Volunteer of the Month: November 2013

For two years Stu and Mary Lou Hulsebus have been serving with Campers on Mission and we are blessed to have them staying with us for now helping School to the Nations in so many ways. Stu keeps busy with all kinds of building and maintenance projects and Mary Lou helped with International Day along with helping keep our office festive and welcoming to guests.

Stu at the STN Chili Cook-Off in October

Not only does this couple help STN but they are preparing to leave soon for Louisiana and Texas to help other ministries in those areas during the winter months. When asked why they enjoy serving at School to the Nations they replied, "We believe in the ministry and in the vision for the lost." Shortly after becoming Christians, they desired to spend their retired years working for the Lord and feel blessed that God has allowed them to do it.

School to the Nations is incredibly blessed to have Stu and Mary Lou and helping us reach the world for Jesus. They are always a joy to work with and serve with laughter and joy, which is often contagious! They are the parents of three children and are blessed with seven grandchildren! They attend First Evangelical Free Church in Springfield, Mo.

Thank you Stu and Mary Lou Hulsebus for your dedication and countless hours! We honor you this month as our Volunteers of the Month and pray that the Lord richly bless you as you continue to serve Him.

Video: International Day 2011

International Day, one of our favorite annual events, is only four days away! Hundreds of international students will be gathered for food, fun, and getting plugged in to local organizations this Thursday, August 15th, Check out this video from International Day 2011 and get excited!

Focus on the Unreached: International Day 2013

 Close to 600,000 international students come to study in the United States each year. This opens an opportunity for missions that we do not often have. We now have untold opportunities to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with foreign students who previously could only be reached by long-term missionaries. This year, School to the Nations gets another opportunity to reach over 400 students from all over the world, connecting them with local businesses, community, and campus ministries. 

 The idea of International Day came about when Randy and Maureen were working with inner-city missions, hosting teenagers at what is now the School to the Nations campus. Randy had a deep sense from the Lord that one day the influence of the campus would expand to host and reach the nations. In 2007, he attended classes with Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, where he met new friends who were already involved with international students and were in need of a place that could host those students. That autumn, the first event took place, and over 100 international students were ministered to and welcomed.

Globalization has caused an unprecedented intermingling of cultures in the last several decades.  Nations from all over the world are coming to the United States and Europe seeking education and a better life.  As such, the opportunities for cross-cultural ministry abound just by walking out the door.  God’s sovereign hand provides this opportunity to do his work. It's like the Lord told us to go to the world and gave us all these resources, but we instead chose to stay and enjoy the comforts of America. "Well," God says, "if you won't go to them, I'll just bring them to you. Is this close enough?" 

This authentic welcome requires a lot of help. Each year we are blessed with new volunteers, whose hearts are full of Christ and ready to share and have community with these students. We can impact the world right here in our backyard because the world sends their best and brightest right to our doorstep. Please join us in this! You have a unique opportunity to pray for them, love on them, share your life and faith with them. Let them see what your life, family, and faith is all about. See what God will do. Send them back with a vision to reach their own country for Christ. When these students come to know Christ, are discipled, and return home, they become missionaries in their own right. But instead of reaching a people foreign to them, they are reaching their friends and family.

Welcomers are people who are especially good at reaching out people of different cultures while remaining at home.  This should be part and parcel for believers in their own sphere of influence.  Reaching and discipling international students is possibly the most strategic mission in God's Kingdom today for fulfilling the Great Commission. Alongside campus ministries which work constantly to reach and disciple hundreds of students, International Day volunteers are a vital part of welcoming! Will you join us on August 15th from 6:00-9:00 p.m. in welcoming these students for God's glory? We are especially in need of volunteers to help prepare food for these students the day of the event, starting around 2 p.m. at a nearby church. If you are interested in helping with this or any other part of International Day 2013, please contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@stnations.com -- she would be so blessed to hear from you as this event draws near!

“And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.’” Revelation 5:9

Even if you can't make it to the event, we would be so blessed by your prayers and/or financial help. To take part in prayer for this upcoming event or to provide financial support, please contact Randy at randy@stnations.com . 

Thanks to Remington's!

Faced with a difficult decision to move International Day inside this year due to potential rain, the leadership team decided to move forward and avoid missing the chance to welcome international students by moving the event indoors to Remington's in Springfield, Mo. 

We cannot express enough gratitude to Geoff Steele and his crew for opening up the building on such short notice and displaying the heart and soul of Remington's in fostering an environment that promotes relational evangelism. "We don't have scripture stenciled on the wall, or tracts in the lobby.  We believe Jesus clearly modeled a servant existence, and if our mission is to be like Him, we MUST serve," said Geoff Steele, Venue Manager at Remington's. 

Geoff and his wife, Joy Bilyeu-Steele, together with their son Cameron (Assistant Venue Manager) and a large pool of what they call 'Essential Personnel' (volunteers) worked hard to prepare the building so that our International Day team could come in and make the building their own for this event. Not only does doing this have a huge impact on the local community, but for this specific event, a huge impact on people around the world. 

"We consider it a privilege, impacting students from across the globe, particularly as they first come to Springfield, was a tremendous privilege.  We also recognize all organizations and ministries are not created equal - some operate at higher levels of integrity than others.  The School to the Nations staff is well known to Cameron and I - and we knew it would work if given the chance." -Geoff Steele   

What an amazing group of people, dedicated to using the resources given to them, to make such a large impact on such a diverse group of organizations that utilize Remington's. Just a week before International Day they had hosted hundreds of local leaders in the Global Leadership Summit, a web conference hosted by Willow Creek out of Chicago. In less than a month they will host a huge consignment sale, Just Between Friends,  at which hundreds of local families shop and sell twice a year.

All this to say, at the heart of Remington's, is a desire to "provide a place for community organizations to  reach a greater level of effectiveness, profitability, and excellence," or in our case a DRY place to host hundreds of international students, and welcome them into our community.

Thank you Geoff, Joy, Cameron, and the rest of the crew for your incredible hearts to partner with us in welcoming and loving students from around the world, and in doing so, carrying out God's commission to "go into all the world..." (Matt. 28:19) 

Remington's is a ministry out of Ridgecrest Baptist Church. The church acquired the property in 2004.

For more information visit their website: www.remingtons.tv

International Day 2012 Recap

International Day 2012 looked a little different this year than in years past. Roughly eighteen hours prior to this year's event, our leadership team was faced with the decision to move locations due to a threat of severe weather hitting the Ozarks on Thursday afternoon. Tracy, Randy, and other leaders sought the counsel of local weathermen and made the choice to move the event indoors to Remington's in Springfield, MO. What could have been a stressful eighteen hours, turned into a wonderful picture of the body of Christ working together to show His love to all people and accomplish a goal.

We had hundreds of students come, and despite the darkness that loomed outside during the rainstorm, Remington's was lit up with new friendships and an excitement among students from all over the world.

The students enjoyed a wonderful meal prepared by amazing volunteers.







Local businesses including the Springfield Police Force set up information tables to answer questions and inform the international students of what Springfield has to offer.





Also campus ministries were able to showcase their group and hopefully gain many more members for the upcoming school year!




Entertainment kicked off with the Red Bridge Bluegrass Band using their talents in Bluegrass music to give these students a little taste of the Ozarks through music!

Following the band a local ballet company, Petra Ballet, did a short performance featuring native dances from across the world. The students loved seeing the different types of dance!





Ending the evening, Real Encounter Ministries demonstrated the extreme talent of two of their BMX riders on an indoor ramp. These guys did flips, tricks, and jumps and were for sure a crowd favorite!




The event was a great success and we look forward to maintaining the friendships formed and seeing how God uses this event to energize the local church and community in welcoming all people to enjoy the Ozarks.

 Thank YOU for your prayers and support for the event. This event was not a success because of the efforts of man, but because of hundreds of prayers and amazing partners that allowed us to function underneath God's blessing!

Check back with us next week to learn more about Remington's and the amazing crew that allowed International Day to happen!

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(Photographs by Matt Douglas) 

Call to Prayer: International Day 2012

On Thursday August 16th, we are welcoming over 400 International Students from local colleges to our Home Base campus for our annual International Day event. We are so excited at this opportunity to host so many nations literally in our own backyard and hope that this event is a catalyst to many friendships and to many hearts turned towards Christ.

Would you join us in praying for this event? As with any event of this size there are a lot of details and energy that go into making it happen. We hope that this event will fan the flame among the church for the nations. Our prayer is that these students feel at home here and will become connected in some way to a local church or ministry throughout the school year.

Here are some prayer points. Will you join us in covering this event in prayer?

-Pray for great weather on Thursday

-Pray for all the preparations going into Thursday's event

-Pray for the students that will attend, that friendships will be formed and connections made that will outlast the event

-Pray for protection and safety

We truly believe that this event is crucial in the impact of School to the Nations in our local community!

****Look for a recap of this year's event next week here on the blog...complete with pictures!!****