Every year in December, Northstar takes up two offerings in its December services. One is our regular ministry offering. The second offering is our Holiday Missions Offering. The HMO is given to the ministries and agencies that Northstar partners with to encourage them during the holidays. [For a listing of those, click here.]
Our HMO Spotlight series highlight those ministries and agencies that we support.
International Students, Inc., led by Bob and Sandra Jackson, is an outreach to international students, visiting scholars and their families at Virginia Tech. It is centered on involving internationals in Bible Studies, local church activities, women’s activities, retreats, conferences and recreational events. The goal of ISI is to see internationals come to understand the gospel message and become followers of Jesus Christ.
You may recognize Bob and Sandra! Bob was Northstar’s founding pastor. He and Sandra planted our church in 2003, and after six years of faithful service, he retired from pastoring in 2008 to join the staff of ISI.
In Blacksburg, International Students, Inc. functions with a dynamic ten-person team of both community people and students. The team plans semester outreach activities and comes together each week for a Sunday Evening Bible Discussion. This event begins with dinner and a social time, followed by a one hour study of the Bible. During the Spring semester, 2016, the topic for the Sunday Evening Bible Discussion will be, “Impact, How the Gospel Changes the Lives of Ordinary People.” Team members write the weekly lessons and facilitate discussions for the individual sessions.
During January of 2016, International Students, Inc. will sponsor a three day retreat for internationals in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Working together with leaders of other ministry organizations, the Jackson’s will be involved in preaching and teaching the Bible and leading a number of outdoor activities including snow tubing, hiking, ice skating and shopping.
In the late Spring, ISI will also sponsor a five day True Leadership Conference for internationals at Caraway Conference Center and Camp in Asheboro, NC. This unique event will involve ISI Campus Staff members from a variety of universities across the Southeast and Midwest. Christian international students from those campuses will be “coaches” for the event, leading small teams of students throughout the conference.
International Students, Inc. invites believers from local churches to investigate involvement in the ministry at Virginia Tech. Inquiries can be made by emailing Bob Jackson, Campus Team Leader, at fortress4185@verizon.net or Sandra Jackson, Campus Staff, at isi4vt@verizon.net.
Consider prayerfully what you sense God leading you to give…
As you plan your giving this season, remember to give generously to the HMO. A portion of what is received goes to bless Bob and Sandra as they lead International Students, Inc. If you’d like to give to them directly through ISI, you can click this link.