The United States, stands as a vibrant mosaic of cultures, languages, and religions, welcoming over a million international students, refugees, and immigrants each year. These newcomers arrive with dreams of better opportunities but often encounter isolation and a sense of being overlooked. Despite the country’s rich cultural diversity, many have yet to experience the warmth of an American home, and fewer still have heard the message of the gospel!

International students come with aspirations for academic and professional success, driven by familial and national expectations. Refugees and immigrants, on the other hand, may be escaping dire circumstances or seeking a new beginning filled with hope and freedom. In the midst of these varied journeys, we must recognize the sovereign hand of God and view these individuals through His compassionate lens.

While the U.S. offers tremendous opportunities and freedoms, the church can often struggle to embody the love and hospitality of Jesus. Tragically, statistics show many international students, refugees, and immigrants have never been welcomed into an American home. Even more troubling is that many have yet to hear the transformative message of Jesus Christ.

The Fields are Ready, but the Laborers are Few

The challenge lies not in the lack of a harvest but in the scarcity of laborers. Approximately 51.4 million immigrants reside in the United States, making up 15.5% of the population. Additionally, the US welcomes over a million international students each academic year. Adapting to their new culture, or being away from home for extended periods, leads to many of these individuals seeking a genuine community. 

These demographics represent a vast field ripe for harvest. Despite the efforts of those serving faithfully to reach internationals, the enormity of the task can be overwhelming. People from nations that were traditionally targeted by missionaries are now our neighbors, classmates, and co-workers. We see them every day in our grocery stores, at local parks, and on our streets. 

However, many students never set foot in an American home. Fear of the unknown, busy lives, or indifference often cause missed gospel opportunities. In contrast, opening our homes and our lives can create lifelong bonds that can open hearts to the gospel. Our ministry and hospitality can connect people who might otherwise remain isolated, bridging cultural and religious divides and sharing the truth of Jesus with people right on our doorstep. 

Can we pray with Jesus that the Lord of the harvest will continue to send out laborers into his harvest (Mt 9:38)?  Do we see that we too are the Lord’s answer for laborers?  Do we see ourselves as part of the labor force to reap the harvest?

God at Work: A Glimpse into Ministry Efforts

Horizons’ International Student Ministry (ISM) staff are actively reaching out to nearly 20,000 international students across various universities. Although this represents only a fraction of the potential outreach, the significant impact of these efforts highlights the Lord’s work through dedicated campus ministries nationwide. Despite the challenges, the gospel is transforming hearts and lives as Horizons joins hands with local churches to seize opportunities to reach internationals for his glory. 

Our ministry spans various campuses, each with specific demographics and needs. These students, hailing from countries with various religious backgrounds such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and atheism, many of which are within the 10/40 Window, represent a vast mission field. Here’s a glimpse into some of the established projects and new ventures we’re involved in:

Albany, New York 

Partnering with local churches, we organize social activities and provide Friendship Partners for international students. This strategy has led to numerous gospel conversations, making it our most successful impact in recent years. New York State hosts over 100,000 international students annually, with a significant portion in Albany. Specifically, the University of Albany has more than 1,200 international students, while nearby Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has around 1,800, Clarkson University 470, and Union College around 200.

Austin, Texas

The Horizons team, along with local church partners, successfully held its third annual Cup of Nations soccer tournament, which attracted refugees and immigrants from 11 countries. This event spurred many gospel conversations and has inspired plans for more sports ministries as a vehicle for spreading the gospel. Texas, with its broad diversity, sees over 85,000 international students each year, with more than 6,000 at the University of Texas at Austin.

Evansville, Indiana

A promising partnership with New Beginnings Church is opening up ministry opportunities among international students at two local universities. Additionally, opportunities exist among several Syrian refugee families. Indiana hosts more than 30,000 international students each year, with the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville accounting for around 1,700.

Dearborn, Michigan

Due to long-standing partnerships with churches and ministries in Dearborn, the gospel is advancing through Friendship Partners, English as a Second Language programs, and outreach events on university campuses and along river walks. With new staff and ministry relationships in Dearborn, we hope for a greater impact in the Lord’s harvest. We continue to build an effective ministry network, aiming to equip more laborers in this strategic location. Many Muslims and other immigrants have turned from sin and put their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord! Michigan is also home to over 33,000 international students, with Dearborn being a focal point for many new immigrants.

Boulder & Denver, Colorado

Fruitful ministry is also underway in Colorado, with the University of Colorado at Boulder hosting more than 2,200 international students, and New America College in Aurora having over 460.

Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska

Nebraska also presents significant opportunities with the University of Nebraska at Lincoln having around 3,000 international students, Creighton University in Omaha with around 200, and the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha having 224, while there are more at the Southeast Community College in Lincoln.

Akron, Ohio

The University of Akron in Ohio hosts over 1,100 international students, creating rich opportunities for ministry and outreach. Through local church-led initiatives, including dinner events and Friendship Partners (FP) programs, international students are invited to explore and discuss Christianity. These gatherings have sparked lively conversations, particularly among students from restrictive countries who value the chance to discuss complex topics openly. Additionally, students have requested prayers and Bibles in their native languages, underscoring the impactful nature of these outreach efforts.

Louisville, Kentucky

The University of Louisville is home to more than 1,000 international students, representing a rich mission field. International students are welcomed and engaged both on campus and in local apartment complexes. Local Christians and churches collaborate through on-campus evangelism, and by inviting international students to join families for picnics, hikes, family dinners, and special holidays and events. Bibles, New Testament Gospels, and other biblical tracts are used and distributed for relational witnessing on the campus.  

Seeing with Jesus’ Eyes

Jesus teaches that the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few (Matthew 9:37). He showed compassion for the crowds because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). As believers, we are called to see people with the compassion of Jesus, seeking to understand that everyone—whether Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, convinced atheist, or agnostic—is fundamentally harassed and helpless. We need to pause and let their “personal state” confront us with their true diagnosis and need. Regardless of their religious system, we must see them as Jesus does; harassed by the devil and the power of sin, and utterly helpless in their own strength.  Their only hope is to be saved, rescued, and set free by Jesus Christ.

Christian friends, is our lack of action a sign of a lack of compassion, possibly stemming from a lack of seeing rightly?  Lord Jesus, help us to see as You see and to move into action, even as You did as the humble, faithful suffering servant.  

When we encounter internationals—the refugee, the burqa-covered woman, the long-bearded man, the man in the kasaya, the family that eats with their hands or chopsticks, those that look, eat, smell, dress, and worship differently than us—do we see them with compassion? Do we recognize them as harassed and helpless, in need of the gospel? As laborers in the harvest, we must pray for more workers—and understand too that we are most often the answer to those prayers.

The Challenges and the Call

Challenges We Face

Christians in the U.S. face significant challenges in reaching over a million international students, refugees, and immigrants. Surveys show that most international students are isolated, have few Western friends, and are rarely invited into Western homes. Most significantly, they do not hear a clear presentation of the gospel. 

Will we allow our minds and hearts to be shaped by the Word of God rather than contemporary culture? Will we show the compassion of Jesus and truly follow him in his mission to seek and save the lost among the nations here?

Despite these challenges, the Lord is at work. Students are being reached and are hearing the gospel. Some are welcomed into Christian homes, experiencing Christ’s love. However, the large number of unreached international students, immigrants, and refugees calls for greater awareness, mobilization, and action by local churches. 

Even when opportunities are seen, Christians in the West face several challenges:

1. Fear and Timidity: Fear and timidity can prevent action. 
2. Busy Lives: The demands of daily life can lead to inaction or apathy.
3. Cultural Misunderstandings: Misunderstandings about people from other cultures can lead to misguided judgments, apathy, and inaction, and tragically even among Christians there can be ungodly patterns of talk and action toward others from different cultures. 
4. Feeling Ill-Equipped: Some Christians feel unsure of how to approach internationals and need training in effective evangelism.
5. Event-Oriented Evangelism: Viewing evangelism as an “event” or “specific time” creates angst, excuses for inaction, and significant feelings of inadequacy. This perspective overlooks the idea that evangelism should be fundamental to who we are, influencing how we live and openly express our love for Jesus. This mindset should shape a willingness and purposeful approach towards others, leading us to share the gospel and teach Scripture naturally in our daily lives.
6. ‘Professional’ Evangelism: Many Christians believe evangelism is the responsibility of full-time Christians such as pastors, missionaries, or those who are particularly gifted. This mindset can lead to a lack of personal responsibility and reluctance to share the gospel, for fear of offending others or feeling ill-equipped. Many might also claim, “I’m not gifted in evangelism,” releasing themselves from their biblical responsibility.  This perspective suggests that evangelism is solely the duty of missionaries, pastors, or other ‘professional’ Christians, rather than a fundamental aspect of every believer’s life.

Addressing these challenges requires an ongoing transformation by the renewing of our minds through Scripture and the personal, powerful work of the Spirit of Christ. The Lord is able to help us and desires us to be faithful and fruitful for His name’s sake. Let’s pray for the Lord’s help and move into action together!

Challenges they face

International students encounter a number of significant challenges too:

1. Academic Pressure: The rigors of academic life can be overwhelming, especially in a new educational system.
2. Isolation: being away from home can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness, exacerbated by a lack of friendships.
3. Cultural Adaptation: Adjusting to a new cultural environment, with its unique norms and values, can be difficult.
4. Intellectual, Moral, Social, Religious, and Political Pressures: Navigating the complexities of life in the U.S. and on a college or university campus involves a range of pressures. 
5. Financial Difficulties: The high cost of tuition and living expenses can lead to financial stress and anxiety. 
6. Language Barriers: Language difficulties can hinder understanding lectures, participating in discussions, and completing assignments, leading to academic struggles.
7. Homesickness: Missing home can impact mental health and overall well-being.
8. Secular Influences: Exposure to different worldviews and lifestyles, such as sex, alcohol, drugs, gender identity issues, and materialism, can be challenging.
9. Exposure to Different Religions: Encountering religions may create confusion and challenge personal beliefs.
10. Reorienting of Truth: Some universities actively promote anti-Christian thought and ideology.
11. Finding Christian Community: International students who arrive as genuine confessing Christians need support. While student groups and Christian organizations are beneficial, these students also need to connect with a healthy, biblically faithful church. It’s important for local churches to proactively welcome these students, ensuring they feel seen and supported in their new environment, both within the church family and in Christian homes.

From a biblical perspective, these complex challenges can begin to be understood in simple biblical categories:

1. Sin: the power of sin is real and resides in every single person, regardless of their birth family or socio-religious background. The power of sin manifests in individual lives in various ways.
2. Lies of the Devil: Deceptive influences that conflict with Christian beliefs can mislead internationals. The lies of the devil lie under and within every other religious system, including our Western secular social system.
3. False Religion: Encountering and understanding religions that differ from Christianity, such as Islam and Hinduism, can influence internationals in the wrong direction.
4. A Confused Church: Many international students interested in learning about Jesus and studying the Bible encounter questions about the differences between churches and their views on Truth and how to live in this world. A confused church can cultivate confusion for those outside the church, including many international students.  Additionally, many churches are disillusioned and distracted from their identity and fundamental tasks.

Understanding and addressing these challenges is crucial for effectively supporting internationals throughout their academic and personal journeys.

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The Call to Action

The challenge is profound, but the solution is simple. We need to pray for more laborers and see ourselves as laborers!  Do you see yourself as a laborer?  When you reflect on who you are and how you are to live for Jesus Christ our Lord, what fundamentally comes to mind? Do you, your spouse, your believing children, and your fellow Christians consider yourselves laborers in the Lord’s harvest field? If we do, how does our way of living display our spoken conviction? Do our actions match our confession? If we don’t view ourselves as laborers in the harvest field, why not? And if you began to view yourself as a laborer, what would be the top one, two, or three things that would change?  

As disciples of Christ, we are the Lord’s solution to reach the nations, right here!  We have the great opportunity to bridge cultural differences, as we pray and work to open hearts to the gospel. We can’t do this alone. The Lord is with us (Mt 28:16-20; Acts 1:8).

He has also given us each other in the body of Christ to join together in this glorious work of making Him known—the one who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). We are the special possession of the Lord so that we can proclaim the excellencies of Him!  What are these excellencies? They refer to the truth that He is the one who called us out of darkness and into his marvelous light.  

The call to action is for each of us. This is His design! It is a good design! It is a glorious design!  

It is our Lord’s intention that through our witness and proclamation of His excellencies, the people of the nations would join us in His marvelous light—that they would join us as living stones, as His people, as those who have now received mercy (1 Peter 2; cf. 2 Cor 5).

By partnering together, we can co-labor in this enormous harvest. The opportunity is immense, and through campus outreach, welcome events, or creating a Friendship Partner network, you can make a transformative impact by joining hands with other believers as laborers in the field.

Are there unrealized missions opportunities with Internationals in your local area? Are you considering launching a new ministry or joining an existing one? If so, we’re here to help you make connections, build partnerships, or get you or your church started. Don’t hesitate to reach out. Together, we can influence many lives for the gospel.