Whorl of World Travel: CSCA, IFES and a Faith-filled Return

Chloe Liu, PhD Candidate, shares God’s expanding influence on her many connections this summer

I began my summer deeply connected to my local scientific and Christian communities in
Montreal. However, after attending two Christian conferences in Toronto, Canada, and Jakarta,
Indonesia, my experience with God has grown from a Canadian, discipline-focused perspective
in McGill University, to a global, holistic movement of Jesus within worldwide universities.

This year, the American Scientific Affiliation (ASA) co-organized the annual conference with its
official expression in Canada – the CSCA (Canadian Scientific Christian Affiliation) – to celebrate
the 50th anniversary of CSCA. With lectures, workshops, and discussions on important issues
ranging from public health, human psychology to cutting-edge technologies, the four-day
conference hosted at University of Toronto – Mississauga invited scholarly conversations on the
intersection of science and faith. I had the chance to worship and connect with Christian scientists from Canada and the United States. Coming from a secular university, I found it encouraging to witness how openly the Christian faith can be integrated into scientific discussions and contexts. From biological molecules, astrophysical phenomenon, to church partnerships, the wide range of research struck me as diverse gifts God has blessed this Christian community with.

My appreciation didn’t end there; it expanded across the globe when I attended the quadrennial IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students) World Assembly in Indonesia as a student delegate from InterVarsity Canada. This year, IFES is celebrating its 76th anniversary. IFES has 164 member movements of evangelical student ministries around the globe, envisioning “a clear witness to Jesus Christ established in every university in the world”. Together, we explored ‘Tabah dan Tangguh: Witnesses in the University and Beyond’ in sermons, seminars, small groups, and the arts to discover how God equips us to become resilient witnesses together amid the challenges in today’s world. From our journey together through the book of Psalms, we praised, mourned, reflected, and celebrated as a global fellowship together during the 10-day Assembly. We discussed topics important to universities such as creation care, mental health, justice, and arts & creativity.

Given all that I saw and heard, I’m overwhelmed by the diversity of needs across the world today. I’d like to name some of what my heart was moved to pray for after the conference as an encouragement to readers to be inspired in the global nature of our faith. Just as I found strength from Jesus in the face of adversity, perseverance, faithfulness, and resilience, I hope to encourage you through some of the testimonies of God’s faithfulness at universities worldwide, shared at World Assembly:

Let us mourn for the presence of sin, just as we mourn for the absence of human rights in the Middle East and North Africa region, and the abuse of freedom in North America.

Let us pray without ceasing, drawing inspiration from the Australian organization’s prayers for the continued presence of the IFES movement, Perkantas, in Indonesia.

Let us unite as one body in Christ, following the example of movements in Francophone Africa and Latin America, who despite linguistic difference, come together to serve their countries through theology and science projects.

Let us trust in the promises of God, mirroring the trust shown by our brothers and sisters in Christ from sensitive countries who rely on God’s faithfulness and guidance in their local student ministry.

Let us celebrate the lives that Jesus has been transforming worldwide by sharing our testimonies and lifting our voices in songs of praise and proclaiming His faithfulness to future generations.

Thank you for your prayers and support; assisting such meaningful breadth of travel this Summer.