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God’s Work with International Students through Paul and Ginny Champoux and Local Churches
What is Paul and Ginny’s ministry all about? It’s best expressed in this testimony by their former student, Maritza Crespo. Maritza was an enthusiastic member of their Bible study group in Ann Arbor. “The Friday meetings in your home changed my life. I learned how to have a prayer meeting and Bible study group.” Later she wrote, “I could never thank the Lord enough for sending me to Ann Arbor and to be with our Friday group there. It prepared me for this. ..... My Bible study group in English is four years old now ... and growing. I’m teaching a discipleship class at one of the toughest barrios’ in Caracas. Last Wednesday I had 13 people ... and growing!” She even travels to other countries to train other women to lead Bible studies. Stated concisely, their mission and strategy are to alert, educate, motivate and assist God's people in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti to develop the ministry God gave the churches to "make disciples of all nations." Understanding that "missions" is going to foreign peoples, not foreign geography, they carry on that ministry to the nations which God brings to their community: 8,000 citizens of 100 nations . Working through the church and alongside the church, they befriend, serve, evangelize and disciple these leaders and send them back to their countries as effective missionaries to plant churches in new areas and to strengthen existing churches. How do they do that? What are their ministry activities day-by-day and through the year? They: •Speak in church services to present the opportunities for church ministry to internationals, and recruit volunteers for all types of ministry to internationals. •Present seminars in cross-cultural ministry to American Friendship Partners, and Conversation Partners, training them to develop sincere, trusting friendships with internationals, and to sensitively share their faith when appropriate, natural opportunities arise. •Attend and bring volunteer workers to national training conferences presented by ISI, Association of Christian Ministries to Internationals, and others. •Encourage and assist churches and individuals to organize or engage in projects of practical service to internationals: such as, August airport pick up, English language conversation classes, room rentals in Christian homes. •Publish and distribute to internationals and Americans materials describing ISI programs and services, and inviting them to participate. Distribute Bibles, Bible studies and other literature to students and volunteers. •Visit internationals in residences or campus to make initial acquaintances or build ongoing relationships. •Organize and participate in social events to make initial contacts with new students, and build relationships with current participants. Some events are picnics, farm tour, Thanksgiving Day dinner in American homes, gym night, American home stay trips. •Oversee and help plan and develop the International Fellowship group which meets every Friday, 7-9:30 p.m. with singing and many small groups for Bible study. This is a major program involving the largest number of international members and American and international volunteer Bible teachers in weekly, in-depth Bible study. •Paul leads monthly Saturday prayer meetings for volunteers who serve weekly, and leads a seminar in cross-cultural ministry principles and methods. •Alone, or with ISI staff, Paul plans and organizes annual evangelistic and discipleship conferences for internationals in February and May, and cooperates with conferences in November and December. •Paul leads, and trains other Christians to lead, one-to-one evangelistic weekly Bible studies, and discipling studies. The evangelistic studies use a 12-lesson course, The Way to Life, which Paul designed for people who have no prior knowledge of Bible terminology or Christian doctrines, and who have limited English language proficiency. It is translated into Chinese, Japanese and nearly complete in Korean.
Why did Paul and Ginny get into this kind of foreign missions work? They had a special concern for people who do not have the good opportunity to learn about Christ which Americans do. And they realized that university students are making life-long decisions, and will be of great influence in their societies. Those two reasons combined to show the special need to share the gospel with foreign students. What training have Paul and Ginny had for this work with peoples of different cultures? • 48+ years of marriage--living, learning, caring and growing together. Add 4 children, 12 grandchildren, and a greatgrandson. •Ginny’s studies in education at Albion College, training in Laubach methods of teaching English to foreign students, and years of teaching internationals and relating to them as a friend. •Paul’s studies at U of Michigan--BBA; Fuller Theological Seminary--M.Div.; State University of New York at Buffalo--Master of Social Science (Interdisciplinary); and U of M--M.A. in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. •Paul served in the U.S.Army Chaplaincy. Paul and Ginny served two Evangelical Free Churches in Racine and Gaylord. •Paul and Ginny had on-the-job training in cross-cultural missionary work with International Students Inc. for 27+ years in Buffalo and Ann Arbor with the help of professional conferences, books and tapes. Testimonies
Does this foreign missions strategy of evangelizing and discipling students away from their countries, and sending them back home as missionaries to their nations, really work? What are some fruits of the Holy Spirit’s work through Paul and Ginny? A few examples: Dr. and Mrs. Miguel Leal attended Paul and Ginny’s weekly Bible study for a few months before Miguel publicly spoke of his decision to receive Christ as a result of the studies. His wife, Verena became a believer before that. After returning to Venezuela, they organized a mission to native tribal peoples of southern Venezuela. With other medical professionals whom they recruited, they visit the tribes, bringing free medical care and the gospel of Christ. Much of the expense of the medicines is paid out of the pockets of the Christian doctors themselves. Amos Fabiyi attended Ginny’s dinners and Paul’s Bible studies regularly for years. Paul trained Amos in evangelistic leadership and group Bible study methods, giving Amos an opportunity to lead the study, and helping him prepare it. So when Amos returned to the University of Ife, Nigeria, as professor, he continued doing what he had learned to do in Ann Arbor. He led a weekly Bible study of university professors, staff and students. Paul had recommended that he take a one-volume Bible commentary back with him. So Amos recommended this commentary to his Bible study group, and they ordered copies for each of the members. That is discipleship reproducing itself! He has faithfully developed this growing Bible study group since 1980. In addition, he wrote, “My wife and I are members of the World Soul-Winning Evangelistic Ministry. One Sunday in the month we conduct church service in a village about three miles from our house.” Takao and Takako Aya, husband and wife, came to Christ at the same time, on their knees with Paul in their living room, after studying the Bible with him for many weeks. They were baptized and primarily discipled by Pastor Jim Hills, whose church they attended. When Paul and Ginny visited them later in Japan, Takao told them, “Before I became a Christian, I was short-tempered. And I never mentioned it, but I had mental illness from the age of thirteen to thirty. But since I became a Christian, it has been gone.” Takao introduced Paul to his church as his “spiritual father.” And because of the Aya’s faithful witness, Paul and Ginny’s spiritual grandchildren through them, and great grandchildren, were at that church the Sunday the Champoux’s visited it. The Aya’s serve and strengthen God’s church in Japan.
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