It’s a truism that prayer changes things. Already this semester, from Coker College to the University of South Carolina, it’s changed the lives of dozens of students.
At Francis Marion University, four students have made professions of faith. One of them met some BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministry) student leaders at a student organization fair last year. In the course of conversation, she shared about her difficult upbringing and its effect upon her relationship with God.
“She had lots of hard questions, which was totally understandable,” said campus minister Kendal Danford. “Finally, this year, she just reached a breaking point spiritually, and finally decided to give her life to Jesus. Kinda cool to give a Bible to a college student who’s just thrilled to get one because she never had one before. Reminds you what it’s really all about.”
Sanford attributed the professions of faith to several factors. First, “God is at work and the Holy Spirit is leading students to Christ.” Second, Danford has asked local churches, in addition to BCM students, to prayerwalk the campus just prior to a major evangelistic message series. Third, BCM students are encouraged to bring their lost friends to BCM.
At the University of South Carolina, campus minister Tim Stewart shares a similar story. “At one of our opening events, some of our students invited a young man – a South Carolina native – to come to worship, but said he didn’t have a Bible,” Stewart said. “It was just eye-opening to us to hear of a student who grew up here in South Carolina but had never owned a Bible. This young man has gone to some local churches and almost every activity we have. The gospel’s been clearly presented to him and he’s yet to make a decision, but is very close.”
Another student, a senior, began attending this fall simply after overhearing two of his classmates converse about BCM during class.
“Not only is it unusual for a student to start coming during their senior year, but he came just on his own – decided to ‘give God a shot,’ as he put it,” said Stewart. “He told me it was the first ‘religious thing’ he’d been to since he was 8 years old. After a series of back-and-forth conversations, he eventually decided, very deliberately, to go with Jesus. I think the way he very consciously has decided to follow Jesus might make his faith more vibrant, more real, because it’s completely his own.”
Closer to the coast, at Coker College in Hartsville, campus minister Dizzy Felkel attributes the BCM growth there – numerical and qualitative – to two specific factors: biblical teaching and high-quality student leaders.
“I spent most of last year teaching through First Peter, just verse by verse,” said Felkel, who is also associate pastor at Antioch Church in Hartsville. “Kids are hungry for truth; we don’t need gimmicks. And our student leadership is just absolutely tremendous, just great.” – SCBC