To What Extent Can a Friends International Local Centre for International Students be a Holistic Diaconal Ministry?

Abstract

Two questions that soon faced me, and that FI staff workers ask themselves, are: a. In our ministry are we particularly good at hospitality and befriending, while the other three parts of reaching out to IS, evangelism, discipleship and support of returnees, play a secondary role?

b. Are we stressing evangelism to the extent that real discipleship is not happening, and students do not retain their faith on return to their home countries?

Both of these questions represented the matter of balance between the four core aspects of Friends International’s ministry. This could, I believe, be expressed in the term of holistic ministry. The question I therefore will try to answer in this study is:

To what extent can a Friends International local centre be a holistic diaconal ministry?