The underlying thinking behind the recent RESET Tour was that the world has changed dramatically over the last decade or two and that those changes powerfully impact the way we go about carrying out the Great Commission. One of those changes that came up again and again in the tour is the rise of globalization; and one facet of globalization is the fact that God is bringing the mission field to us. I don't have  accurate statistics in this regard but I do know that hundreds of thousands of foreign students are coming to study in American colleges and universities. Many of them come from influential families in their native countries. Many of them are people who have the potential to be world changers.

Not only do we have hundreds of thousands of foreign students on our campuses, but we have millions of immigrants coming to the United States; and they no longer only congregate in costal cities like New York and Los Angeles, but they are spreading out all across the country. Chances are that you have families living near you who moved here from India, Nigeria, or even Saudi Arabia. All of this provides us with "A Radical Opportunity...Reach the World Changers!" That will be the second challenge on Friday morning, November 16, at ICOM 2012.

What if anything is being done to reach foreign students as well as our immigrant population? I have learned that there are some very dynamic things happening in that regard in churches all across the country. For instance, the Sherwood Oaks Christian Church in Bloomington, Indiana has taken a very pro-active role in reaching foreign students on the Indiana University campus. Among other things they have challenged their people to adopt hundreds of those students, providing them a home away from home; hosting them for lunch on Sundays, having them in their homes for the holidays, and all the while influencing them for Christ. I've learned exciting stories from other ministries as well about students who were won to Christ while studying here then going back and making a powerful impact on their native countries. Many of those are restricted countries where traditional missionaries could not go.

So I've asked Tom Elsworth, pastor of the Sherwood Oaks church to address this subject with which he already has significant experience, "A Radical Opportunity...Reach the World Changers!" While Tom is pastor in one of the leading churches of our fellowship in a major university town, this session will also focus on campus ministries, other church initiatives to students, and how every congregation can take advantage of the immigrant mission field God is bringing even to small-town America. What is happening will be further hightlighted by testimonies from some of those world changers. We'll also let you know about some very creative initiatives right here in Indianapolis using such things as taxis and low cost housing to reach people from some of the most restricted nations on earth.

You'll want to read Tom Elsworth's bio on the Indy 2012 "on stage" page of this website. You'll also want to scope out the rest of the lineup of speakers and topics which will make this year's ICOM "a disturbing conference that demands a response."

I'm looking forward to being with the Jamestown (IN) Christian Church this coming Sunday for a very special day. While they are preparing to relocate and build new facilities for their local ministry, they want to intensify their efforts toward global evangelism. I'll be teaching on missions during their Bible School hour and then preaching in the worship service. The announcement of their capital stewardship campaign commitment total for the relocation will be made during a dinner that will follow the services. It should be very exciting!