October 24th, 2011 
Mark 
Last Wednesday I met in New Orleans with the BCNetwork International Committee (a leading baptist network of campus ministers) to discuss and begin to implement a special emphasis to internationals on college campuses in 2012. During the meeting we concluded that we should immediately announce that we have selected the first full week of October to be International Challenge Week.
This special week will encourage Baptist churches and their Baptist campus ministries to place a unique emphasis on outreach to international students and scholars and their friends and family living on or near a college campus. There are over 700,000 internationals living on American college campuses and over 180,000 on Canadian campuses. It is our hope that at least half of our ministries will participate in this challenge.
The International Challenge week will involve asking North Americans to sponsor events, activities and other thing for their international student classmates. It is said that almost 70% of all international students are never invited into an American home during their studies in the US. To support this effort the committee will establish a web presence to resource the week with video, pdf information and suggested event ideas.
The BCNetwork International Committee is chaired by Johnathan Chan of Tuscan, Arizona and supported by Ed Moncada of St Louis, MO, Alex Soejipto of St Louis, MO, John Aaron Matthew of Memphis, TN, and Mark Lydecker of Alpharetta, GA. If you would like information about this special week or have some suggestions you may contact the committee members at: johnathanchan7@gmail.com emoncada@mobaptist.org asoetijpo@gmail.com johnaaronmatthew@gmail.com and mlydecker@namb.net For some immediate resources for this week visit: www.internationals.org www.internationals.net www.studentz.com/ism/ www.internationalstudentsbcm.blogspot.com/
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