The International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) is a networking community of nationally-led student movements, committed to being partners in global student witness. We exist to reach students in every nation with the gospel and to send them into the world to bear witness to Christ and his teaching.

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IFES living stones conference

leaders of IFES movements worldwide gather

to develop strategies to implement the IFES vision

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What ways are you seeing God at work in your life right now? Can you experience God's grace even when things do not turn out as you might have hoped they would?

Two weeks ago, a movement in Eurasia suddenly learnt that K, one of their most enthusiastic leaders, had decided to go back to his home town to complete his dissertation. This was a great loss, for it has left the small group of which he was a part without a leader.

This change challenged the staff leader to be willing to take a radical look at how they operated as a team. She writes:

'With a small group of believing students and a large circle of non-Christian students, we needed to ask what faithfulness to the Lord means in this new situation of losing an important leader. I needed to help my team to be willing to take a step of faith in re-assessing and reorganizing our ministry amongst students.

'I think for my team-mates it felt distinctly like chaos at first… but our God is the One who from the first page of Scripture and the beginning of time has been in the business of bringing order out of chaos.'

As a result of this change, they decided to maximise the opportunity by focusing on outreach events more.

Learning to do things new ways, and empowering students to take the lead in reaching out to others, has been one of the themes of the recent Living Stones Conference for IFES general secretaries in Malaysia. For the past week, 200 IFES staff have met together to share ways to implement the Living Stones vision, which focuses on releasing student initiative to grow disciples of Christ.

Pray for these staff as they return to their home countries, for the team in Eurasia, and for all IFES staff, that, as they implement changes in the way the ministry is conducted, they will have the wisdom of God, and a deep confidence that He will grow His kingdom.

Give thanks, that for them, and for each of us, God says: 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' 2 Cor 12:9

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