Mission work is important, and Columbia International University is known as one of the top mission universities in the nation. After all, the school motto is “To Know Him and to Make Him Known.”

 This is why CIU hosts World Christian Week annually each October. During this three-day event, which generally runs from Tuesday through Thursday of the third week, several mission agencies from all over the nation come to CIU to showcase what they do, recruit students for internships, and encourage CIU to pray for their endeavors.

 World Christian Week kicked off with Chapel on Tuesday, opening with worship in Arabic and French. Each Chapel worship was performed in a different language, with Wednesday’s Chapel in Chinese, and Spanish and Portuguese featured on Thursday. The theme for the week’s Chapels was healthcare in the mission of God, promoting the usefulness of various careers in the mission field, primarily nursing since CIU has just added an RN-BSN online nursing program, with a proposed traditional four-year bachelor’s degree program close to implementation.

On Tuesday night a missions fair was celebrated in The Quad. Several mission agencies set up booths, many of them featuring refreshments from the countries they serve. Adding to the fun was face painting, international music, dancing, and a piñata, which brought many children to the event.

Students had the opportunity to get to know the missions representatives and their organizations on Wednesday as they chatted over coffee and donuts in the Student Center. 

Sophomore Intercultural Studies major David Smith, an MK who grew up in West Africa, said he especially enjoyed the fun in The Quad such as face painting and henna art.

"But most of all it was great to talk to people representing different mission agencies across several different countries and hear about the work they were doing,” Smith said “They’re doing the Lord’s work, and could really use our prayers.”

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