Expansion Strategy
Reaching the Midwest. Reaching the Nations.
IFM Bloomington is more than a single-campus ministry. It is the hub of a growing Midwest Expansion vision: to plant and support healthy, disciple-making ministries to international students across key university cities in the region—so that future leaders from many nations encounter Jesus and carry the gospel home.
Our approach is simple but intentional: build a strong training and sending center in Bloomington, then launch well-equipped staff and teams to new campuses where internationals are highly concentrated but under-served.
Why the Midwest?
The American Midwest is home to world-class research universities and thousands of international students from hundreds of countries. Many come from places with little access to the gospel. During their years of study, they are more open, more available, and more reachable than at almost any other time in their lives.
- Large concentrations of international students in a relatively compact region
- Strategic universities that shape future leaders in business, technology, government, and academia
- Strong potential for local church partnerships in many cities
- Lower cost of living than many coastal cities, allowing support to go further
By focusing on a network of key campuses, IFM can multiply impact: training staff in Bloomington, launching them to new locations, and supporting them through an interconnected Midwest team.
Priority Cities & Campuses
IFM’s Midwest Expansion vision centers on major universities with significant international student populations. The list below represents priority focus areas and potential future sites for IFM ministry.
West Lafayette, Indiana (Purdue)
- Proximity to Bloomington ministry
- Significant population of international STEM students
- Focus: near future staff placement and church collaboration
Urbana–Champaign, Illinois (UIUC)
- Proximity to Bloomington ministry
- Major engineering and research university
- Focus: mapping existing work, identifying church partner
Ann Arbor, Michigan (University of Michigan)
- Potential network of partners
- Influential campus shaping technology and public policy leaders
- Focus: mapping existing work and exploring partnerships
Lincoln, Nebraska (University of Nebraska)
- Potential church partner
- Focus: visioning with potential church partner and mapping existing work
Note: Status descriptions above are directional and may change as God opens and closes doors in specific cities.
Phased Strategy for Expansion
IFM’s Midwest Expansion follows a phased approach that prioritizes health, discipleship, and sustainability—not just rapid growth.
Phase 1 – Strengthen the Hub (Bloomington)
- Grow a strong, disciple-making ministry at Indiana University
- Develop a clear training pathway for new staff and interns
- Build a tested model of student-led, staff- and volunteer-supported ministry
Phase 2 – Scout & Pray for Cities
- Identify key campuses with significant international presence and limited gospel access
- Listen to local churches, ministries, and leaders already on the ground
- Establish regular prayer for specific campuses and cities
Phase 3 – Launch Staff & Pilot Ministries
- Send trained staff from Bloomington’s pipeline to new cities
- Start simple, relational ministries: hospitality, Bible discussion, friendship programs
- Root each site in local church partnership from the very beginning
Phase 4 – Multiply & Support
- Develop student leaders and volunteers who can disciple others
- Share best practices and training between cities through the Bloomington hub
- Help new sites become sending centers for other campuses and nations
How We Measure Progress
We pursue faithfulness over outcomes. Because the work of God cannot be reduced to numbers, we pay attention to indicators of obedience, presence, and spiritual integrity. These measures help us discern whether we are cultivating the kind of ministry that honors God, regardless of visible results.
Gospel Reach & Relationships
- Consistency and intentionality of relational presence with international students
- Instances of meaningful spiritual conversations initiated through trust, not pressure
- Stories of students feeling seen, valued, and welcomed into authentic community
Discipleship & Spiritual Growth
- Observable patterns of students engaging Scripture, prayer, and Christian community over time
- Moments where students take small but significant steps of obedience, curiosity, or surrender
- Long-term testimonies of faithfulness—students continuing to walk with Christ in ordinary, uncelebrated ways
Leadership Pipeline
- Evidence of staff, interns, and volunteers practicing faithful stewardship of their gifts
- Indicators of healthy team culture marked by prayerfulness, mutual care, and humility
- Stories of emerging leaders growing in character, not just competency
Church & Partnership Engagement
- Depth of relational trust between IFM and local churches expressed through hospitality and mutual investment
- Evidence that volunteers are practicing Christlike welcome, patience, and cross-cultural humility
- Stories of partners demonstrating sacrificial generosity, sustained prayer, and steady support
Your Role in the Midwest Vision
The Midwest Expansion vision depends on a growing network of workers, churches, and partners who share a burden for the nations God is bringing to our campuses.
Join as Staff or Intern
If God is stirring your heart for international students, consider the 1-Year New Staff Training Program in Bloomington with the possibility of helping launch a new campus ministry in the Midwest. Or, come to the Bloomington campus for a year-long, semester-long, or summer internship for hands-on ministry experience.
Partner as a Church or Supporter
Churches and supporters can adopt a campus in prayer, send volunteers, host teams, or help fund new staff positions so that no strategic campus in the Midwest is without a clear, relational gospel witness among internationals.
We are also looking for churches in Midwest college towns to partner with to reach international students in your towns.