On Saturday 13 April (Week 7 Semester 1) the Sydney University Evangelical Union hosted its annual one-day Next Steps conference at Moore Theological College. Every year Next Steps encourages students and graduates to hear from and respond to God’s word and consider how they will further God’s global mission. Can we serve in Less Reached suburbs, regions, or countries where people have little to no access to our Lord Jesus Christ? Can we serve Less Resourced places where God’s people have little to no access to other brothers and sisters in Christ, teaching, or theological training?

This year’s conference’s theme was “The Weakness of God”. Dr Ed Grudier, Director of the Centre for Cross-Cultural Mission and Head of Missions at Sydney Missionary & Bible College, was our speaker. His first talk was on the Weakness of God from Psalm 78:1-58 and how God chooses weakness in loving us and yet this weakness shows His power.

Meals were a great opportunity to reflect with students and graduates on the content. I was greatly encouraged by a one-hour conversation with a student over lunch who’s considering teaching in Scotland to serve there after they graduate.

After morning tea and lunch we had discussion groups where we could engage with others at similar stages in their consideration of how we’ll further God’s global mission. I was encouraged by speaking and praying with two students and another staff member who were also thinking about going to a Less Reached and Less Resourced place. 

We also had three seminars on serving in a Less Reached and Less Resourced place in Sydney, in outback Australia, and overseas. I was challenged by the seminar on Sydney to consider serving in another region in our city in the future. Others were challenged to reconsider their understanding of what a Less Reached or Less Resourced place is in in our local context. If you missed the seminar, you should read Celia’s article!

After afternoon tea Ed’s second was on the Weakness of God’s Children from 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 and how we can choose weakness in serving the Less Reached. He drew from his extensive experience in global mission in both of his talks and having injured himself the day before, embodied the theme by speaking with crutches! Ed left us to consider that if God chose weakness to death for us, no weakness can be too great for us to choose for Him and others. God will work powerfully through our weaknesses for His glory.

If you haven’t considered Less Reached and Less Resourced places much since you graduated, let me encourage you to plan to go to Next Steps next year now! This year’s conference was my first as a graduate in too many years and my first since becoming a Senior Staff in July last year. Setting aside a day to consider this was so valuable!

If you’re staying in a More Reached and More Resourced place, you can send others to Less Reached and Less Resourced places! That would be a great role in God’s global mission. Please pray now that the students and graduates who attended Next Steps will take another step towards serving in Less Reached and Less Resourced places following the conference!

– Ryan Carter, EU Senior Staff