International Graduate Student Ministry – Gracepoint Berkeley

This past Friday we had our first Graduate Student Welcome Night, and oh what a night it was! There were over 140 people in attendance and we had students from many countries including far east Japan, gregarious Germany, “Be the Reds” South Korea, the Pacific Ocean Philippines, valiant Vietnam, terrific Taiwan, and of course, the ever-so-populated country of China. It was nice to see so many grad students (and undergrads too!), many of whom had been in the U.S. for less than 1 month. Read more »

Over the Fourth of July weekend, several of us headed down for some fun in the sun on the Santa Cruz beach and boardwalk!  After a beautiful hike along the ocean coast, we devoured our lunch of Vietnamese sandwiches and fresh fruit on the soft sandy beach.

Upon entering the boardwalk, we split into two groups: an amateur roller coaster + pigging out group, and an EXTREME! rider group. Overall, both groups had a ton of fun experiencing the various attractions (including haunted houses, water splash rides, swings, and of course, the big dipper!) as well as getting a taste of all the famous fair foods (such as funnel cakes, ice cream dots, garlic fries, and shaved ice!)

Later, while some of us ventured out to test the ocean waters, others ended the day resting and playing soccer on the beach.  And best of all, unlike the guys who spent the entire day fishing for their own dinner at sea, we got to enjoy some quality soft tofu soup on the way home–what a treat!

The guys went to Santa Cruz on the Fourth of July Weekend.  We had a great time though some of us got sea sick.  Just so the girls know, we did catch some fish and we had a great bonfire, where we ate the fish.  Check out some of the pictures from the outing.

This Friday, we will be meeting in Alameda for dinner and bible study.  Afterward, we will split up for various work nights and Multiply your Talent sessions.  Rides will be provided from Barrows Hall at 6:30.

Ladies, join us for an easy hike to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, enjoying the view of the beach, and the carnival rides and attractions of the Boardwalk!  We will have lunch together and end with a meal at a nice restaurant in San Jose!
When: 9:00AM – 9:00PM, Saturday, 7/3/10
Where: Santa Cruz Boardwalk
Cost: $10 – (covers gas, snacks, and pre-purchased lunch)
What to Bring: comfortable walking/hiking shoes, sunglasses, hat, sunblock, extra money for dinner, carnival rides, etc.

To sign up for the event, please fill out the form below. Read more »

Recent IGSM Fishing Trip

The guys will go fishing in Santa Cruz on July 3rd.
When: 8:30am-10:00pm, Saturday, 7/3/10.
Who: People interested in fishing.
What: (Try to) catch some halibut, sea bass, and sardines
Cost: $20 (+ $25 for boat rental)
If you plan on coming, please eat breakfast on your own, but lunch and dinner will be provided.

To sign up, click the link below:

Fishing Trip Signup Form

As you all know IGSM is participating in World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine, which is
a fundraiser drive that fights hunger and poverty for children worldwide.  We will go without food for 30 hours and be hungry for the hungry children.

We will not eat from 12am on 6/26 to 6am on 6/27.  In addition, we will hold a yard sale this Saturday to raise more money toward this cause on the day of the fast.  However, your sponsorship would be greatly appreciated.  The deadline for fundraising is soon coming to an end (6/30), so support us in this fundraising efforts.

You can sponsor us for $1/hr, $30 total.  Or, you can support us however much you can spare, every dollar helps! On world average, $30 can help feed and care for a hungry child for a month.  We are trying to raise $5000 within IGSM through this effort.

To donate, click on this link!

This past Sunday (5/1), we had Gracepoint’s Commissioning Service at Gracepoint Berkeley. As you may be aware, we will be planting three Gracepoint churches this year at the University of Minnesota, UC Riverside and at UC San Diego. Our very own Jesse and Mia will be leaving for San Diego and Minnesota, respectively.  The vision of Gracepoint is to have “an Acts 2 community in every college town” (and one day we hope to have an IGSM in every college town).  Each of the members on the church planting team (including Mia and Jesse) shared their thoughts on how they caught this vision and a snapshot of Gracepoint that they would like to replicate.  Check out the video at Gracepoint Videos and see Mia and Jesse.

April 25, 2010- Our own Daniel and Hui got baptized with 20 others at Gracepoint Berkeley after becoming Christian in 2008 at the IGSM Winter Retreat. We rejoiced together as we recounted how God personally answered and addressed their questions and doubts, how God led Hui’s parents to salvation, and how God has continued to mold and shape them as they help other people to know Him. It was amazing to see their long journey and how God used the Bible, other people, and different examples from their lives to show them about His character especially through Daniel’s job search and PhD admission. I was personally awed to recount their journey from when they first joined the IGSM English Class many years ago. If you missed Hui’s testimony, you can read it here at Gracepoint Stories. You can also take a look at the pictures.

In the fourth installment of “The Cross of Christ” message series, Chul Kim used the text from Mark 8:22-38 to talk about our need for the second touch from Jesus.  In this podcast, we learn about the answers to the following questions: (1) How did the blind man “fully” regain his sight?  What was commendable about his response to Jesus’ question after his first touch? (2) How did Jesus respond to the blind man’s answer to his question, “Do you see anything?  What can we know about Jesus from the way he responded to the blind man’s answer? (3) What do you think enabled Peter to correctly answer Jesus’ question, “Who do you say I am?” (4) Why do you think Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked him after hearing Jesus’ teaching about imminent suffering and death?

To hear the podcast, click the link below: