An informal campus ministry has begun at the University of Prince Edward Island by members of Charlottetown Christian Reformed Church with the help of the university’s international student advisor and chaplaincy center.
Church families have been organizing activities, especially for international students far from home.
On Islander Day, a provincial holiday in February, more than a dozen students came out for games and recreation. The church has been hosting a games afternoon every month since.
With the university almost in the backyard of the church, families have been inviting students to their homes for meals and fellowship. International students, especially, often feel alone on weekends and holidays because they cannot travel home.
Food items are distributed to students at the games afternoons. There are also plans for cooking demonstrations as part of the festivities because a young man from Nigeria remarked that he didn’t know how to cook some of the food distributed, said Joanne McIsaac, the chairperson of the church’s outreach committee.
“This ministry provides an opportunity for a great variety of church members to use their gifts,” she said. “We feel that God has distinctly sent us in this direction. The need is clear, and God has given us the resources to meet the need . . . the way this ministry has developed is proof once again that God knows what he’s doing.”
About the Author
Brenda Visser is the Banner's regional news correspondent for classis Eastern Canada.