared toward international students themselves.

One organization that stands out in particular is International Students, Inc. Visit their website at www.isionline.org.

Finally, for a list of some of my favorite resources, follow these links:

• Conversation Ideas

http://bluehensforchrist.net/#/international-students/conversation-ideas

• Links for Internationals

http://bluehensforchrist.net/#/international-students/helpful-links

• Links for Americans

http://bluehensforchrist.net/#/international-students/links-for-christians

 

LEAVE A COMMENT

What ideas or resources would you add to the list?