I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I wanna spend my life
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Removing pain
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Lord, let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I wanna spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I wanna spend my life
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Mending broken people
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Hello, and welcome to
another 3ABN Today program.
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We are so glad that
you have joined us today,
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you know, thank you
for taking the time.
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You know, we
all live busy lives.
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I mean, yours is busy,
isn't it? I'm sure it is.
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I know Jill's and our
life here at 3ABN is busy.
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But thank you again... Is it?
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Is it really?
Yeah, I think it is.
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But, you know, we enjoy it.
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It's a blessing being
a part of our God's work,
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and thank you
again for joining us
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because we know you
do live a busy life,
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and thank you for inviting
3ABN into your living room.
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That's right.
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We can't forget radio,
you may be driving in the car,
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or may be sitting in
your home with the radio on,
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thank you for, again, tuning in.
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And we appreciate again
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your financial support
of the ministry of 3ABN,
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it seems like every
program we say this,
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but we really mean it.
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And it's neat because
it's really a team effort,
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it's you, and 3ABN team,
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and the Lord Jesus Christ
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that makes this
ministry go around the world.
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Isn't that amazing?
Twenty four hours a day.
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I mention this to our
production crew quite a bit
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that, you know, we have
a morning worship everyday
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and, you know,
even when we're asleep,
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sound asleep on
our pillows at night,
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this gospel is
going around the world,
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so many of you
have stood with 3ABN
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since the very beginning,
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which is over 30 years
now, hard to believe, isn't it?
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But thank you for doing that,
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and those of you maybe
have just started to donate,
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thank you for that,
but it's a blessing.
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But today,
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we have an exciting program
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regarding campus ministry
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which is, boy, it's much
needed and we'll explain,
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we won't, our guests
will explain what CAMPUS is...
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What it's all
about. That's right.
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I am excited about this program,
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because it's really
everyone's ministry,
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everyone can get
involved in campus ministry.
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Now you may be saying,
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"What in the world
is CAMPUS ministry?
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It has something to do
with the college campuses?"
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But we're gonna
unpackage what that entails
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and how old, young,
and everyone in between,
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can get involved in ministry.
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Did you say old? Old.
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Well, I don't think of them
going to university or colleges
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but I know people do.
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But it has to do more
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just with
attending a university but...
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That's right. Are we
peaking your interest?
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Hopefully so, but this
is gonna be really neat
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and there are some
amazing stories too
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of how God is working.
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And that's always
encouraging to hear.
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And that's what we like to share
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on the 3ABN Today program,
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it's the stories, ministries,
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testimonies of
God changing lives
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and that's what this
ministry is all about.
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Changing lives for eternity,
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people making decisions
for the Lord Jesus Christ.
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We wanna introduce
our guests at this time,
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we have right here on the corner
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is Pastor Israel Ramos.
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Hi.
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And it is a
privilege to have you here.
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Oh, it's nice to be
back. Nice to be back.
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It's been a few years
since you've been to 3ABN.
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It has, I think the last
time was either 2009 or 2010
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as far as I remember,
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but I'm getting
old, so I don't know.
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I was just to say,
Pastor, you look good.
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Thank you.
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I'm losing, I'm
losing a lot of hair
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and gaining a
lot of weight, but...
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No, you look good, Pastor.
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But God is good. Amen.
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And we'll find
out a little bit more
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what's happening
in your life too,
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'cause it's neat
what God is doing.
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Amen. And next to
you is Abigail Almeeda?
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Almeida. Almeida.
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Okay. Yes.
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And you are the President of ACF
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Western Michigan University.
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Yes. So ACF stands for
Adventist Christian Fellowship.
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So I'm the
President of the campus group
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at Western Michigan University.
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Amen.
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I'm there
studying, I'm a junior now.
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I'm going to be
graduating next fall,
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hopefully, by God's grace.
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And what is your
major? Biomedical sciences.
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Wow! Good for you.
That sounds complicated.
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So... She's
going into PA school.
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PA. Okay. Okay.
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Very good, that's wonderful.
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And next to you is Alanna Knapp?
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Yes. Okay.
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And you are former President
of Campus HOPE, Michigan Tech.
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Yes, I went to Michigan
Technological University
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which is in Northern Michigan
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or the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan.
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And so it's very cold
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but a wonderful field to
labor in, there's many souls
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that are looking for
Christ at that campus,
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so it is a joy to be there.
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Amen.
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We're looking
forward to unpackaging
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each one of your stories
and hearing what God is doing.
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Go ahead, Pastor. Yeah.
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Michigan Tech is,
00:05:06.40\00:05:07.74
you know, when
people think about Michigan,
00:05:07.77\00:05:09.80
we only usually think
about the Lower Peninsula,
00:05:09.84\00:05:12.04
but the Upper Peninsula,
it's above even Canada.
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And so it's way,
way, way up in the north.
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And she was a student there
while I was pastoring there
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and it was a lot
of cold days so...
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Yeah, I've driven once
to the Upper Peninsula.
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What's that bridge
called that goes between...
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Mackinac. The Mackinac.
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So I started there
when it came all around,
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then came through Wisconsin,
that's a beautiful drive...
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Very nice country.
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It's a pretty country, it
was through the summer months.
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Oh, that's a good time to drive.
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Yeah, there was
no snow or snowdrifts
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and it was just
beautiful up there.
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Yeah.
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And the best time is
actually in the fall,
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the colors up there are just...
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Amazing. The best colors.
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That's great. Okay.
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Well, we're excited
each one of you are here
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looking forward to
hearing their testimonies,
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before we go to our music,
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we're gonna read a scripture
and this is from II Timothy 2,
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and we'll read
verses 1 through 3.
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"You therefore, my son",
or you could say, my daughter.
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"Be strong in the grace
that is in Christ Jesus.
00:06:02.29\00:06:05.79
And the things that
you have heard from me
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among many witnesses,
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commit these to faithful men
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who will be able
to teach others also."
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Verse 3.
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"You therefore
must endure hardship
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as a good
soldier of Jesus Christ."
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And sometimes we hear that word,
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"You must endure hardship"
and it seems difficult,
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but we're gonna unpackage
that as we discuss here,
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enduring some of that
hardship and how it's worth it.
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It's worth it all, laboring
for the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Let's go to our song now. Yeah.
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We always enjoy
music here at 3ABN,
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and today we're gonna be blessed
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with our President
and Founder Danny Shelton.
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And he was in our
studio not long ago
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and he sang a
wonderful song entitled,
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"Heaven Means Home to Me."
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I'm longing for a place
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I've never been
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But it's a place
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That I call my home
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Where the sun is the light
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In the midst of the night
00:07:34.35\00:07:39.22
Heaven means
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Home to me
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Heaven means
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Home to me
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Where Jesus is
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I want to be
00:08:01.98\00:08:05.88
There is no dying, no pain
00:08:05.91\00:08:10.55
This old earth can't compare
00:08:10.59\00:08:15.39
That's why heaven
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Means home to me
00:08:18.73\00:08:22.90
I've heard of a beautiful city
00:08:34.84\00:08:41.18
Above with streets
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That are paint with pure gold
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But my eyes are fixed
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On Jesus, my king
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That's why heaven
00:09:01.74\00:09:04.64
Means home to me
00:09:04.67\00:09:11.55
Heaven means
00:09:11.58\00:09:14.12
Home to me
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Where Jesus is I want to be
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There is no dying, no pain
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This old earth can't compare
00:09:33.64\00:09:38.44
That's why heaven means
00:09:38.47\00:09:42.38
Home to me
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What a day that will be,
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When my Jesus I shall see
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And I look upon His face
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The one who
saved me by His grace
00:10:01.30\00:10:06.17
When He takes me by the hand
00:10:06.20\00:10:10.51
And leads me
through the promised land
00:10:10.54\00:10:15.31
What a day, glorious day
00:10:15.34\00:10:20.18
That will be
00:10:20.22\00:10:24.99
There is no dying, no pain
00:10:25.02\00:10:28.99
This old earth can't compare
00:10:29.02\00:10:33.86
That's why heaven means
00:10:33.90\00:10:37.73
Home to me.
00:10:37.77\00:10:43.44
Amen. Thank you
very much, Danny.
00:10:55.32\00:10:56.95
"Heaven Means Home to Me."
00:10:56.99\00:10:58.59
Can't wait for
that wonderful day
00:10:58.62\00:11:00.42
when we'll all be able to
meet at last, Jesus Christ.
00:11:00.46\00:11:03.53
But, of course, some of you,
we'll never meet on this earth
00:11:03.56\00:11:05.33
but some day we will,
00:11:05.36\00:11:06.70
if we're
faithful to Jesus Christ.
00:11:06.73\00:11:08.06
That's right. And
they get the salvation.
00:11:08.10\00:11:09.83
Again, we're here
today with CAMPUS Ministries
00:11:09.86\00:11:13.40
and it's gonna be a great day
00:11:13.44\00:11:15.37
hearing about what's
going on with CAMPUS.
00:11:15.40\00:11:17.67
Thank you,
Israel, for being here.
00:11:17.71\00:11:19.04
Thank you for having
me. Abigail and Alanna.
00:11:19.07\00:11:21.58
And, Israel, I
know that, I wanna,
00:11:21.61\00:11:23.38
just before getting to CAMPUS,
people know you from GYC.
00:11:23.41\00:11:26.45
You were, were you the...
00:11:26.48\00:11:28.68
You were for the charter... Yes.
00:11:28.72\00:11:30.62
Members of GYC?
00:11:30.65\00:11:32.05
Which many of you
are familiar with GYC,
00:11:32.09\00:11:35.06
but Israel goes way back...
00:11:35.09\00:11:36.52
A long time back.
00:11:36.56\00:11:37.89
I don't wanna say that,
so it makes you sound old.
00:11:37.93\00:11:39.56
Yeah, I know it.
00:11:39.59\00:11:40.93
A long way back, but tell us
about your family, your family,
00:11:40.96\00:11:43.77
you're married, you have
kids, and what you're doing.
00:11:43.80\00:11:45.13
Yeah.
00:11:45.17\00:11:46.50
Well, it's been
several years now since,
00:11:46.53\00:11:48.60
I was the second
president of GYC.
00:11:48.64\00:11:52.14
Who was the first president?
00:11:52.17\00:11:53.51
The first
president, her name is Andrea.
00:11:53.54\00:11:54.88
Okay.
00:11:54.91\00:11:56.24
And we started the
organization back in,
00:11:56.28\00:12:01.72
it was back in high school when,
00:12:01.75\00:12:03.28
you know, it
started more as a joke
00:12:03.32\00:12:05.59
and I was
looking through my Bible,
00:12:05.62\00:12:07.86
my birthday was in February,
00:12:07.89\00:12:09.66
and I was
looking through my Bible
00:12:09.69\00:12:11.66
which was actually a
gift from two of my friends.
00:12:11.69\00:12:14.86
And I was in California,
which is where I was born,
00:12:14.90\00:12:19.33
at the time of my birth
and I was kind of reflecting
00:12:19.37\00:12:21.40
and I realized, man,
it's been a long time.
00:12:21.44\00:12:24.57
The Bible was given to me,
00:12:24.61\00:12:25.94
that was the
inspiration for the logo,
00:12:25.97\00:12:27.61
the Bible on top
00:12:27.64\00:12:28.98
that the little
guys are holding.
00:12:29.01\00:12:30.71
It's an HMS
Richards Study Bible.
00:12:30.75\00:12:32.15
Wow!
00:12:32.18\00:12:33.52
So it's, the Bible
itself is 20 years.
00:12:33.55\00:12:35.22
And it started in high school
00:12:35.25\00:12:37.45
and mostly it was a
joke and then it kind of,
00:12:37.49\00:12:40.49
the Lord takes these things
00:12:40.52\00:12:41.86
and He makes them into
His own, into His own vision,
00:12:41.89\00:12:45.99
develops His own
plan through it, so...
00:12:46.03\00:12:48.46
You know, when
you think about it,
00:12:48.50\00:12:49.83
you probably had no dream,
00:12:49.86\00:12:51.20
or you did not meant to
dream that how this would,
00:12:51.23\00:12:53.07
I don't know, come
to what it is today.
00:12:53.10\00:12:54.44
Yeah.
00:12:54.47\00:12:55.80
You had no clue, did you,
Israel, what it would become?
00:12:55.84\00:12:57.17
I had no idea,
no. I had no idea.
00:12:57.21\00:12:58.54
It's amazing.
00:12:58.57\00:12:59.91
And it's...
00:12:59.94\00:13:01.28
Why is this touched? Yeah.
00:13:01.31\00:13:02.64
And the beautiful thing
about everything is that,
00:13:02.68\00:13:04.01
I think God does these things,
00:13:04.05\00:13:06.01
you know, I've
always prayed in my life,
00:13:06.05\00:13:09.18
the prayer's always been,
00:13:09.22\00:13:10.55
"Lord, do something
through me that is so great
00:13:10.59\00:13:13.29
that people will know
that this was not human."
00:13:13.32\00:13:16.39
Well, that's a good prayer.
00:13:16.42\00:13:17.76
And so that was the prayer
00:13:17.79\00:13:19.46
that we started
with and He did that,
00:13:19.49\00:13:21.56
you know, you can't
trace any human intelligence,
00:13:21.60\00:13:26.07
or power, or savvy,
to that organization.
00:13:26.10\00:13:30.67
And God had His hand on it and,
00:13:30.71\00:13:33.61
you know, there's nothing
00:13:33.64\00:13:34.98
that young people
could have done I think,
00:13:35.01\00:13:37.25
in our own strength to
develop that organization.
00:13:37.28\00:13:39.91
Yeah, you think
about the explosive growth,
00:13:39.95\00:13:42.55
you know, and how it has
impacted the lives of people
00:13:42.58\00:13:45.02
all over the
world, that's beautiful.
00:13:45.05\00:13:46.39
Yeah.
00:13:46.42\00:13:47.76
So, were you raised
in a Christian home,
00:13:47.79\00:13:49.12
in a Seventh-day Adventist home?
00:13:49.16\00:13:50.49
Yes, I was raised in a
Seventh-day Adventist home.
00:13:50.53\00:13:51.86
My parents became Adventists
just before they got married.
00:13:51.89\00:13:55.20
And I grew up
00:13:55.23\00:13:56.56
in the Adventist
Church in California,
00:13:56.60\00:13:58.53
it's where I was born,
lived there for the first,
00:13:58.57\00:14:01.54
you know, the
first part of my life,
00:14:01.57\00:14:04.27
most of it was
spent in California,
00:14:04.31\00:14:05.64
it wasn't until I
was in high school
00:14:05.67\00:14:07.01
I moved out to Arkansas,
went to Washington Academy.
00:14:07.04\00:14:10.28
It's a great school. Yeah.
00:14:10.31\00:14:12.11
And so I spent
most of my early years,
00:14:12.15\00:14:16.15
were all spent in California.
00:14:16.18\00:14:18.05
And my parents,
00:14:18.09\00:14:20.49
you know, had a
passion to ensure
00:14:20.52\00:14:24.09
that their kids
would remain Adventists
00:14:24.13\00:14:26.90
and so at an early age,
00:14:26.93\00:14:28.26
they really invested
in our Adventist education
00:14:28.30\00:14:32.67
and so forth, and
throughout my teenage years,
00:14:32.70\00:14:35.50
you know, you do
your crazy things
00:14:35.54\00:14:37.61
and I got into some trouble
00:14:37.64\00:14:39.34
and the Lord
rescued me from all that.
00:14:39.37\00:14:42.44
Amen. So...
00:14:42.48\00:14:43.81
So you're married? Married.
00:14:43.85\00:14:45.61
My wife is a,
she's a schoolteacher.
00:14:45.65\00:14:47.48
We met at the
University of Michigan,
00:14:47.52\00:14:48.85
actually through
Public Campus Ministry.
00:14:48.88\00:14:50.55
Okay.
00:14:50.59\00:14:51.92
And she was studying Education.
00:14:51.95\00:14:55.09
She graduated, taught at
one of our Adventist schools
00:14:55.12\00:14:58.09
for sometime until we
had our first born, Emmanuel,
00:14:58.13\00:15:00.96
he's just turned 11 years old.
00:15:01.00\00:15:03.70
Incredible.
00:15:03.73\00:15:05.53
And so, he was our
first born and then,
00:15:05.57\00:15:07.57
we had them two years apart.
00:15:07.60\00:15:08.97
So 11 is our
oldest, and then, 9 and 7,
00:15:09.00\00:15:13.38
and she thought
it was a great idea
00:15:13.41\00:15:14.74
because she comes from siblings
00:15:14.78\00:15:17.35
that are very close in age.
00:15:17.38\00:15:18.95
And so she thought
it was a great idea,
00:15:18.98\00:15:20.68
and after our
second born, I said,
00:15:20.72\00:15:22.35
"Judy, we should
have asked your parents
00:15:22.38\00:15:24.59
that if this was a
good idea, not the kids."
00:15:24.62\00:15:26.79
And so we're
enjoying life. Amen.
00:15:26.82\00:15:28.32
We're enjoying life, three boys.
00:15:28.36\00:15:29.69
Three boys.
00:15:29.72\00:15:31.06
So their names are,
first one you said is...
00:15:31.09\00:15:32.43
Emmanuel, Manu is
what we call him for short.
00:15:32.46\00:15:35.26
And then Mika is our second boy,
00:15:35.30\00:15:37.03
and our third boy is
Titus, but we call him Ti.
00:15:37.07\00:15:40.30
We appreciate you
and your wife Judy and...
00:15:40.34\00:15:42.37
Yeah. Absolutely.
00:15:42.40\00:15:43.74
What God is doing in your lives,
00:15:43.77\00:15:45.24
you're currently a pastor?
00:15:45.27\00:15:46.61
Yeah. One or two churches?
00:15:46.64\00:15:48.51
Well, I've been directing,
00:15:48.54\00:15:49.88
I'm the pastor that oversees
Public Campus Ministries.
00:15:49.91\00:15:52.15
Okay, so that is what you do?
00:15:52.18\00:15:53.52
Yeah, so that's what I do. Yeah.
00:15:53.55\00:15:55.15
And we are members
out in East Lansing,
00:15:55.18\00:15:57.25
the University Church
is right across the street
00:15:57.29\00:15:59.45
from Michigan's
largest university.
00:15:59.49\00:16:01.16
Amen.
00:16:01.19\00:16:02.52
So take us to CAMPUS
before we go to Abigail.
00:16:02.56\00:16:04.86
What is CAMPUS?
00:16:04.89\00:16:06.23
We're talking about
CAMPUS, so tell us a little bit
00:16:06.26\00:16:08.66
that, how did CAMPUS begin?
00:16:08.70\00:16:10.90
And tell us a little
bit of the history of it.
00:16:10.93\00:16:12.77
CAMPUS is an acronym
00:16:12.80\00:16:14.77
and it stands for the
Center for Adventist Ministry
00:16:14.80\00:16:17.11
to Public University Students,
00:16:17.14\00:16:19.04
and it's a division
00:16:19.07\00:16:20.48
of the Public
Campus Ministry department
00:16:20.51\00:16:22.51
in the Michigan Conference.
00:16:22.54\00:16:23.88
Michigan is the only
conference in North America
00:16:23.91\00:16:26.82
that has a Public
Campus Ministry department
00:16:26.85\00:16:29.12
that specifically focuses
on public university students.
00:16:29.15\00:16:33.25
There are other conferences
that also have support
00:16:33.29\00:16:35.29
for Public Campus Ministry,
00:16:35.32\00:16:36.66
but Michigan is unique in
that it has that department,
00:16:36.69\00:16:39.43
it also has CAMPUS, and
it started back in 1999.
00:16:39.46\00:16:43.30
Okay.
00:16:43.33\00:16:44.67
We had a
missionary training program
00:16:44.70\00:16:46.17
where we invited students
00:16:46.20\00:16:48.07
to come to
Michigan, take a year off,
00:16:48.10\00:16:50.64
you know, you have students
00:16:50.67\00:16:52.01
that go overseas
on mission trips,
00:16:52.04\00:16:54.01
and, you know,
we pitched the idea,
00:16:54.04\00:16:56.04
these public universities,
00:16:56.08\00:16:57.41
they are concrete jungles
and they're mission fields.
00:16:57.45\00:16:59.38
Yes.
00:16:59.41\00:17:00.75
And so I was actually part of
00:17:00.78\00:17:02.12
the first missionary
class to join the program,
00:17:02.15\00:17:04.35
now we've graduated
more than 100 young people.
00:17:04.39\00:17:06.86
And they're
serving, a lot of them,
00:17:06.89\00:17:08.36
in church
administration, as pastors,
00:17:08.39\00:17:11.59
teachers, Alanna is a teacher,
00:17:11.63\00:17:14.23
and even as missionaries
in very hard to reach areas
00:17:14.26\00:17:17.93
that, you know,
we can't disclose
00:17:17.97\00:17:19.50
but a lot of work is
going on through that.
00:17:19.53\00:17:23.30
So that's where we're at.
00:17:23.34\00:17:24.74
That's kind of like
the Waldenses, right?
00:17:24.77\00:17:26.57
You think,
they're not, I don't know,
00:17:26.61\00:17:28.41
infiltrate sounds
in a negative sense,
00:17:28.44\00:17:30.31
so I don't mean
that in a negative sense.
00:17:30.35\00:17:31.68
Impacting, yes.
00:17:31.71\00:17:33.05
Impacting, that's a better word.
00:17:33.08\00:17:34.42
It's good, Pastor.
00:17:34.45\00:17:35.78
So, being trained to impact
00:17:35.82\00:17:37.15
their local
university for Christ?
00:17:37.19\00:17:38.52
Yeah.
00:17:38.55\00:17:39.89
And when you
reach the university,
00:17:39.92\00:17:41.26
you reach the world,
00:17:41.29\00:17:42.62
so it's in a
very, very real sense,
00:17:42.66\00:17:43.99
it's global missions.
00:17:44.03\00:17:45.36
Yes.
00:17:45.39\00:17:46.73
You have people
00:17:46.76\00:17:48.10
that you'll
never be able to meet,
00:17:48.13\00:17:49.56
or you'll never be
able to share the gospel
00:17:49.60\00:17:51.13
with in their home countries
that are coming here to study.
00:17:51.17\00:17:54.00
And it's a great opportunity.
00:17:54.04\00:17:55.77
They're looking for
truth, for knowledge,
00:17:55.80\00:17:59.27
for whatever they can, you
know, find here, new ideas,
00:17:59.31\00:18:03.55
and so it's a great opportunity
that our church has to impact
00:18:03.58\00:18:07.35
these global world
leaders, future global leaders.
00:18:07.38\00:18:10.62
Amen.
00:18:10.65\00:18:11.99
So can I ask,
00:18:12.02\00:18:13.36
is CAMPUS strictly
evangelistic in nature,
00:18:13.39\00:18:16.22
reaching out evangelistically,
or is it also for nurture,
00:18:16.26\00:18:20.43
for a Seventh-day Adventist
00:18:20.46\00:18:21.96
who may be in a
secular institution?
00:18:22.00\00:18:25.50
Yeah, I think, you need both,
00:18:25.53\00:18:27.87
you know, we need,
00:18:27.90\00:18:30.71
even retaining our
own Adventist young people
00:18:30.74\00:18:32.61
is in itself a
significant evangelistic effort.
00:18:32.64\00:18:35.44
Oh, it is.
00:18:35.48\00:18:36.81
And, you know, statistics
00:18:36.85\00:18:38.18
from the General Conference show
00:18:38.21\00:18:39.55
that by the time a
person reaches my age,
00:18:39.58\00:18:42.28
half of them would
have already left the church
00:18:42.32\00:18:43.99
from their infancy.
00:18:44.02\00:18:45.35
Half? Yeah.
00:18:45.39\00:18:46.72
And so it's an
alarming statistic.
00:18:46.76\00:18:48.26
Most of it happens
during their college careers
00:18:48.29\00:18:50.36
or during their college years,
00:18:50.39\00:18:52.69
and it's estimated
00:18:52.73\00:18:54.30
that more than 70% of
our Adventist young people,
00:18:54.33\00:18:56.36
on conservative sides,
00:18:56.40\00:18:58.37
more than 70% are attending
non-Adventist universities.
00:18:58.40\00:19:01.67
And so it's
evangelism on both ends
00:19:01.70\00:19:04.54
and we tell people, our
goal is to make Adventists,
00:19:04.57\00:19:06.94
you know, we
wanna make Adventists
00:19:06.98\00:19:08.31
out of our
non-Adventist friends,
00:19:08.34\00:19:10.21
and Adventists out of our
Adventist young people as well.
00:19:10.25\00:19:12.45
And so that's the
beautiful thing that we...
00:19:12.48\00:19:15.65
The beauty of
Public Campus Ministry
00:19:15.68\00:19:17.99
is that it impacts the lives
00:19:18.02\00:19:19.35
of our very own
in a significant way.
00:19:19.39\00:19:21.92
And also the lives of
many non-Adventist young people
00:19:21.96\00:19:26.26
that become Adventists and, GYC,
00:19:26.29\00:19:28.56
the foundation of
it was really birthed
00:19:28.60\00:19:30.50
through Public Campus Ministry,
00:19:30.53\00:19:32.67
and so it's impacted
the world, the world field,
00:19:32.70\00:19:36.27
I think in the world church.
00:19:36.30\00:19:37.97
And Abby is one of
the, one of the young people
00:19:38.01\00:19:40.61
that has been impacted
by Public Campus Ministry,
00:19:40.64\00:19:42.94
one of our very own.
00:19:42.98\00:19:44.31
So, Abby, Abigail,
00:19:44.35\00:19:45.68
I'll make sure
I'll get that right.
00:19:45.71\00:19:47.05
Yeah.
00:19:47.08\00:19:48.42
Tell us a little
bit of your story,
00:19:48.45\00:19:49.78
then, for your
involvement with CAMPUS,
00:19:49.82\00:19:51.15
but before that, a little bit,
00:19:51.19\00:19:52.52
were you, have
you gone to Adventist
00:19:52.55\00:19:54.16
like academies kind of a school?
00:19:54.19\00:19:57.26
So I grew up in Battle Creek.
00:19:57.29\00:19:58.96
Okay. So I...
00:19:58.99\00:20:00.40
Lot of Seventh-day
Adventists in Battle Creek.
00:20:00.43\00:20:01.76
Yeah.
00:20:01.80\00:20:03.57
And I actually went to school.
00:20:03.60\00:20:05.53
I went to public
school my entire life.
00:20:05.57\00:20:07.14
I went to public grade school
00:20:07.17\00:20:10.31
and then I graduated
from a public high school.
00:20:10.34\00:20:13.51
Challenges, being a
Seventh-day Adventist?
00:20:13.54\00:20:15.98
I think when I was younger
00:20:16.01\00:20:17.85
there was always
that kind of feeling
00:20:17.88\00:20:19.61
where your friends had
plans on Friday nights,
00:20:19.65\00:20:22.58
and I was like,
"Oh, I want to go."
00:20:22.62\00:20:23.95
And then my mom was like,
"When I was younger it was, no,
00:20:23.99\00:20:27.92
you can't go."
00:20:27.96\00:20:29.29
And then when I
was in high school
00:20:29.32\00:20:30.86
I think I'm really grateful
for my mom for having done this
00:20:30.89\00:20:34.23
but she gave me the
opportunity to decide.
00:20:34.26\00:20:36.83
And by that time, it had become
00:20:36.87\00:20:38.77
kind of like an
uncomfortable thing for me
00:20:38.80\00:20:40.74
not to be at home
or to be in vespers or,
00:20:40.77\00:20:43.74
you know, be studying
the Bible on Friday night.
00:20:43.77\00:20:46.24
So when people
would invite me out,
00:20:46.27\00:20:48.11
I was like, you know, I
think I'm gonna stay home,
00:20:48.14\00:20:50.68
I'll be at home with my parents.
00:20:50.71\00:20:53.01
But, yeah, I
went to public school
00:20:53.05\00:20:56.15
my entire life, yeah.
00:20:56.18\00:20:57.52
And now I'm at
Western Michigan University.
00:20:57.55\00:21:00.19
I'm studying
biomedical sciences.
00:21:00.22\00:21:03.63
Yeah, this is my junior year,
I'm finishing up my third year.
00:21:03.66\00:21:06.39
So did you attend one of these,
00:21:06.43\00:21:08.06
what did you call them like
missionary training classes?
00:21:08.10\00:21:10.53
Missionary
training program. Yes.
00:21:10.57\00:21:12.57
Did you attend one of those?
00:21:12.60\00:21:13.94
I actually did not. Okay.
00:21:13.97\00:21:15.30
Not for their lack of trying,
they did call me every year
00:21:15.34\00:21:18.44
and ask if I was
gonna take a year off.
00:21:18.47\00:21:20.11
We have to be aggressive.
We have to be aggressive.
00:21:20.14\00:21:22.74
Love is aggressive act.
00:21:22.78\00:21:24.11
What you said it was every year.
00:21:24.15\00:21:25.48
Yeah, every year. Yeah.
00:21:25.51\00:21:26.85
It's okay. Yeah. Yeah.
00:21:26.88\00:21:28.22
And we still have some
time 'cause you're not done.
00:21:28.25\00:21:29.58
Yeah, I'm not done yet.
00:21:29.62\00:21:31.82
Yeah, no, I did
not spend a year off,
00:21:31.85\00:21:34.96
but I feel like I basically
grew up in the campus events
00:21:34.99\00:21:38.89
as well, like even
before I was in college,
00:21:38.93\00:21:41.23
my brother, he is
four years older than me,
00:21:41.26\00:21:43.73
and he was president of
the Western Campus Ministries
00:21:43.77\00:21:46.94
as well.
00:21:46.97\00:21:48.30
So you're real familiar with it.
00:21:48.34\00:21:49.67
Yes, so I would go,
00:21:49.70\00:21:51.04
they have an event in
the fall called High C,
00:21:51.07\00:21:53.71
where the high school students
are invited to go as well,
00:21:53.74\00:21:55.78
so I would go to
that event as well
00:21:55.81\00:21:57.78
before I was even in college.
00:21:57.81\00:21:59.15
Okay.
00:21:59.18\00:22:00.52
So I was pretty familiarized
with the program and everything
00:22:00.55\00:22:04.72
before I got into college.
00:22:04.75\00:22:06.45
So just maybe,
00:22:06.49\00:22:08.66
let you know a little
bit of how the program was.
00:22:08.69\00:22:10.46
The missionary training program
00:22:10.49\00:22:11.83
brings people
from outside Michigan
00:22:11.86\00:22:13.90
and they're trained,
00:22:13.93\00:22:15.26
and they go back to
their own universities.
00:22:15.30\00:22:17.50
Okay.
00:22:17.53\00:22:18.87
And so that's, and it's,
00:22:18.90\00:22:20.54
people actually come
from around the world
00:22:20.57\00:22:21.90
for that program,
00:22:21.94\00:22:23.27
so it's kind of
more of a global program.
00:22:23.30\00:22:25.14
But we also
have a responsibility
00:22:25.17\00:22:26.54
to our own Michigan students.
00:22:26.57\00:22:28.54
And so, we have a calendar year
00:22:28.58\00:22:31.75
that has programming
for Adventist students
00:22:31.78\00:22:34.68
who live in Michigan,
00:22:34.72\00:22:36.05
who are attending
non-Adventist universities.
00:22:36.08\00:22:38.42
And we would love
for all of our kids
00:22:38.45\00:22:41.72
to go through the
program 'cause it prepares them,
00:22:41.76\00:22:43.36
and Ellen White
talks about the reason
00:22:43.39\00:22:45.39
for attending these
public universities,
00:22:45.43\00:22:47.16
it should be to engage
with the college campus
00:22:47.20\00:22:49.90
and let these people know
about our precious truths.
00:22:49.93\00:22:52.43
And so we have
our, we have retreats
00:22:52.47\00:22:55.04
that happen every
year and so forth,
00:22:55.07\00:22:56.64
and leadership training for
Adventist university students
00:22:56.67\00:22:59.81
and for the presidents
of our student organizations
00:22:59.84\00:23:02.41
and so, even though
our Michigan students
00:23:02.44\00:23:06.15
aren't all able to
come through the program,
00:23:06.18\00:23:08.38
we still engage with
them on a, on a regular basis.
00:23:08.42\00:23:11.15
Amen. That's great.
00:23:11.19\00:23:12.79
So for people 'cause I know
at home you probably just said,
00:23:12.82\00:23:14.96
"Oh, that sounds
interesting to me",
00:23:14.99\00:23:16.96
so we're gonna provide
some contact information
00:23:16.99\00:23:18.96
at the end of, toward
the end of this program.
00:23:18.99\00:23:20.93
But I believe the
website real quick is campus...
00:23:20.96\00:23:22.86
CampusHope.com
00:23:22.90\00:23:24.63
But we'll give you, of
course, more information
00:23:24.67\00:23:26.84
on how to get in
contact with Campus.
00:23:26.87\00:23:30.51
So then, Alanna,
tell us then your story,
00:23:30.54\00:23:32.97
your background for
us, were you, like Abigail,
00:23:33.01\00:23:36.38
in public elementary school?
00:23:36.41\00:23:39.08
Actually, I went to
Adventist school all my life.
00:23:39.11\00:23:42.32
Okay.
00:23:42.35\00:23:43.69
I think there may be one
or two years in elementary
00:23:43.72\00:23:45.42
that I went to public school.
00:23:45.45\00:23:47.52
But for the most part I
went through Adventist school
00:23:47.56\00:23:49.62
all the way until graduation.
00:23:49.66\00:23:52.06
And I got involved in
Campus in the summer of 2002.
00:23:52.09\00:23:56.33
I heard about it
for the first time
00:23:56.36\00:23:57.70
in the
missionary training program.
00:23:57.73\00:23:59.43
And I had left my
job at the time to canvas
00:23:59.47\00:24:02.97
in Columbia, Missouri.
00:24:03.00\00:24:05.21
And that was a
life-changing experience for me
00:24:05.24\00:24:09.11
and I knew that I
couldn't go back home
00:24:09.14\00:24:10.98
and continue doing
just working in the factory
00:24:11.01\00:24:13.18
which is what I was doing.
00:24:13.21\00:24:14.55
Yeah.
00:24:14.58\00:24:15.92
And so I began
to pray and ask Lord
00:24:15.95\00:24:17.52
where He would want me to go
and that's when I heard about
00:24:17.55\00:24:19.05
the Campus Missionary
Training Program and I applied.
00:24:19.09\00:24:22.86
And God was able to open up
that door miraculously for me
00:24:22.89\00:24:28.43
to attend the
Missionary Training Program.
00:24:28.46\00:24:31.00
And when I did I really
felt the life calling...
00:24:31.03\00:24:34.14
Amen.
00:24:34.17\00:24:35.50
And so I continue
working with Campus
00:24:35.54\00:24:36.94
for another nine years,
00:24:36.97\00:24:39.17
and during that time I
became a student Michigan tech
00:24:39.21\00:24:42.98
at Michigan
Technological University
00:24:43.01\00:24:44.51
for the purpose of starting
a Campus ministry there.
00:24:44.55\00:24:46.85
Wow. That's great.
00:24:46.88\00:24:48.28
So doing the
canvassing work that one summer,
00:24:48.32\00:24:50.35
I guess it was
probably was during the summer
00:24:50.39\00:24:51.72
or somewhat about there, yeah.
00:24:51.75\00:24:53.09
Yeah, it was in
the summer. Okay.
00:24:53.12\00:24:54.46
It was a life-changing,
you said in a positive way.
00:24:54.49\00:24:56.26
Yes. Right.
00:24:56.29\00:24:57.63
And that's selling
religious books door-to-door.
00:24:57.66\00:24:59.29
Yes.
00:24:59.33\00:25:00.66
Yes, it was the
blue Bible story books
00:25:00.70\00:25:02.66
you'll often see in
doctors and dentists offices.
00:25:02.70\00:25:05.20
And so, those are the books
00:25:05.23\00:25:07.24
that were being
sold door-to-door.
00:25:07.27\00:25:09.54
But I had been
seven years before that,
00:25:09.57\00:25:12.14
before I canvassed and I
was used to living on my own
00:25:12.17\00:25:15.51
and now I was living with
many other people in one room
00:25:15.54\00:25:20.58
and so, it
definitely challenged me,
00:25:20.62\00:25:22.88
you know,
personally in a very good way.
00:25:22.92\00:25:26.19
But I saw God
answer such mighty prayers,
00:25:26.22\00:25:28.52
and when I heard about
Campus I thought back to my home
00:25:28.56\00:25:31.63
where our church I grew
up in Petoskey, Michigan,
00:25:31.66\00:25:34.80
it's a small little
town in Northern Michigan.
00:25:34.83\00:25:37.23
And our church is
right across the street
00:25:37.27\00:25:39.57
from a community college.
00:25:39.60\00:25:40.94
Oh, wow.
00:25:40.97\00:25:42.30
And I had taken some
community college courses there.
00:25:42.34\00:25:44.21
And my other friend
who was an Adventist,
00:25:44.24\00:25:46.17
we would meet up at
least once a week to pray.
00:25:46.21\00:25:48.71
And I began to see if
even when I was a student there
00:25:48.74\00:25:52.41
I saw that
there was a need there
00:25:52.45\00:25:53.82
but really didn't know how
to reach out to the Campus.
00:25:53.85\00:25:56.72
And so as I got
involved with Campus,
00:25:56.75\00:25:59.45
I began to see
how much of a need
00:25:59.49\00:26:01.69
there was in these universities,
00:26:01.72\00:26:03.06
like Israel said,
00:26:03.09\00:26:04.43
"All the world is coming to us."
00:26:04.46\00:26:05.79
Yes.
00:26:05.83\00:26:07.16
In many countries that
are close to the gospel
00:26:07.20\00:26:09.86
are coming to these universities
00:26:09.90\00:26:11.23
and we have an
opportunity to share
00:26:11.27\00:26:13.80
this amazing message with them.
00:26:13.84\00:26:15.17
Amen.
00:26:15.20\00:26:16.54
And so I definitely saw that
00:26:16.57\00:26:17.91
when I was a
student at Michigan Tech
00:26:17.94\00:26:19.51
and I saw the opportunity
00:26:19.54\00:26:20.88
that students were
looking to hear the gospel,
00:26:20.91\00:26:23.45
to hear the truth from
some of these countries.
00:26:23.48\00:26:26.01
So a question comes to my mind,
00:26:26.05\00:26:27.75
I don't know which one
of you wants to answer this,
00:26:27.78\00:26:29.28
but would there be a challenge
00:26:29.32\00:26:30.65
'cause when I think
public, I think of, okay,
00:26:30.69\00:26:32.39
prayer being pulled
out of the classrooms
00:26:32.42\00:26:34.29
and all this sort of stuff so,
00:26:34.32\00:26:35.76
are their
challenges with I'm thinking
00:26:35.79\00:26:37.73
like the whole
religious services,
00:26:37.76\00:26:39.09
proselytizing as
they may call it.
00:26:39.13\00:26:40.73
Are there any
challenges regarding this?
00:26:40.76\00:26:43.77
With public universities
that's a little bit different,
00:26:43.80\00:26:45.87
I mean, you can be
00:26:45.90\00:26:47.34
a registered student
organization get funding.
00:26:47.37\00:26:49.74
Some universities will
allow you to have funding,
00:26:49.77\00:26:51.81
others do not.
00:26:51.84\00:26:53.48
Michigan Tech we've got
00:26:53.51\00:26:54.84
quite a bit of
funding from the university
00:26:54.88\00:26:56.24
I think one year was like $500,
00:26:56.28\00:26:58.58
I know in other
university they funded students
00:26:58.61\00:27:00.52
to go to GYC,
00:27:00.55\00:27:01.88
so it really depends
on the university, so.
00:27:01.92\00:27:03.72
That's incredible. Yeah.
00:27:03.75\00:27:05.09
Funding to...
00:27:05.12\00:27:06.45
I'm just
thinking that's amazing.
00:27:06.49\00:27:07.89
A lot of times what
churches may not know is,
00:27:07.92\00:27:10.03
if you have a
registered student organization,
00:27:10.06\00:27:11.99
you have free access
to many of the buildings
00:27:12.03\00:27:14.86
like Campus to hold meetings.
00:27:14.90\00:27:17.13
And so that's a wonderful asset,
00:27:17.17\00:27:18.67
if you wanna do maybe a
short evangelistic meeting
00:27:18.70\00:27:21.47
or a health
seminar, these are places,
00:27:21.50\00:27:23.84
if you have a
registered student organization,
00:27:23.87\00:27:25.57
that you can reach the
Campus through this way.
00:27:25.61\00:27:26.94
Okay. Amen.
00:27:26.98\00:27:28.31
We were at a...
00:27:28.34\00:27:29.68
I was visiting one of our
public universities in Michigan
00:27:29.71\00:27:31.15
and it dawned on me the
impact that a young person
00:27:31.18\00:27:34.65
can have on a
university, we were,
00:27:34.68\00:27:37.19
it was a meeting of
religious student groups and...
00:27:37.22\00:27:42.32
So not just
Seventh-day Adventists?
00:27:42.36\00:27:43.69
Not just Seventh-day Adventists,
00:27:43.73\00:27:45.06
not even just Christians.
00:27:45.09\00:27:46.43
As a matter of fact,
00:27:46.46\00:27:47.80
we didn't have any
Adventist representation there.
00:27:47.83\00:27:49.16
It was all representation
from other student groups,
00:27:49.20\00:27:51.87
you had a Christian group, a
Muslim group, a Jewish group,
00:27:51.90\00:27:54.94
and they were
engaging with the university
00:27:54.97\00:27:57.07
and the university asked
them what can we do to support.
00:27:57.11\00:28:01.61
And the Muslim group
was saying, you know,
00:28:01.64\00:28:03.61
we were not able to observe
some of our religious holidays
00:28:03.65\00:28:06.38
because of exams,
00:28:06.41\00:28:08.28
or we would like to
see more prayer rooms
00:28:08.32\00:28:11.09
in the university so
that we don't have to run
00:28:11.12\00:28:13.72
all the way to
this other building
00:28:13.76\00:28:15.09
when we're on our way to a class
00:28:15.12\00:28:16.46
in a different building.
00:28:16.49\00:28:17.83
And the university
was listening to that.
00:28:17.86\00:28:21.20
And I thought to myself,
you know, this is a great way,
00:28:21.23\00:28:25.53
and I think that this is
what Ellen White had in mind
00:28:25.57\00:28:28.10
when she talked about
reaching these universities,
00:28:28.14\00:28:30.51
dropping seeds of truth.
00:28:30.54\00:28:32.24
She says that students
should engage on these campuses
00:28:32.27\00:28:35.11
and she says they
should live their lives.
00:28:35.14\00:28:36.48
Amen.
00:28:36.51\00:28:37.85
And as they observe the Sabbath,
00:28:37.88\00:28:39.21
as they stay consistent
with biblical teaching,
00:28:39.25\00:28:42.95
then people will
begin to ask them
00:28:42.98\00:28:45.12
about their
convictions, and they'll see,
00:28:45.15\00:28:48.46
they'll hear
them praying to Jesus,
00:28:48.49\00:28:50.66
instead of to anyone else,
00:28:50.69\00:28:52.03
they'll watch how
they live their lives
00:28:52.06\00:28:55.30
and she says they will
have the opportunities,
00:28:55.33\00:28:57.47
Adventist kids will
have the opportunity
00:28:57.50\00:28:59.43
to share seeds
of truth with them,
00:28:59.47\00:29:01.24
and she says,
many souls will be won.
00:29:01.27\00:29:03.17
Amen.
00:29:03.20\00:29:04.54
And so she
talks about this group
00:29:04.57\00:29:05.91
and the power of impact
in this public university.
00:29:05.94\00:29:10.28
And some universities
are very, very liberal
00:29:10.31\00:29:14.32
and so they allow
for pluralism of ideas,
00:29:14.35\00:29:18.25
others are not as liberal
00:29:18.29\00:29:19.79
and so it's more
difficult to engage the Campus
00:29:19.82\00:29:22.32
but we have time
00:29:22.36\00:29:23.76
and we have the
opportunity now to do the work.
00:29:23.79\00:29:25.63
And I believe that,
like in times of old,
00:29:25.66\00:29:28.76
revolutions and
reformations will take place
00:29:28.80\00:29:31.03
on these public universities
00:29:31.07\00:29:32.43
because of the lives
of these young people
00:29:32.47\00:29:34.20
that are living
modern, they're living modern,
00:29:34.24\00:29:37.77
Daniels and Esther's I think
on our university campuses.
00:29:37.81\00:29:41.04
Amen.
00:29:41.08\00:29:42.41
God has called
them for such a time.
00:29:42.44\00:29:44.11
That's precious.
00:29:44.15\00:29:45.48
Is there, I know obviously
every week or every day
00:29:45.51\00:29:49.35
schedule would look different,
00:29:49.38\00:29:50.72
but say someone were starting
00:29:50.75\00:29:52.09
in campus ministry
in a local university.
00:29:52.12\00:29:55.79
What would they do?
00:29:55.82\00:29:57.16
Would they hold meetings,
would they do prayer groups,
00:29:57.19\00:29:59.76
you would mention
to even evangelism
00:29:59.79\00:30:01.56
or what does it look like?
00:30:01.60\00:30:03.60
It would probably look like
00:30:03.63\00:30:05.13
depending on the
size of the student group,
00:30:05.17\00:30:07.97
we encourage every
student organization,
00:30:08.00\00:30:10.54
no matter how small they are,
00:30:10.57\00:30:12.14
to meet once a week
for Bible study and prayer.
00:30:12.17\00:30:14.08
Okay.
00:30:14.11\00:30:15.44
Even if it's just two,
00:30:15.48\00:30:16.81
even if there's just one person,
00:30:16.85\00:30:18.18
meet for prayer and Bible study,
00:30:18.21\00:30:19.95
and start off by
inviting people to join you.
00:30:19.98\00:30:24.09
Amen.
00:30:24.12\00:30:25.45
If you're a
student on a university,
00:30:25.49\00:30:26.86
you feel like you're
the only Adventist there,
00:30:26.89\00:30:29.96
pray, maybe God will show
you other Adventist young people
00:30:29.99\00:30:32.93
who are
attending that university.
00:30:32.96\00:30:34.30
In many cases that's a
reality, you think you're alone
00:30:34.33\00:30:37.77
but there are
other Adventist kids.
00:30:37.80\00:30:39.70
And then meet
every week and pray,
00:30:39.73\00:30:41.87
invite your
non-Adventist friends,
00:30:41.90\00:30:43.37
start a prayer list of people
00:30:43.41\00:30:44.74
that are in your
class many times.
00:30:44.77\00:30:46.37
God places us
in these classrooms
00:30:46.41\00:30:49.24
because there's
someone sitting next to us,
00:30:49.28\00:30:51.61
or a professor, or someone
00:30:51.65\00:30:52.98
that we're
coming in contact with
00:30:53.01\00:30:54.48
that God has
specifically placed there
00:30:54.52\00:30:58.02
through a divine appointment
so that we can engage with them
00:30:58.05\00:31:01.09
and share with
them what we know.
00:31:01.12\00:31:03.73
In larger universities or
in more established programs
00:31:03.76\00:31:09.06
like in Michigan,
00:31:09.10\00:31:10.43
we have a yearly calendar
00:31:10.47\00:31:11.80
and so the beginning of
every school year in September,
00:31:11.83\00:31:16.87
it's a very, very
strong time for us
00:31:16.91\00:31:18.94
to do evangelistic outreach.
00:31:18.97\00:31:20.94
And that's usually when will
try to impact the university.
00:31:20.98\00:31:26.41
Statistics show that,
students will make up their mind
00:31:26.45\00:31:30.52
for how they'll spend
their entire academic career
00:31:30.55\00:31:32.85
even within the first
month of their freshman year.
00:31:32.89\00:31:34.86
Oh, really.
00:31:34.89\00:31:36.22
And so it's important that we...
00:31:36.26\00:31:37.69
I did not know
that. Yeah, it's important
00:31:37.73\00:31:39.16
that we reach out
to them immediately.
00:31:39.19\00:31:41.60
Even our Adventist
kids will make decisions
00:31:41.63\00:31:43.73
that will impact
their entire academic life.
00:31:43.77\00:31:48.10
And what was those
statistics again, was it 50%?
00:31:48.14\00:31:51.64
Fifty percent according
to the General Conference
00:31:51.67\00:31:53.98
they say that about 50%
of our Adventist young people
00:31:54.01\00:31:56.81
will leave the church
by the time they're 35.
00:31:56.85\00:31:58.61
Yeah. That is really sad. Yeah.
00:31:58.65\00:32:00.58
And more than 70% are attending
non-Adventist universities,
00:32:00.62\00:32:04.22
and so a lot of people wonder
00:32:04.25\00:32:05.69
if there's a
correlation between the two.
00:32:05.72\00:32:07.59
As a matter of fact,
00:32:07.62\00:32:08.96
some numbers show
that 70% leave the church
00:32:08.99\00:32:10.96
and 70 % are on
public universities.
00:32:10.99\00:32:13.03
And so maybe there's a
relationship between the two.
00:32:13.06\00:32:16.33
I don't know if
there are many students
00:32:16.36\00:32:18.23
who go like Abe and Alanna,
00:32:18.27\00:32:19.77
they went to these
public universities,
00:32:19.80\00:32:21.44
and they not only
maintained their Adventist faith
00:32:21.47\00:32:24.61
but in many cases
it was strengthened.
00:32:24.64\00:32:26.44
Amen.
00:32:26.47\00:32:28.11
So it doesn't have to
be the case with everyone.
00:32:28.14\00:32:29.78
So, Abigail, tell us
then your experience,
00:32:29.81\00:32:32.51
then as far as at
the public university,
00:32:32.55\00:32:35.42
you know, for sharing
your faith, the opportunities
00:32:35.45\00:32:37.59
that you've had
to, yeah, I mean,
00:32:37.62\00:32:39.55
you know, you see a need
00:32:39.59\00:32:40.92
and you know you have
to grasp it right then
00:32:40.96\00:32:42.76
and there to, I don't know
you invite them to your group?
00:32:42.79\00:32:45.93
Yeah.
00:32:45.96\00:32:47.30
Yeah, so like Israel was saying
00:32:47.33\00:32:49.90
there's a lot of planned events
00:32:49.93\00:32:52.53
involved in
having a campus group.
00:32:52.57\00:32:56.27
So, usually we'll
do a lot of evangelism
00:32:56.30\00:32:59.34
at the beginning of the year.
00:32:59.37\00:33:00.88
So the first week of classes,
00:33:00.91\00:33:04.15
we'll just hit
evangelism really, really hard.
00:33:04.18\00:33:06.75
We'll rent out a
table in our student union,
00:33:06.78\00:33:09.98
and we'll just have surveys,
00:33:10.02\00:33:11.59
and we'll be
talking to students.
00:33:11.62\00:33:12.95
We're not allowed to go
00:33:12.99\00:33:15.09
and you know,
like pull students in,
00:33:15.12\00:33:16.99
but if they just see
you there they always ask,
00:33:17.03\00:33:19.89
especially if
it's the first week
00:33:19.93\00:33:21.26
in their freshman they're like,
00:33:21.30\00:33:22.63
what are these
people doing here?
00:33:22.66\00:33:24.00
I don't know
what I'm doing here?
00:33:24.03\00:33:25.37
Like and they're
always looking for friends,
00:33:25.40\00:33:26.74
that's the great thing
about college campuses.
00:33:26.77\00:33:30.24
And especially with
freshmen they're new there,
00:33:30.27\00:33:33.04
it might be their
first time away from home
00:33:33.07\00:33:35.31
and they don't
know anybody there,
00:33:35.34\00:33:37.91
and they don't
know where anything is,
00:33:37.95\00:33:39.98
and so they're
looking for friends.
00:33:40.02\00:33:42.35
And so if you just
present yourself as someone
00:33:42.38\00:33:44.59
who's friendly and
willing to be their friend,
00:33:44.62\00:33:46.79
they tend to do anything
that you want to go and do,
00:33:46.82\00:33:50.13
which is
dangerous in some senses.
00:33:50.16\00:33:51.49
Yeah.
00:33:51.53\00:33:52.86
But in our sense
it's obviously...
00:33:52.89\00:33:54.56
Oh, yes, spiritually.
00:33:54.60\00:33:55.93
Yes, spiritually good.
00:33:55.96\00:33:57.30
So, yeah, we hit the
evangelism really hard
00:33:57.33\00:33:59.90
at the beginning of the year.
00:33:59.93\00:34:01.27
So what are these surveys?
00:34:01.30\00:34:02.64
You said you have surveys.
00:34:02.67\00:34:04.01
Right. What would that be?
00:34:04.04\00:34:05.37
So it's kind of like
the door-knocking survey,
00:34:05.41\00:34:08.18
so basically you say
just basic questions,
00:34:08.21\00:34:10.88
do you believe
in the Son of God?
00:34:10.91\00:34:12.25
Who did you think Jesus was?
00:34:12.28\00:34:13.75
And just, are there
any Bibles in your home?
00:34:13.78\00:34:17.45
You know, that kind of stuff.
00:34:17.49\00:34:18.82
It's like an assessment. Yeah.
00:34:18.85\00:34:20.19
A religious
interest type of survey.
00:34:20.22\00:34:22.16
And then at the
end we always ask,
00:34:22.19\00:34:24.46
if you had the chance would
you be studying the Bible more?
00:34:24.49\00:34:26.80
Amen. They say, yes.
00:34:26.83\00:34:28.16
And we ask, well, we
can offer you Bible studies,
00:34:28.20\00:34:30.87
and then that's how we
get our Bible study interest
00:34:30.90\00:34:33.30
from our contacts.
00:34:33.34\00:34:34.67
So it's difficult I think
00:34:34.70\00:34:37.24
'cause just as a
student to talk to people
00:34:37.27\00:34:40.61
in your classes,
00:34:40.64\00:34:41.98
I think is more difficult
than just standing there
00:34:42.01\00:34:44.65
and having people walk by
00:34:44.68\00:34:47.48
because when
they're in your class,
00:34:47.52\00:34:49.25
you know you're going to
see them the whole semester.
00:34:49.28\00:34:51.29
That's right.
00:34:51.32\00:34:52.65
And I think personally,
00:34:52.69\00:34:54.02
I struggled with the idea
of talking to my classmates
00:34:54.06\00:34:59.06
because I didn't want
to be that religious girl,
00:34:59.09\00:35:02.53
you know, like I didn't
want to be that religious girl
00:35:02.56\00:35:04.60
the one that everybody's
like, oh, well, she is just,
00:35:04.63\00:35:06.67
you know, she's just
like that Jesus girl.
00:35:06.70\00:35:09.00
But then I realized I was like,
00:35:09.04\00:35:10.47
what's so bad about
being the religious girl.
00:35:10.51\00:35:12.31
Thank you.
00:35:12.34\00:35:13.68
There isn't
anything bad about that.
00:35:13.71\00:35:15.04
Exactly. There is
nothing wrong with that.
00:35:15.08\00:35:16.41
And so I was
like, you know what,
00:35:16.44\00:35:17.78
I'm just gonna do it,
00:35:17.81\00:35:19.15
'cause that's what I'm here for,
00:35:19.18\00:35:20.52
if I'm at a public university
00:35:20.55\00:35:21.88
and I'm involved
in campus ministries,
00:35:21.92\00:35:24.25
this is what God
has called me to do,
00:35:24.29\00:35:26.19
this is what I'm here for.
00:35:26.22\00:35:27.96
How would you say your
walk with God has grown
00:35:27.99\00:35:30.33
or been strengthened
00:35:30.36\00:35:31.69
as a result of
being involved in Campus?
00:35:31.73\00:35:33.96
Well, I think it's
definitely, it's obviously,
00:35:34.00\00:35:37.27
very definitely grown.
00:35:37.30\00:35:38.67
It's grown in that
I've been able to talk
00:35:41.74\00:35:44.71
to more people before...
00:35:44.74\00:35:48.04
Last summer I went
canvassing actually,
00:35:48.08\00:35:50.58
and so I learned some
conversational skills,
00:35:50.61\00:35:53.08
but before that,
before going to college
00:35:53.11\00:35:56.89
I was kind of an
introverted girl.
00:35:56.92\00:35:58.65
Okay.
00:35:58.69\00:36:00.02
I did like talking to people
00:36:00.06\00:36:01.39
but I didn't really know how to.
00:36:01.42\00:36:02.76
And when you go to college,
00:36:02.79\00:36:04.13
you need to talk to
people to make friends.
00:36:04.16\00:36:06.63
And so being
involved in Campus like,
00:36:06.66\00:36:09.36
making friends with
the purpose of saving them,
00:36:09.40\00:36:12.63
giving them
salvation through Jesus Christ
00:36:12.67\00:36:15.17
is a big motivation to
actually talk to people.
00:36:15.20\00:36:17.74
Amen.
00:36:17.77\00:36:19.11
So I made a lot of
friends through Campus
00:36:19.14\00:36:22.14
and that really
strengthened my bond
00:36:22.18\00:36:24.51
with sharing
what I believe in...
00:36:24.55\00:36:27.28
Yes. With other
people around me.
00:36:27.32\00:36:29.05
Amen.
00:36:29.08\00:36:30.65
So we're talking statistics,
00:36:30.69\00:36:32.69
we're talking some
practical application,
00:36:32.72\00:36:34.86
but what about testimonies?
00:36:34.89\00:36:36.62
What about stories of
people that you've worked with
00:36:36.66\00:36:39.59
and their lives
have been changed?
00:36:39.63\00:36:40.96
I don't know who wants to share,
00:36:41.00\00:36:42.33
I know you have several.
00:36:42.36\00:36:43.70
Yeah.
00:36:43.73\00:36:45.07
I can, you know, as a pastor
of Public Campus Ministry,
00:36:45.10\00:36:47.04
its impact on the local
church is beyond measure.
00:36:47.07\00:36:50.57
It does have some
casualties, you know,
00:36:50.61\00:36:53.24
that you bring
a student group in
00:36:53.27\00:36:54.78
and your potluck bill
is gonna go super high.
00:36:54.81\00:36:57.95
Your electricity bill
is gonna go super high
00:36:57.98\00:37:01.05
'cause they're
meeting at the church.
00:37:01.08\00:37:02.52
And so there are, you
know, it is an investment.
00:37:02.55\00:37:04.65
Oh, it is.
00:37:04.69\00:37:06.02
But the rewards are significant
when we, when we went,
00:37:06.05\00:37:09.32
when I was pastoring
in the Upper Peninsula,
00:37:09.36\00:37:10.93
we had a very, very small church
00:37:10.96\00:37:12.89
and I had the
privilege of pastoring there,
00:37:12.93\00:37:17.07
the small
congregation right near
00:37:17.10\00:37:18.87
the University Michigan Tech,
00:37:18.90\00:37:20.87
and it is around that
time that Alanna came.
00:37:20.90\00:37:23.00
And she became
our student president
00:37:23.04\00:37:26.57
couple years later.
00:37:26.61\00:37:28.61
When we first got there,
00:37:28.64\00:37:29.98
when Judy and I first
got to that church in Holden,
00:37:30.01\00:37:34.48
the church member
said we have a passion
00:37:34.52\00:37:35.88
for Public Campus Ministry,
00:37:35.92\00:37:37.25
we haven't seen young
people here in a long time.
00:37:37.29\00:37:39.35
And it is around that time that
the student organization took,
00:37:39.39\00:37:43.22
you know, took
wings and began to fly.
00:37:43.26\00:37:45.36
And having Alanna
there and the student group
00:37:45.39\00:37:47.70
just switched the entire dynamic
00:37:47.73\00:37:49.50
of the church around.
00:37:49.53\00:37:50.87
Wow.
00:37:50.90\00:37:52.23
The young people came,
00:37:52.27\00:37:53.60
became integrated
into local church,
00:37:53.64\00:37:54.97
we even had a
collegiate Sabbath every month
00:37:55.00\00:37:56.71
where we had
the students preach,
00:37:56.74\00:37:59.37
and they'd invite their friends,
00:37:59.41\00:38:00.84
they themselves
would give the sermon.
00:38:00.88\00:38:02.84
As a pastor, you know,
you sit there you think, man,
00:38:02.88\00:38:04.58
I can probably
preach better than them
00:38:04.61\00:38:05.95
but Lord, you
know, why did I do this?
00:38:05.98\00:38:10.42
But the impact that young people
00:38:10.45\00:38:12.62
have on their
own is significant,
00:38:12.65\00:38:13.99
it's greater than anything else.
00:38:14.02\00:38:15.36
Amen.
00:38:15.39\00:38:16.73
Even than people
with great messages
00:38:16.76\00:38:18.19
like the pastors' preaching.
00:38:18.23\00:38:19.79
And so Alanna coming there
00:38:19.83\00:38:21.16
and starting that
student organization
00:38:21.20\00:38:22.56
just completely
revolutionized our church.
00:38:22.60\00:38:25.33
You know, it's
interesting, Alanna,
00:38:25.37\00:38:26.70
'cause I'm thinking then
00:38:26.74\00:38:28.07
because you
mentioned you were working,
00:38:28.10\00:38:29.70
then you did
literature evangelism work,
00:38:29.74\00:38:31.61
then you felt it changed
00:38:31.64\00:38:32.97
and what God maybe
wanted to do in your life,
00:38:33.01\00:38:34.34
then you went back to
school, or you went to school?
00:38:34.38\00:38:36.54
Well, I really
actually wasn't interested
00:38:36.58\00:38:39.08
in going to school at all.
00:38:39.11\00:38:41.58
My interest was
Campus Ministries
00:38:41.62\00:38:43.55
and through Campus I
had really been praying
00:38:43.59\00:38:46.45
where God had called me
in terms of life-calling
00:38:46.49\00:38:49.49
and I really felt Him calling me
00:38:49.52\00:38:50.86
to Public Campus Ministry
00:38:50.89\00:38:52.23
'cause there are so few
people that are doing it.
00:38:52.26\00:38:53.70
In terms of population these are
00:38:53.73\00:38:55.56
one of the most unentered
areas in terms of ministry
00:38:55.60\00:38:58.03
that we have in
the United States.
00:38:58.07\00:38:59.40
It's amazing.
00:38:59.43\00:39:00.77
So when I was at Michigan Tech,
00:39:00.80\00:39:02.14
I was there for
and they send me up
00:39:02.17\00:39:03.57
to assist Israel and
Judy in the local church
00:39:03.61\00:39:06.41
because a local church
really wanted to start something
00:39:06.44\00:39:08.34
at that university.
00:39:08.38\00:39:10.21
And so I was
there for about a year,
00:39:10.25\00:39:11.95
working with the
students over there,
00:39:11.98\00:39:13.31
and it's very difficult
to get them to come out
00:39:13.35\00:39:14.82
because it's a, I
mean, Michigan Tech
00:39:14.85\00:39:16.85
is a difficult
school academically.
00:39:16.89\00:39:18.65
Okay.
00:39:18.69\00:39:20.22
And so it was very
difficult to get them
00:39:20.26\00:39:22.79
to come out to Bible studies,
00:39:22.82\00:39:24.49
they, we'd see them at
church and they would leave.
00:39:24.53\00:39:27.46
And so I began to pray about
what God would have me to do
00:39:27.50\00:39:31.07
and so I decided to
be a student missionary
00:39:31.10\00:39:33.37
at Michigan Tech.
00:39:33.40\00:39:34.74
And that's when I
decided to go back to school,
00:39:34.77\00:39:37.01
with no intention of graduating
00:39:37.04\00:39:38.47
but at least get the
student organization started.
00:39:38.51\00:39:41.01
Be a missionary. That
is absolutely incredible.
00:39:41.04\00:39:42.38
Amen.
00:39:42.41\00:39:43.75
I don't know that
I've ever met anybody
00:39:43.78\00:39:45.11
that's decided to go
to school as a missionary.
00:39:45.15\00:39:47.12
Just to be a mission. Yeah.
00:39:47.15\00:39:48.48
With no intention on graduation.
00:39:48.52\00:39:49.85
It takes a crazy
person to do that.
00:39:49.88\00:39:51.25
Thank you.
00:39:51.29\00:39:53.22
So you all know
each other very well.
00:39:53.25\00:39:55.96
That's amazing.
00:39:55.99\00:39:57.33
Well, while living in the UP,
00:39:57.36\00:39:58.69
you go through
something together.
00:39:58.73\00:40:00.06
And, you know, and
we need crazy people,
00:40:00.10\00:40:01.90
we need crazy
students who want to do that.
00:40:01.93\00:40:03.83
Amen.
00:40:03.87\00:40:05.20
And there was, if I
could share one story?
00:40:05.23\00:40:06.63
Please. We want some.
00:40:06.67\00:40:08.00
When I arrived over there,
00:40:08.04\00:40:09.37
there was one student
that we sometimes would see
00:40:09.40\00:40:12.57
in Sabbath for a few hours
00:40:12.61\00:40:14.51
but then we would
never see him again
00:40:14.54\00:40:15.88
for the rest of
week, his name was Kevin.
00:40:15.91\00:40:18.25
And he, we started
to get him to come out
00:40:18.28\00:40:21.52
by having him
organized like social events.
00:40:21.55\00:40:25.85
He knew the area very well
00:40:25.89\00:40:27.22
so he would take
us to different places
00:40:27.26\00:40:28.59
on Sabbath afternoon.
00:40:28.62\00:40:29.96
Or Israel and Judy would
always open up their home
00:40:29.99\00:40:33.06
and the students
would come over there.
00:40:33.09\00:40:35.43
And slowly but surely,
00:40:35.46\00:40:36.97
he started coming
out more and more,
00:40:37.00\00:40:38.33
and I remember having
a conversation with him
00:40:38.37\00:40:40.87
towards just
before his senior year
00:40:40.90\00:40:43.57
and I asked him I was like,
00:40:43.61\00:40:44.94
you know, I think you need
to be the president next year.
00:40:44.97\00:40:47.38
And mind you, again he is
still kind of like in and out.
00:40:47.41\00:40:51.01
Sure.
00:40:51.05\00:40:52.38
But I think the biggest thing
00:40:52.41\00:40:53.75
that changed for
him at that point
00:40:53.78\00:40:55.62
was not necessarily
the call of me saying,
00:40:55.65\00:40:59.79
you need to be the president,
00:40:59.82\00:41:01.16
but getting involved
in the collegiate Sabbath
00:41:01.19\00:41:02.52
the local church.
00:41:02.56\00:41:03.93
And particularly he seemed
00:41:03.96\00:41:05.29
that he was called
there for a purpose,
00:41:05.33\00:41:07.96
you know, If he were to share,
00:41:08.00\00:41:10.50
if he was here and he were
to share his testimony to you,
00:41:10.53\00:41:12.73
he would say
that Campus help him
00:41:12.77\00:41:14.47
to see that he had a purpose,
00:41:14.50\00:41:16.40
you know, he was kind
of a nominal Adventist
00:41:16.44\00:41:18.07
just kind of like
going through the motions
00:41:18.11\00:41:20.14
and going to church.
00:41:20.18\00:41:21.51
You know, by the
time Sabbath came,
00:41:21.54\00:41:22.88
he was pretty tired.
00:41:22.91\00:41:24.25
But now he's an
elder in his church
00:41:24.28\00:41:26.58
and he's ministering there,
00:41:26.61\00:41:27.95
when he graduated
he was a youth leader
00:41:27.98\00:41:29.32
in his local church.
00:41:29.35\00:41:30.69
Praise the Lord.
00:41:30.72\00:41:32.05
And he will tell
you today that it was
00:41:32.09\00:41:33.42
because of the
Campus Ministry there
00:41:33.46\00:41:34.79
and especially the local church,
00:41:34.82\00:41:36.16
he was one of the
students that said that
00:41:36.19\00:41:37.63
we need to begin
praying for revival
00:41:37.66\00:41:39.19
in the local church.
00:41:39.23\00:41:40.56
And so we began to
meet earlier in the morning
00:41:40.60\00:41:43.33
before church started,
00:41:43.37\00:41:44.70
we come and meet in the church
00:41:44.73\00:41:46.07
and begin to pray for
revival in that church.
00:41:46.10\00:41:47.70
And he did become
then the president
00:41:47.74\00:41:49.77
in his senior year.
00:41:49.80\00:41:51.27
And so he was
such a blessing to us.
00:41:51.31\00:41:54.28
That's neat, isn't it to see
00:41:54.31\00:41:55.64
how God works in someone's life,
00:41:55.68\00:41:57.15
and that's amazing too
because young people, you know,
00:41:57.18\00:41:59.01
especially if you're
in school, it's like, boy,
00:41:59.05\00:42:00.55
Saturday
morning, Sabbath morning
00:42:00.58\00:42:02.22
is the day to sleep in.
00:42:02.25\00:42:03.59
And here they're earlier
than church, started, right?
00:42:03.62\00:42:05.65
Just to pray for
revival. Amazing.
00:42:05.69\00:42:08.02
And what's amazing is,
00:42:08.06\00:42:09.39
you know, it's
not a huge church,
00:42:09.42\00:42:12.26
it's, I mean,
there are 70 people
00:42:12.29\00:42:14.40
in the church books,
00:42:14.43\00:42:15.83
there's maybe 30
people coming out to church.
00:42:15.86\00:42:17.97
And Alanna comes, the
student ministry starts,
00:42:18.00\00:42:24.01
and immediately, I think
within the first couple of weeks
00:42:24.04\00:42:26.74
we met young lady.
00:42:26.78\00:42:28.44
her name was Edilisa,
00:42:28.48\00:42:29.81
she's from Lower Michigan
studying at Michigan Tech.
00:42:29.84\00:42:33.72
She became our first student,
00:42:33.75\00:42:36.12
our first president for
our student organization.
00:42:36.15\00:42:39.45
And we asked, "Hey, do you
know of any other people here
00:42:39.49\00:42:42.46
that are studying
at the university?"
00:42:42.49\00:42:43.93
She gave us a few names of
other Adventist young people
00:42:43.96\00:42:45.93
that were there.
00:42:45.96\00:42:47.30
One of the guys who was there
was a PhD student from Kenya.
00:42:47.33\00:42:51.00
Okay. His name is Edward.
00:42:51.03\00:42:53.34
And we contacted Edward,
Edward started coming out,
00:42:53.37\00:42:56.60
we had conservation with him,
00:42:56.64\00:42:57.97
he said, "Hey, I've been
going to the Lutheran Church
00:42:58.01\00:42:59.87
with my wife, she's a Lutheran."
00:42:59.91\00:43:02.14
And so we invited him
00:43:02.18\00:43:03.51
to come back to
the Adventist church,
00:43:03.55\00:43:04.88
he started coming.
00:43:04.91\00:43:06.25
And his wife said, you
know, it's fine for him to come
00:43:06.28\00:43:09.38
but I will never
become, personally,
00:43:09.42\00:43:11.15
I will never become a
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:43:11.19\00:43:13.29
And the student
group just rallied
00:43:13.32\00:43:15.99
and we had more and
more meetings together
00:43:16.02\00:43:18.29
and they'd come for
vespers on Friday night
00:43:18.33\00:43:21.23
and Edward would help lead out,
00:43:21.26\00:43:22.83
he was a PhD student, he
would help lead out in that,
00:43:22.86\00:43:25.67
and the students
would come together
00:43:25.70\00:43:27.90
and we'd have social
nights together and so forth.
00:43:27.94\00:43:30.41
And little by little,
00:43:30.44\00:43:31.87
the Adventist church
started impacting Marianne,
00:43:31.91\00:43:34.11
Marianne
started coming to church
00:43:34.14\00:43:35.48
to support her husband.
00:43:35.51\00:43:36.85
Amen.
00:43:36.88\00:43:38.21
And before they left
back to their home country,
00:43:38.25\00:43:40.25
she became a
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:43:40.28\00:43:41.92
And now they
have a young family,
00:43:41.95\00:43:43.28
he's a professor out
in one of the universities
00:43:43.32\00:43:45.29
in Kenya, a public university.
00:43:45.32\00:43:47.09
They're strong,
solid Adventists.
00:43:47.12\00:43:49.16
Amen.
00:43:49.19\00:43:50.53
And, you know, in
this situation you wonder
00:43:50.56\00:43:52.26
what would have
happened to Edward
00:43:52.29\00:43:54.56
if Alanna had not been there?
00:43:54.60\00:43:56.56
What would have
happened to his wife,
00:43:56.60\00:43:58.33
if the student
ministry didn't start?
00:43:58.37\00:44:00.57
Later on Edilisa was dating
this gentleman named Andy,
00:44:00.60\00:44:04.11
who was not
Adventist at the time,
00:44:04.14\00:44:06.17
and there was a
big struggle there,
00:44:06.21\00:44:07.58
you know, this
gentleman was an atheist,
00:44:07.61\00:44:09.38
he was straight from Cuba,
00:44:09.41\00:44:10.75
he knew absolutely
nothing about the Bible.
00:44:10.78\00:44:13.92
And I remember her struggling
00:44:13.95\00:44:16.69
and one time she just
breaking down thinking
00:44:16.72\00:44:18.92
what in the world am I
gonna do, I love this guy,
00:44:18.95\00:44:21.62
but he's not Adventist
00:44:21.66\00:44:23.19
and how do I
reconcile this situation,
00:44:23.22\00:44:26.09
if we get married?
00:44:26.13\00:44:27.46
How's it gonna impact my
life, the life of my children?
00:44:27.50\00:44:30.03
She didn't know what to
do, and she prayed about it.
00:44:30.07\00:44:34.50
The Lord, you know,
00:44:34.54\00:44:36.00
ultimately worked out
something in that situation
00:44:36.04\00:44:38.64
so that Andy wanted
to have Bible studies.
00:44:38.67\00:44:41.08
And so we gave
Andy Bible studies,
00:44:41.11\00:44:42.54
it's funny 'cause one
of our first Bible studies
00:44:42.58\00:44:44.85
he wanted to meet Moses,
00:44:44.88\00:44:46.21
you know, he wanted
me to introduce to Moses.
00:44:46.25\00:44:49.15
And I said, that's going to
be very hard, Moses is dead,
00:44:49.18\00:44:51.85
and then someone
corrected me Moses is not dead,
00:44:51.89\00:44:53.69
he's alive but...
00:44:53.72\00:44:55.06
Yeah, right.
00:44:55.09\00:44:56.42
So, but it still be
hard, and so little by little,
00:44:56.46\00:45:00.26
we started giving
Bible studies to Andy,
00:45:00.30\00:45:01.76
I remember when we were dealing
with one of the time prophecies
00:45:01.80\00:45:04.43
and we were going
through the Bible,
00:45:04.47\00:45:06.90
and he was studying engineering.
00:45:06.94\00:45:09.77
We were studying the
Bible every Sabbath afternoon,
00:45:09.80\00:45:12.34
he'd come over to my house
00:45:12.37\00:45:13.71
and we'd study
for about three hours.
00:45:13.74\00:45:15.21
And as we're going
through the time prophecies,
00:45:15.24\00:45:20.05
where I'm trying to build up,
00:45:20.08\00:45:21.62
I'm trying to build up
and then he asks the question,
00:45:21.65\00:45:23.75
"So what happened in 1844?"
00:45:23.79\00:45:25.85
And he'd calculated,
00:45:25.89\00:45:28.52
he done the math and he
said before I got to it.
00:45:28.56\00:45:31.06
And this is the type of yearning
00:45:31.09\00:45:32.83
and desire that
he had that built up
00:45:32.86\00:45:35.60
and now Andy is a,
00:45:35.63\00:45:36.97
he's a leader in one
of his local churches
00:45:37.00\00:45:38.73
here in Illinois.
00:45:38.77\00:45:40.10
Amen.
00:45:40.14\00:45:41.47
They have a young family,
00:45:41.50\00:45:42.84
both of them are
strong Seventh-day Adventists,
00:45:42.87\00:45:45.01
I had the privilege of
marrying Andy and Edilisa.
00:45:45.04\00:45:47.58
I was just gonna ask you. Yeah.
00:45:47.61\00:45:49.08
So he, they got married,
okay. Yeah, they got married.
00:45:49.11\00:45:50.58
And it's just amazing to
see the chain effect, you know,
00:45:50.61\00:45:57.25
you have Alanna coming
up to the Upper Peninsula,
00:45:57.29\00:46:00.56
she enrolls for
the singular purpose
00:46:00.59\00:46:03.56
of being a missionary
on that public university,
00:46:03.59\00:46:05.99
and we can tell you more stories
00:46:06.03\00:46:07.36
about what has
happened up there,
00:46:07.40\00:46:09.10
but person after person,
00:46:09.13\00:46:12.07
just rededicating or
dedicating for the first time
00:46:12.10\00:46:15.00
their lives to the Lord Jesus.
00:46:15.04\00:46:16.54
And the significant thing
about these people is that,
00:46:16.57\00:46:21.28
not only are they
becoming Seventh-day Adventist
00:46:21.31\00:46:23.18
but they're becoming
leaders in their local churches.
00:46:23.21\00:46:25.91
And that's... Yeah.
Yeah, that's the key.
00:46:25.95\00:46:27.28
That's the goal of ministry.
00:46:27.32\00:46:29.65
Young people, we shouldn't
just be thinking about,
00:46:29.68\00:46:32.59
well, let's keep
them in the church,
00:46:32.62\00:46:34.19
you know, we should be thinking
00:46:34.22\00:46:35.56
how can we
empower these young people
00:46:35.59\00:46:37.06
to serve as leaders
in our local churches
00:46:37.09\00:46:40.00
and also as leaders
in their own fields.
00:46:40.03\00:46:43.47
And, you know,
Edward's at a public university,
00:46:43.50\00:46:45.83
Andy was
working for Caterpillar,
00:46:45.87\00:46:47.20
I don't know if he still is.
00:46:47.24\00:46:48.97
But you have these people
00:46:49.00\00:46:50.34
that are serving as leaders
in their own working fields
00:46:50.37\00:46:53.58
and in their
local churches as well.
00:46:53.61\00:46:54.94
Amen.
00:46:54.98\00:46:56.31
You know, we started out toward
the beginning of this program
00:46:56.34\00:46:58.21
mentioning that this is
00:46:58.25\00:46:59.65
it's everybody's,
everyone's ministry.
00:46:59.68\00:47:01.02
Yes.
00:47:01.05\00:47:02.38
Because somebody
at home is thinking,
00:47:02.42\00:47:03.75
"Okay, so whatever age
I'm way past university age,
00:47:03.79\00:47:08.69
how can I be that everyone,
00:47:08.72\00:47:10.86
so to speak, I
mean, that's like,
00:47:10.89\00:47:12.23
okay, good for
them young people,
00:47:12.26\00:47:13.66
they're in school
that's not for me."
00:47:13.70\00:47:15.46
So explain how this
is everyone's ministry?
00:47:15.50\00:47:18.43
Well, if you
drive down the freeway,
00:47:18.47\00:47:19.80
you'll see some
of those billboards
00:47:19.83\00:47:21.17
where there's a graduate,
00:47:21.20\00:47:22.54
the oldest graduate
was like 100-years-old.
00:47:22.57\00:47:24.64
So everyone can
go back to school.
00:47:24.67\00:47:26.37
That's true. Thank you, okay.
00:47:26.41\00:47:27.74
But Abe, Abigail is a
student at Western Michigan
00:47:27.78\00:47:31.71
maybe she can share
with us a little bit
00:47:31.75\00:47:33.15
of how the
local church can help.
00:47:33.18\00:47:35.22
That's good. Yeah.
00:47:35.25\00:47:36.58
Personally our
Campus group is actually,
00:47:36.62\00:47:39.25
it's got support from
the multiple local churches
00:47:39.29\00:47:42.89
so we have support
from the Kalamazoo church,
00:47:42.92\00:47:44.76
Battle Creek church,
00:47:44.79\00:47:46.29
we have some students
that go to the Paw Paw church
00:47:46.33\00:47:48.06
around there in Michigan.
00:47:48.10\00:47:49.43
And we always encourage
00:47:49.46\00:47:52.43
the church
members to get involved.
00:47:52.47\00:47:54.84
I know, personally, my parents
00:47:54.87\00:47:56.57
go to the Hispanic
church in Battle Creek
00:47:56.60\00:47:58.97
and they come out
on vespers to help,
00:47:59.01\00:48:01.31
they help with
them, giving the message.
00:48:01.34\00:48:04.38
My dad does,
00:48:04.41\00:48:05.75
my mom will help providing food.
00:48:05.78\00:48:09.18
We also have other
programs around the year.
00:48:09.22\00:48:11.82
We have a health
expo coming up as well.
00:48:11.85\00:48:14.26
And we encourage
the church members
00:48:14.29\00:48:15.99
to help in anyway that they can.
00:48:16.02\00:48:18.33
I know there's a lot
of health professionals
00:48:18.36\00:48:20.50
in the Adventist church.
00:48:20.53\00:48:22.06
And so we're always
open for help from them
00:48:22.10\00:48:25.33
as well to help us with that.
00:48:25.37\00:48:27.84
And just going
to just supporting,
00:48:27.87\00:48:29.94
just being there for the events
that the students have planned,
00:48:29.97\00:48:34.54
it means a lot to the students.
00:48:34.58\00:48:36.44
Us as students,
00:48:36.48\00:48:38.71
we're always a
little bit insecure
00:48:38.75\00:48:40.08
about what we plan,
the things that we plan,
00:48:40.12\00:48:41.82
the events that we plan,
00:48:41.85\00:48:43.55
and we're always
insecure about them failing
00:48:43.59\00:48:47.69
but just having the
church members there,
00:48:47.72\00:48:49.36
just having people
there to support you,
00:48:49.39\00:48:51.36
even if it does fail
00:48:51.39\00:48:52.89
just knowing
that there were people
00:48:52.93\00:48:54.43
there to fail with you is,
00:48:54.46\00:48:58.40
you know, it's comforting and,
00:48:58.43\00:49:00.80
you know, usually
when there's more people
00:49:00.84\00:49:02.17
it probably won't fail so...
00:49:02.20\00:49:04.57
So, Alanna, I'm
thinking then there's
00:49:04.61\00:49:06.04
so there's universities around
basically every major city,
00:49:06.07\00:49:09.64
you may not
have one in your town
00:49:09.68\00:49:11.31
but you know of one close by.
00:49:11.35\00:49:13.18
And so let's say,
you have no student
00:49:13.21\00:49:14.88
there at your local church,
00:49:14.92\00:49:16.25
you want to start
a Campus ministry,
00:49:16.28\00:49:17.65
you don't have anyone
00:49:17.69\00:49:19.02
that's actually
attending the university.
00:49:19.05\00:49:20.92
How would you encourage
someone to actually start
00:49:20.96\00:49:22.39
something as a
ministry, as an outreach,
00:49:22.42\00:49:23.99
and mission field in their
local university or college?
00:49:24.03\00:49:27.03
The first thing I suggest
is people to pray for students.
00:49:27.06\00:49:29.93
I remember one year
00:49:29.96\00:49:31.30
we didn't have any
students coming back at Tech
00:49:31.33\00:49:33.17
and we prayed and God send
us eight Adventist students.
00:49:33.20\00:49:35.34
Oh. Wow.
00:49:35.37\00:49:36.71
Which is very unusual
for such a small university.
00:49:36.74\00:49:39.61
And every time I've seen
local churches pray for God
00:49:39.64\00:49:41.88
to send converted Seventh-day
Adventist Christians,
00:49:41.91\00:49:45.01
God has answered that prayer.
00:49:45.05\00:49:47.02
So that's the first
thing I would say is pray.
00:49:47.05\00:49:48.82
Secondly is, just visit or ask,
00:49:48.85\00:49:53.29
take a poll from your members,
00:49:53.32\00:49:57.06
and ask them if
they know of anyone
00:49:57.09\00:49:58.76
in the area that's attending.
00:49:58.79\00:50:00.56
A lot of times some
member has a granddaughter
00:50:00.60\00:50:03.20
that's attending
at certain university
00:50:03.23\00:50:05.60
and visiting them and
saying, "How are you doing?
00:50:05.63\00:50:07.17
Is there anything that
we can be praying for?"
00:50:07.20\00:50:09.47
At the beginning
of the school year
00:50:09.50\00:50:11.14
having a certain time
to dedicate those students
00:50:11.17\00:50:13.51
that are there for
the year that's coming,
00:50:13.54\00:50:16.75
and they can even,
00:50:16.78\00:50:18.15
pastors can
actually go to the university
00:50:18.18\00:50:20.68
and ask them
00:50:20.72\00:50:22.05
if there is any
of their constituents
00:50:22.08\00:50:24.15
at that university.
00:50:24.19\00:50:25.52
So oftentimes when the students
enroll in that university,
00:50:25.55\00:50:28.26
they'll mark what
religious preference they are
00:50:28.29\00:50:30.43
and they keep that record.
00:50:30.46\00:50:31.79
And the pastor can take a letter
00:50:31.83\00:50:33.19
from an official
letter asking for those names
00:50:33.23\00:50:36.13
and they can visit them.
00:50:36.16\00:50:37.50
And so that's another way
00:50:37.53\00:50:38.87
that they can find
students that are on the campus,
00:50:38.90\00:50:40.24
but the biggest
thing is praying...
00:50:40.27\00:50:41.60
Amen.
00:50:41.64\00:50:42.97
And then
providing food on Sabbath,
00:50:43.00\00:50:44.34
potluck is a great way to I
mean food attracts students.
00:50:44.37\00:50:46.88
Oh, of course. Oh, yeah.
00:50:46.91\00:50:48.34
So... Yeah, like bees to honey.
00:50:48.38\00:50:49.71
So, just meeting the needs,
00:50:49.74\00:50:51.08
meeting the needs of
the students that do come
00:50:51.11\00:50:53.35
and praying for
God to send people.
00:50:53.38\00:50:54.72
Yeah, that's great. Fantastic.
00:50:54.75\00:50:56.28
We're almost out of time,
00:50:56.32\00:50:57.65
we're almost gonna go
to your address roll here,
00:50:57.69\00:50:59.05
but, Israel, can
you take 30 seconds
00:50:59.09\00:51:00.59
and just talk to us about
the retreats, the conferences,
00:51:00.62\00:51:04.39
and what that's involved?
00:51:04.43\00:51:06.19
Yeah, so bringing
the young people together
00:51:06.23\00:51:08.23
is very critical, especially
00:51:08.26\00:51:09.70
'cause many of
them are feeling alone
00:51:09.73\00:51:11.37
on these public universities.
00:51:11.40\00:51:12.73
And so we, at Campus
we hold multiple retreats
00:51:12.77\00:51:15.30
throughout the year.
00:51:15.34\00:51:16.67
We encourage our
young people to come,
00:51:16.71\00:51:18.04
we start off the school
year with our fall retreat.
00:51:18.07\00:51:20.58
Abigail talked
about the High C retreat
00:51:20.61\00:51:22.61
where we bring in college
and high school kids together.
00:51:22.64\00:51:25.88
We have our winter
retreat that takes place
00:51:25.91\00:51:27.38
over the president's
holiday weekend in February,
00:51:27.42\00:51:30.69
and then we also
invite our young people
00:51:30.72\00:51:32.32
to come to GYC every December.
00:51:32.35\00:51:34.59
Amen. That's wonderful.
00:51:34.62\00:51:35.96
Well, right now we're gonna go
to the address roll for Campus.
00:51:35.99\00:51:38.69
If you are interested
in financially supporting
00:51:38.73\00:51:41.13
what's going on here.
00:51:41.16\00:51:42.50
If you are interested
in attending a retreat,
00:51:42.53\00:51:44.10
going to the
missionary training program
00:51:44.13\00:51:46.30
or one of the conferences,
00:51:46.33\00:51:47.70
here is how you can
get in touch with Campus.
00:51:47.74\00:51:50.11
If you would like to learn
more about Campus Ministries,
00:51:53.98\00:51:56.78
you can do so by writing
00:51:56.81\00:51:58.18
to Michigan Conference
Public Campus Ministries,
00:51:58.21\00:52:01.98
520 Ann Street, East
Lansing, Michigan 48823.
00:52:02.02\00:52:07.26
That's Michigan Conference
Public Campus Ministries,
00:52:07.29\00:52:11.06
520 Ann Street, East
Lansing, Michigan 48823.
00:52:11.09\00:52:16.53
You can call 517-316-1569.
00:52:16.56\00:52:20.94
That's 517-316-1569.
00:52:20.97\00:52:24.74
You can also visit them
online at CampusHope.com.
00:52:24.77\00:52:29.54
That's CampusHope.com.
00:52:29.58\00:52:32.71