The mission of Global University serves as an objective and purpose motivating all who serve the institution: Impacting eternity by winning the lost and training the found…Everywhere.
As a result of this mission, many courses encourage students to participate in ministry in order to practice the concepts being studied. It is exciting to see how God utilizes these students in ministry to make a spiritual impact on the world around them.
One Global University student, Michael, discovered his orientation to ministry while taking a Berean School of the Bible course: Acts: The Holy Spirit at Work in Believers.
Around that time, Michael had been spending a lot of hours in prayer about how God would have him minister to his community. Michael lives in a small town in Virginia, comprised of about 600 people. The majority of people make a living from trade jobs or farming the land.
The assignment for Michael was to select at least one way he could work for God as a layperson and to put ministry into action. Michael decided to reach his community by partnering with a fellow member in his church and restaurant owner to provide a day of free lunches for all of the local workers. The current economic situation has hit that town hard, and providing people a little bit of help would make an impact in their lives. Michael did not want to be so caught up in living his own life that he failed to notice or help the hurting and needy people around him.
Together, Michael and the restaurant owner put their plan into action. As long as Michael agreed to be at the restaurant to help cook and serve the people who came in, the restaurant owner agreed to cover the costs for the food. They did not advertise what they were doing; instead, they decided to just allow people to come in for their normal lunch and be surprised. They would soon discover that they did not need to pay anything.
The end result was 42 people receiving an unexpected, free lunch—burgers, chips, and a drink. As Michael later reported, "When people asked why we were passing out all of this food for free, we simply responded with, 'We feel that this is what God has called us to do today to help in light of the current economic situation.'" They also had a small sign posted advertising the local church.
The results? Of the 42 people who received lunch, 12 people came to church the following Sunday, and of those 12, two were saved!
Michael’s experience is a reminder of how God has called us to serve our church and our community. This service is not dependent on a church position.
As Michael said, "I chose this ministry because I feel I am called to serve my community for Christ. God has called me to spread his love to people that live near me through simple acts of kindness for no good reason. In other words, I am called to serve."
"I hope to use this small outreach as an opportunity to do more things in the community. My ultimate goal is to serve so many and so often that people just sense the presence and love of Christ everywhere they go in our town. I am hoping to instill a culture of service in my church in hopes that it will spread through our local churches, state, and world. I feel the best way to meet people’s spiritual needs is by meeting them at the point of personal need. People are more apt to listen when they feel you are serving them with a genuine love."
Every day, around the world, students of Global University, like Michael, find themselves applying their studies in real-life situations. And every day, because of their application of the Gospel, these same students are demonstrating to others the love of the Lord.
Please help Global University to continue to provide training worldwide so that more students, like Michael, can be equipped and enabled to serve and minister worldwide.
Edited by GU staff
October 2009
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