Keri Gage, serving through CBF’s Global Service Corps, assists students as part of Touching Miami With Love’s after-school program.

ATLANTA – When 2-and-a-half-year-old Cayden Norman burst into song during a field trip with international students, it was at just the right time – with just the right song. Singing "Jesus Loves Me" over and over again from the backseat of the car, Cayden spawned questions from the Chinese couple carpooling with Cayden’s mother, Michelle, one of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Global Missions field personnel.

"They looked at Michelle, and they asked, ‘Where did she learn that song?’ It really opened up conversation about God, Christianity and what Michelle believed," said Matt Norman, who serves with his wife through Global Service Corps.

Matt and Michelle are international student ministry consultants in Toronto, primarily among York University’s 50,000 students. Although the Normans had never officially worked with international students, Matt was a missionary kid. "I felt like an international student coming back to the U.S. for college," he said.

GSC service terms range from one to three years, a short opportunity "to test the water, a good apprenticeship," Matt said. Keri Gage, one of the GSC field personnel serving in Florida, said the GSC program is ideal "if you’re sure God’s calling you to service, but you don’t know which kind."

GSC seemed like a natural choice for Gage, who was a CBF staff member in Atlanta when she decided to pursue a missions assignment. "I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do long term, and I knew GSC positions were short term and that could help solidify my call one way or another."

Gage, volunteer coordinator and family minister at Touching Miami With Love, finishes her two-year term in December but is considering a third year.

While Gage and the Normans had to raise a portion of their finances, the GSC program now fully funds its field personnel.

One year into a two-year term, Michelle Norman raves about the program. "It’s definitely been a growing experience personally, in ministry, as a family and culturally," Michelle said. "It’s been an incredible experience."

Current GSC opportunities are listed at www.destinationmissions.net. Initial applications, due Feb. 15, 2005, can be downloaded and mailed to the Atlanta resource center. Approved candidates are commissioned in June and reach the field in August.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.