Bill Coolbaugh, BISM
Boston International Student Ministry (BISM) – an affiliate of Emmanuel Gospel Center’s Intercultural ministry in Boston – ministers to international university students in the Boston city area and central Massachusetts. Their strategic work incorporates churches and other ministries promoting Kingdom growth in New England. Activities include weekly students’ gatherings, weekly conversational English classes, weekly Alpha classes for internationals, special events for outreach, mentoring students, Bible studies with students, conferences and other multicultural outreaches.
The World at our Doorsteps: when we think about global missions we may overlook the local presence of those same people groups right here. Look what God has done with the nearly 40,000 international students, plus thousands of other internationals in the greater Boston area:
- Brought them here at their own expense
- Taught them our language before they came
- Removed their usual support structures, which kept them from considering new questions, or even punished them for doing so
- Planted seeds of curiosity in many of them
- Sent the young, teachable ones, those who are bright and vigorous, who’ll someday be leaders in their home countries
- Arranged for them to stay several years, so we can earn a hearing for the Gospel. If they accept it, we’ll have time to disciple them. If they haven’t accepted it yet, we can at least build a more positive view of Christians for the sake of Christians in their homeland.
- Sent them from some 140 countries, many where missionaries are forbidden to go, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, and mainland China
- Spread them around our area, so many churches and individual Christians can get “a piece of the action”
Would you like join in as God works? Many opportunities to serve right here in our backyard. Find out more about this organization at www.ismbostonwest.org. RCC supports Bill through our missions giving. If you wish to contribute on your own, please see: www.efg.org.
