By now, I hope that you’ve heard about ENGAGE24: a national effort from the Baptist Collegiate Network. It has been endorsed by SBC president Ronnie Floyd who, along with many other SBC leaders, has challenged all Southern Baptists to join in engaging in a spiritual conversation with at least one person on October 14.
Due to fall breaks on campuses in Alabama, we have asked our collegiate ministry leaders to be intentional in engaging on campuses across our state at least one day from October 1-24. We’ve also developed a prayer guide for these 24 days.
Follow our prayer updates at OneMissionStudents.org/Engage24 as we pray for campuses, students, faculty and staff – for an openness and a boldness to engage in spiritual conversation, reaching this strategic mission field in our state!
As you pray with us, I want to encourage you in the work that God is doing across our state. As we receive reports each month from Baptist Campus Ministers, we are reminded of the unique mission field where they serve and the privilege we have in joining God’s work on campuses – and seeing His harvest!
Last month a student at the University of Alabama decided to end her doubts of faith and commit her life to Christ after questioning her faith for years. Yet another student realized, after a day of serving with BCM and the Tuscaloosa County Baptist Association, that God has strategically placed her in an apartment that has allowed her an open door to have intentional Gospel conversations with her Mormon roommates. A student at the University of West Alabama recently made a profession of faith and was baptized, already eager to be involved in student missions in order to tell others about Christ.
Ministry to international students is making an increasing impact on campuses across the state. Several schools, including the University of Alabama in Huntsville, University of South Alabama and Auburn University are seeing great strides made in connecting with internationals and seeing these students open to Gospel conversations. This past month, two international students put their faith in Christ at Troy University. Students at the University of North Alabama have been ministering to a Chinese student for a year that is finally producing spiritual conversations.
The Office of Collegiate & Student Ministries recently partnered with Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union on our second International Friends Retreat involving students from 15 countries currently studying at Alabama colleges and universities. Relationships were developed and many spiritual conversations took place among those in attendance. Pray with us that God will continue to use that time to grow relationships and open doors for spiritual conversations with these students.
I think these and the other stories remind us all of the great opportunity we have to reach students on the college campus mission field. Will you join me in continuing to pray for efforts of Baptist Campus Ministers and church collegiate ministers across our state? Will you join me in praying for ENGAGE24 efforts?
We’re engaging. Will you?
