Evangelical Presbyterian Church

Throughout history the Lord of the harvest has continuously used student mission movements to take the world evangelization effort into strategic new directions. From Paul's ministry at Ephesus in the Lecture Hall of Tyrannus-the local university that trained a small band of students who took the word throughout all of Asia Minor-to the counter-culture uprising of disenchanted upper-middle class young people of Italy that raised up over 200,000 young missionaries within 50 years of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, to the Student Volunteer Movement of the last century, recruiting and preparing qualified people to serve as missionaries has always been a monumental task facing the church.

There is no doubt that the Christian student world has been a major source of the missionaries sent out by the church, perhaps because it is during the college years that a majority of men and women decide on the direction of their life's work.

The World Outreach Committee and the College Ministries Committee are partnering to ensure that our church calls, equips and sends this generation of young people into the mission field. More than 100 EPC young people gathered at Urbana 2006 in St. Louis to learn how the EPC can help them obey God's calling on their lives. A number of summer short-term mission opportunities are being made available to college students, providing an opportunity to explore their calling and to become familiar with the EPC as a sending agency. We desire to make the Great Commission known to all students touched by EPC college ministries and to support students in every way possible as they seek to respond to God's call.

Below are the two international trips slated for the Summer of 2008. Please contact the EPC General Assembly Office for a registration form or to get more information.

Almaty, Kazakhstan

Work alongside national Young Life leaders and veteran WO missionaries to do youth outreach through English language clubs in the mornings and Young Life clubs and outreach events in the evenings. Cap the whole time off working along national believers (many from Muslim backgrounds) to run a Young Life camp, made up in part of the English students you teach during the week who may never before have had any involvement with Christians or the Christian faith.

For many years World Outreach has partnered with Young Life of Kazakhstan to reach the youth of Almaty. Many of the students who first heard the gospel through one of these Young Life clubs have come to faith and are now the very national leaders with whom you will serve during these two weeks of youth outreach events. More recently our involvement with English language clubs has proved to be an excellent point of contact with students who would not usually have participated in the other outreach ministries. Yet, through the casual, social interaction in the English language clubs, real friendships and relationships are begun which lay the foundation for the sharing of your faith in a non-threatening and natural environment. ESL training and experience, however, are not needed to be effective in building these relationships. The real requirement is a desire to share the hope that is in you among a people for whom hope was too long a rare thing.

Mekelle, Ethiopia

Work alongside veteran World Outreach/SIM missionaries through a youth outreach center in an area traditionally closed to missionaries. But because the government needs help with its burgeoning youth population (approximately 60% of the area's population is under 16) and with the devastating AIDS crisis (up to 60% of the high risk youth population may be HIV positive) the government has asked these workers to come and run the youth center .

In a place where traditional missionary methods are not allowed and would have difficulty working, the youth center gives a natural way to intersect with 800-1000 kids a day as well as their families, government officials and many other community members while at the same time fulfilling a vital need in the lives of the youth and community, who are among the world's poorest and most disadvantaged.

This team will provide help in the areas of: sports outreach: help coach, teach, run clinics, tournaments, and play alongside Ethiopian youth, English Teaching (no ESL degree required)--even help teach English in formal and informal setting, including tutoring and conversational discussion groups.

Basic Computer Skills: Teach basic introductory courses and help with lab sessions

HIV / AIDS Awareness: Assist with the general program and teaching, including anti-AIDS clubs, fitness, and health education EPC Summer Quest '08 is a joint summer missions venture between the College Ministries and World Outreach Ministries of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

Back to Top