By Dennis Schauer and Leihlyn Tinio
This year’s Global Student Program, which normally occurs at the peaceful and idyllic Glen Erie Conference Center, was a wild ride.
Forced by the pandemic to run the program virtually, we brought together students from 21 countries, many of which suffer with widespread poverty, violence, and political strife. During our video calls and small group sessions, all of those realities flooded into the group’s shared experience.
For example, one biomedical engineer from an African nation shared that she had recently been kidnapped. Two young women in Ethiopia missed a few sessions because political rioters had been rampaging outside their home. One young man in Africa, because he needed to keep working, joined with his phone while riding across rural roads in a truck bed. One Australian was threatened by the massive fires there. Nigerian participants lost contact with the others when blackouts shut down the internet. Here in the U.S., protests erupted over the killing of George Floyd.
And to think that we nearly canceled the program!
Everything had been planned for a traditional GSP, which is designed to equip a new generation of emerging international leaders to serve Christ in their home countries. About 40 young men and women had been gearing up to spend the summer with us. Our leadership team had prepared all the content, speakers, activities, and volunteer service projects.
Then came the pandemic. We knew we had to cancel the in-person GSP, and we were skeptical about trying an online program. The expression “Zoomed out” was already popular. We saw no way to build a true community with virtual interaction. Logistically it seemed impossible; after all, the group was spread across 11 time zones.
But . . . after much prayer, our team focused on God’s power. We decided to try a test. We reached out to the previous year’s GSPers (as they are known) to see if they would like to reconnect via video conference. Our expectations, honestly, were not high.
The 2019 participants, about 40 of them, stayed on the video call for nearly eight hours! Depending on the time zone, some stayed on the call for most of the night. They bounced in and out of the call, stopping for nature breaks, food, and a stretch. Although we offered to end the call, they wanted to keep listening to each other, praying for one another, and strengthening their friendships.
Surprised but encouraged, we then reached out to the 2020 group. We shared with them our idea to hold a virtual program. It would include four plenary sessions with guest speakers, once every two weeks. In addition, we would form small groups led by 2019 GSP volunteers. Daily, these groups would interact around the Scriptures and address themes such as knowing Christ, discipling among the lost, and going to the nations.
Again, God surpassed our expectations. About 35 of the 2020 invitees committed to the plan, with enthusiasm. We took a deep breath and launched the program.
The program proved to be a total success. First, and against all odds, the group bonded in close friendship. We suspect that the hardships that many faced in their home countries strengthened those ties. People prayed fervently for one another and encouraged one another in the Lord. They authentically shared in the sufferings of the others.
Second, everyone in the group showed signs of tremendous spiritual growth. They received rich teaching from presenters, such as Eddie Broussard and Randy Raysbrook. In small groups, they went deeper into the Scriptures. These elements, along with the global relational connections, led to what they described as a “life changing” GSP. One participant said, “As a result of the GSP, I’m different. I read the Bible differently because of the exposure to people around the globe.”
Third, the volunteers from the 2019 group embraced in faith the challenge of leading small group sessions and mentoring the 2020 participants. As a result, they made huge strides forward in their own leadership abilities.
As we look to the future, we all hope that we can return to the in-person GSP gathering at Glen Eyrie. But we learned a lot from this experience. God is bigger than our plans and limitations.
Dennis Schauer and Leihlyn Tinio are co-leaders of the Navigator Global Student Program. You can learn more about it at this link.
