Thank You for Supporting Undivided'12

We write to say a huge thank you for your partnership with us for the IFES European Student Evangelism Conference at Easter in Györ, Hungary! 1700 students, staff and volunteers from IFES movements across Europe, plus guests from the Middle East and Eurasia, spent Easter weekend worshipping the risen Jesus and listening to his Word.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6

I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people. Philemon 4-7

Echoing Paul’s words, the participants have expressed their appreciation for the event:

I think because of this event I have increased confidence in God and in what He can do, and I want to grow in my ability to serve in the student movement (Relu, a student in Romania).

God worked in my life through all that was talked about there and I can say that it was a great experience to get to know so many people from so many different cultures. And the Good Friday service will remain memorable and I continue to pray for the decisions I made there (Daniela, a student in Romania).

The nine students with me enjoyed it and I’d say that at least seven of them left the conference genuinely committed to doing what they can, with us, to get things established here                                                             (Jonathan, a cross-cultural worker in Greece).

Now I want to be more involved, pray more and love my neighbour. Pray that I may continue to be watchful regarding my idols and that I continue to pray for IFES movements around the world (Maïlep, a student in France).

It has been precious to hear stories from other countries, to hear about students studying the Bible with their non-Christian friends, to be challenged to love the international students amongst us and to boldly live Christ in all areas of life. Students coming to Christ, graduates furthering his kingdom and the gospel being preached! God is at work in Europe – what a joy (Sarah, a cross-cultural worker in Italy).

I talk about my faith to people I rub shoulders with daily, but I am not a master of rhetoric! Pray that God makes me more able to speak to those who oppose the Christian faith, and that I may rely on God more in my life (Céline, a student in France).

Dealing with evangelism in the context of idolatry and worship was very interesting. It was both a challenge and a joyful invitation, more than a “must” (Benjamin, a staffworker in Mexico).

Undivided was an unforgettable experience. I learned many important lessons and was left with many challenging questions, such as: do I really love God with all my mind or am I willing to serve God through BCSU more? One of the greatest experiences was getting to celebrating Easter together and participating in the Lord's Supper with hundreds of others (Student from Bulgaria).

The participants were really challenged to look deeper and more seriously at their relationship with Christ, to acknowledge their idols and start working toward gaining an undivided heart in their dedication to Christ. Also many students saw a greater need to engage people with the gospel instead of ignoring non-Christians around them (Edith, part of the planning team).

Your contribution through financial gifts and prayers has given this generation of students a big vision for reaching students with the gospel. They have heard the call to whole-hearted discipleship, engaging their faith as they study and prepare for life after university, living lives transformed by the gospel that affect their surroundings. They have been equipped to winsomely and joyfully speak of Jesus, inviting their friends to undivided worship of Him.

Thank you for your invaluable part in this!

Your IFES Europe Regional Team:

Martin Haizmann (Regional Secretary), Susanne Koch, Cassells Morrell, Mirek Pieszka, Igors Rautmanis, Helen Rennie, Tim Vickers, Edith Vilamajó.

If you wish to receive the original of this letter, do contact me.