For circulation among Graduates and Students of C Quarterly newsletter published by FOCUS Easter 2011 Only “Why?” you ask, does the FOCUS discipleship. And so the FOCUS out to you a Whole Gospel vibrant publication emphasise lifestyles and staff continues to grapple with how and life changing and ask that you work choices in its quarterly we help students to experience the consistently pray for this ministry. newsletter to Christian students in presence of God in their lives. tertiary education and those who Dr Jacobina's profile and Jasmine As this year comes to a close, we prayerfully support the ministry? Obeyesekere's reminisces of her acknowledge with gratitude God's Why read books on Justice and days in University give us a goodness and faithfulness. And we Management; why talk about glimpse of the student to student thank all of you who have supported cricket & engineering and dedicate ministry that we encourage and this ministry over the last year. so many pages to life in campus? Are promote. Our desire is that with Given below is a summary of the we diluting the Gospel of Jesus? Are both SCOPE and with financials incurred in 2010/2011 we not concerned about Evangelism www.focus.lk, that we would hold and the budget for 2011/2012. and Mission? As we come to the close of one financial year and the beginning of another, it is good to ask these questions and review what we stand for... I like to think that we are not changing the Gospel, that we do want the scriptures to form who we are and how we live and that our lives will be a holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which will be our spiritual service of worship. We are a ministry then that longs to change how we talk about faith and 01 FOCUS on Engineering A redeemed People: A sinful people: As Christians, we believe that Because we are fallen, sinful God is redeeming us and the beings however, engineering can world back to himself, and we often be used for bad purposes. are called to be part of this. This is what happened in Genesis chapter 11 when the inhabitants of One way in which engineers can the earth tried to use new redeem the world is by looking technology to glorify themselves out for and tackling its biggest through a tower in Babel that problems. Most GCE(A/L) maths stream reached to heaven. God students are focused on getting into confounded their plans and An example is Joseph Bazelgette, engineering. I remember an scattered them across the earth. who was referred to in the Times alumnus from my school a few years of London (16 March 1891) as senior to me, who by then was We must recognize therefore that 'that great, far-sighted already doing a Chemistry Special Technology is a powerful tool. engineer, who probably did degree at Colombo University, We must also grasp the idea that it more good, and saved more advising me to do the same, saying is NOT neutral (Neither Good lives, than any single that “Chemistry takes you to the or Bad). The nature of the Victorian public official'. Hand of God”. I did not take his technology itself can influence Bazelgette was the chief engineer advice, entering the engineering the shape of our communities. to London's metropolitan board of faculty myself a few years later. works, responsible among For example, it is argued that other things for building Where does Engineering London's sewerage system. take you, then? (Before this London's sewage Engineering is probably used to flow in surface drains, not more about the hand of conducive to good public health). Man rather than the The Times continues, Hand of God. highlighting the great but largely unseen impact of engineers on the A creative people: quality of life, saying 'Of the great We celebrate in sewer that runs beneath, engineering the God Londoners know, as a rule, given ingenuity nothing, though the Registrar- (creative cleverness) of General could tell them that its men and women who existence has added 20 years to responsibly use natural their chance of life'. resources to deliver products and services for the good of computer and communications It is good also to remember that all. This ingenuity is a gift of God's technologies have converted the Engineers are often out of the creation. world to a “global village”. “public eye” because they work in However, the many millions who groups rather than as individuals. Then the Lord said to Moses, “See I do not have these technologies However, it is good to become God's have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the are “left behind”. And even those missionaries in the field of son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and in the “village” tend to behave as Engineering even if we do not get I have filled him with the Spirit of individuals, each one absorbed the personal prestige that God, with skill, ability and in their own visual screens. accompanies doctors, lawyers and knowledge in all kinds of crafts – to architects! make artistic designs for work in So, because of the fall, we must gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set develop a suspicion about Prof. Priyan. Dias stones, to work in wood, and to technology, even if we do use it engage in all kinds of and promote it. craftsmanship.” (Exodus 31:1-5) 02 users can study scriptures online with message of the biblical text. Other those from different parts of the world movements use creative forms of and seeing how our cultural presenting the bible stories through background affects our reading of the culturally popular formats like comics text. The use of non-linear methods in ('Manga bible' - training how to study scripture was http://www.bible.or.jp/e/manga.html) emphasised rather than the linear and even lego characters method of going from observation to (http://www.thebricktestament.com/). interpretation and then finally application. The current “soundbite” The participants agreed that no one generation are also attracted by 'catch particular way of studying scripture is phrases' in how you present the reading applicable for all environments and and study of scriptures. Phrases like cultures. However they were all united 'bible study' are now being replaced by in the belief that the bible continues to more catchy phrases such as be 'useful for teaching, rebuking, “WORDilicious Investigators” and correcting and training in A GLOBAL GiGs (“Groups Investigating God”). righteousness, so that the servant of COMMUNITY More and more movements are also God may be thoroughly equipped for OF THE WORD using various media and drama as a every good work'. form of creating interest and helping the students to dig deeper into the Yohan Abeynaike The IFES Bible Study Consultation was held in Singapore with the participation of 30 young staff and students from 24 countries representing all the The University – A place of Mission 11 regions of IFES global ministry. The purpose of the Sheila Richards and I were two stressed included understanding and Consultation was to “ freshies” after our first taste of having identifying with the culture of our understand the ways in which been ragged. Late night that first day on university community by living Scripture is used in each of campus, we were encouraged by Evan alongside the people we hoped to the regions, the questions Ekanayake who read to us the story of impact with the gospel. This idea that need to be addressed and Joshua about to enter the Promised had an impact on how frequently to develop ways and means to Land. It was a surreal Bible study, by some of us went home to Colombo for strengthen Scripture torchlight in the middle of the night the weekends. On average, I went Engagement in each region. It huddled on Evan's bed while her home only once in 3 weeks, using the was a blessed time of sharing roommates slept..but it was a and brainstorming as we wonderful commissioning to what experienced the power of God had in store for us in the God's Word and developed years ahead. ways in which to share that to a new generation of students. In looking back at my student days in Pera (1992-96), I find that In an increasingly online the following were key culture the participants characteristics that undergirded discussed various ways in what Mission looked like. which Scripture Engagement could be catered better for the Being rooted in our place of students. In FES Malaysia, ministry Bible reading is promoted Vinoth Ramachandra introduced us to the idea of being 'buried' in the weekends to catch up on work and through their website by visit fellowship students in other highlighting a “Book of the place we desire to serve. This is the example of an incarnational lifestyle halls of residence and generally just Month” with useful tips on “being” with people. For Sheila “How to Read” and “Some that Jesus demonstrated and about which he talked when he said that Richards and myself, (who were Questions to Think About”. batchmates /roommates/partners in There was much discussion “unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains only a single ministry in campus and school) who on the feasibility of gave the student ministry our best developing a website where seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24). To us, mission in terms of time, both at the local 03 Cont.