By Bryan Knell

Questions to Develop Strategy

Look at the Work as a Whole

  1. How many international students are there on our campus?
  2. Who has information about international students?
  3. From what countries do the international students come?
  4. How many might be Christians? Where may we find them?
  5. When do internationals arrive and leave?
  6. Where do they go to register? When?
  7. When and where do they need to take language exams?
  8. What is their language ability? Who will take language courses? Where?
  9. Where do the internationals live? Where are the main concentrations?
  10. Where do internationals go to eat? Shop?
  11. In which departments (majors) do they study?

Analyze the Needs of International Students

  1. What are their basic physical and emotional needs? Who's seeking to meet these needs?
  2. What is the university or college doing for internationals; what does the city do? Are they open to others helping?
  3. What are the basic spiritual needs of Christian internationals? Who's seeking to meet these needs? What groups, churches? What measure of success do they have?
  4. What are the basic spiritual needs of non-Christian internationals? Who's seeking to meet these needs? What groups, churches? What measure of success do they have?
  5. Are non-Christian internationals in touch with and befriended by Christians?
  6. Where is there literature available to help internationals understand the Gospel? Where are Bibles in other languages available?

What Should Our Group Aim to Achieve?

  1. What aims does our group already have concerning students? Freshmen? Could our new student outreach also include internationals?
  2. What should our group do in ministering to internationals which is consistent with our group's aims?
  3. What do we need to encourage other groups to do?

Evaluate the Potential Resources

  1. Group members - Who could help every member of our group catch a vision for internationals? Who can help the members understand internationals?
  2. Christian internationals - Which Christian internationals can be involved in the outreach to other internationals?
  3. Staff worker, pastor - How can our pastor or staff worker help increase a vision for international student work? What specialists can we invite to help?
  4. Missionaries and mission groups - Who can help give insight?
  5. Churches, families, Christian graduate students, and other students - How can we help them to become involved?
  6. Literature and the media - Where can literature be obtained? Are there materials which we'll need to write ourselves? How can we use the media to get the Christian public involved? How can we use literature and the media to minister to internationals?

Plan the Best Ways to Meet the Aims

  1. Motivate Christians - How can we make international student ministry the concern of every member? (through Bible exposition, personal enthusiasm, leaders, etc.)
  2. Provide contact with internationals - How?
  3. Training - Where do our members need help? (Understanding different religions, building friendships, communicating the Gospel, dealing with language difficulties, evangelistic Bible studies, etc.)
  4. Activities to help build friendships with internationals - international student gatherings, Bible studies, dinners, language tutoring, spouses' groups, outings, parties, conferences, sharing of life together.
  5. Train a team to work with internationals.
  6. Staff workers - How can we help them increase their vision and be motivated?
  7. Involve Christian internationals - How can they help our national Christians understand internationals? How can they be involved in the work with internationals? How can they be involved in Bible study, fellowship, training, leadership?
  8. Motivate experienced Christians - What can those who have been overseas or missionaries do to help members, students and staff? Who might speak at a conference? Which conference? How can alumni be involved? Where could we take international students to share their testimony?
  9. Mobilize families - Who might provide hospitality? Give language help? Help during an international conference?
  10. Literature and the media - What can we do in literature distribution for internationals? What do we need in the way of papers, training materials, Bible study guides?

Organize Prayer Support

  1. What can we share during large group prayer times? Daily prayer meetings?
  2. How can our churches be praying? Small groups?
  3. How can we generate prayer support over a wide area?
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