Ryan Shaw, Student Minister, Evangelist, Trainer, International

Q. Tell us about your family.
A. I have a wonderful wife, Kelly, who is the most servant-hearted person I know. We have two very cool kids: Noah, 5, and Emma, 2. Our family has lived in several locations over the past five years. We began in London, then moved to Ontario, where we helped develop a student mission mobilization initiative before relocating to Istanbul, where we lived for two years before moving south to Izmir, Turkey. We are now en route to Chiang Mai to serve the student mission movement from this strategic Asian city.

Q. Give us a brief overview of your work and ministry.
A. I serve as international lead facilitator of Student Volunteer Movement 2 (SVM2). We started SVM2 in late 2002 and have seen the Holy Spirit develop and clarify the vision step by step. SVM2 is an international network of Bible schools, campus ministry organizations, local churches, and mission agencies committed to calling the emerging generation of believers to wholehearted devotion to Christ which results in them being catalyzed into the harvest by the thousands. I get the joy to serve by inspiring, encouraging, casting vision, teaching, training, and empowering others to go hard after God with all their heart and to align their lives with God’s heart for the unreached.

Q. What is your favorite quote?
A. I have many. One that is strongly resonating with my passions at present and that has helped give expression to my inner convictions is by Hudson Taylor: “We must concentrate on deepening of the spiritual life in the church so that consecration to service will follow.” To see a revolution among the emerging generation of believers where they are empowered and sustained in their role in the great harvest requires a new paradigm related to the depth of spiritual life being taught and called for among them. We must raise our vision and standards of what it means to follow Christ.

Q. Who has been the most influential person in your life/ministry, and why?
A. Again, there are many. My wife, however, has consistently been this for me. Her humility, godliness, clear perspective, understanding, and child-like faith are a great testimony as we go through the ups and downs and challenges and victories of life and ministry together. Her counsel on matters large and small is incalculable as she often provides a word “in due season” that is necessary to move ahead. Above all, she is a woman of prayer who faithfully brings all issues boldly before the throne of grace, including me and projects on which we are currently working.

Q. What one issue do you believe is the greatest barrier or opportunity to evangelism, and why?
A. The greatest barrier is believers who are not consistently digesting and experiencing the power of the gospel in their own lives. Message-bearers are called to be possessed by a burning message of love characterized by clarity, focus, and boldness. This message is only communicated with power when it is alive and real inside us. It springs forth and touches others with powerful results because it comes from a heart which is encountering God on a regular basis.

Evangelism. On Point. Q. Describe a time in which you shared your faith in Christ with someone who didn’t know him, and then saw God clearly work in that situation. A. One time that comes to mind was while traveling in Nigeria. I was in the northern part of the country, which is heavily Muslim. I was speaking at some meetings with Christian groups. While in a taxi to one such meeting, I started talking to the driver (a young man in his early 20s) and asked him several questions about his life, family, and faith. He told me he was Muslim because of the specific people group he was from, but that he really didn’t believe.