NGU Hosts Annual Global Impact Week in Tigerville
Posted on: September 11, 2024
Tigerville, SC–North Greenville University (NGU) hosted its annual Global Impact Week from Sept. 9–11 on the university’s Tigerville Campus.
The event invites NGU students to learn about different cultures and how they can become a part of global missions through various activities and chapel services.
This year, the keynote chapel speaker was Dr. Kambiz Saghaey, Director of Persian Leadership Development at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) in Wake Forest, NC. Saghaey opened the first chapel service on Monday morning by giving his testimony and encouraging students to spread the gospel wherever they go.
“The Great Commission is for everyone. God commands us to ‘Go and make disciples,’” Saghaey said during his talk. “There is no choice in that. It’s a command.”
Saghaey, originally from Persia, had been a church planter in multiple countries and even faced time in prison for his faith.
“People call it persecution, but I call it the closest relationship I had with God because I could feel His presence,” he said.
After being released from prison, Saghaey continued to be faithful in his call to ministry and pursued his master’s and doctoral degrees in the United States through SEBTS, where he is currently serving.
Global Impact Week included another chapel sermon from Saghaey on Tuesday evening and concluded with a Wednesday morning message from Dr. Matthew Hirt, Assistant Professor of Intercultural Studies at NGU.
Apart from chapel, students had the opportunity to pray for the nations, engage with national and international mission organizations, and experience different cultures through fun events on campus each day of Global Impact Week.
“Our prayer is that many of our students will discover, during these days, where they can join God in His great mission of raising up worshipers from every nation,” said Dr. Allen McWhite, Department Chair of Intercultural Studies at NGU.
McWhite explained that the purpose Global Impact Week is to expose the NGU family to the incredible ways God is moving around the world. The 2024-25 short-term mission trip locations were revealed to students during the week as well.
“One of the many things we will be doing this week is revealing the locations of our NGU Send teams (mission teams),” McWhite said. “During the 2024-25 year we will be sending student teams to locations in the United States and around the world to share the good news of the Jesus Christ and engage in a variety of different ministries.”
NGU’s Center for Global Engagement will be holding a mission trip interest meeting on Friday, September 13 for students who want to take the next step and take part in God’s global mission to make disciples of all nations.
Global Impact Week is jointly sponsored by Campus Ministry and Student Engagement (CMSE) and the Department of Intercultural Studies.
For those who feel God is leading them to become vocational missionaries, NGU offers a Bachelor of Arts in Intercultural Studies. This degree program helps equip students to be confident in their calling by gaining hands-on learning through culturally immersive opportunities on the mission field.
To learn more about NGU’s Intercultural Studies degree, visit ngu.edu/intercultural-studies.
