EU Postgraduate and Staff, otherwise known as EPS, is the EU ministry for research postgraduate students and university staff, both academic and professional. Matt Moffitt and I, together with the student leadership team, reach out to Christians to support and encourage them as they share their faith and lives with their colleagues and friends.

As the academic year began, Sydney University welcomed students from around the world and Australia. The EU Postgrads and Staff ministry also welcomed students from many countries in Asia and Latin America. Many have left their families and travelled by themselves for 2-4 years to do a postgraduate degree, often sponsored by employers or the government. They know no one and have varying levels of proficiency in English, and yet the clock is ticking for them to complete their studies in a specific and tight timeframe. How stressful it is for them! Our ministry to these students aims to provide Christian community, opportunities to study God’s Word, to think theologically about research and work and to pray for one another. Some students come with a mature faith, others come from different church backgrounds, and some come with no faith. 

Michael* (name changed for confidentiality) attended the Launch Lunch and signed up to be part of a Small Group meeting each week. He has attended faithfully, and as we finished second semester recently, he reflected that the group has been an encouragement to him as he lives and studies in very secular contexts. He went on to say, ‘The Bible itself is a great encouragement to us.’ He is committed to reading the Bible individually and corporately because he has experienced the transforming power of God’s Word for both salvation and for growth in godliness. 

Michael is also passionate about sharing his faith with other students and invited a friend to come with him to the postgraduate day at AnCon. Sadly his friend didn’t come, but this did not discourage Michael. He took up the opportunity to invite this friend and others to a grassroots evangelistic event as part of the annual Mission on campus. This time the weather conspired against us; the running club was washed out, and only a handful of super-keen students shared smoothies as the guest speaker challenged us to think about God’s purpose for each of us in postgraduate education. Finally, after the third invitation, Michael’s friend came to the Evangelistic dinner. He was intrigued by Dr Becki Philip’s talk from Proverbs 28 about wisdom and how ‘in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.’ Colossians 2:3. We give thanks for Michael’s persistence and patience. Please pray for him as he reads John’s gospel with his friend. 

Michael and several other postgraduate students are joining us at Cite, the national annual theology and missions conference for the Simeon Network, the AFES network for university staff and postgrad students. Cite runs in parallel with the National Training Event in Canberra. It promises to be both encouraging and challenging. 

It is a privilege to walk with postgrad students and university staff, sharing the joys and frustrations of their work and research and encouraging them as God works in their lives. We are so thankful for your partnership in this ministry.