The document discusses international student ministry (ISM) within the Europe region of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES). It provides an overview of ISM categories and activities across different IFES national movements in Europe. Key details include: - The IFES Europe ISM Network aims to promote cooperation and resources sharing around ISM across different countries. - ISM programs range from dedicated staff to some organized events, to no current activities. - Stories highlight ISM programs in various countries like Bible studies, cultural events, and hospitality programs in the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Austria, Finland, and Poland. - Conferences equip students and staff on engaging international students.

1. International
Student
Ministry

2. Videoclip

3. The IFES Europe ISM Network
is a platform for
cooperation, equipping and inspiration
in the area of International Student work.
We believe that International Student
Ministry should be identified as one of the
key areas of the IFES ministry in Europe.

4. The IFES ISM Network Leading Committee is currently
made up of representatives from Austria, Germany,
Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland.
All these IFES movements have an established ISM, in
some cases started in the 1980s, either with full-time
staff workers, or staff partly delegated to support ISM.
In addition, there is an organised ISM in the Czech
Republic, and in Great Britain, run by Friends
International (a partner organisation of the UCCF).

5. ISM Networkmeeting in Linz / Austria, March 2011

6. Categories of ISM in IFES Europe:
(I) There is a staff worker dedicated to ISM
(15 national movements)
(II) There is no staff coordinating the ISM but some events
are organised for IS or local staff workers take some
initiative or national students just befriend foreign
students (11 national movements)
(III) No staff is doing ISM and there is no thought of
internationals as so far. (8 national movements)

7. The IFES ISM Network:
• Our Vision
Established and active IS ministry across IFES Europe
• Our Mission
Envision and equip national student movements in IFES Europe
for Christ-centered service among International Students
• Specific Goals
- An ISM-focus at every IFES conference
- Platform for exchanging information
- Provide regular training and envisioning opportunities
- Identify and develop resources

8. STORIES FROM EUROPE

9. Sharing the Gospel

10. THE NETHERLANDS

11. Marjolijn Vreeken
IFES-ISM | The Netherlands
• There are about 80.000 International Students studying
in The Netherlands. IFES Netherlands has a big vision to
reach more and more International Students through her
activities in university cities. ISM has been part of IFES
Netherlands for 25 years now.
• All IFES Netherlands staff is combining Dutch and
International Student work now, each staff member
being responsible for one city. IFES-ISM has about 20
city teams for ISM, mainly organising bible studies and
cultural nights.
• National Conference „Live it!‟ is bi-lingual in order to
attract International Christian students as well!

12. NETHERLANDS: Evangelistic Bible Study Groups

13. Inviting
International Students

14. GERMANY

15. Hospitality-scheme works well in Germany; one
student is particularly interested in promoting this
concept all over the country. We are excited because we
see many church people who are willing to be available
and involved in this program. International students love
it too because they want to see a German house from
inside!
About 13% of all students in Germany are Internationals.

16. GERMANY: Hospitality Programme

17. IRELAND

18. IFES InterAction has placed a team of 5 people in
Dublin to help the national movement realise their vision
for reaching these international students with the
gospel; e.g. via inviting them to the iCafe where they
also read the bible together, share their lives and eat
and enjoy fellowship.
There are around 35,000 full-time tertiary level students
and 80,000 language students studying in Ireland each
year.
In Northern Ireland, there is also a Friends International
worker who works closely with the Christian Unions and
the churches to co-ordinate ISM.

19. LATVIA

20. We organise movie nights in student hostels,
retreats twice a year, we also encourage individual
friendships and run regular bible studies every Friday,
with prayer evening every last Friday of the month.

21. AUSTRIA

22. • 5 international exchange students joined the ÖSM ski camp (30
students all together). Most of them were ski beginners and were
amazed by the Austrian mountains and hospitality as well as
kindness.
• Once a month: free Salsa Dance Course: In March about 20
Erasmus students followed a Facebook-Event-Invitation and came in
touch with Christian students there. It was great and we received
many good encouragements.
• We also have organized two trips: Vienna/Wachau-Weekend and a
Daytrip.
• Being a mentor at the University Student Association makes
it easier to get in contact with Erasmusstudents

23. AUSTRIA: Mentoring System

24. FINLAND

25. Lilian Linden
OPKO | IFES Finland
„… We had an excellent IFES Nordic conference (NOSA) with Femi
Adeleye as main speaker the other week (September 2010), and out
of 30 Finnish students, ten went home saying that they want to
start reaching international students coming to Finland. We have
more and more of them here, and five of our students participating
in the NOSA conference were internationals.”

26. POLAND

27. Ewa Sikora-Sołtan
ChSA-International | IFES Poland
The ChSA-I ministry is run by international students themselves. As
a coordinator, staff worker is to encourage, provide training,
resources and any assistance the leaders may need. However they
are the ones who reach out to other students, organise meetings
and invite students to it. All groups have regular bible study
meetings every week.
The group leaders in the city of Łódź come from Belarus (incluidng a
PhD student), in other places – leaders are mainly from Africa. Local
ChSA and the ChSA-I groups in Wrocław joint together in creating
their own city website as well as the facebook group.

28. Befriending
international students

29. AUSTRIA: Dinner and Trips

30. Teaching and Training
Equipping Students and Staff

32. “Strangers or Angels?” IFES ISM European conference in March
2010 brought together more than 50 participants from 12
countries, with Lisa Chinn from the IVCF USA as a main speaker.
After the in-depth Bible teaching, practical sessions on the ISM
opportunities were best received by the participants.
Everybody could learn from the experiences of others, for example:
how to organise a hospitality scheme, welcome café or cultural
night, Alpha course for IS, waffle party or weekend retreats, or
events at Christmas and Easter.

34. ISM Conference in Warsaw / Poland, March 2010

35. „Do not forget to show hospitality to
strangers, for by so doing some people
have shown hospitality to angels without
knowing it.”
Hebrews 13:2