One of the central focuses of IFI Columbus’ ministry is discipleship. Our model of discipleship incorporates an emphasis on outreach: we reach out to as many internationals as possible to identify whom God is leading us to help cultivate spiritually.
However people from different ethnic backgrounds are less likely to open themselves to (let alone receive) the Gospel if the message is not contextualized within their culture. Therefore, general outreach efforts limit our ability to share with people from the various cultures we meet.
IFI’s Columbus Ministry is working to establish Ethnic Friendship Teams, which we believe will extend our reach and impact by focusing our efforts.
These teams:
- Actively build friendships with students from a specific background.
- Learn how to best share the Gospel and Jesus to best suit specific cultural groups.
- Plan, coordinate, and implement events that reach out to students from specific ethnic backgrounds, countries, and regions.
- Establish Discipleship opportunities (i.e. Bible Study groups) that contextualize the Bible for the students they serve.
Is God calling you to a specific group? Pray about joining a team!
Note: Though we have many active teams, some have had limited activity due to vacant leadership roles. Please pray and consider if God calling you to help re-engage students from a specific background by leading a team!
