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
RECRUITING
TOMORROW’S
MISSIONARIES
Q&A with Ken Ivins, AMG International
Cedarville Magazine
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