Every year, SCBaptist churches faithfully send teams around the world to support international missions—an effort that is both needed and impactful.

But on any given Thursday at the University of South Carolina, the nations are already gathered. Carolina BCM’s international lunch creates space for the same kind of meaningful, Gospel-centered conversations right here at home.

Thousands of international students travel to attend USC each semester–many stepping foot in the U.S. for the first time. This comes with opportunities for the students but also some challenges as they navigate life in a foreign country. Because of the heavy international population, Carolina BCM saw an opportunity to help these students feel welcome but also to help reach the nations beginning in Columbia. “We have students from all over the world,” Lindsay Venters, Assistant Campus Minister to International Students, said. “There are students from Bangladesh, Nigeria, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Norway, France, Zimbabwe, Brazil–to the ends of the earth. Students who are miles and miles away from their families. And so we get the privilege of loving on them and ministering to them.”

Meeting Tangible Needs

Unlike many of their peers, international students often arrive without personal means of transportation, community, or even the basic comforts that make their campus housing feel like home. Carolina BCM’s international lunch offers a space for students to connect, where students feel seen and supported. Aside from the weekly lunch, Carolina BCM provides rides from the airport, often meaning an SCBaptist is the first friendly face they see when they arrive. They also offer rides to the grocery store, help organize short-term housing when needed, and even help students navigate U.S. systems like getting a driver’s license or submitting important visa paperwork.

This ministry isn’t sustained by staff alone; it’s powered by the partnership of local churches. “We’re a ministry of churches,” Collegiate Minister Adam Venters said. “The churches fuel the ministry, and we as a staff at BCM just try to organize it to make the most out of the resources that we have.” He explained that 27 churches partner with the BCM throughout the year. These churches give not only their time and resources but also their presence, creating relationships that allow international students to experience the love of Christ.

Building Inroads to the Gospel

Although the ministry is happy to meet physical needs, the ultimate goal is to help meet spiritual needs. Adam explained, “Because we do those things and build trust, it allows us to be able to do ministry and share Jesus in a variety of ways.” Echoing this, Lindsay shared that one of her prayers has been that BCM would feel like a place these students could call home. “Ultimately, they need Jesus. And so we get to share that with them over a simple meal that can be a blessing to them, can help them in their mental health as well, but also their spiritual health and life.” One student from the Czech Republic shared that she is encountering the Bible for the first time through a weekly Bible study with Lindsay. “I got to know a lot of different stories from the Bible, and it’s starting to make sense. I didn’t know much before I came here,” she said.

Much of this ministry is made possible through the generous giving of South Carolina Baptists to the Janie Chapman Offering. These gifts help fund weekly meals, provide Bibles in students’ native languages, and support outreach events that foster connection and Gospel conversations. More than meeting physical needs, the offering directly supports relational ministry, allowing volunteers to build trust as a way to build inroads to share the Gospel. “It allows us to be able to minister on campus right here in our city to the nations that have come to our doorstep,” Lindsay said.

International student ministry is about more than hospitality; it’s a mission opportunity that’s both local and global. When churches provide a meal, offer a ride, or simply sit and share a conversation, they are planting seeds of the Gospel in the lives of students from around the world. These small acts of kindness often lead to life-changing encounters with Jesus. As Adam Venters put it, “You don’t have to go to the nations when the nations come to you.”