One Tract Can Change a Life

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How many times have you shared the gospel?

The chart below shows the results of a poll I gave to about 50 students starting out my Missions & Evangelism I class in the fall of 2011. The question was, how many times have you shared the gospel?

The results held a few surprises:

• An unexpectedly high percentage (90%) have shared the gospel at least once.
• 10% of the class have never shared their faith. This figure is surprisingly low; it speaks of the increased training, opportunities, and desire young people have to share their faith. I look forward to reducing this percentage to zero throughout this course!
• 61% of the students have shared their faith 5 times or more. Amazing . . . I wonder how this compares with national statistics?
• 5% of the class have significant experience in evangelism, having shared the gospel more than 100 times. These students take this course because it is required of every major at Emmaus. More importantly, however, is the gift and the passion for evangelism that drives these students; they would  take the course even if it wasn't required!

These are surprising figures. They signal an amazing potential. I pray the full potential is realized.

Summex France

Every year students at Emmaus have opportunities to travel and learn abroad. One such opportunity, organized by the Intercultural Studies Program, is called Summex. Summex stands for Summer Missionary Exposure. It is a 2-4 week trip abroad with the purpose of learning what God is doing worldwide, to gain cross-cultural experience, and to serve. In the summer of 2011, Summex went to France.

Our team had an opportunity to serve at the International Brethren Conference for Mission in Strasbourg, where we met and served more than 400 missionaries and mission leaders from around the globe. Pictures and further information can be found on the Summex Blog.

CMML's new website

CMML's relationship with Emmaus dates back to the founding of the school. Throughout the years, our graduates have served with CMML in cross-cultural missions. CMML missionaries regularly visit the college to fuel a passion for missions among our students. We participate together in conferences such as the Missionary Orientation Program, and other regional conferences.

So, who is CMML? I selected a brief quote from their website as explanation for their ministry:

"Christian Missions In Many Lands, Inc. (CMML) was established in 1921 as a nonprofit, faith-based service organization to serve missionaries from the United States serving in cross-cultural missions overseas. CMML serves missionaries whom have been commended by local churches designated by the U.S. government as Plymouth Brethren."

Congratulations CMML on your new, very helpful website!

David Livingstone

Students in History of Missions studied the lives of key figures in the expansion of the Gospel. They plotted their research onto a timeline like this one.

The Life of David Livingstone on Dipity.

History of Missions

Two creative students put together this video, featuring a couple of the innovative technological leaps that took place in missions in the twentieth century: radio and aviation. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Emmaus!

From the desk of the EBC Alumni Director:

2011 marks 70 years of God's faithfulness to Emmaus, and we are planning an exciting Homecoming celebration for October 13-16. Online registration is now open!

Hope to see you there!

Global Action Atlas

From National Geographic comes another great tool: a global map of cultural, humanitarian and environmental projects available for involvement.

Global Action Atlas - You Can Change the World

Spring Break trip to Mexico

Many college and university students in the USA waste their money and their life during spring break. At Emmaus, instead, several students spent their time and money to take the Gospel to Mexico.

Social action and missions

The mission fields need a Gospel message which is timeless because it is eternal and boundless as the horizon of heaven. All of the missionary heroes, Judson, Carey, Livingstone, Martyn, Hudson Taylor, lived for eternity and preached eternity, a Gospel that was other-worldly. They went out to save the lost. Yet their social Gospel included works of mercy to all with whom they came in contact. They had their schools, hospitals and asylums; they were not unmindful of social evils and worked for social reforms. But they considered all these as means to an end. These were only scaffolding of the eternal palace. That consists of living stones, lives redeemed, character built up, souls won for glory.

-Thinking Missions with Christ, Samuel Zwemer

Our message

 

"We are sent . . . not to preach sociology but salvation; not economics but evangelism; not reform but redemption; not culture but conversion; not progress but pardon; not the new social order but the new birth; not revolution but regeneration; not renovation but revival; not resuscitation but resurrection; not a new organization but a new creation; not a democracy but the Gospel; not civilization but Christ. We are ambassadors not diplomats." 

-Hugh Thomson Kerr.

Tools of the trade: Duarte

Duarte's Five Rules PowerPoint has rendered obsolete all the PowerPoints I have ever made. They have ruined my streamlined approach to making a presentation. They kicked my designing skills so hard, these landed on a new level. Thanks DO-ART-e!

Want to take the file apart and see how it works? Download it from Microsoft here.