NORFOLK — Everyday the campuses of Virginia swarm with thousands of college students. In the minds and hearts of these students, serious life questions are being asked, challenged and asked again and again. New ideas are being entertained and life values are being formed.
In 1922, some wise Baptist leaders thought it would be a smart move to plant ministries on college campuses, as an outreach of the local churches, to continue touching the lives of students who were moving away from their homes and churches.Even commuting from home, they are often away from their church during their college years.
Here is a brief sampling of the things happening in the Baptist Student Union (Baptist Collegiate Ministry) at Old Dominion University this fall.
Rob Sandford
One of our officers has started a Bible study on Romans that meets Monday through Friday. While the group size has varied, we have not had to cancel a meeting. Our praise team is composed of seven men and two women. Two students from Tidewater Korean church have become members of this team. We hope to get the team into some churches to lead worship soon.
Eight students worked at Busch Gardens during Howl-O-Scream to earn money for summer missions. We have had four student-led worship services, one of which included an evening prayer walk around campus. Prayers were offered for the president, the faculty and staff, dorm and commuting students and our own faithfulness in representing Christ on campus. A group of international students comes three times a week for a conversational English class. One group of six students represented five different countries, and one of these students asked if she could attend other events like Bible studies.
On a more personal level, some great things have happened. Two students became aware that a freshman girl was going through a serious faith crisis. They volunteered to spend a lot of extra time with her since her family was away for the weekend and the student was home alone. The freshman later shared that she had never experienced that much love from anybody. She added that she had always had difficulty trusting people, but now there were many students at the Baptist Student Center that she could trust.
An upper classman shared a spiritual victory recently. One of his closest friends, whom he had been witnessing to for six years, became a Christian. He said that his friend had experienced a relationship crisis and that the faithful, perfect love of God was what he really needed in his life.
One student requested prayer and support regarding her anxiety about her boyfriend who is in Iraq. The tensions of dating someone whose life is in constant danger can be quite overwhelming.
We have been blessed with new furniture for a small lounge and a larger lounge/meeting room. The restrooms have also been renovated. These are the first major additions and renovations in 34 years.
Everyday, seeds of love and grace are being sown in the lives of college students. It is a joy to watch these seeds germinate and begin to grow. God is calling several of our students now into ministry as a life vocation. Their experiences in Baptist Collegiate Ministry have been pivotal to that call.