Columbia International University’s annual World Christian Week is a time set aside to observe one of the university’s core values, World Evangelization. It’s a time to focus outside of the United States and celebrate various cultures as well as the pressing need for Christ globally.
At the World Christian Week chapels, the worship music was sung in several languages including Mandarin Chinese and French. Between the worship songs, international students walked onstage to read Bible verses in their native tongue.
Freshman Anna Joy Stone said she “appreciated how this added to the diversity” of the week.
The chapel speaker was Dr. Bekele Shanko, the Global Vice President of CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ) and President of GACX (Global Alliance for Church Multiplication). He shared with the student body how, during his childhood in Ethiopia, his father, and eventually his whole village, was rescued from demonic oppression. When he saw the profound change that Christ made in his father’s life, he too believed and felt a call to evangelize.
Shanko reminded the students that “You only have one life, and the time goes by quickly, so you need to be passionate about your purpose.”
He emphasized that one does not need to lead an organization or be an overseas missionary to make a difference. Any job can be an opportunity to share Christ, adding, “if you are a follower of Christ, you are a missionary no matter the mission field.”
All during the week, representatives from various missions organizations and ministries set up displays at a Missions Fair in the Rossi Student Center to discuss missions opportunities with the students. One such group called Equipping Farmers International teaches the gospel and how to grow crops to those who need agricultural education.
“They come to learn how to grow corn and we teach them the gospel,” said Lavender Bouwens, the ministry’s director for North America.
The Week included a Prayer Day where students gathered in groups to pray for missionary friends, God’s provision for persecuted Christians, the boldness to evangelize, and much more. In addition, the students gathered on The Quad and prayed for the missionary organization representatives they had met at the Missons Fair.
Between Bekele Shanko’s chapels, the Prayer Day sessions, and the Missions Fair there was no shortage of opportunities for the students to support and grow their interest in world evangelization.
(Photo above: Dr. Bekele Shanko delivers a message during World Christian Week.)
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