In New York City, there are nearly 1 million college students, making it the largest college town in the United States. In Manhattan alone, there are over 100 college campuses and universities. Yet the sad reality is that very few people are reaching these college students with the gospel.
No college or university in New York City is more than 1% reached with the gospel, and according to the Metropolitan New York Baptist Association, college students make up an unreached people group of their own.
THE POWERFUL PERCENT
Roughly 1% of the world’s population goes to college. Interestingly, this 1% of college graduates goes on to be the next generation of leaders in the world in nearly every area of life—in education, business, government, and culture—giving them the nickname, “The Powerful Percent.”
As you may know, New York City is known as the “Melting Pot” of America, because of its great diversity. But the truth is, not only are the nations represented in New York City, the future leaders of those nations—and our own nation—are also represented in New York City!
This is exactly why we believe that reaching college students with the gospel in New York City is the most strategic way for us to reach as many people, nations, and cultures for Christ as possible in the world today.
“The university is a clear-cut fulcrum with which to move the world. More potently than by any other means, change the university and you change the world.”
—Charles Malik, Former Secretary General of the United Nations
NO PLACE LEFT
We originally planned to reach a few college campuses in Manhattan, but over time, God showed us that His vision was much bigger than ours.
From the very beginning, God’s vision has been a “no place left” mission—to make His glory and grace known to everyone, everywhere, until people "from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages" (Revelation 7:9-10) stand before His throne and worship Him forever.
God’s heart is for every college student and every person in New York City to hear the good news of Jesus.
In light of this, we've become more itinerant, broadly sowing the gospel on college campuses all across the city, until there’s no place left where Christ has not been proclaimed in New York City.
MISSIONS MOBILIZATION
We don't simply want to reach students while they're in New York City. We want to commission them to live on mission for Jesus and make Him known wherever life may take them when they graduate.
Whether God leads them back to their hometown in the United States or to their home country on the other side of the world, we want to encourage and empower them to make disciples, start healthy churches, and play a strategic role in carrying the gospel to the ends of the earth.