Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship

Lives That Count Report

"I've come to find out if my life counts" said Matt. I first met Matt as he was on his way from University of Canterbury to Auckland to attend the TSCF Mid-Year Conference at Willow Park Christian Camp. We got talking about his expectations for the week. The theme this year was "Lives that Count - Mission from McDonalds to Mongolia".

In the course of an action-packed week, friendships were formed, our missional task was explained and our comfort-zones were challenged. From the first night of the conference, we were encouraged to live lives that count in God's economy. Val Goold shared stories of lives that have counted for eternity and set the scene for a week, where frequently we would face the question "What does God want me to do with my life?"

The Bible teaching through the week was brought by different speakers each looking at the early chapters of Acts. Early on, Graham Ng taught from Acts 1 on ‘God's plan: our purpose'. We were challenged to be witnesses wherever we went, sharing our true testimony and personal experience of God's work in our lives. Over the course of the week, we progressed through Acts and saw the spread of the Gospel from Jerusalem. It was great to see students with open Bibles, considering what God was saying through His Word. As we live in a multi-cultural context, it was great to worship God with that in mind. Each day, we enjoyed singing and worshipping God in languages other than English. The Gospel is not just for NZ, but for the world.

The week's events were not confined to typical conference meetings (!). Two particular highlights of the week were interactive and a little different. The first was the Destination World exhibition, which brings together various missionary organisations. Designed to help Christians understand and connect with cross-cultural mission, students "travelled" through various mission contexts experiencing "real life" missional situations - both the highs and the lows. It allowed students to grapple with the enormous task our missionaries face in seeking to reach other cultures for Christ. The second was a trip off-site to 3 "places of worship". In the course of a day, we visited a Buddhist Temple, an Islamic Centre and a Shopping Mall. In each, we considered what was being worshipped and the challenge of understanding the mindset of those in this context. For many, it was a formative experience.

In addition, we had sessions that looked at Mission in the Marketplace, Mission in the University, and Mission here and beyond. Each sought to practically apply the Bible's teaching to the context addressed. Mission is not simply something that is done in other parts of the world. We are all called to be missional in our lives - to live lives that count.

Shortly after the conference, I met Matt on his University campus. He was welcoming students to an event designed for unbelieving students. We later chatted about his studies and the challenges he faced. I'm not sure whether his search to find if his life counted was fulfilled at conference, but I saw in Matt a student living a life that counts for God and for His Kingdom.