The Canterbury context (April 2018)

History

There has been coordinated international student ministry in Canterbury for close to 15 years, with more spontaneous initiatives for some years before then. While this means that the ministry may be considered as fairly developed, we need to recognise that the model of ministry that we have now is effective in reaching certain groups of people among the university and language school students (Japanese, Chinese, some European, Muslim students, Eritreans & Ethiopians), but clearly misses others – what we do reaches a tiny proportion of the many thousands of international students who come to the city every year. Any new staff worker should have the ability to work comfortably with what we do now, but also be able to bring in new initiatives “to reach the parts other activities don’t reach.”

The FI team

There is currently one Friends International staff worker and three Reach volunteers (who usually volunteer for one year, but sometimes two), plus others who give significant time to international student ministry without officially being on the staff.

Baiba Strause-Kalmere (Latvia) has been the international student staff worker in Canterbury for 4 years. She has taken on the role of the Centre leader from Jan 2017. We would like to recruit an additional salaried international student worker.

The FI Branch

Friends International Branches work alongside local staff workers to develop fruitful partnerships with local churches and individuals, with the aim of raising prayer support, volunteers and finance. The Canterbury Branch seeks to fulfill its obligations to the staff and Reach volunteers and to be actively involved in developing strategic thinking.

Summary of Tasks

The new staff worker will probably focus on the ministry areas developed by a previous Reach volunteer, especially investing time in volleyball ministry and developing a ministry for male students from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Middle East, the majority of whom are asylum seekers and studying at a local college. However, we aim to allow each staff worker to serve in the areas of their greatest strengths where possible, so there is room for flexibility.

All staff focus on mobilizing and training others, but the role will also include personal ministry - for its own sake, but also to model the ministry to those you train.

The personal ministry of staff among international students involves the following components: befriending; evangelising; discipling/returnee ministry/follow-up. The city leader will play a part in all this, while leaving plenty of space for the supervisor role.

Befriending International Students

  • meeting students through various activities including the International Student Welcome Programme and maybe University/school offices
  • visiting students in their homes, colleges and residences
  • personal hospitality
  • generally 'being available', offering practical help and being a friend to international students
  • organising social and cultural events often in partnership with local churches and café ministries
  • introducing students to local hosts through the Friends International hospitality scheme
  • meeting students referred by Christian contacts in other parts of the UK and abroad
  • developing new initiatives to contact and befriend students

Exploring the Christian faith

  • using carefully planned, cross-cultural approaches to present the gospel to interested students at various functions, including fellowship groups and Bible Studies
  • one-to-one Bible studies with some students
  • giving priority to students from countries where the opportunity would not be available at home

Discipling/Returnee ministry/Follow-up

  • working with students (especially those who are now Christians) to prepare them for the issues they will face in the home environment
  • leading Bible studies for Christian international students
  • providing pastoral support to Christian students
  • linking Christian students with local churches
  • facilitating integration of students into appropriate Christian groups
  • finding Christian contacts for returning students before they leave and promoting their involvement in Christian fellowship and service at home.
  • keeping in touch with returned students via, e.g. post, phone, e-mail and visits

Public relations

  • maintaining good channels of communication with the language schools and the educational institutions in Canterbury

Mobilising, motivating and training others

  • providing training to existing teams, and to churches, and developing new training programmes
  • recruiting volunteers for the various international café teams and for other ministry areas, and encouraging those already on teams
  • relating to the Friends International churches reps group
  • motivational presentations/talks at local churches or other Christian groups
  • establishment and maintenance of links with Christian groups within universities and colleges and possibly with their International Offices/Student Unions/welfare facilities, etc. where relevant
  • acting as a catalyst for the local churches' ministry international students
  • production of newsletter/prayer bulletins

Some specific areas of responsibility of the new staff worker (assuming no re-shuffling, depending on gifting)

  • Leadership of the volleyball activity – working with young male students from Middle East
  • Leadership of Global café team
  • Developing training and discipleship programme for international students locally
  • Supervising a Reach volunteer;
  • Supporting a development of the ministry among IS on Kent University campus
  • Website maintenance, advertising, recruitment of volunteers