Our vision is to see students and faculty transformed, campuses renewed and world changers developed.
Our present mission of ministering to graduate students at Oxford University and helping to catalyze graduate student ministries elsewhere in Europe is very much a ministry of developing future global leaders. More than half of all graduate students at Oxford University are international students, some of the world’s best and brightest. Imagine a world in which these future global leaders now studying in Oxford saw their education not as a “passport to privilege” but as equipment for service. These young men and women are often encouraged to pursue credentials without regard for character, to develop skills without a higher purpose and to promote narrow national or personal interests without regard for God or neighbor. But what if these students instead chose to follow Christ? What if these gifted students—the world’s future doctors, lawyers, artists, scientists, leaders, educators and innovators—followed Jesus, giving their lives to the resolution of the crises and challenges of our time out of love for God and for our global neighbors?”
Our primary local ministry partner here, the Oxford Pastorate, is a leader in this strategic mission field, both serving graduate students through fellowship programs and collaborations with local churches here in Oxford, and also serving as a key partner in resourcing and networking ministries to graduate students throughout Europe. We believe that as missionaries, our specific gifts and past work experiences have primed us to help the Oxford Pastorate in significant ways. First, through developing programs and initiatives that help graduate students 1) to discern the ways God is uniquely calling and equipping them to serve, 2) to integrate their faith with their academic and professional disciplines, and 3) to mature as Christian leaders. Second, we feel uniquely positioned to help support the Oxford Pastorate’s development as an organization 1) to act as bridgebuilders between often segmented or siloed parts of the Christian ecosystem within Oxford as a university city, and 2) to catalyze graduate student ministry in university cities beyond Oxford through strategic partnerships.
January Update
Dear Prayer Intercessors,
Happy New Year dear friends! Despite the intensity of this past year, we hope and pray that the final days of 2020 were filled with the Lord’s peace and comfort for you and your family. We have several praise reports to share as we start the new year. Once again we treasure your prayers and are so grateful to have your companionship on this journey!
Christmas Day 2020: We had a time of socially distanced fellowship with graduate students on Christmas Day! Since we were here in Oxford this year we were able to extend hospitality to other international students stuck in town over the holidays. We made homemade cookie samplers, and we mulled wine and apple juice that we served in festive insulated mugs for the students to keep as gifts. We handed out the goodies in our front garden and assigned students to small groups to walk along the Thames River. We had 14 students participate. Praise God for a good time connecting with new students, beautiful, dry weather, and smooth logistics!
Christmas Campaign: To keep us on firm financial footing headed into 2021 we set a stretch goal of raising $35,000 during the month of December through a Christmas Campaign. To help reach our target, we had several alumni and supporters contribute to a matching grant of $7,400. We have been absolutely amazed and humbled to have reached 92% of our goal! Thanks to many of you who gave so generously – we couldn’t do this work without you. Please join us in praising God for his faithfulness in our finances!
And two quick prayer requests as well:
January Developing a Christian Mind Conference: David and I are in the midst of planning the January Developing a Christian Mind (DCM) Conference and even though it’s going to be entirely virtual, I’m very excited about the format and lineup! We’re using an inverted classroom method where we circulate the talks and materials ahead of time and then we utilize our time on zoom to do small group discussion and live Q&A with our speakers. Our lineup includes N. T. Wright (Theology/doctrine of eschatology or last things), Katherine Blundell (Astrophysics/doctrine of creation), and Stephen Tuck and John Coffey in conversation about writing difficult histories (History/doctrine of sin). Also, because it’s virtual, we get the unique opportunity to open the conference up to DCM alumni who are now based all around the world. Please pray for the technology, the logistics, and that every attendee and speaker would encounter Christ powerfully!
Oxford Vaccine Approval and a New National Lockdown: While we found out last week that the Oxford vaccine has been approved, this week the UK has entered another national lockdown as COVID cases continue to rise rapidly due to the new strain of the virus. Please join us in prayer for the UK’s government, especially those leaders making decisions about vaccine distribution. Please also pray for all those who are fighting loneliness or who are especially vulnerable to the virus, that they would find new sources of community and would remain in good health.
Thank you so much for your powerful prayers as we enter this new year! Please let us know how we can be praying for you as well. We would be honored to do so.
Many blessings and much gratitude,
Alissa & David