On January 22–26, 2024, Cairn University hosted World Reach Week. The Cairn Student Missionary Fellowship kicked off the week, sharing about their mission and history. Throughout the week, students were able to meet with missionary representatives to learn about opportunities in which they could serve.
In Monday’s chapel, Chris Fletcher, director of mobilization at Handi*Vangelism Ministries, shared his life experience and ministry. Capitalizing on Cairn’s name choice, Chris took time to connect the purpose of ministry with the purpose of cairns. Many cultures throughout history have utilized cairns to represent significant moments of time, honor individuals who gave their lives in battle, or point travelers in the right direction. While it’s easy to think of “God moments” as the obvious, awe-inspiring moments of clarity, Chris reminded students that cairns can be the small, seemingly insignificant moments. “Who knows how many ‘God moments’ we go through every day. . . we need to be cairns pointing to the things God has done.” Our role, whether in or outside of traditional “ministry” is to point individuals to Christ through the actions and responses to the everyday.
Throughout the week, World Reach Week also included the beloved World Feast, hosted by MuKappa in Heritage Hall on Monday evening. Students prepared food from their home countries to share with their fellow students. Wednesday saw the inaugural World Reach Week academic chapels. Students, divided into groups by their respective schools, heard from a panel of missionary representatives about missions in their discipline.
On Friday, Dr. Susan Post, chief executive officer of Esperanza Health Center, closed out the World Reach Week chapels. Dr. Post shared how poverty impacts health in a variety of ways and how Esperanza aims to provide physically, emotionally, and spiritually for people in poverty. She talked to students about what it means to have Christlike compassion for those in need by looking at people through God’s eyes. Dr. Post also invited two of her colleagues to share their experiences, including a Cairn alumna.
You can listen to this semester’s World Reach Week Chapels here.
