The New Job  

Northeast Regional Mobilization

The Problem and an Idea

      A major donor visited ISI’s home office and asked, “Why don’t more churches and people know about ISI?  I mean, this is such a strategic work in missions—so simple, so cost effective…”  A little bit of brainstorming later, and the “Church Mailing Initiative (CMI)” was born.  The idea was simple:  mail introductory letters to churches not yet involved with ISI.  And God was in it!  Imagine the heap of mail the average church gets.  Now imagine the Holy Spirit directing pastors and staff to pay attention to “this piece.”  Churches started responding!  “We’d like more information about starting ministry to International students.”  ISI responded back with a large packet of information, brochures and 2 DVDs.  Great, but now what?

God is Doing Stuff; What do We Do Now?

      In areas with existing staff and ministry, responding CMI churches can be folded into ISI’s existing work.  But what about non-staffed areas?  Whooops.  Good Question. 

      In the Northeast, our Regional Field Director had an answer:  “Since Richard and Carol are doing ministry expansion in CT already, why not have them handle all of the Northeast region?  They can keep doing CT, but can add CMI churches responding in non-(or under-) staffed areas as well.”  [As if over 10,000 i/s in CT weren’t enough of a goal!]  We prayed though, and felt God say, “Yes.”  Life is always more fun when you are where God is doing stuff!  Who wants to be pushing boulders up mountains of loneliness and despair?

Expanding Our Territory

      By late April we had a small cluster of Maryland-Area churches:  Washington, D.C., College Park, Baltimore and Rockville.  In May we were on our first 2 week trip.  In August we were away for 2 ½ weeks and 3 weeks again in October!  Besides in Maryland, God is building clusters of churches in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Wilmington, DE, Eastern/Upstate NY, besides scattered churches in CT, MA, VT and NH, and these are all just the unstaffed areas!  We’ve had 79 churches respond so far.  And in between trips, we’re trying to keep encouraging/helping the works in CT.

So What Are We Doing?

     Making appointments, sharing a vision for the ISI ministry and how it might look for the enquiring church’s situation, encouraging a leadership decision, recruiting volunteers and presenting their initial training, coaching and encouraging new ministry teams, and keeping an eye out for new staff/Ministry Reps.  Sounds easy, right?  HA! 
But God is in it!  Here are just a few pastor/leader comments: 
“Wow, this is exactly what we need to add feet to our discipleship program!”  (pastor, Baltimore)
“This is a great idea!  We have students & university shuttles going right by the church all the time!”  (pastor, College Park)
“This is amazing!  I’ve wanted to be a missionary all my life, now I can do it right here!”  (pastor, Maryland)
“I have so many questions to ask you about how you do this…”  (pastor’s wife, Albany)

“We want to be involved; we see i/s as a integral part of our community…” (pastor, near Harrisburg)

My personal favorite:  “I love evangelizing Chinese!  You know we have over 400 right here at the University.”  (87 year old WWII vet who won’t retire, Willmington, DE)