The SMBC (Sydney Missionary and Bible College) team was at the “National Training Event (NTE) a major gathering for Christian Uni Students. the SMBCers agreed to tell The Other Cheek how things went. Thanks, team! and here are their answers.
1. Who goes to NTE, (mostly students I understand,) and how many turned up this year?
Over 1600 university students from across Australia (and beyond!) plus around 400 AFES staff (Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students which has groups on most campuses), mission agency and Bible college team members gathered in Canberra for the first in-person National Training Event (NTE) since 2019. Most students were Christians and members of their university Christian groups, but also invited along were non-Christian friends.
2. What reaction have you been getting from students?
The SMBC team were part of the Missions Expo where mission agencies and Bible colleges set up creative stalls and invited students to come and learn more about preparing for the mission field.
As part of AFES’s ministry and NTE in particular, students are encouraged to seriously consider God’s call on their life and the possibility of eventually going on mission to those least-reached with the gospel.
We found the students and university ministry apprentices to be really genuine in their interest in theological education as preparation for a lifetime of serving Jesus. We had many serious conversations with young people keen to serve and understand what it takes to get from where they are now to the overseas mission field.
Many of them are at crossroads in their lives – What should I study? How can I best serve Jesus with my career? Should I go into vocational ministry or cross-cultural mission?
Some were really wrestling with the barriers to what it takes to be a missionary. Many were wanting to understand the cost and how to deal with it. And others were simply processing what they’d just heard in the talks and the implications for their lives now at university.
3. Any highlights from the talks and activities?
(What concerns did the talks reflect? If you can say what strengths the speakers bought in handling Bible passages)
Vaughan Roberts (rector at St Ebbe’s Oxford) gave four evening talks on the theme of ‘Identity: Made For More’. These Bible talks were well pitched to the audience, warm and pastoral, and challenged listeners to consider their dignity, purpose, redemption, and future in Jesus.
Perhaps a standout was a really helpful seminar he did on sexuality which allowed time for Q&A where students asked some very thoughtful and personal questions.
Richard Chin, National Director of AFES, also spoke on Jesus’ self-identity and the call to be participants of the gospel.
4. After interacting with the students were you optimistic about Christian witness on campus. (This one could be hard to answer I hope you can)
We couldn’t help but be encouraged and hopeful for the next generation and their Christian witness. We heard of a willingness to try new things like walk-up evangelism, inviting friends to their uni Christian group, and performing the Mark Drama. We also noticed a good number of international students playing keys roles in this. Overall, we found the students to be enthusiastic and conscious that relationships are an opportunity to live lives of integrity that commend the gospel, and win opportunities to share the gospel.
Image from NTE website