Cedarville Magazine, Spring 2014

What is AMG International’s role in missions? AMG stands for Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel. We are a global missions organization involved in a variety of initiatives, includingmedical ministry, newspaper evangelism, radioministry, childcare centers, camps, and bookstores all around the world. We work primarily through nationals in each country, so our involvement in each location depends on its individual needs. Here at home, AMG Publishers produces Bible study tools, books, devotionals, and other materials that share the Gospel message. What is your role with AMG? As Coordinator of Mission Adventure Teams, I train and lead eight to 10 teams each year on short-term missions trips. I work with teams from high schools and churches as well as a few universities. I work with individuals as they wrestle through what missions is all about and how God might be calling them to be involved. I enjoy helping teammembers identify where they are in their relationship with God and encouraging them to take the next step. How long have you been working with teams of Cedarville students? I began recruiting Cedarville students in 2011 for a trip to Peru over their spring break. It was such a great experience that I came back to recruit teams in 2012, 2013, and 2014. This year there was so much interest that we added a second team to go to Guatemala. What stands out to you about Cedarville students? They are servant-minded and serve well on whatever projects we are doing as a team. I hear the way students talk about their Cedarville is committed to introducing students to missions, whether in their own backyards or around the world. Missions Involvement Services (MIS) provides opportunities for students to experience missions firsthand through short-term trips, special chapels, and the annual JanuaryMissions Conference. They also host missionaries all year long who come to campus to share their vision for world missions and recruit students to join them. Ken Ivins, from Chattanooga, Tennessee-based AMG International, visits campus twice a year to recruit and train students for short- termmissions adventures in Peru and Guatemala. Below, he shares more about what makes Cedarville students special andwhat keeps him coming back. experiences at Cedarville. Not that many colleges require chapel five days a week, but beyond the requirement, students enjoy being part of it. It’s relevant and fresh without losing the key message of the Gospel. Cedarville also does an excellent job of incorporating Scripture in every part of its student experience, not just in chapel or in the residence halls, but in its academics as well. I’ve led teams of medical students, teachers, and engineers. It’s great to see them use their skills on the field and allow themselves to be stretched. What have you enjoyed most about the chapel services you’ve experienced? I love coming for the MIS chapels in October when teams give reports about where they’ve been and what they’ve learned. I love hearing them tell stories about doors God is opening in their lives and what He is doing in their hearts. God is using them — their skills, their passions — to impact the world. It’s thrilling to see the next generation get excited about missions. I get to be there as they wrestle through why we do missions and how we must separate the Gospel of Jesus Christ from the Gospel of American culture.Then they stand up in chapel and creatively share these stories with other students; that peer connection is powerful. Howdo you see Cedarville preparing students tomeet the future of missions? The world is shrinking. We take teams to Latin America, but look around — you can find Latin America right here in Chattanooga and inmost communities in the United States.The face of missions is changing, too. Many countries that are not open to traditional missionaries are open to engineers, health care professionals, teachers, mechanics, you name it. Cedarville students are gaining skills that God can use on the missions field. And students are excited to consider howGodmight use their skills and occupations to share the Gospel and impact people in ways that a missionary or preacher never could. I can’t say enough about Brian Nester and Ellen Hanson in the MIS office. They do a great job making a complex process simple — helping students send support letters, acquire passports, and get immunizations — so they can have this experience. This is not something I’ve heard about other schools doing. I admire and am impressed by all they do to make this experience available to students. They know that short-term missions experiences often lead to long-term missions, and they are passionate about what they do. Ken Ivins is Coordinator of Mission Adventure Teams with AMG International. He has led four teams of Cedarville students to Peru and recruits on campus twice a year. Learn more about AMG International at amginternational.org. RECRUITING TOMORROW’S MISSIONARIES Q&A with Ken Ivins, AMG International Cedarville Magazine | 33