Here are this year's official UNAM numbers:
33,256 Professors
20,747 Graduate Students
156,434 Undergraduate Students (including 35,505 1st year students)
1,641 Technical Degree Students
106,913 High School Students
Total UNAM population: 286,484
Believe it.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Jared, what exactly is it that you do?
As an introduction to this ministry blog, I thought it would be good to lay out what I am doing here in Mexico City. I think it will provide clarity to both those who are supporting me with prayers and finances as well as inform those who are discovering that I exist for the first time.
"Hey gringo, who are you?"
I am a missionary sent by the Presbyterian Church in America to preach the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone here at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
Our work here is the only currently-functioning partnership between the PCA's missions-sending agency, Mission to the World (MTW), and our denominations college outreach, Reformed University Fellowship (RUF).
"In laymen's terms, what does this MTW/RUF thing mean? Give it to me straight."
As a ministry of the church (as opposed to a para-church organization), we believe in being sent and supported directly by our denomination and it's participating church bodies. We hold to the PCA's doctrine of beliefs as expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith. This is simply a statement of our views of and interpretation of scripture. Mission to the World is involved in the sending and supporting of missionaries of our denomination.
Because we are a University Ministry of the PCA church, we affiliate ourselves with Reformed University Fellowship. RUF is about the practical application of the Christian faith to college students' lives. Our purpose is to "reach and equip students to serve Jesus Christ and His church." Our Philosophy of Ministry, which we believe to be biblically informed and pastorally sensitive, includes 4 Goals:
EVANGELISM AND MISSIONS
RUF must proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to the university community with the hope of reaching the world. We take seriously Christ's command to go and make disciples. So we are witnessing to the truth about God and man in the world of academic, relativistic thought, and we are depending upon the Holy Spirit to draw students to trust in Christ as Savior and serve him as King.
BIBLICAL WORLD AND LIFE VIEW
Christianity is a way of seeing all of life. We believe that God is at work in the world, upholding his creation and ruling over all his creatures. His revealed truth is the integrating principle for all knowledge. This provides the Christian with a frame of reference for thinking and life-style.
"So, when you say you 'preach,' do you mean that you stake out a place on campus and unleash a hell-fire-and-brimstone message and that you proselytize people?"
Here at RUF, or as we call it in Mexico--CUR (Comunidad Universitaria Reformada), we believe in organic, relational ministry. Our philosophy of outreach is made up of three kinds of meetings: 1-on-1's, small groups, and large groups. The "preaching" that we do happens in every level of ministry. By that I mean that our goal is to connect the truth and good news of the gospel with students' lives in all three of these group settings. However, our only traditional preaching happens at our large group meetings which are structured similar to a worship service with worship through song and the preaching of the word.
As for proselytizing, your definition of the word determines if we do it or not. If by proselytizing you mean that we walk around with tracks and regularly confront random people with regard to their eternal state, no, we do not do that. If by proselytizing you mean that we desire to convert people to our faith because we hold to be true the claims of Jesus as the only way, truth, and life, then, yes, we proselytize. We sincerely believe that your life will be better if you are a Christian. That is not to say that we believe you will receive great prosperity here on earth, but rather that we believe the benefits of Christ as your only hope in life and death will free you to truly enjoy and worship God.
"Your there for 2 years, right? What's up with that?"
"Hey gringo, who are you?"
I am a missionary sent by the Presbyterian Church in America to preach the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone here at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
Our work here is the only currently-functioning partnership between the PCA's missions-sending agency, Mission to the World (MTW), and our denominations college outreach, Reformed University Fellowship (RUF).
"In laymen's terms, what does this MTW/RUF thing mean? Give it to me straight."
As a ministry of the church (as opposed to a para-church organization), we believe in being sent and supported directly by our denomination and it's participating church bodies. We hold to the PCA's doctrine of beliefs as expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith. This is simply a statement of our views of and interpretation of scripture. Mission to the World is involved in the sending and supporting of missionaries of our denomination.
Because we are a University Ministry of the PCA church, we affiliate ourselves with Reformed University Fellowship. RUF is about the practical application of the Christian faith to college students' lives. Our purpose is to "reach and equip students to serve Jesus Christ and His church." Our Philosophy of Ministry, which we believe to be biblically informed and pastorally sensitive, includes 4 Goals:
GROWTH IN GRACE
RUF aims to help students understand and use the means of grace which God has provided for Christian growth. This includes studying the Bible, developing a prayer life, understanding worship, and depending on the Holy Spirit in order for us to die to sin and grow in righteousness.
RUF aims to help students understand and use the means of grace which God has provided for Christian growth. This includes studying the Bible, developing a prayer life, understanding worship, and depending on the Holy Spirit in order for us to die to sin and grow in righteousness.
EVANGELISM AND MISSIONS
RUF must proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to the university community with the hope of reaching the world. We take seriously Christ's command to go and make disciples. So we are witnessing to the truth about God and man in the world of academic, relativistic thought, and we are depending upon the Holy Spirit to draw students to trust in Christ as Savior and serve him as King.
FELLOWSHIP AND SERVICE
Because Christians are united to Christ, they are also united to other believers. As Christians learn to participate by using their gifts and strengths, the body of Christ is built up. It also means reaching out as a loving, believing community to the university community -- demonstrating what it means to be a Christian.
Because Christians are united to Christ, they are also united to other believers. As Christians learn to participate by using their gifts and strengths, the body of Christ is built up. It also means reaching out as a loving, believing community to the university community -- demonstrating what it means to be a Christian.
BIBLICAL WORLD AND LIFE VIEW
Christianity is a way of seeing all of life. We believe that God is at work in the world, upholding his creation and ruling over all his creatures. His revealed truth is the integrating principle for all knowledge. This provides the Christian with a frame of reference for thinking and life-style.
"So, when you say you 'preach,' do you mean that you stake out a place on campus and unleash a hell-fire-and-brimstone message and that you proselytize people?"
Here at RUF, or as we call it in Mexico--CUR (Comunidad Universitaria Reformada), we believe in organic, relational ministry. Our philosophy of outreach is made up of three kinds of meetings: 1-on-1's, small groups, and large groups. The "preaching" that we do happens in every level of ministry. By that I mean that our goal is to connect the truth and good news of the gospel with students' lives in all three of these group settings. However, our only traditional preaching happens at our large group meetings which are structured similar to a worship service with worship through song and the preaching of the word.
As for proselytizing, your definition of the word determines if we do it or not. If by proselytizing you mean that we walk around with tracks and regularly confront random people with regard to their eternal state, no, we do not do that. If by proselytizing you mean that we desire to convert people to our faith because we hold to be true the claims of Jesus as the only way, truth, and life, then, yes, we proselytize. We sincerely believe that your life will be better if you are a Christian. That is not to say that we believe you will receive great prosperity here on earth, but rather that we believe the benefits of Christ as your only hope in life and death will free you to truly enjoy and worship God.
"Your there for 2 years, right? What's up with that?"
As an intern with RUF, my work will be split into two categories: service and study.
On the service side of things, I will be participating in our on-campus Bible Studies (2 times a week), working as a leader in our conversational English Club meetings (2 times a week), meeting 1-on-1 with many fringe students (those who have an interest in what we are doing or in Jesus) throughout the week, supporting Peter Dishman, the campus minister, in day-to-day ministry tasks, as well as striving to form a working body of theology-based hymns and praise choruses for our future large group meetings.
On the study side of things, I will be building a comprehensive understanding of Biblical, systematic, and practical theology. This will involve the study and summary of every book of the Bible, weekly meetings for review and quiz with Peter, and the reading of over 40 books on how to practically apply the gospel to others' lives (as well as my own).
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