The Importance of a Local Church for College Students

College is a wonderful time of learning, growth, and freedom. There are boundless opportunities to fully become the person that God has created you to be. Let me encourage you to explore new subjects, make new friends, try new food, and take a class or two that has nothing to do with your degree. You may be an athlete, you may be in 15 different student organizations, you may be in Greek life, you may be a transfer student, or even a non-traditional student.

Don't miss out on opportunities to build lasting relationships and opportunities for you to grow in your faith or even begin your faith journey. Get involved in one of the great campus ministries on your campus! BCM, RUF, CCF, CRU, Wesley, UKirk, and whole host of others are staffed with college ministers and interns who want to help you navigate the seas of college. Don't stop there though, visit some area churches, find one that is a good fit for you, even if it is different denominationally or theologically than what you experienced before starting college. Visit several churches before you make that final decision to associate yourself with a local church. Look for a local church that will love you and help pour into your life. Look for a local church that will provide you with opportunities to be around different generations of people. Look for a church that will offer you a place to serve and minister to others rather than simply being a consumer of the worship or Bible study opportunities. Campus ministries are phenomenal but they can't offer you everything a local church can. If you don't know which churches to visit, ask your college minister or campus ministry staffer, they will point you in the right direction.

Get engaged in a campus ministry where you find community and a faithfulness to the Lord. Attend or even join a local church that will provide a broad community of people who love God and long to see the community and the world changed by Jesus!

College Students Welcomed

This is the first fall in seven years that I anticipate the advent of the fall semester and the influx of students into our little community without serving as a college minister. It's a bit odd in some ways, but I am reminded that as a pastor of a local congregation I get to love and encourage people in all the various stages of life. The transition from college minister to pastor has been one of the highlights of my ministry. I am blessed to serve a congregation that has college students and loves college students. In fact, we are hosting them for worship and lunch on August 19. My time as a college minister taught me a great deal about life and ministry. I think the greatest lesson is that the college campus is our Athens of the Apostle Paul's day. The campus is the center of learning, discourse, and dialogue in our culture. It is also the greatest mission field anywhere in the world. Students come from all over the world to Statesboro to get an education. As believers we have the opportunity to share the gospel with college students. We have the privilege of discipling them in the faith entrusted to the saints. Consider this, when international students return to their homeland, they could be taking the gospel back with them. The life-changing story of Jesus and his life and death...the hope of the gospel.

What about college students who stay in Statesboro after they graduate? Well as churches and campus ministries reach and equip these students we are investing in the next generation of church leaders. The next generation of Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, deacons, worship team leaders, ushers, prayer team members, youth volunteers are all at our finger tips? Will we do the hard work of loving them, praying for them, and discipling them? These are the people who in 10 years will be leading churches all over Bulloch county to reach the next wave of students that come make Statesboro and the colleges and universities here home for 4, 5, or 6 years.

What about college students who leave Statesboro after they finally graduate? Well, consider this, the conversations about Jesus you have with those students will shape who they are and what they become. They may leave here and become missionaries or pastors or ministers who carry the truth of Christianity forward for the next 50 years. They too are ones who will return to their hometown or relocate and invest in local churches and look back over their shoulders at the influence that a follower of Jesus made on them while they nested in the Boro.

I remember well the influence of men and women who I encountered as a college student. Folks who loved me, prayed for me, fed me, encouraged me, taught me, and modeled for me what it means to follow Jesus. People like David and Gina, Lindsey and Robin, Paul and Connie, Colin and Mary, Chuck and Ellen, Mark and Julie, Rick, Scott, Gordon, Joe, and Buddy. It's been over 20 years since I stepped foot on the campus of Mercer University, yet the people who were trying to follow Jesus and let me glimpse that in some way still cross my mind and heart and lips (as I pray for them). What student will remember you and me in 20 years?

So residents of Statesboro, be prepared for the deluge of students about to rain down on our fair city. Don't just curse their big city driving habits and the fact that you won't be able to find anything you need in Walmart for the next 3 weeks. Don't grumble about the crowds at all the restaurants. Greet the incoming and returning students with a warm smile, a kind word, and an invitation to join you in following Jesus.

Join me in praying for God to move in incredible ways on the campuses of our colleges and universities this fall!

Beach Reach Update #1

It has been a great first two days in Panama City Beach, FL. I am so encouraged by how God is using our students and working in their lives. Tonight was our first night of van ministry, which entails picking up other spring breakers for a free van ride to wherever they need to go. Our students had some great conversations with the people we picked up throughout the night. Pray that the seeds planted tonight will be watered and grow into maturity.

Our very first ride was a group of students from Appalachian State...talk about loving your enemies for all of our GSU students. Pray for Sam from App State.  You can also pray for Lyndsey from App State. Our last call for tonight was her and some friends who are staying at the same house as Sam and his friends.

We also had an interesting group of guys from Boston. Nick is one of the guys from that group to be praying for this week.

A Debtor to Mercy Alone

 A song that has been stuck in my head and heart this week is from an 18th century Anglican turned French Calvinist preacher. Augustus Toplady wrote a few books and several hymns in addition to his pastoral ministry. 

The work which His goodness began'

The arm of His strength will complete; 

His promise is yea and amen, 

And never was forfeited yet. 

Things future, nor things that are now, 

Not all things below nor above 

Can make Him His purpose forego, 

Or sever my soul from His love.

What comforting words to be reminded that salvation, our salvation is entirely of God. There is nothing we can do to earn his favor, nor thwart his favor because it is to his mercy and grace that we are indebted. To cling to the promises of Romans 8 that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus is a comfort to my soul. 

My name from the palm of his hand

Eternity will not erase.

Impressed on His heart it remains 

In marks of indelible grace. 

Yes, I to the end shall endure, 

As sure as the earnest is given 

More happy, but not more secure, 

The glorified spirits in heaven.

To know that we are love and cherished by our heavenly Father strengthens our hearts and reminds us that our salvation is secure because it is not guaranteed by us but by Him who alone is able to keep us until that day. Our eternity is secured because of the work of Jesus on the cross! Hold to that promise today if you find the waters of this life beating you down and causing you to question God's faithfulness and provision. 

Further Thoughts on Romans 5

The Apostle Paul reminds us of God's grace was extended to us, while we were still sinners. As you reflect on your own sin and the grand story of God's grace perhaps take time to consider what your life or the world would look like if grace reigned rather than sin and death.

Think about an area of your life, our community, or the world that demonstrates the brokenness of sin. What would that area look like if there was a reign of grace rather than a reign of death?

Spend some time recording your thoughts in a journal or in a poem.

Romans: Grace for Restless Hearts

If you know a college student or young adult  or you are a college student or young adult in Statesboro, GA join us August 21st as we kickoff our fall study of Romans! 

Here We Go!

So over the past several years I have restarted and stopped writing on here more times than I can remember. I set a new goal of using this blog as a ministry to people. The first intended audience is to reach college students in Statesboro, GA, where I serve as a College Minister/Pastor. We launch a new series this fall entitled Romans: Grace for Restless Hearts! Part of the teaching plan is to connect with students during the week with preview thoughts and questions as well as follow up thoughts from our study each week. Writing on this blog started because it was a therapeutic way for me to process life, ministry, and the world around me...hopefully that will continue to be the case. So if you read this and we see each other every week, month, year, or five...ask me if I have posted anything lately so it will be motivation to share my thoughts, musings, ramblings, maybe an adventure or two along this pilgrim journey of faith.

College Spring Break Mission Trip

Can't wait for the opportunity to see college students from Georgia Southern serving the people of Brunswick in a month and a half!!

Gospel Encounters in the Office

I traveled last week all the way to NYC on a mission trip with some of our college students. Yesterday, as I came into the office a little later in the day to finish sorting through everything from the trip, a young man on the phone wanted to talk to a minister. I was the only one here, so I agreed to meet with him. He biked over to the church and came into my office to share his story of searching for something more in life. He has struggled with substance abuse for many years, and recently chose to make a decision to be sober. As good as that decision has been for him, it hasn't been easy. He was still searching for something more, something beyond just sobriety. Through AA he was wrestling with spirituality and came to the realization that he needed to commit his life to Christ. I listened, shared a few things, then had the opportunity to lead him to Jesus as we talked about sin, grace, God's love, and the redemption offered to us in Jesus. I was totally blown away by God! I came into the office yesterday thinking I had a few things I needed to get done, yet God reminded me that my agenda is not as important as the gospel coming to fruition in a person's life!

Later yesterday afternoon, I had a college student seeking advice and counsel about a few areas of life. I was reminded of truly how difficult the Christ life is for college students. So much garbage is around that they deal with, so many complex situations and relationships. Yet in the midst of that, there are many who are truly seeking to live a life that is centered around the gospel so that their entire lives become "living sacrifice's" that Paul talks about in Romans.

So thankful for getting to catch a glimpse of God's work yesterday!

Wales Pictures

 Prayer walking

 Croeso

 cool cross in a cemetary

 dipping my toes in the Atlantic

 A cool church in an area we prayer walked on the last morning

 5 Americans in a phone booth

 Prayer walking

 church service

Castle Ruins from the 12th or 13th century

Wales Mission Trip 2013

 Our home for the week.

 Getting training from IMB missionary John Robinson

 Group shot on the sea wall

 View of the ancient medieval wall

 Overlooking the town of Caernarfon

 Group debriefing

Beautiful sunset over the harbor

Memphis Mission Trip

 We moved a lot of chairs last week as we reset their main worship room and their youth worship room.

 Prayer walking The University of Memphis Campus

 We had storage rooms and closest to clean out and organize.

A group shot with some of the New Direction staff. Pastor Karen, their associate pastor is in the front giving the deuces.

Winter Retreat

So I am about 8 months into doing college ministry full-time, only in the last month have I really begun to feel like I have a handle on what God is trying to teach me and use me to accomplish His Kingdom work. It has been a challenging transition, but such an incredibly good one. This weekend we had a retreat with 14 students to get away, unwind, and dig into the word. It was a great time of fellowship, worship, and growth for our group. One of my mentors, Chris Rogers, who is now doing Family Ministry, came and shared with us from scripture and really challenged us with a reminder of the gospel, our status before God and the idols we place in our lives.

I am so thankful to God for what he is doing in and through our students!

Graduate Letters

I have spent some time today working on letters to the class of 2012. Several years ago I began the practice of writing letters to our graduates with a word or two of encouragement and perhaps a memory or two from their time in the youth group. It's a bittersweet moment each year. It always brings a smile to my face and the occasional tear as I look back on how God has worked in a particular student's life. This group is especially difficult for me because it was the group I began my ministry with at FBC Statesboro...but I get to keep working with many of them as they begin their collegiate careers at Georgia Southern University in the fall.

Launch of ECHO

I'm so pumped about what God is going to do through ECHO this semester! ECHO is our new college worship service at FBC Statesboro. I know God has some incredible things in store for us as a ministry this semester and in years to come. Pray for us, Lord knows we need it!

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