“We can love all of them, and we can make sure they know we believe God loves them and Jesus loves them. And for some, we’re going to rejoice when we see the difference in the short time we have here,” remarks Brad Snyder, pastor at St. Croix Lutheran Academy (SCLA), West St. Paul, Minn., about the new international student ministry opportunities.

Since starting at SCLA this school year, Snyder has begun multiple ministry opportunities to build relationships and share God’s love with international students. These opportunities include holding monthly evening chapels, organizing weekly “What’s Up Wednesday?” faith and life discussions, inviting students into his home for a meal from their home countries, and being available for students to come to for help and advice.

During “What’s Up Wednesday?”, Snyder lets the students choose the topics they want to discuss. Being able to offer a listening ear and a Christian perspective helps Snyder form quality relationships with students. He also fosters community with the international students as he helps them support each other as they face similar struggles.

“I try to get them to lean on each other and recognize we’re all going through the same thing and it’s actually pretty healthy if I talk about it because these people get it,” Snyder says. “It’s just about making connections and building relationships.”

By inviting students into his home for a meal and fellowship, Snyder has been able to connect with students further. Snyder or his wife will take students from the same dorm wing or home country grocery shopping so they can make recipes from their homeland. The students will then cook at Snyder’s home, enjoying each other’s company and the food they miss.

“We don’t usually get a chance to eat our food from our home country,” remarks senior SCLA student Denzel Massawe. “I felt a sense of home being there and eating the food too.”

Having gatherings and Snyder’s support have given students opportunities to learn and grow in their faith. This is especially true for Denzel, who was confirmed during the first semester of this school year. From Tanzania, Denzel grew up Christian and has flourished at SCLA. When Snyder asked him if he would like to be confirmed, Denzel was excited to go through the process with Snyder’s support.

Denzel describes what being confirmed means to him: “It’s good to be a part of the Lutheran community that believes in the grace of God. . . . I think that’s been very influential ’cause I know I’m not perfect and it’s good to know that even though I’m not perfect that God still loves me regardless.”

St Croix’s international student ministry opportunities also reach students like Ellen Dobashi Nunes, who did not know anything about Jesus before coming to SCLA.

Ellen, a junior from Germany and Brazil, has grown tremendously in her faith. “The moment I stepped on the campus of this school, something changed. . . . I started going to church every Sunday, I really started paying attention in Pastor Snyder’s Biblical Knowledge classes, and I have grown to become a Christian,” she reflects. “I always think about what Jesus would do, how he would react. That’s how I try to be every day: to be faithful, humble, and forgiving—and so much more just like Jesus.”

With one hundred international students from 20 different countries at SCLA, Snyder is excited to expand these student ministry opportunities in the years to come, continuing to plant seeds of faith across cultures.

Author: FIC
Volume 112, Number 06
Issue: June 2025