Thinking innovatively and strategically is often challenging, yet so valuable and important in Christian ministry. Church leaders are always looking for innovative ways to serve the multiplying needs of their members and the wider community. We live in a world where culture and environment is constantly changing, which means that we need to be seeking innovative ways to share the gospel. A part of the EU Graduates Fund vision is “to flood God’s church with Christian leaders who are innovative ministry strategists”. So, we want to be providing opportunities for the EU to be innovative and strategic in their ministry.

This year, the EU is working on innovative and strategic ways to present the gospel to non-Christian students on campus. The EU is jumping on board with the ‘Uncover’ mission. Uncover is a presentation of Luke’s gospel organised as an Australia-wide mission by AFES. The EU’s goal is to see 750 non-Christian students read Uncover with a friend at the University of Sydney. This is a really exciting way to be helping students see and hear for themselves who Jesus is.

But how do we reach out to students who might find it difficult to engage with the written text? Some students from the EU have thought of “story telling” the Bible. What does this mean? Instead of the Bible being read out word for word in the text, the story is performed by a person. This involves expression and gesture to articulate God’s word in an engaging and exciting way. Many international students in particular have expressed that “story telling” was attention grabbing and helped to break the cross-cultural boundaries that often exist. “It helped me to understand the stories and remember it better,” one international student said.

Of course, there are limitations to this method:it may not be useful for reading epistles, songs and poems in the Bible, and it is no substitute for a close reading of the text. The “story telling” method is still in its infancy stages at Sydney University. However, it is still an innovative, strategic and useful evangelistic tool to engage with particular audiences such as international students.

Please continue to pray for the staff and the students on campus as we continue to think of innovative and strategic ways to present the gospel to non-Christian students at the University of Sydney.