A dozen Olivet students headed south this summer to begin their short term mission in Los Angeles for about three weeks. Hopeful reports are streaming in as students from the Olivet Theological College and Seminary are passionately practicing what they have learned from the classroom.
Courses in evangelism offered at Olivet University included models developed by the late Dr. Ralph D. Winter such as the E-scale, which refers to the cultural difference between the missionary and the person he or she is witnessing to.
Olivet students coming to study from foreign countries use their diverse cultural background as an advantage to connect to people during evangelism trips.
"We have group bible study four days a week. We give Bible Studies in both English and Chinese to cater to the different groups of individuals we’re meeting,” said OTCS student Gloria Tang.
"Sometimes people show no interest, but whenever I encounter those who are seeking the Bible, there is nothing more thrilling. I realize that evangelism is bringing the people that God has already prepared," added Tang.
Olivet students seek to be trained in preaching the Gospel effectively through academics and practical hand-on experience. One of the churches that Olivet students are collaborating with is the Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Orange County. The church also provides spiritual and Biblical trainings for the short-term missionaries.