Past, present, future
THE PAST... HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN NEW ZEALAND
ISM NZ began when a number of South East Asian Colombo Plan students involved themselves with the New Zealand Navigators student ministry. This group of talented International Students influenced the provision of pastoral care and training opportunities for people like themselves. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Asian an Pacific students featured prominently within the NZ Navigator student ministry.
A change in government policies in 1989 impacted the nature and mix of international students in NZ. Greater numbers and diversities of nationalities influenced the NZ Navigators to undergo a redevelopment of their part in the international student ministry. In the late 1990s, what had been the NZ Navigator International student ministry became International Student Ministries of New Zealand, an independent incorporated society focussing on Christian ministry amongst internationals studying and resident in New Zealand.
Today ISM NZ is a multicultural, multinational Christian ministry serving internationals here in New Zealand. ISM NZ assists and compliments the work of Churches, Education institutes and other organisations seeking the welfare and development of people of international origins. ISM's ethos reflects its history and current links with the Navigators and other similar Christian ministries worldwide. ISM staff and volunteers come from a variety of countries and sectors within the community. They are committed to encouraging holistic discipling and contextualised, relevant and contemporary training and development.
International Students are one of the Greatest Strategic World Missions Opportunities in New Zealand...
Our Purpose is
To help internationals know
Christ and make Him known:
• while they study in NZ
• on returning to
their home countries
• among all the nations
Our Goals
• Love and serve international students in
all areas of their lives.
• Help them find Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
•
Train them in discipling others.
• Help them get God’s vision for their
people and all peoples.
• Prepare them for returning to their countries and
integrate them in a network of enabling, receiving ministries.
• See them
labouring for Christ among the nations.
International Students Are Uniquely Gifted For Reaching the World
They...
• Speak
at least two languages fluently.
• Know their own culture well.
• Will
be financially self-supporting.
• Are future leaders and respected for
their education.
• Already have many relationships underway back home.
• Do not need visas to go to their own countries.
• Can open doors for
foreign tentmakers.
"After this I looked
and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every
nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of
the Lamb."
Revelation
7:9
THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE
And they sang a new song: "You
are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and
with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and
people and nation."
Revelation 5:9
As doors to traditional missionaries continue to close in many countries, despite new freedom in others, God in His infinite wisdom has brought the brightest students from 120 nations to our doorstep.
To take the world missionary enterprise seriously, we must put resources into the care and discipling of international students. Most of them return to their countries and become leaders in their field: heads of state, cabinet members, governors, university professors, newspaper editors, generals, business executives, ambassadors, lawyers, doctors, bank presidents, pastors, seminary professors, church planners...
God Has Purposefully Put These Responsive People On Our Doorstep
Most of them long to befriend New Zealanders, learn all about Kiwi culture and enhance their English speaking skills. They don’t have inhibitions about discussing the gospel because where they come from the two most popular subjects are politics and religion.
What God has done
Over many years International Student Ministries have contributed to discipling significant numbers of people who have gone on to serve as Navigator staff, Pastors and Christian leaders in Malaysia, Singapore, Tonga and Fiji. As well, key individuals have returned to many countries including some restricted access countries, to serve in Christian causes and leadership.
What God is doing
Currently our ministry to International students is discipling people from over two dozen countries. That is encouraging but the opportunity that is open before us is far greater than that. We know when we win and build significant numbers from individual countries they go back and in years to come significantly impact their countries for Christ. We know individuals can be the seed that wins families and communities to the Lord, and we know that for some restricted access nations winning and building students from these nations is one of the few ways the church outside that nation can engage in reaching it. This knowledge is heavy when the opportunity is greater. God has given us an open door of opportunity. We need to go through it but we need people to go through it with us.