Students from a variety of cultural backgrounds, or who wish an intercultural experience, find a wide range of activities through Mosaic at Grace College and Seminary, Winona Lake, Ind. Mosaic supports students who are passionate about international and cultural initiatives by providing resources, opportunities, and publicity to specifically focused campus clubs. It is an umbrella organization that consists of 10 distinct on-campus clubs, each with specific cultural angles and activities.
Hangul (Korean Club) seeks to provide an avenue for Korean exchange students to express their culture on campus and, at the same time, teach others about life in South Korea. Over its two years of existence, Hangul has boasted Korean language and cultural lessons, prayer meetings, informative presentations about North Korea, and relationship building opportunities with Handong University exchange students.
I Heart Muslims (IHM) exists to equip students to reach out to Muslims in the United States. Every year, they travel to nearby mosques to begin conversations with Muslims and to learn more about Islam. As they go through Bridges training and pray for Muslims, members of IHM become better equipped to share the Gospel with followers of Islam.
Grace’s International Club provides an outlet for those who have backgrounds in other cultures, and also offers first-hand cultural experiences for those who don’t. From tango dancing lessons, to serving Zimbabwean dessert, to watching cultural movies, International Club provides a variety of activities to better acquaint students with other cultures. Mu Kappa, another culture-rich group, is committed to helping missionary, military, and international students adjust to American culture. Hosting game nights, movie nights, ice cream nights, taco truck outings, bowling alley visits, and Starbucks sit-downs, Mu Kappa is the home-away-from-home for Grace College students from diverse backgrounds.
The Grace College chapter of Destiny Rescue is a group committed to freeing those entrapped in prostitution. They seek to inform, pray, advocate, and raise funds to work towards ending slavery. The Grace chapter of the Black Student Association (BSA) celebrates African and African-American culture. BSA members add to campus life through worship, cultural, and informative events.
Prayer for the Nations meets to intercede for missionaries, nations, and people groups around the world. Nurturing a passion for missions that compels students to join in God’s work in all cultures, it aims to not only open students’ eyes to international spiritual needs, but also to teach them about God’s heart. Another prayer group, Pray4NK, was established last year to pray for the persecuted Christians in North Korea, one of the most oppressive regimes in the world.
Grace College also boasts a French club, which meets to celebrate the rich culture and language of France. In addition, Grace hosts the International Welcome Committee, which aims to help develop a home-away-from-home for the cross-cultural members of the Grace campus, and a Latino club (La Fiesta), which exists to foster community and understanding regarding Latino cultures and to bring the life and joy of Latino culture to Winona Lake.
“There is something about witnessing God move among other cultures, people groups, and nations that causes your faith to grow,” said Mosaic student director Sarah Leichty. “When you see God’s redemptive work not only among your own people, your hometown, and your country, you realize how great He is and how far His kingdom reaches. Mosaic’s opportunity to bring glimpses of this Kingdom at work in all the world is, I believe, its greatest quality.”
Discover more information on the Mosaic website at http://gcmosaic.wix.com/mosaic.