This summer, many of our students are traveling to international destinations to partner with local churches and ministries, serve alongside some of our HC alumni, and deepen their faith through Cross-Cultural Ministry Trips! Cross-Cultural Ministry Trips with Highlands College give students a life-changing experience where they can build community, practice cross-cultural ministry, and learn about God’s Mission for the global Church in the context of the least evangelized people groups of the world. Throughout each short-term trip, students witness God’s work and the impact of the Gospel firsthand. We invite you to read our students’ stories of eternal impact and celebrate all the Lord is doing in the global Church!
Cross-Cultural Ministry Trips
Cross-Cultural Ministry Trips with Highlands College give students a life-changing experience where they can build community, practice cross-cultural ministry, and learn about God’s Mission for the global Church in the context of the least evangelized people groups of the world.
Our students traveled to international destinations to partner with local churches and ministries, build meaningful relationships, and deepen their faith through culturally immersive experiences. Throughout each short-term trip, students witnessed God’s work and the impact of the Gospel firsthand. We invite you to read our students’ stories of eternal impact and celebrate all the Lord is doing in the global Church!
Current Highlands College students serving in Japan alongside a 2022 alumni, Evan Bracewell.
Immersive Ministry in Tokyo
Our team partnered with Lifehouse International Church in Japan to witness the impactful work of church planting and evangelizing among the unreached, only roughly 2% of the country are Christians. They engaged in outreach activities within the city and nearby universities to connect with the local youth.
The students hosted various events, fostering friendships with everyone they met. They shared fun moments while also bringing hope, joy, and community. This experience underscored the importance of relational ministry and its long-lasting impact.
Student Stories
The team witnessed miraculous healings and salvations during the trip, deepening their understanding of God’s sovereignty in diverse contexts. We asked students to share their stories from their time in Japan.
“We met a girl on her birthday who said it was her dream to be happy. Then she asked us what our dream was; I told her I wanted to share hope and love with people. I asked her if I could share my testimony with her. I told her how I was lost and hopeless until I found a group of people who wanted to be true friends, who brought me to Church, where I learned about God and how he loved me and created me. Tears formed in her eyes, and I believe, in that moment, God touched her heart. We connected her with the team at Lifehouse Church and showed her the Bible app. Not only was this the first time I have ever shared the Gospel with someone who has never heard it before, but this is the first time she had ever heard the Gospel, and I was in awe that God gave us that opportunity.”
— Abby Wicks
“This trip showed me the impact of leaving the ninety-nine for the one. During an outreach event outside a mall, I connected with someone who couldn’t attend the upcoming church event we had invited them to due to work. Understanding there was a low likelihood she’d hear the Gospel; a teammate and I asked her if she knew God. She asked, ‘What’s God?’ which was the first time I met someone who didn’t know who God was. We explained that the Ccreator of the universe made us for a reason and that she could know Him personally. That with God, there is joy even amid the chaos! She wanted to learn more, so we connected her with Lifehouse Church, where they could equip her with the community and a Bible in her own language. I’m so thankful God sent this group to Japan!”
— Reece Meyers
“I met a girl from China who is going to college in Japan. Because China is a closed nation, I knew this was all God that I got to meet her at her university. I got to know her, and we chatted for over an hour., I got to invite her to the events we were doing with Lifehouse and she came to both, where she heard the Gospel and said she would continue to come to church to learn more. Knowing this could have been the only time she will ever hear this Good News encouraged me never to take any opportunity for granted and be ready to share in any circumstance.”
— Emily Clem
Personal and Spiritual Growth
Participating in the Cross-Cultural Ministry Trip to Japan was transformative for our students. Through the opportunity to live out the Great Commission through the local Church in Japan, our students experienced significant personal and spiritual growth and gained ministry skills they can take with them wherever God places them after HC. We are incredibly thankful to Lifehouse Church for the testimonies of life change and honored to be a part of their ministry.
The best is yet to come!
