Praying for the most strategic mission field

This fall students will attend college on the campuses of New England: students from the region, the Northeast, every state in the country, nearly every protectorate of the country, and nations spanning the globe.  As students live, study, recreate, and make friendships on a localized campus community, they crystalize the worldview, habits, and relationships that will propel them for life.  On campuses all across our New England region, nearly one million students will be making decisions that will guide their lives — and eternities — in real time.

International students from across the globe will be studying in every state in New England.  Previous to the pandemic, China, India, Canada, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia sent the most students to campuses in New England.  Most international students will never enter an American home while studying in New England.  

Based on the statistics reported annually by the largest campus ministries, the vast majority of students will not hear the gospel during four years of study while on campus in New England as many campuses do not have an organized gospel witness.  Students from towns without BCNE churches (and in some cases without gospel-preaching churches).  Students from countries without strong (or any) church presence or witness.  All of these factors combine to make the college campus a strategic, if not the most strategic, mission focus. 

While COVID seriously disrupted the past 2 academic years, the mission is unchanged and the opportunity for the gospel and the growth of the kingdom remains.  Your Baptist Convention of New England collegiate missionaries are faithfully sharing the gospel and making disciples on campus.  Will you join me in praying this summer for the campuses of New England and your collegiate missionaries?

Pray for: 

God to call missionaries to the campuses of New England

God to provide every need for the missionaries

God to intersect the lives of the missionaries with those He is calling to Himself 

God to encourage the missionaries in the labors

Salvation on every campus

The growth, numerically and spiritually, of the fellowships and churches on campus

The growth of student leaders and their witness on campus to increase

The Lord placed us in this time and location for His purposes.  He has "determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him" (Acts 17:26-27).  Let's pray that the students of New England find Jesus and ask the Lord to use all of us toward this end.

Andy Haynes serves as the Next Generation Co-Director of Collegiate Ministries at the Baptist Convention of New England and as pastor of The Church on Seven Hills in Worcester, MA.