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 PrintableVersion The Third DegreeWhat students get up to during those long summersThe summer holiday is definitely one of the perks of student life; months without coursework deadlines or exams, but does student ministry take a break too? With many students going home, travelling or working, it may appear that there isn’t much opportunity to reach the student world with the good news about Jesus. But things aren’t always what they seem... This year six UCCF-led teams of students are going overseas, to Lithuania, Bulgaria, a country in the Former Yugoslav Republic, Russia, Paris and an East European country. Each team is made up of students from Christian Unions across the UK and led by Christian Union Staff Workers. Working with...These teams are not just going for a holiday (the Russian team will be camping for three weeks!), but are going to work alongside Christians in these countries to serve others and make Christ known. Teams will be helping with summer camps, English classes, teaching the Bible, going on trips, sharing culture and sharing the news of Jesus Christ. All the teams will be challenged by cross-cultural mission, but are motivated by an incredible gospel that is true, relevant and for the whole world. East EuropeJon Burrows, Bedfordshire University, East European Country Team: ‘I think the most challenging things will be building relationships with new people out there and crossing the cultural barrier. It will be exciting, but a challenge to understand where they’re coming from, their history and how different that is from my own.’ ParisThe students that make up the Paris team are all French speakers who will be joining together with French students to reach out in a difficult secular culture. They will be involved with street evangelism, bookstalls, Bible studies and evangelistic meetings and all in French. Tim Soare, Exeter University, Paris Team: ‘French culture will be very different and people will have a very different idea about what the gospel is.’ Preparing for...Many countries to which the teams will be going are strongly influenced by Eastern Orthodoxy and this brings along its own difficulties. To help prepare students for the new situations they will be facing, UCCF: The Christian Unions held an orientation weekend that addressed some of these issues. They also spent time learning from the Bible about the motivation for mission: the gospel of grace. LithuaniaLydia Adams, Bangor University, Lithuania Team: ‘I’m excited about meeting the Lithuanian people. And I’m hoping that non-Christians will come and I’ll get the chance to share about Jesus.’ BulgariaIn Bulgaria, the team will be joining together with students from the Netherlands to run a summer camp with trips, Bible studies and the sharing of three different cultures. This camp is for Christian and non-Christian Bulgarian students and the blessing of an EU cultural-exchange grant has made it easier for the Bulgarian students to come along. The country in the former Yugoslav Republic has no existing Christian movement in universities. At the summer camp they are running they will be doing English classes and studying Mark’s Gospel with non-Christian students. Josh Rogers, Durham University: ‘Explaining the gospel to students for the first time is going to be exciting!’ Students don’t have to go abroad to be involved in a team: over the summer, as well as teams going overseas, there are six teams going to work with international students in the UK and three teams going to work in deprived urban areas in the UK. Praise the Lord for these wonderful opportunities for students to live and speak for Jesus and please pray for them as they serve on summer teams. Charlotte Petra,
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