PCA church planter and pastor Al LaCour is challenging church members to reach future world leaders by ministering to internationals in their own backyard.

“I tell people, ‘This is the most cost-effective short-term missions trip you can take,’” said LaCour, “Especially in this economy.”

LaCour has worked with the PCA’s Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) for the past six years on the campus of Georgia Tech, ministering to 3,000 of the 700,000 internationals who pass through U.S. universities each year. On June 1, LaCour will begin serving as the full-time national coordinator for RUF-International (RUF-I).

“RUF-I has the same philosophy of ministry as RUF,” says LaCour, “but we have a different mission—ministering to those far off but brought near. We feel the weight of Matthew 25:35, welcoming the foreigners among us.”

Shaping Future World Leaders
RUF-I currently operates on six campuses, including the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Clemson University, UNC-Charlotte, the University of Georgia, and Georgia Tech. In his new role, LaCour will continue to be based in Atlanta, training new international ministers to partner with churches across the country as more campuses begin RUF-I ministries.

“We have three main objectives with RUF-I,” said LaCour. “To welcome scholars  from all nations through ‘home away from home’ hospitality events, to encourage them to explore Christ through campus Bible studies, and to equip Christian internationals to be servant-leaders at home.”

The third objective excites many who work with RUF-I.

“Many of the internationals who study at U.S. universities are graduate students who will go back to their home countries and become future world leaders and culture shapers,” said LaCour. “And many of these people would not be reached by typical overseas missions efforts.”

To learn more about RUF-I, visit www.ruf.org/ruf-international.