Part of the Grads Fund vision is to see God’s church flooded with vocational Christian leaders.  In a university context, where students are already studying various degrees with different career paths in mind, how do we help people to consider serving God through vocational ministry – that is, committing to word-based ministry in a full-time or significant part-time capacity? What things might we consider essential?

Biblical grounding: a solid grasp of the gospel of grace and the mission to which Christ has called all Christians.

Wise counsel: opportunities to speak with Christians in vocational ministry to understand the nature of full-time ministry and gain wise personal advice.

Prayer & Reflection: time to reflect personally on your character, circumstances and opportunities, and to commit everything in prayer to God.

Recently, these things were achieved at the annual Grads Fund conference Plunge. This year, 45 students and graduates gathered to consider whether they might serve God in vocational ministry. Rowan Kemp unpacked a biblical perspective on ministry from 2 Corinthians. Various senior staff offered insights into ministry, as well as meeting one to one with delegates. There was also plenty of time for individual prayer and reflection for the future.

One student, Sarah, reflected: “I think the most encouraging part of Plunge was definitely hearing the stories and experiences of our staff workers – it just helped make the idea of vocational ministry more concrete and real, in what that actually looked like in the world… getting to talk 1 on 1 with a staff worker was cool as well – getting to listen to their own reasons and process for going into ministry and talk through that, was really helpful for me, in seriously considering this for my own life”

Please pray that many of these delegates might go on to be ministers of the gospel of grace in many places around the world.

‘The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.’ – Luke 10:2