Studying abroad can be both an exciting and bewildering experience at times!  Each year approximately 2,000 international students, visiting scholars, and their families make Athens their temporary home while attending The University of Georgia.  Our church’s International Student Ministry seeks to create a welcoming environment that provides opportunities for scholars and their families to become better acclimated to American culture, to experience Christian hospitality through regular social events, and to learn more about the Christian faith.  We do this through a variety of activities:

 

• International students and their spouses are invited to join us each week for Bible study on Sunday mornings at 9:45 a.m. in room 255 on the second floor of the main church building.  Transportation from campus is available.  Please contact Lynn Bryant at Athens1stism@aol.com or 706-543-1442, ext. 303, if you need a ride!

• International students and their families are also invited to participate in the following weekly worship services:
  • Our Regular Services are held in the main sanctuary at 8:30 a.m., 9:45 a.m., or 11 a.m.  These are traditional worship services with a message by our senior pastor.
  • Sundays at the Morton at 11 a.m. at the Morton Theatre Building across the street from the church at 199 West Washington Street.  This is a student-oriented ministry with contemporary worship music by the Morton Praise Band and a message by one of our associate pastors.
  • UGA Wesley Foundation at 8 p.m. on Wednesday evenings at 1196 South Lumpkin Street (across from the Georgia Center).  This is a service of worship, fellowship, prayer, and teaching for all UGA students.
  • International children are invited to participate in one of our regularly scheduled Sunday school classes for children each week at 9:45 a.m.
  • Nursery care is provided for children ages infant to four-years-old during each of our Sunday morning Bible study classes and worship services.  Childcare is not available during the evening services held at the Wesley Foundation each Wednesday.
• International Students are invited to join our International Friendship Program.  We will assign each participating student to a Christian family from our church or to an American college student from either our church or the UGA Wesley Foundation for the purpose of friendship and cross-cultural exchange.  This  American friend will:
  • Invite their new international friend to meals in their home, to favorite restaurants, to cultural events, or just to spend time doing things they enjoy on a monthly basis.
  • Maintain phone, email, or contact on Facebook regularly throughout the school year.
  • Occasionally accompany their international friend to regularly scheduled ISM social events.

To download an application form for international students, please click here.  Return completed forms to Lynn Bryant at Athens1stISM@aol.com or mail them to her at P.O. Box 1109, Athens, GA 30603. 

Note for American Friendship Partner Volunteers:  Church members may obtain a volunteer application form by clicking here, and UGA Wesley Foundation students may obtain a volunteer application form by clicking here.  Submit these volunteer application forms to the individuals indicated at the bottom of each form.

 

• International students and their families are invited to join us for monthly fellowship events and trips.   Events scheduled for fall semester include:
  • Friday, January 11 – a “Welcome Back” Dinner & Dance Party at the church for new and returning students.  We will enjoy a spaghetti dinner together and one of the Wesley Foundation dance teams will teach us how to Hip-Hop!
  • Saturday, February 2 – a day trip is planned to the North Georgia Mountains for either a snow-tubing adventure or an underground gold mine tour and gold panning experience!  (The venue is dependent upon weather conditions.)
  • Saturday, March 8 – a day trip to Atlanta is planned that includes touring Stone Mountain, the Coke Museum, Underground Atlanta, Olympic Park, the Martin Luther King Memorial, the Georgia Aquarium, and viewing the Easter Passion Play that is presented at the Civic Center each year.
  • Sunday, March 9 - Saturday, March 15 – International students are invited to join InterFACE Ministries’ “Discover Northeast America Tour” during UGA’s spring break.  Historical cities to be visited include New York City, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia.  The cost of the trip is only $399 per person
  • Friday, April 4 - Saturday, April 5 – an overnight trip to Savannah is planned which will include an opportunity to stay with host families and to tour this historical city.
  • Friday, April 11 – We will host an ISM volunteer appreciation dinner at the church

  • Thursday, May 8 – We will host a graduation and farewell cookout at a local park

• Please contact Lynn at Athens1stism@aol.com for additional information about any of these opportunities.  All international students are encouraged to join the UGA Network on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com and to submit an online request to join our ISM group, Athens First United Methodist Church International Student Ministry, in order to keep abreast of ISM activities and to view group photographs, etc.  International students and interested church members or Wesley students may also request to join our list serve by contacting Lynn.     

• Are you a first-time visitor to our site?  If you are a UGA international student, please complete our Semester Survey (click here).  If you are a member of Athens First UMC or the UGA Wesley Foundation, please complete our Volunteer Survey (click here).  Thanks so much!

 
For additional information or assistance, please contact: 

Mrs. Lynn Bryant, Coordinator      
International Student Ministry
Athens First United Methodist Church
327 North Lumpkin Street
P. O. Box 1109
Athens, GA 30603
706/543-1442, ext. 303
Email:  Athens1stism@aol.com