On the first weekend of September was the Next Steps conference; a conference where around 100 EU students gathered to consider together what might be the ‘next steps’ for them in serving in God’s mission. The main talks were given by SMBC New Testament lecturer Dr Alan Mugridge, who encouraged us that God’s will for us is to be involved in his mission and challenged us on what this might look like. These talks were supplemented by seminars given by gospel workers who currently serve among those less-reached by the gospel or less-resourced with gospel workers.

During the conference I had the opportunity to sit next to Anna, a 4th year Science student, and I got the chance to hear her experiences of the conference. Anna writes:

“I was encouraged that God is working.

I loved hearing about the experiences of the speakers who are serving or had been serving in LRLR churches and communities. It was great to get a glimpse of what LRLR ministry might be like as we heard about the challenges and hardships they face, the different ways they reach out to people in their community and wisdom that they’ve gained, and joy of seeing God’s word at work.

We were challenged to think about how we are serving God now as we want to be serving God the best that we can, wherever we are in life. Also, listening to those who were serving in an LRLR church, I was confronted with the importance of encouraging and training others to be serving God and his people”.

On Anna’s “next steps” to take following the conference, she wrote:

“I was encouraged at Next Steps about how God is at work everywhere in the world and will be working wherever his people are. Knowing that Christians are pretty scarce everywhere, this has given me assurance that we can be useful to God’s mission wherever we are. Next Steps has also prompted me to start praying for LRLR communities in Australia and about serving there, and to be pursuing a ‘portable’ profession as I consider further study next after my science degree”.

God calls us to serve him everywhere and anywhere – so why not pray that God may call many students to serve among the less reached and less resourced? Please thank God for the opportunities brought through conferences such as Next Steps in the EU that challenges students to submit everything to Jesus’s lordship. Please keep praying for students like Anna that they will continue to keep prayerfully considering bold decisions for how God might use them for service in His mission.