Liberty Prepares Itself Once Again for Global Focus Week

Global Focus Week will once again be held at Liberty University starting Monday, Feb. 19, where Liberty will once again highlight the G5 Rwanda Initiative that was started during last semester’s Global Focus Week.

Global Focus Week is held once every semester at Liberty University to raise awareness throughout the student body, faculty and staff of a variety of topics that globally affect Christians, as well as to celebrate diversity both within the body of Christ and on Liberty University’s campus.

According to Steven Gillum, director of International Engagement at LU Serve, one of the highlights of the week is on Monday, Feb. 19, when a Global Refugee Response lecture will be held to teach students about the worldwide refugee crisis and how to care for refugees. Another highlight, according to Gillum, is the Taste of Nations event being held on Tuesday, Feb. 20. This event educates students on how to be globally minded using food, sights and sounds from around the world while giving students an opportunity to sample different cuisine.

Other events include the Global Focus Week Convocations Monday, Wednesday and Friday, a Global Prayer Experience at the Freedom Tower from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and several other events with speakers discussing topics like cultural intelligence and spiritual warfare.

“It is an important experience for students to be exposed to international issues and opportunities as this helps expand their worldview and better prepares them for life after college,” Gillum said in an email.

The G5 Initiative is a new initiative which has the goal to focus on supporting one country in five ways — government, higher education, entertainment, business and sports.

As part of the G5 Rwanda Initiative, a variety of events will be held throughout Global Focus Week to educate students on an assortment of topics. These topics will concentrate on helping students learn about unfamiliar cultures and how to better bridge the divide between other cultures and their own.

“Attending these events gives students the opportunity to realize that the world is bigger than themselves,” Gillum said. “Participating in Global Focus Week activities will provide students the opportunity to learn how to serve others better around the globe.”

According to Gillum, throughout Global Focus Week, more than 80 representatives from a variety of international organizations will be on campus, giving students the opportunity to speak and interact with individuals who work and serve in a variety of global initiatives including Samaritan’s Purse, Compassion International and various other organizations.

“The body of Christ is an international community, so exposing students to other cultures and ultimately, their brothers and sisters in Christ, gives everyone a better perspective when interacting with the global community,” Gillum said. “It allows students to remember that God loves all nations and people.”

The goal of Global Focus Week, according to its website through LU Serve, is ultimately to help students become more culturally aware. According to Gillum, Global Focus Week is an avenue that educates students on how to live more globally-focused lives.

“Students need to get outside of their comfort zones and attend Global Focus Week events because it allows them to learn more about other cultures, better interact with people from those cultures, and may ultimately spark a new passion in their lives,” Gillum said.

For more information about Global Focus Week events, visit https://www.liberty.edu/osd/luserve/.