At the moment I am meeting with a group of students to consider how to make decisions like where they will live and work after university. I wonder how you worked out the answer to that question for yourself.  Was it based on what you felt like? Driven by pragmatics? Shaped by the wisdom of others, or simply by the path of least resistance?

One of the key areas the EU is addressing this year is “sacrificial love for the Less Reached and Less Resourced (LRLR) by exploring the challenge of where we will work and live upon graduation”. The LRLR are those who have little to no access to Jesus (less reached) or little to no access to the resources which help Christians grow (less resourced). The EU have chosen this focus keeping in mind that we are richly resourced.  EU students can boast of having the academic ability to study at the first university in Australia. Furthermore, the typical EU student has enjoyed the privilege of reading the bible in their own language and hearing the bible taught faithfully in their local church, as well as had the opportunity to be trained and be involved in lay leadership. Where would you deploy such a large group of well taught well trained Christian men and women?  Surely to the places that don’t enjoy the same access to Jesus as we do.  Wouldn’t we send them to where the church is under pressure, weak or suffering under false teaching – or to where the church doesn’t exist at all?

Carlo and Alison are one example of EU graduates who have let the LRLR value drive where they live and work.  When they left the EU, it was important for them to pick where they lived first. In doing so they wanted to be a blessing in a local church and community where there was an inequality of Christian resources.  Rather than simply pick a place close to their work, they moved to Sydney’s western suburbs, and are currently looking at being involved in a multicultural congregation as a toe in the water to explore if God could use them even further afield.

Please pray with me that EU students will be driven by a love of the gospel and a heart for the less reached and the less resourced as they make the decisions that will shape their lives for years to come.