“Preach the gospel at all times and, if necessary, use words.” These words from St. Francis of Assisi encapsulate the passion and drive of the Christian Student Union at James Madison University, a collegiate ministry of Baptist Collegiate Ministries of Virginia.
As a freshman last year, I remember walking into the brightly painted CSU building feeling slightly overwhelmed. It wasn't but five minutes, however, before at least half of the CSU had introduced themselves to me and invited me to small groups, dinners, game nights and anything else that would make me feel included. It was that warmth and intimacy that made me stick with the CSU over my first year at JMU; there's nothing like walking into a room full of loving people and knowing them all by name.
From left, Jess McDaniel, Brett Batten, Beth Newton, William Parks, John Parks, and Calvin Vitaliz rejoice with fellow JMU student Leigh Galbraith (center) after her decision to accept Christ.
That atmosphere also led me to invite a hallmate whom I was friends with, Leigh Galbraith, to join the CSU on our spring mission trip to Smyrna, Tenn. Leigh had gotten a bad taste of Christianity during her childhood. I explained to her that the best and worst people can be found in the American church, and I took it on as my “mission” to show her the genuine body of Christ that I had found in the CSU. Over the years, I have grown to discover that the best way to preach the gospel is by serving, giving, and loving unconditionally. Thus I felt that this trip with the CSU would be a perfect time for God to work in my friend's heart so that she could see what real, unadulterated Christianity is all about.
While on the trip, the students of the CSU made Leigh feel welcomed, loved and, most importantly, needed. She worked alongside each of us painting houses, pulling weeds and befriending strangers. Little did she know, she was experiencing Christianity at its finest.
One day, we were helping a widow clean her house and this sweet woman asked us about our testimonies of coming to know Jesus. We went around in a small circle and shared our stories with her. When she finally got around the circle to ask Leigh about her testimony, Leigh dropped her face into her hands and wept, saying, “I don't have one yet, but I know that's why God brought me here; there's something that you guys have that I want.”
We cried and prayed with her as she accepted the Lord as her Savior, and I realized at that point that I had never preached the gospel to her using words. I, along with the precious saints at the CSU, simply did what Jesus would have done: we loved her, carried her burdens and needed her fellowship.
This is but a glimpse of what God is doing in the CSU at JMU—making and sending disciples and creating brothers and sisters to represent the body of Christ.
Brett Batten is a sophomore at James Madison University in Harrisonburg.