6. Invite International students
So often, students who come from other cultures and countries are keen to experience as many different parts of culture as possible here in the UK. Church can be exactly that for them! They are often curious, open, and tend not to have fixed ideas or preconceptions about what Church is or how it works. Some come from cultures familiar with spirituality; for others it’s a new concept altogether. Some are from countries where the name of Jesus is illegal; others may never have heard His name at all. Regardless of what country they are from, they are all far from their homes and families - so we have the opportunity to invite them into the greatest family ever - the church!
It is worth contacting Friends International and other student organisations who work with international students to see how you can connect helpfully. They often run meals, events, and Bible studies specifically for international students. They can also help you find resources and Bibles in almost any language. Could you go as a volunteer to some of these events and help welcome new international students?
It is also worth posturing yourself as a church ready to welcome international students. You can do this through practical ways like explaining the different parts of your service really clearly and having the words of passages up on a screen so people can follow along easily, but you can also do this by extending hospitality that goes beyond the service itself. Could you have a few international students round for Sunday lunch? Could you run a bonfire night or a Christmas party? Most international students stay in their university cities for the holidays, so this can be a good time to be really deliberate in planning events for them as it’s likely that most of their friends will have gone home for the month!
International students are some of the most likely students to say ‘yes’ to an invite to church, so inviting them to church is one of the most strategic missional activities. But that isn’t why we invite them. We invite them because they are God’s children, just like everyone else, and they have a place in His family. And who knows, if they receive the gospel, they may well be the ones to bring the gospel back to their culture and the wildfire will spread further, faster.
