Serving the Nations on Campus

Resonate Global Mission is celebrating the newest partnerships in the Christian Reformed Church’s growing campus ministry network: international student ministries led by Hilda Vanderklippe in the Niagara region and a team including Jenica Groot-Nibbelink in the London, Ont., area. Though both leaders have been serving students for years, their recent agreements with Resonate mark a new chapter of collaboration, support, and shared vision.

International student ministry reflects the heart of Resonate’s mission in powerful ways. Each year, thousands of students arrive in Canada carrying hopes, dreams, and enormous courage. They also carry burdens—academic pressure, financial strain, and immigration uncertainty. As Vanderklippe explains, many are separated from their natural support systems of family and lifelong friends while trying to navigate a new culture and education system in a second language.

“The first year is especially hard,” she said. “Students are dealing with loneliness, culture shock, and so many changes all at once.”

These ministries often meet students at pivotal points in their mental health journeys. Immigration policy changes, work permit pressures, and the stress of securing employment after graduation add layers of anxiety. Students who arrive knowing no one can quickly feel isolated. In these moments, campus ministries become more than programs—they become lifelines. Leaders pray with students, connect them to counseling resources, foster friendships, and remind them they are not alone. Many students have said that once they found this community, their lives changed.

Groot-Nibbelink and the team she works with at Fanshawe College and Western University intentionally support students’ practical, social, and spiritual needs. This can include monthly potluck meals in local churches, Bible studies, and programs such as “Friends for Dinner,” which matches international students to Canadian Christian homes during Canadian holiday times. Monthly potluck dinners also support students’ health and wellbeing, opening conversations about topics such as housing conflicts, taxation, and mental health.

“We strive to support international students’ practical, social, and spiritual needs,” Groot-Nibbelink said. “Our faith is not just a Sunday activity—it affects every aspect of who we are and what we do.”

In Niagara, Vanderklippe and her colleagues offer English and French conversation circles, career mentoring, cultural celebrations, Bible studies, and countless one-on-one conversations. Their approach is holistic and relational.

“We support international students so they can thrive in this new country,” Vanderklippe said.

There is also profound joy. Groot-Nibbelink speaks of witnessing generosity and perseverance among students from around the world. Vanderklippe celebrates those who move from curiosity to faith, discovering a God who loves them.

By welcoming these two ministries as partner campus ministries, Resonate strengthens a network that serves students at some of the most formative—and fragile—moments of their lives. Together, we give thanks for what God has already done and look forward with hope to what he will continue to do among the nations gathered on our campuses.