Studying Abroad?

«Kannst du unser missionarisches Bibellesen leiten?»

What? Me? I thought. Lead a Bible study?

«Was?» I gasped.

«Kannst du bei unserem missionarischen Bibellesen helfen?»

Uh, in German? «Auf Deutsch?»

She laughed. «Ja, klar!» (Of course!)

Anne Pratzka, leader of the largest university fellowship in Berlin, wanted to know if I could lead a Bible study for people who were interested in Jesus but had never studied the Bible before.

I’m not a native speaker of German, and I had never even led a Bible study in English, let alone one in German. They would train me, but still . . .

I told her I would pray about it.

God confirmed it in my prayers, and I was set to lead a Bible study for people I didn’t know very well, in a culture I had only been in for a few weeks, and in a language I had not fully mastered. The leaders at the SMD trained me and paired me with a native German who showed me how to lead the study and helped with the group for the first few weeks before I took over.

I had come to Berlin to study abroad for a semester, and God’s plans for me clearly went beyond my studies. My work with God Abroad had led me to the StudentenMission in Deutschland, the German equivalent of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. That semester I not only led the Bible study, but also shared the gospel with both of my roommates, one a former East German, the other from Vietnam. Neither had ever heard it before. A leader of another Bible study I visited asked me to come regularly, saying that the mere presence of another Christian at the study made a big difference. God had called me to Germany—for studies, I thought—but he used me to further his work among the German people. Of course I completed my studies successfully; I simply spent a few hours a week in the Lord’s service, nothing different from what I probably would have done in the States.

But if I had not gotten plugged into a local church and a local fellowship, little of this would have happened, and I would have suffered personally in my relationship with the Lord.

get plugged in

Two-thirds of students studying abroad head to Europe. Most of us in America don’t realize how desperate the need is for the gospel in Europe. In Spain, France, Italy, England and Germany, evangelical Christians make up no more than five percent of the population. I have traveled these nations and have spoken with both non-Christians and Christian leaders—these countries are overflowing with those who have never even heard the Good News.

We tend to concentrate more on the nations of the 10/40 Window: Pakistan, India, China and so on. Indeed, these countries are starving for God, and there is an important call there, but theirs are not the languages we typically study in school (unlike Spanish, French and German), and these are not the safest places in the world.

It can be so simple for us to open ourselves to the Lord and allow him to use our time in college as time for pursuit of and service to him. You do it at home in the U.S.; why should your time abroad be any different?

I was one among 150,000 American students who went abroad that year. How many of them were Christians I cannot say, but I am certain there were at least a few thousand of them (the most likely figure is a little over 20,000).

Paul and Silas were two of the earliest Christian travelers. When they visited a city, it would be changed by the time they left.

Two men. How much more could God do with a few thousand! Yet, from having talked to church leaders in various countries and students who have studied abroad, I know that only a very small portion of them ever get plugged into any type of fellowship while they are abroad. The principal reason is that they don’t know how to find solid, Bible-based churches and fellowships where they are. So they get bogged down with studies, travels, new friends and adapting to a new culture. Finding a church or fellowship either slips from their minds or seems too difficult to try.

One resource to meet this need is God Abroad Ministries. God Abroad publishes information, all in English, all on the internet, on high-impact churches in the top 15 study abroad destinations. It also helps students find churches in other countries as well. Looking for a charismatic church in Buenos Aires? Need to find an IFES chapter in Barcelona? Hungry for an English-speaking church in Florence? Visit the IFES site at www.ifesworld.org and see how you might get plugged in where you're heading.

Getting ready

If you're planning to study abroad, prepare yourself spiritually before you go by checking out churches and fellowships where you’re headed. If you’re a student leader, be sure that those studying abroad in your fellowship know about the resources that are available to them.

Here are some tips on making the most of the spiritual side of your study abroad experience:

1. Do everything in your power to make sure that you find a church and/or university fellowship before you leave the U.S. This is absolutely critical to your time abroad. Set up a date before you go to meet with someone from the church or fellowship when you arrive, and stick to it when you get there.

2. Purchase a Bible in the national language before you go and begin reading it in addition to your English Bible as a part of your regular time with the Lord. Depending on where you’re going, you may have to wait until you arrive to find a Bible, but be sure to get one. When you get your Bible, read one of the Gospels all the way through at a pace that corresponds to your level in that language. This will not only help your language ability, but will also give you a better idea of how to fellowship with other Christians and talk with non-Christians about your faith. If you have little or no knowledge of the language, get a Bible anyway and learn the names of the books. There is little that is more powerful than being able to share Bible verses in someone’s own language, even if you don’t know the language. God’s Word is powerful and will speak in ways that you cannot.

3. Approach every situation with an attitude of humility and service. Americans often expect special treatment or expect everyone to speak English. Don’t enter a church, Bible study or any other situation with this attitude. God wants us to be like Christ, the humble servant. Be ready to learn and eager to help, and you will not be disappointed.

4. Get support from your local church or I-V chapter. Talk to your chapter leadership team or staff worker about getting some cross-cultural training before you leave. Most areas have ongoing cross-cultural training programs preparing students for global projects. Obviously you will have to translate some of this into a study-abroad paradigm, but you will benefit highly from knowing more about culture shock and cross-cultural ministry. Be sure to have your small group or even your entire chapter support you in prayer. Send back regular updates describing how you’re doing and how they can pray for you.