Fellowship of Evangelical Students

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Fellowship of Evangelical Students, commonly referred to as "'FES", is an interdenominational, evangelical Christian ministry which encourages evangelism among students and graduates. It manages various youth ministries, including high school, college and university ministries in Hong Kong and graduate ministry. The organization works on 9 campuses in Hong Kong, with the purpose of developing their love for God, the Bible, and people around the world. It is a member of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES), a network of similar ministries around the world. Moreover, FES has a publishing arm, FES Press and runs two book shops in Hong Kong. The organizational centre of FES is in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. Lau Kwok Wai is the current General Secretary.

Contents 1 History 2 Purpose Statement 3 Ministries 3.1 Students Ministry 3.1.1 College Ministry 3.1.2 Youth Ministry 3.2 Graduate Ministry 3.2.1 History 3.2.2 Mission 3.2.3 Activities 4 Training 5 Publishing 6 Membership Organization 7 reference 8 External link

[edit] History

In 1947, the initiative was taken to establish an umbrella organisation of christian students. Representatives from Australia, The Netherlands, Great-Britain, Canada, China, France, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the United States came together in Boston (USA) to strengthen evangelism, discipleship and world mission among students all over the world.

At the end of the 20th century, IFES had already grown to an organisation consisting of movements in 140 countries. Currently there are about 30 countries where there is no recognized student witness. Most of them are Muslim countries.

[edit] Purpose Statement

“

In response to God's love, grace and truth: The Purpose of Fellowship of Evangelizing Students is to establish and advance at colleges and universities witnessing communities of students and faculty who follow Jesus as Savior and Lord: growing in love for God, God's Word, God's people of every ethnicity and culture and God's purposes in the world.

”

[edit] Ministries

[edit] Students Ministry

[edit] College Ministry

FES started college ministry in 1956 and in 2005-2006, works in 9 campuses around Hong Kong. In 1963, Inter-College Christian Fellowship was set up to unite college fellowship. It partners with fellowships among different universities and colleges. FES also encourages students to regularly participate in both long- and short-term missions projects. Projects include Global Projects and Urban Projects (ministry "plunges" into the city).

[edit] Youth Ministry

FES has participated in high school students ministry since 1950s. In 1961, Inter-school Christian Fellowship (ISCF) was formed to encourage high school student movements and encourage evangelism. Purpose statement of ISCF

“

The Purpose of ISCF is to establish and advance at high schools practising the mission of the kingdom in Heaven to fulfill the holistic gospel in schools, the society and the world.

”

[edit] Graduate Ministry

[edit] History

In 1957, Rev. David Adeney from International Fellowship of Evangelical Students and Prof. Kin Sen Yu motivated a group of university graduates to form Graduates of Christian Fellowship of Hong Kong (GCF) with a mission to promote evangelism in high schools, college and universities, which directly prompted the birth of Fellowship of Evangelizing Students. ^[1]

In 1970s and '80s, GCF stresses responding social issue with Christian belief, resulted in the birth of Breakthrough movement focusing on teenagers and fostered Hong Kong Industrial Evangelizing Fellowship with a mission to evangelize industry workers. In 1975, a group of graduates formed China Graduate School of Theology, the first paradenominational theology institute for graduates. In 1980s another group of graduates with a heart of the squatter area residents and formed [Hong Kong Evangelizing Fellowship for Squatter Area http://www.peacemaker.org.hk] ( Now renamed) which now serves residents in housing for temporary accommodation. Christian for Hong Kong Society was also formed in response to negotiation for Sino-British Declaration, declaration of Basic Law and Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 to voice out in political, economic and welfare issue.

At the end of 1980s, GCF came nearly to a halt due to wave of migration after 1989 and lack of clear vision. With the help of FES, GCF reorganized in 1992 and in 1997, marketplace ministry as focus ministry was established and started a marketplace theology movement among graduates, employed Christians and churches.

[edit] Mission

The mission of GCF is to initiate a theology movement in a market context by equipping graduate students and employed Christians to be marketplace leaders so as to fulfill holistic mission and responds to the age.

[edit] Activities

GCF concentrates on four central areas:

• Adult Spirituality）
• Bible in a marketplace context
• Vocation & Workplace Guidance
• Social & Cultural Mission

[edit] Training

With a mission to train new youth workers, networking on youth ministry and create activities to serve young people, FES strived to network pastors and church groups and equip staff, teachers and church groups for Christian youth ministry. It operates a training centre in Tsim Sha Tsui to provide training courses in discipleship of the mind and youth ministry. . ^[2]

[edit] Publishing

Like other established student evangelizing movements like InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, FES since its beginning has a small publishing service branch and set up the Evangelical Reading Room in 1957. Publishing has long been among FES field ministries and the operation has upgraded to let its management meets market standard. The reformed ministry is now called FES Press, targeting teenager Christians and young graduates. In October, 2000, it started another shop in Wan Chai, called New Chapter.

[edit] Membership Organization

• Inter-College Christian Fellowship
• Inter-School Christian Fellowship
• Graduate Christian Fellowship of Hong Kong
• Hong Kong Nurse Fellowship

[edit] reference

1. ^ Fellowship of Evangelical Students- 1957. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
2. ^ FES Training Centre

[edit] External link

• http://www.fes.org.hk/