Participants: Greg & Jill Morikone (Host), Israel Ramos & Alanna Knapp & Abiail Almeida
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY017018A
|
00:01 I want to spend my life
00:07 Mending broken people 00:12 I wanna spend my life 00:18 Removing pain 00:23 Lord, let my words 00:29 Heal a heart that hurts 00:34 I wanna spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:45 I wanna spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:06 Hello, and welcome to another 3ABN Today program. 01:09 We are so glad that you have joined us today, 01:12 you know, thank you for taking the time. 01:14 You know, we all live busy lives. 01:16 I mean, yours is busy, isn't it? I'm sure it is. 01:17 I know Jill's and our life here at 3ABN is busy. 01:20 But thank you again... Is it? 01:22 Is it really? Yeah, I think it is. 01:25 But, you know, we enjoy it. 01:26 It's a blessing being a part of our God's work, 01:29 and thank you again for joining us 01:30 because we know you do live a busy life, 01:32 and thank you for inviting 3ABN into your living room. 01:34 That's right. 01:36 We can't forget radio, you may be driving in the car, 01:38 or may be sitting in your home with the radio on, 01:40 thank you for, again, tuning in. 01:42 And we appreciate again 01:44 your financial support of the ministry of 3ABN, 01:46 it seems like every program we say this, 01:48 but we really mean it. 01:50 And it's neat because it's really a team effort, 01:52 it's you, and 3ABN team, 01:55 and the Lord Jesus Christ 01:56 that makes this ministry go around the world. 01:59 Isn't that amazing? Twenty four hours a day. 02:01 I mention this to our production crew quite a bit 02:03 that, you know, we have a morning worship everyday 02:06 and, you know, even when we're asleep, 02:09 sound asleep on our pillows at night, 02:11 this gospel is going around the world, 02:13 so many of you have stood with 3ABN 02:15 since the very beginning, 02:16 which is over 30 years now, hard to believe, isn't it? 02:19 But thank you for doing that, 02:20 and those of you maybe have just started to donate, 02:22 thank you for that, but it's a blessing. 02:24 But today, 02:25 we have an exciting program 02:27 regarding campus ministry 02:29 which is, boy, it's much needed and we'll explain, 02:32 we won't, our guests will explain what CAMPUS is... 02:35 What it's all about. That's right. 02:37 I am excited about this program, 02:39 because it's really everyone's ministry, 02:42 everyone can get involved in campus ministry. 02:45 Now you may be saying, 02:46 "What in the world is CAMPUS ministry? 02:48 It has something to do with the college campuses?" 02:50 But we're gonna unpackage what that entails 02:53 and how old, young, and everyone in between, 02:56 can get involved in ministry. 02:58 Did you say old? Old. 03:00 Well, I don't think of them going to university or colleges 03:01 but I know people do. 03:03 But it has to do more 03:04 just with attending a university but... 03:05 That's right. Are we peaking your interest? 03:07 Hopefully so, but this is gonna be really neat 03:10 and there are some amazing stories too 03:11 of how God is working. 03:12 And that's always encouraging to hear. 03:14 And that's what we like to share 03:15 on the 3ABN Today program, 03:16 it's the stories, ministries, 03:19 testimonies of God changing lives 03:21 and that's what this ministry is all about. 03:24 Changing lives for eternity, 03:26 people making decisions for the Lord Jesus Christ. 03:28 We wanna introduce our guests at this time, 03:30 we have right here on the corner 03:32 is Pastor Israel Ramos. 03:34 Hi. 03:35 And it is a privilege to have you here. 03:36 Oh, it's nice to be back. Nice to be back. 03:38 It's been a few years since you've been to 3ABN. 03:40 It has, I think the last time was either 2009 or 2010 03:44 as far as I remember, 03:46 but I'm getting old, so I don't know. 03:47 I was just to say, Pastor, you look good. 03:49 Thank you. 03:50 I'm losing, I'm losing a lot of hair 03:52 and gaining a lot of weight, but... 03:53 No, you look good, Pastor. 03:55 But God is good. Amen. 03:56 And we'll find out a little bit more 03:57 what's happening in your life too, 03:59 'cause it's neat what God is doing. 04:00 Amen. And next to you is Abigail Almeeda? 04:02 Almeida. Almeida. 04:03 Okay. Yes. 04:05 And you are the President of ACF 04:07 Western Michigan University. 04:10 Yes. So ACF stands for Adventist Christian Fellowship. 04:14 So I'm the President of the campus group 04:17 at Western Michigan University. 04:19 Amen. 04:21 I'm there studying, I'm a junior now. 04:23 I'm going to be graduating next fall, 04:25 hopefully, by God's grace. 04:27 And what is your major? Biomedical sciences. 04:29 Wow! Good for you. That sounds complicated. 04:32 So... She's going into PA school. 04:34 PA. Okay. Okay. 04:35 Very good, that's wonderful. 04:36 And next to you is Alanna Knapp? 04:39 Yes. Okay. 04:41 And you are former President of Campus HOPE, Michigan Tech. 04:44 Yes, I went to Michigan Technological University 04:47 which is in Northern Michigan 04:49 or the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. 04:51 And so it's very cold 04:52 but a wonderful field to labor in, there's many souls 04:56 that are looking for Christ at that campus, 04:58 so it is a joy to be there. 05:00 Amen. 05:01 We're looking forward to unpackaging 05:03 each one of your stories and hearing what God is doing. 05:05 Go ahead, Pastor. Yeah. 05:06 Michigan Tech is, 05:07 you know, when people think about Michigan, 05:09 we only usually think about the Lower Peninsula, 05:12 but the Upper Peninsula, it's above even Canada. 05:15 And so it's way, way, way up in the north. 05:17 And she was a student there while I was pastoring there 05:21 and it was a lot of cold days so... 05:24 Yeah, I've driven once to the Upper Peninsula. 05:27 What's that bridge called that goes between... 05:29 Mackinac. The Mackinac. 05:30 So I started there when it came all around, 05:31 then came through Wisconsin, that's a beautiful drive... 05:34 Very nice country. 05:35 It's a pretty country, it was through the summer months. 05:37 Oh, that's a good time to drive. 05:38 Yeah, there was no snow or snowdrifts 05:39 and it was just beautiful up there. 05:41 Yeah. 05:42 And the best time is actually in the fall, 05:44 the colors up there are just... 05:45 Amazing. The best colors. 05:47 That's great. Okay. 05:48 Well, we're excited each one of you are here 05:49 looking forward to hearing their testimonies, 05:51 before we go to our music, 05:53 we're gonna read a scripture and this is from II Timothy 2, 05:57 and we'll read verses 1 through 3. 05:59 "You therefore, my son", or you could say, my daughter. 06:02 "Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 06:05 And the things that you have heard from me 06:07 among many witnesses, 06:09 commit these to faithful men 06:11 who will be able to teach others also." 06:13 Verse 3. 06:15 "You therefore must endure hardship 06:19 as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." 06:21 And sometimes we hear that word, 06:23 "You must endure hardship" and it seems difficult, 06:27 but we're gonna unpackage that as we discuss here, 06:30 enduring some of that hardship and how it's worth it. 06:34 It's worth it all, laboring for the Lord Jesus Christ. 06:37 Let's go to our song now. Yeah. 06:39 We always enjoy music here at 3ABN, 06:42 and today we're gonna be blessed 06:43 with our President and Founder Danny Shelton. 06:45 And he was in our studio not long ago 06:47 and he sang a wonderful song entitled, 06:49 "Heaven Means Home to Me." 07:11 I'm longing for a place 07:16 I've never been 07:20 But it's a place 07:22 That I call my home 07:30 Where the sun is the light 07:34 In the midst of the night 07:39 Heaven means 07:42 Home to me 07:48 Heaven means 07:51 Home to me 07:58 Where Jesus is 08:01 I want to be 08:05 There is no dying, no pain 08:10 This old earth can't compare 08:15 That's why heaven 08:18 Means home to me 08:34 I've heard of a beautiful city 08:41 Above with streets 08:45 That are paint with pure gold 08:53 But my eyes are fixed 08:57 On Jesus, my king 09:01 That's why heaven 09:04 Means home to me 09:11 Heaven means 09:14 Home to me 09:21 Where Jesus is I want to be 09:28 There is no dying, no pain 09:33 This old earth can't compare 09:38 That's why heaven means 09:42 Home to me 09:48 What a day that will be, 09:52 When my Jesus I shall see 09:56 And I look upon His face 10:01 The one who saved me by His grace 10:06 When He takes me by the hand 10:10 And leads me through the promised land 10:15 What a day, glorious day 10:20 That will be 10:25 There is no dying, no pain 10:29 This old earth can't compare 10:33 That's why heaven means 10:37 Home to me. 10:55 Amen. Thank you very much, Danny. 10:56 "Heaven Means Home to Me." 10:58 Can't wait for that wonderful day 11:00 when we'll all be able to meet at last, Jesus Christ. 11:03 But, of course, some of you, we'll never meet on this earth 11:05 but some day we will, 11:06 if we're faithful to Jesus Christ. 11:08 That's right. And they get the salvation. 11:09 Again, we're here today with CAMPUS Ministries 11:13 and it's gonna be a great day 11:15 hearing about what's going on with CAMPUS. 11:17 Thank you, Israel, for being here. 11:19 Thank you for having me. Abigail and Alanna. 11:21 And, Israel, I know that, I wanna, 11:23 just before getting to CAMPUS, people know you from GYC. 11:26 You were, were you the... 11:28 You were for the charter... Yes. 11:30 Members of GYC? 11:32 Which many of you are familiar with GYC, 11:35 but Israel goes way back... 11:36 A long time back. 11:37 I don't wanna say that, so it makes you sound old. 11:39 Yeah, I know it. 11:40 A long way back, but tell us about your family, your family, 11:43 you're married, you have kids, and what you're doing. 11:45 Yeah. 11:46 Well, it's been several years now since, 11:48 I was the second president of GYC. 11:52 Who was the first president? 11:53 The first president, her name is Andrea. 11:54 Okay. 11:56 And we started the organization back in, 12:01 it was back in high school when, 12:03 you know, it started more as a joke 12:05 and I was looking through my Bible, 12:07 my birthday was in February, 12:09 and I was looking through my Bible 12:11 which was actually a gift from two of my friends. 12:14 And I was in California, which is where I was born, 12:19 at the time of my birth and I was kind of reflecting 12:21 and I realized, man, it's been a long time. 12:24 The Bible was given to me, 12:25 that was the inspiration for the logo, 12:27 the Bible on top 12:29 that the little guys are holding. 12:30 It's an HMS Richards Study Bible. 12:32 Wow! 12:33 So it's, the Bible itself is 20 years. 12:35 And it started in high school 12:37 and mostly it was a joke and then it kind of, 12:40 the Lord takes these things 12:41 and He makes them into His own, into His own vision, 12:46 develops His own plan through it, so... 12:48 You know, when you think about it, 12:49 you probably had no dream, 12:51 or you did not meant to dream that how this would, 12:53 I don't know, come to what it is today. 12:54 Yeah. 12:55 You had no clue, did you, Israel, what it would become? 12:57 I had no idea, no. I had no idea. 12:58 It's amazing. 12:59 And it's... 13:01 Why is this touched? Yeah. 13:02 And the beautiful thing about everything is that, 13:04 I think God does these things, 13:06 you know, I've always prayed in my life, 13:09 the prayer's always been, 13:10 "Lord, do something through me that is so great 13:13 that people will know that this was not human." 13:16 Well, that's a good prayer. 13:17 And so that was the prayer 13:19 that we started with and He did that, 13:21 you know, you can't trace any human intelligence, 13:26 or power, or savvy, to that organization. 13:30 And God had His hand on it and, 13:33 you know, there's nothing 13:35 that young people could have done I think, 13:37 in our own strength to develop that organization. 13:39 Yeah, you think about the explosive growth, 13:42 you know, and how it has impacted the lives of people 13:45 all over the world, that's beautiful. 13:46 Yeah. 13:47 So, were you raised in a Christian home, 13:49 in a Seventh-day Adventist home? 13:50 Yes, I was raised in a Seventh-day Adventist home. 13:51 My parents became Adventists just before they got married. 13:55 And I grew up 13:56 in the Adventist Church in California, 13:58 it's where I was born, lived there for the first, 14:01 you know, the first part of my life, 14:04 most of it was spent in California, 14:05 it wasn't until I was in high school 14:07 I moved out to Arkansas, went to Washington Academy. 14:10 It's a great school. Yeah. 14:12 And so I spent most of my early years, 14:16 were all spent in California. 14:18 And my parents, 14:20 you know, had a passion to ensure 14:24 that their kids would remain Adventists 14:26 and so at an early age, 14:28 they really invested in our Adventist education 14:32 and so forth, and throughout my teenage years, 14:35 you know, you do your crazy things 14:37 and I got into some trouble 14:39 and the Lord rescued me from all that. 14:42 Amen. So... 14:43 So you're married? Married. 14:45 My wife is a, she's a schoolteacher. 14:47 We met at the University of Michigan, 14:48 actually through Public Campus Ministry. 14:50 Okay. 14:51 And she was studying Education. 14:55 She graduated, taught at one of our Adventist schools 14:58 for sometime until we had our first born, Emmanuel, 15:01 he's just turned 11 years old. 15:03 Incredible. 15:05 And so, he was our first born and then, 15:07 we had them two years apart. 15:09 So 11 is our oldest, and then, 9 and 7, 15:13 and she thought it was a great idea 15:14 because she comes from siblings 15:17 that are very close in age. 15:18 And so she thought it was a great idea, 15:20 and after our second born, I said, 15:22 "Judy, we should have asked your parents 15:24 that if this was a good idea, not the kids." 15:26 And so we're enjoying life. Amen. 15:28 We're enjoying life, three boys. 15:29 Three boys. 15:31 So their names are, first one you said is... 15:32 Emmanuel, Manu is what we call him for short. 15:35 And then Mika is our second boy, 15:37 and our third boy is Titus, but we call him Ti. 15:40 We appreciate you and your wife Judy and... 15:42 Yeah. Absolutely. 15:43 What God is doing in your lives, 15:45 you're currently a pastor? 15:46 Yeah. One or two churches? 15:48 Well, I've been directing, 15:49 I'm the pastor that oversees Public Campus Ministries. 15:52 Okay, so that is what you do? 15:53 Yeah, so that's what I do. Yeah. 15:55 And we are members out in East Lansing, 15:57 the University Church is right across the street 15:59 from Michigan's largest university. 16:01 Amen. 16:02 So take us to CAMPUS before we go to Abigail. 16:04 What is CAMPUS? 16:06 We're talking about CAMPUS, so tell us a little bit 16:08 that, how did CAMPUS begin? 16:10 And tell us a little bit of the history of it. 16:12 CAMPUS is an acronym 16:14 and it stands for the Center for Adventist Ministry 16:17 to Public University Students, 16:19 and it's a division 16:20 of the Public Campus Ministry department 16:22 in the Michigan Conference. 16:23 Michigan is the only conference in North America 16:26 that has a Public Campus Ministry department 16:29 that specifically focuses on public university students. 16:33 There are other conferences that also have support 16:35 for Public Campus Ministry, 16:36 but Michigan is unique in that it has that department, 16:39 it also has CAMPUS, and it started back in 1999. 16:43 Okay. 16:44 We had a missionary training program 16:46 where we invited students 16:48 to come to Michigan, take a year off, 16:50 you know, you have students 16:52 that go overseas on mission trips, 16:54 and, you know, we pitched the idea, 16:56 these public universities, 16:57 they are concrete jungles and they're mission fields. 16:59 Yes. 17:00 And so I was actually part of 17:02 the first missionary class to join the program, 17:04 now we've graduated more than 100 young people. 17:06 And they're serving, a lot of them, 17:08 in church administration, as pastors, 17:11 teachers, Alanna is a teacher, 17:14 and even as missionaries in very hard to reach areas 17:17 that, you know, we can't disclose 17:19 but a lot of work is going on through that. 17:23 So that's where we're at. 17:24 That's kind of like the Waldenses, right? 17:26 You think, they're not, I don't know, 17:28 infiltrate sounds in a negative sense, 17:30 so I don't mean that in a negative sense. 17:31 Impacting, yes. 17:33 Impacting, that's a better word. 17:34 It's good, Pastor. 17:35 So, being trained to impact 17:37 their local university for Christ? 17:38 Yeah. 17:39 And when you reach the university, 17:41 you reach the world, 17:42 so it's in a very, very real sense, 17:44 it's global missions. 17:45 Yes. 17:46 You have people 17:48 that you'll never be able to meet, 17:49 or you'll never be able to share the gospel 17:51 with in their home countries that are coming here to study. 17:54 And it's a great opportunity. 17:55 They're looking for truth, for knowledge, 17:59 for whatever they can, you know, find here, new ideas, 18:03 and so it's a great opportunity that our church has to impact 18:07 these global world leaders, future global leaders. 18:10 Amen. 18:12 So can I ask, 18:13 is CAMPUS strictly evangelistic in nature, 18:16 reaching out evangelistically, or is it also for nurture, 18:20 for a Seventh-day Adventist 18:22 who may be in a secular institution? 18:25 Yeah, I think, you need both, 18:27 you know, we need, 18:30 even retaining our own Adventist young people 18:32 is in itself a significant evangelistic effort. 18:35 Oh, it is. 18:36 And, you know, statistics 18:38 from the General Conference show 18:39 that by the time a person reaches my age, 18:42 half of them would have already left the church 18:44 from their infancy. 18:45 Half? Yeah. 18:46 And so it's an alarming statistic. 18:48 Most of it happens during their college careers 18:50 or during their college years, 18:52 and it's estimated 18:54 that more than 70% of our Adventist young people, 18:56 on conservative sides, 18:58 more than 70% are attending non-Adventist universities. 19:01 And so it's evangelism on both ends 19:04 and we tell people, our goal is to make Adventists, 19:06 you know, we wanna make Adventists 19:08 out of our non-Adventist friends, 19:10 and Adventists out of our Adventist young people as well. 19:12 And so that's the beautiful thing that we... 19:15 The beauty of Public Campus Ministry 19:18 is that it impacts the lives 19:19 of our very own in a significant way. 19:21 And also the lives of many non-Adventist young people 19:26 that become Adventists and, GYC, 19:28 the foundation of it was really birthed 19:30 through Public Campus Ministry, 19:32 and so it's impacted the world, the world field, 19:36 I think in the world church. 19:38 And Abby is one of the, one of the young people 19:40 that has been impacted by Public Campus Ministry, 19:42 one of our very own. 19:44 So, Abby, Abigail, 19:45 I'll make sure I'll get that right. 19:47 Yeah. 19:48 Tell us a little bit of your story, 19:49 then, for your involvement with CAMPUS, 19:51 but before that, a little bit, 19:52 were you, have you gone to Adventist 19:54 like academies kind of a school? 19:57 So I grew up in Battle Creek. 19:58 Okay. So I... 20:00 Lot of Seventh-day Adventists in Battle Creek. 20:01 Yeah. 20:03 And I actually went to school. 20:05 I went to public school my entire life. 20:07 I went to public grade school 20:10 and then I graduated from a public high school. 20:13 Challenges, being a Seventh-day Adventist? 20:16 I think when I was younger 20:17 there was always that kind of feeling 20:19 where your friends had plans on Friday nights, 20:22 and I was like, "Oh, I want to go." 20:23 And then my mom was like, "When I was younger it was, no, 20:27 you can't go." 20:29 And then when I was in high school 20:30 I think I'm really grateful for my mom for having done this 20:34 but she gave me the opportunity to decide. 20:36 And by that time, it had become 20:38 kind of like an uncomfortable thing for me 20:40 not to be at home or to be in vespers or, 20:43 you know, be studying the Bible on Friday night. 20:46 So when people would invite me out, 20:48 I was like, you know, I think I'm gonna stay home, 20:50 I'll be at home with my parents. 20:53 But, yeah, I went to public school 20:56 my entire life, yeah. 20:57 And now I'm at Western Michigan University. 21:00 I'm studying biomedical sciences. 21:03 Yeah, this is my junior year, I'm finishing up my third year. 21:06 So did you attend one of these, 21:08 what did you call them like missionary training classes? 21:10 Missionary training program. Yes. 21:12 Did you attend one of those? 21:13 I actually did not. Okay. 21:15 Not for their lack of trying, they did call me every year 21:18 and ask if I was gonna take a year off. 21:20 We have to be aggressive. We have to be aggressive. 21:22 Love is aggressive act. 21:24 What you said it was every year. 21:25 Yeah, every year. Yeah. 21:26 It's okay. Yeah. Yeah. 21:28 And we still have some time 'cause you're not done. 21:29 Yeah, I'm not done yet. 21:31 Yeah, no, I did not spend a year off, 21:34 but I feel like I basically grew up in the campus events 21:38 as well, like even before I was in college, 21:41 my brother, he is four years older than me, 21:43 and he was president of the Western Campus Ministries 21:46 as well. 21:48 So you're real familiar with it. 21:49 Yes, so I would go, 21:51 they have an event in the fall called High C, 21:53 where the high school students are invited to go as well, 21:55 so I would go to that event as well 21:57 before I was even in college. 21:59 Okay. 22:00 So I was pretty familiarized with the program and everything 22:04 before I got into college. 22:06 So just maybe, 22:08 let you know a little bit of how the program was. 22:10 The missionary training program 22:11 brings people from outside Michigan 22:13 and they're trained, 22:15 and they go back to their own universities. 22:17 Okay. 22:18 And so that's, and it's, 22:20 people actually come from around the world 22:21 for that program, 22:23 so it's kind of more of a global program. 22:25 But we also have a responsibility 22:26 to our own Michigan students. 22:28 And so, we have a calendar year 22:31 that has programming for Adventist students 22:34 who live in Michigan, 22:36 who are attending non-Adventist universities. 22:38 And we would love for all of our kids 22:41 to go through the program 'cause it prepares them, 22:43 and Ellen White talks about the reason 22:45 for attending these public universities, 22:47 it should be to engage with the college campus 22:49 and let these people know about our precious truths. 22:52 And so we have our, we have retreats 22:55 that happen every year and so forth, 22:56 and leadership training for Adventist university students 22:59 and for the presidents of our student organizations 23:02 and so, even though our Michigan students 23:06 aren't all able to come through the program, 23:08 we still engage with them on a, on a regular basis. 23:11 Amen. That's great. 23:12 So for people 'cause I know at home you probably just said, 23:14 "Oh, that sounds interesting to me", 23:16 so we're gonna provide some contact information 23:18 at the end of, toward the end of this program. 23:20 But I believe the website real quick is campus... 23:22 CampusHope.com 23:24 But we'll give you, of course, more information 23:26 on how to get in contact with Campus. 23:30 So then, Alanna, tell us then your story, 23:33 your background for us, were you, like Abigail, 23:36 in public elementary school? 23:39 Actually, I went to Adventist school all my life. 23:42 Okay. 23:43 I think there may be one or two years in elementary 23:45 that I went to public school. 23:47 But for the most part I went through Adventist school 23:49 all the way until graduation. 23:52 And I got involved in Campus in the summer of 2002. 23:56 I heard about it for the first time 23:57 in the missionary training program. 23:59 And I had left my job at the time to canvas 24:03 in Columbia, Missouri. 24:05 And that was a life-changing experience for me 24:09 and I knew that I couldn't go back home 24:11 and continue doing just working in the factory 24:13 which is what I was doing. 24:14 Yeah. 24:15 And so I began to pray and ask Lord 24:17 where He would want me to go and that's when I heard about 24:19 the Campus Missionary Training Program and I applied. 24:22 And God was able to open up that door miraculously for me 24:28 to attend the Missionary Training Program. 24:31 And when I did I really felt the life calling... 24:34 Amen. 24:35 And so I continue working with Campus 24:36 for another nine years, 24:39 and during that time I became a student Michigan tech 24:43 at Michigan Technological University 24:44 for the purpose of starting a Campus ministry there. 24:46 Wow. That's great. 24:48 So doing the canvassing work that one summer, 24:50 I guess it was probably was during the summer 24:51 or somewhat about there, yeah. 24:53 Yeah, it was in the summer. Okay. 24:54 It was a life-changing, you said in a positive way. 24:56 Yes. Right. 24:57 And that's selling religious books door-to-door. 24:59 Yes. 25:00 Yes, it was the blue Bible story books 25:02 you'll often see in doctors and dentists offices. 25:05 And so, those are the books 25:07 that were being sold door-to-door. 25:09 But I had been seven years before that, 25:12 before I canvassed and I was used to living on my own 25:15 and now I was living with many other people in one room 25:20 and so, it definitely challenged me, 25:22 you know, personally in a very good way. 25:26 But I saw God answer such mighty prayers, 25:28 and when I heard about Campus I thought back to my home 25:31 where our church I grew up in Petoskey, Michigan, 25:34 it's a small little town in Northern Michigan. 25:37 And our church is right across the street 25:39 from a community college. 25:40 Oh, wow. 25:42 And I had taken some community college courses there. 25:44 And my other friend who was an Adventist, 25:46 we would meet up at least once a week to pray. 25:48 And I began to see if even when I was a student there 25:52 I saw that there was a need there 25:53 but really didn't know how to reach out to the Campus. 25:56 And so as I got involved with Campus, 25:59 I began to see how much of a need 26:01 there was in these universities, 26:03 like Israel said, 26:04 "All the world is coming to us." 26:05 Yes. 26:07 In many countries that are close to the gospel 26:09 are coming to these universities 26:11 and we have an opportunity to share 26:13 this amazing message with them. 26:15 Amen. 26:16 And so I definitely saw that 26:17 when I was a student at Michigan Tech 26:19 and I saw the opportunity 26:20 that students were looking to hear the gospel, 26:23 to hear the truth from some of these countries. 26:26 So a question comes to my mind, 26:27 I don't know which one of you wants to answer this, 26:29 but would there be a challenge 26:30 'cause when I think public, I think of, okay, 26:32 prayer being pulled out of the classrooms 26:34 and all this sort of stuff so, 26:35 are their challenges with I'm thinking 26:37 like the whole religious services, 26:39 proselytizing as they may call it. 26:40 Are there any challenges regarding this? 26:43 With public universities that's a little bit different, 26:45 I mean, you can be 26:47 a registered student organization get funding. 26:49 Some universities will allow you to have funding, 26:51 others do not. 26:53 Michigan Tech we've got 26:54 quite a bit of funding from the university 26:56 I think one year was like $500, 26:58 I know in other university they funded students 27:00 to go to GYC, 27:01 so it really depends on the university, so. 27:03 That's incredible. Yeah. 27:05 Funding to... 27:06 I'm just thinking that's amazing. 27:07 A lot of times what churches may not know is, 27:10 if you have a registered student organization, 27:12 you have free access to many of the buildings 27:14 like Campus to hold meetings. 27:17 And so that's a wonderful asset, 27:18 if you wanna do maybe a short evangelistic meeting 27:21 or a health seminar, these are places, 27:23 if you have a registered student organization, 27:25 that you can reach the Campus through this way. 27:26 Okay. Amen. 27:28 We were at a... 27:29 I was visiting one of our public universities in Michigan 27:31 and it dawned on me the impact that a young person 27:34 can have on a university, we were, 27:37 it was a meeting of religious student groups and... 27:42 So not just Seventh-day Adventists? 27:43 Not just Seventh-day Adventists, 27:45 not even just Christians. 27:46 As a matter of fact, 27:47 we didn't have any Adventist representation there. 27:49 It was all representation from other student groups, 27:51 you had a Christian group, a Muslim group, a Jewish group, 27:54 and they were engaging with the university 27:57 and the university asked them what can we do to support. 28:01 And the Muslim group was saying, you know, 28:03 we were not able to observe some of our religious holidays 28:06 because of exams, 28:08 or we would like to see more prayer rooms 28:11 in the university so that we don't have to run 28:13 all the way to this other building 28:15 when we're on our way to a class 28:16 in a different building. 28:17 And the university was listening to that. 28:21 And I thought to myself, you know, this is a great way, 28:25 and I think that this is what Ellen White had in mind 28:28 when she talked about reaching these universities, 28:30 dropping seeds of truth. 28:32 She says that students should engage on these campuses 28:35 and she says they should live their lives. 28:36 Amen. 28:37 And as they observe the Sabbath, 28:39 as they stay consistent with biblical teaching, 28:42 then people will begin to ask them 28:45 about their convictions, and they'll see, 28:48 they'll hear them praying to Jesus, 28:50 instead of to anyone else, 28:52 they'll watch how they live their lives 28:55 and she says they will have the opportunities, 28:57 Adventist kids will have the opportunity 28:59 to share seeds of truth with them, 29:01 and she says, many souls will be won. 29:03 Amen. 29:04 And so she talks about this group 29:05 and the power of impact in this public university. 29:10 And some universities are very, very liberal 29:14 and so they allow for pluralism of ideas, 29:18 others are not as liberal 29:19 and so it's more difficult to engage the Campus 29:22 but we have time 29:23 and we have the opportunity now to do the work. 29:25 And I believe that, like in times of old, 29:28 revolutions and reformations will take place 29:31 on these public universities 29:32 because of the lives of these young people 29:34 that are living modern, they're living modern, 29:37 Daniels and Esther's I think on our university campuses. 29:41 Amen. 29:42 God has called them for such a time. 29:44 That's precious. 29:45 Is there, I know obviously every week or every day 29:49 schedule would look different, 29:50 but say someone were starting 29:52 in campus ministry in a local university. 29:55 What would they do? 29:57 Would they hold meetings, would they do prayer groups, 29:59 you would mention to even evangelism 30:01 or what does it look like? 30:03 It would probably look like 30:05 depending on the size of the student group, 30:08 we encourage every student organization, 30:10 no matter how small they are, 30:12 to meet once a week for Bible study and prayer. 30:14 Okay. 30:15 Even if it's just two, 30:16 even if there's just one person, 30:18 meet for prayer and Bible study, 30:19 and start off by inviting people to join you. 30:24 Amen. 30:25 If you're a student on a university, 30:26 you feel like you're the only Adventist there, 30:29 pray, maybe God will show you other Adventist young people 30:32 who are attending that university. 30:34 In many cases that's a reality, you think you're alone 30:37 but there are other Adventist kids. 30:39 And then meet every week and pray, 30:41 invite your non-Adventist friends, 30:43 start a prayer list of people 30:44 that are in your class many times. 30:46 God places us in these classrooms 30:49 because there's someone sitting next to us, 30:51 or a professor, or someone 30:53 that we're coming in contact with 30:54 that God has specifically placed there 30:58 through a divine appointment so that we can engage with them 31:01 and share with them what we know. 31:03 In larger universities or in more established programs 31:09 like in Michigan, 31:10 we have a yearly calendar 31:11 and so the beginning of every school year in September, 31:16 it's a very, very strong time for us 31:18 to do evangelistic outreach. 31:20 And that's usually when will try to impact the university. 31:26 Statistics show that, students will make up their mind 31:30 for how they'll spend their entire academic career 31:32 even within the first month of their freshman year. 31:34 Oh, really. 31:36 And so it's important that we... 31:37 I did not know that. Yeah, it's important 31:39 that we reach out to them immediately. 31:41 Even our Adventist kids will make decisions 31:43 that will impact their entire academic life. 31:48 And what was those statistics again, was it 50%? 31:51 Fifty percent according to the General Conference 31:54 they say that about 50% of our Adventist young people 31:56 will leave the church by the time they're 35. 31:58 Yeah. That is really sad. Yeah. 32:00 And more than 70% are attending non-Adventist universities, 32:04 and so a lot of people wonder 32:05 if there's a correlation between the two. 32:07 As a matter of fact, 32:08 some numbers show that 70% leave the church 32:10 and 70 % are on public universities. 32:13 And so maybe there's a relationship between the two. 32:16 I don't know if there are many students 32:18 who go like Abe and Alanna, 32:19 they went to these public universities, 32:21 and they not only maintained their Adventist faith 32:24 but in many cases it was strengthened. 32:26 Amen. 32:28 So it doesn't have to be the case with everyone. 32:29 So, Abigail, tell us then your experience, 32:32 then as far as at the public university, 32:35 you know, for sharing your faith, the opportunities 32:37 that you've had to, yeah, I mean, 32:39 you know, you see a need 32:40 and you know you have to grasp it right then 32:42 and there to, I don't know you invite them to your group? 32:45 Yeah. 32:47 Yeah, so like Israel was saying 32:49 there's a lot of planned events 32:52 involved in having a campus group. 32:56 So, usually we'll do a lot of evangelism 32:59 at the beginning of the year. 33:00 So the first week of classes, 33:04 we'll just hit evangelism really, really hard. 33:06 We'll rent out a table in our student union, 33:10 and we'll just have surveys, 33:11 and we'll be talking to students. 33:12 We're not allowed to go 33:15 and you know, like pull students in, 33:17 but if they just see you there they always ask, 33:19 especially if it's the first week 33:21 in their freshman they're like, 33:22 what are these people doing here? 33:24 I don't know what I'm doing here? 33:25 Like and they're always looking for friends, 33:26 that's the great thing about college campuses. 33:30 And especially with freshmen they're new there, 33:33 it might be their first time away from home 33:35 and they don't know anybody there, 33:37 and they don't know where anything is, 33:40 and so they're looking for friends. 33:42 And so if you just present yourself as someone 33:44 who's friendly and willing to be their friend, 33:46 they tend to do anything that you want to go and do, 33:50 which is dangerous in some senses. 33:51 Yeah. 33:52 But in our sense it's obviously... 33:54 Oh, yes, spiritually. 33:55 Yes, spiritually good. 33:57 So, yeah, we hit the evangelism really hard 33:59 at the beginning of the year. 34:01 So what are these surveys? 34:02 You said you have surveys. 34:04 Right. What would that be? 34:05 So it's kind of like the door-knocking survey, 34:08 so basically you say just basic questions, 34:10 do you believe in the Son of God? 34:12 Who did you think Jesus was? 34:13 And just, are there any Bibles in your home? 34:17 You know, that kind of stuff. 34:18 It's like an assessment. Yeah. 34:20 A religious interest type of survey. 34:22 And then at the end we always ask, 34:24 if you had the chance would you be studying the Bible more? 34:26 Amen. They say, yes. 34:28 And we ask, well, we can offer you Bible studies, 34:30 and then that's how we get our Bible study interest 34:33 from our contacts. 34:34 So it's difficult I think 34:37 'cause just as a student to talk to people 34:40 in your classes, 34:42 I think is more difficult than just standing there 34:44 and having people walk by 34:47 because when they're in your class, 34:49 you know you're going to see them the whole semester. 34:51 That's right. 34:52 And I think personally, 34:54 I struggled with the idea of talking to my classmates 34:59 because I didn't want to be that religious girl, 35:02 you know, like I didn't want to be that religious girl 35:04 the one that everybody's like, oh, well, she is just, 35:06 you know, she's just like that Jesus girl. 35:09 But then I realized I was like, 35:10 what's so bad about being the religious girl. 35:12 Thank you. 35:13 There isn't anything bad about that. 35:15 Exactly. There is nothing wrong with that. 35:16 And so I was like, you know what, 35:17 I'm just gonna do it, 35:19 'cause that's what I'm here for, 35:20 if I'm at a public university 35:21 and I'm involved in campus ministries, 35:24 this is what God has called me to do, 35:26 this is what I'm here for. 35:27 How would you say your walk with God has grown 35:30 or been strengthened 35:31 as a result of being involved in Campus? 35:34 Well, I think it's definitely, it's obviously, 35:37 very definitely grown. 35:41 It's grown in that I've been able to talk 35:44 to more people before... 35:48 Last summer I went canvassing actually, 35:50 and so I learned some conversational skills, 35:53 but before that, before going to college 35:56 I was kind of an introverted girl. 35:58 Okay. 36:00 I did like talking to people 36:01 but I didn't really know how to. 36:02 And when you go to college, 36:04 you need to talk to people to make friends. 36:06 And so being involved in Campus like, 36:09 making friends with the purpose of saving them, 36:12 giving them salvation through Jesus Christ 36:15 is a big motivation to actually talk to people. 36:17 Amen. 36:19 So I made a lot of friends through Campus 36:22 and that really strengthened my bond 36:24 with sharing what I believe in... 36:27 Yes. With other people around me. 36:29 Amen. 36:30 So we're talking statistics, 36:32 we're talking some practical application, 36:34 but what about testimonies? 36:36 What about stories of people that you've worked with 36:39 and their lives have been changed? 36:41 I don't know who wants to share, 36:42 I know you have several. 36:43 Yeah. 36:45 I can, you know, as a pastor of Public Campus Ministry, 36:47 its impact on the local church is beyond measure. 36:50 It does have some casualties, you know, 36:53 that you bring a student group in 36:54 and your potluck bill is gonna go super high. 36:57 Your electricity bill is gonna go super high 37:01 'cause they're meeting at the church. 37:02 And so there are, you know, it is an investment. 37:04 Oh, it is. 37:06 But the rewards are significant when we, when we went, 37:09 when I was pastoring in the Upper Peninsula, 37:10 we had a very, very small church 37:12 and I had the privilege of pastoring there, 37:17 the small congregation right near 37:18 the University Michigan Tech, 37:20 and it is around that time that Alanna came. 37:23 And she became our student president 37:26 couple years later. 37:28 When we first got there, 37:30 when Judy and I first got to that church in Holden, 37:34 the church member said we have a passion 37:35 for Public Campus Ministry, 37:37 we haven't seen young people here in a long time. 37:39 And it is around that time that the student organization took, 37:43 you know, took wings and began to fly. 37:45 And having Alanna there and the student group 37:47 just switched the entire dynamic 37:49 of the church around. 37:50 Wow. 37:52 The young people came, 37:53 became integrated into local church, 37:55 we even had a collegiate Sabbath every month 37:56 where we had the students preach, 37:59 and they'd invite their friends, 38:00 they themselves would give the sermon. 38:02 As a pastor, you know, you sit there you think, man, 38:04 I can probably preach better than them 38:05 but Lord, you know, why did I do this? 38:10 But the impact that young people 38:12 have on their own is significant, 38:14 it's greater than anything else. 38:15 Amen. 38:16 Even than people with great messages 38:18 like the pastors' preaching. 38:19 And so Alanna coming there 38:21 and starting that student organization 38:22 just completely revolutionized our church. 38:25 You know, it's interesting, Alanna, 38:26 'cause I'm thinking then 38:28 because you mentioned you were working, 38:29 then you did literature evangelism work, 38:31 then you felt it changed 38:33 and what God maybe wanted to do in your life, 38:34 then you went back to school, or you went to school? 38:36 Well, I really actually wasn't interested 38:39 in going to school at all. 38:41 My interest was Campus Ministries 38:43 and through Campus I had really been praying 38:46 where God had called me in terms of life-calling 38:49 and I really felt Him calling me 38:50 to Public Campus Ministry 38:52 'cause there are so few people that are doing it. 38:53 In terms of population these are 38:55 one of the most unentered areas in terms of ministry 38:58 that we have in the United States. 38:59 It's amazing. 39:00 So when I was at Michigan Tech, 39:02 I was there for and they send me up 39:03 to assist Israel and Judy in the local church 39:06 because a local church really wanted to start something 39:08 at that university. 39:10 And so I was there for about a year, 39:11 working with the students over there, 39:13 and it's very difficult to get them to come out 39:14 because it's a, I mean, Michigan Tech 39:16 is a difficult school academically. 39:18 Okay. 39:20 And so it was very difficult to get them 39:22 to come out to Bible studies, 39:24 they, we'd see them at church and they would leave. 39:27 And so I began to pray about what God would have me to do 39:31 and so I decided to be a student missionary 39:33 at Michigan Tech. 39:34 And that's when I decided to go back to school, 39:37 with no intention of graduating 39:38 but at least get the student organization started. 39:41 Be a missionary. That is absolutely incredible. 39:42 Amen. 39:43 I don't know that I've ever met anybody 39:45 that's decided to go to school as a missionary. 39:47 Just to be a mission. Yeah. 39:48 With no intention on graduation. 39:49 It takes a crazy person to do that. 39:51 Thank you. 39:53 So you all know each other very well. 39:55 That's amazing. 39:57 Well, while living in the UP, 39:58 you go through something together. 40:00 And, you know, and we need crazy people, 40:01 we need crazy students who want to do that. 40:03 Amen. 40:05 And there was, if I could share one story? 40:06 Please. We want some. 40:08 When I arrived over there, 40:09 there was one student that we sometimes would see 40:12 in Sabbath for a few hours 40:14 but then we would never see him again 40:15 for the rest of week, his name was Kevin. 40:18 And he, we started to get him to come out 40:21 by having him organized like social events. 40:25 He knew the area very well 40:27 so he would take us to different places 40:28 on Sabbath afternoon. 40:29 Or Israel and Judy would always open up their home 40:33 and the students would come over there. 40:35 And slowly but surely, 40:37 he started coming out more and more, 40:38 and I remember having a conversation with him 40:40 towards just before his senior year 40:43 and I asked him I was like, 40:44 you know, I think you need to be the president next year. 40:47 And mind you, again he is still kind of like in and out. 40:51 Sure. 40:52 But I think the biggest thing 40:53 that changed for him at that point 40:55 was not necessarily the call of me saying, 40:59 you need to be the president, 41:01 but getting involved in the collegiate Sabbath 41:02 the local church. 41:03 And particularly he seemed 41:05 that he was called there for a purpose, 41:08 you know, If he were to share, 41:10 if he was here and he were to share his testimony to you, 41:12 he would say that Campus help him 41:14 to see that he had a purpose, 41:16 you know, he was kind of a nominal Adventist 41:18 just kind of like going through the motions 41:20 and going to church. 41:21 You know, by the time Sabbath came, 41:22 he was pretty tired. 41:24 But now he's an elder in his church 41:26 and he's ministering there, 41:27 when he graduated he was a youth leader 41:29 in his local church. 41:30 Praise the Lord. 41:32 And he will tell you today that it was 41:33 because of the Campus Ministry there 41:34 and especially the local church, 41:36 he was one of the students that said that 41:37 we need to begin praying for revival 41:39 in the local church. 41:40 And so we began to meet earlier in the morning 41:43 before church started, 41:44 we come and meet in the church 41:46 and begin to pray for revival in that church. 41:47 And he did become then the president 41:49 in his senior year. 41:51 And so he was such a blessing to us. 41:54 That's neat, isn't it to see 41:55 how God works in someone's life, 41:57 and that's amazing too because young people, you know, 41:59 especially if you're in school, it's like, boy, 42:00 Saturday morning, Sabbath morning 42:02 is the day to sleep in. 42:03 And here they're earlier than church, started, right? 42:05 Just to pray for revival. Amazing. 42:08 And what's amazing is, 42:09 you know, it's not a huge church, 42:12 it's, I mean, there are 70 people 42:14 in the church books, 42:15 there's maybe 30 people coming out to church. 42:18 And Alanna comes, the student ministry starts, 42:24 and immediately, I think within the first couple of weeks 42:26 we met young lady. 42:28 her name was Edilisa, 42:29 she's from Lower Michigan studying at Michigan Tech. 42:33 She became our first student, 42:36 our first president for our student organization. 42:39 And we asked, "Hey, do you know of any other people here 42:42 that are studying at the university?" 42:43 She gave us a few names of other Adventist young people 42:45 that were there. 42:47 One of the guys who was there was a PhD student from Kenya. 42:51 Okay. His name is Edward. 42:53 And we contacted Edward, Edward started coming out, 42:56 we had conservation with him, 42:58 he said, "Hey, I've been going to the Lutheran Church 42:59 with my wife, she's a Lutheran." 43:02 And so we invited him 43:03 to come back to the Adventist church, 43:04 he started coming. 43:06 And his wife said, you know, it's fine for him to come 43:09 but I will never become, personally, 43:11 I will never become a Seventh-day Adventist. 43:13 And the student group just rallied 43:16 and we had more and more meetings together 43:18 and they'd come for vespers on Friday night 43:21 and Edward would help lead out, 43:22 he was a PhD student, he would help lead out in that, 43:25 and the students would come together 43:27 and we'd have social nights together and so forth. 43:30 And little by little, 43:31 the Adventist church started impacting Marianne, 43:34 Marianne started coming to church 43:35 to support her husband. 43:36 Amen. 43:38 And before they left back to their home country, 43:40 she became a Seventh-day Adventist. 43:41 And now they have a young family, 43:43 he's a professor out in one of the universities 43:45 in Kenya, a public university. 43:47 They're strong, solid Adventists. 43:49 Amen. 43:50 And, you know, in this situation you wonder 43:52 what would have happened to Edward 43:54 if Alanna had not been there? 43:56 What would have happened to his wife, 43:58 if the student ministry didn't start? 44:00 Later on Edilisa was dating this gentleman named Andy, 44:04 who was not Adventist at the time, 44:06 and there was a big struggle there, 44:07 you know, this gentleman was an atheist, 44:09 he was straight from Cuba, 44:10 he knew absolutely nothing about the Bible. 44:13 And I remember her struggling 44:16 and one time she just breaking down thinking 44:18 what in the world am I gonna do, I love this guy, 44:21 but he's not Adventist 44:23 and how do I reconcile this situation, 44:26 if we get married? 44:27 How's it gonna impact my life, the life of my children? 44:30 She didn't know what to do, and she prayed about it. 44:34 The Lord, you know, 44:36 ultimately worked out something in that situation 44:38 so that Andy wanted to have Bible studies. 44:41 And so we gave Andy Bible studies, 44:42 it's funny 'cause one of our first Bible studies 44:44 he wanted to meet Moses, 44:46 you know, he wanted me to introduce to Moses. 44:49 And I said, that's going to be very hard, Moses is dead, 44:51 and then someone corrected me Moses is not dead, 44:53 he's alive but... 44:55 Yeah, right. 44:56 So, but it still be hard, and so little by little, 45:00 we started giving Bible studies to Andy, 45:01 I remember when we were dealing with one of the time prophecies 45:04 and we were going through the Bible, 45:06 and he was studying engineering. 45:09 We were studying the Bible every Sabbath afternoon, 45:12 he'd come over to my house 45:13 and we'd study for about three hours. 45:15 And as we're going through the time prophecies, 45:20 where I'm trying to build up, 45:21 I'm trying to build up and then he asks the question, 45:23 "So what happened in 1844?" 45:25 And he'd calculated, 45:28 he done the math and he said before I got to it. 45:31 And this is the type of yearning 45:32 and desire that he had that built up 45:35 and now Andy is a, 45:37 he's a leader in one of his local churches 45:38 here in Illinois. 45:40 Amen. 45:41 They have a young family, 45:42 both of them are strong Seventh-day Adventists, 45:45 I had the privilege of marrying Andy and Edilisa. 45:47 I was just gonna ask you. Yeah. 45:49 So he, they got married, okay. Yeah, they got married. 45:50 And it's just amazing to see the chain effect, you know, 45:57 you have Alanna coming up to the Upper Peninsula, 46:00 she enrolls for the singular purpose 46:03 of being a missionary on that public university, 46:06 and we can tell you more stories 46:07 about what has happened up there, 46:09 but person after person, 46:12 just rededicating or dedicating for the first time 46:15 their lives to the Lord Jesus. 46:16 And the significant thing about these people is that, 46:21 not only are they becoming Seventh-day Adventist 46:23 but they're becoming leaders in their local churches. 46:25 And that's... Yeah. Yeah, that's the key. 46:27 That's the goal of ministry. 46:29 Young people, we shouldn't just be thinking about, 46:32 well, let's keep them in the church, 46:34 you know, we should be thinking 46:35 how can we empower these young people 46:37 to serve as leaders in our local churches 46:40 and also as leaders in their own fields. 46:43 And, you know, Edward's at a public university, 46:45 Andy was working for Caterpillar, 46:47 I don't know if he still is. 46:49 But you have these people 46:50 that are serving as leaders in their own working fields 46:53 and in their local churches as well. 46:54 Amen. 46:56 You know, we started out toward the beginning of this program 46:58 mentioning that this is 46:59 it's everybody's, everyone's ministry. 47:01 Yes. 47:02 Because somebody at home is thinking, 47:03 "Okay, so whatever age I'm way past university age, 47:08 how can I be that everyone, 47:10 so to speak, I mean, that's like, 47:12 okay, good for them young people, 47:13 they're in school that's not for me." 47:15 So explain how this is everyone's ministry? 47:18 Well, if you drive down the freeway, 47:19 you'll see some of those billboards 47:21 where there's a graduate, 47:22 the oldest graduate was like 100-years-old. 47:24 So everyone can go back to school. 47:26 That's true. Thank you, okay. 47:27 But Abe, Abigail is a student at Western Michigan 47:31 maybe she can share with us a little bit 47:33 of how the local church can help. 47:35 That's good. Yeah. 47:36 Personally our Campus group is actually, 47:39 it's got support from the multiple local churches 47:42 so we have support from the Kalamazoo church, 47:44 Battle Creek church, 47:46 we have some students that go to the Paw Paw church 47:48 around there in Michigan. 47:49 And we always encourage 47:52 the church members to get involved. 47:54 I know, personally, my parents 47:56 go to the Hispanic church in Battle Creek 47:59 and they come out on vespers to help, 48:01 they help with them, giving the message. 48:04 My dad does, 48:05 my mom will help providing food. 48:09 We also have other programs around the year. 48:11 We have a health expo coming up as well. 48:14 And we encourage the church members 48:16 to help in anyway that they can. 48:18 I know there's a lot of health professionals 48:20 in the Adventist church. 48:22 And so we're always open for help from them 48:25 as well to help us with that. 48:27 And just going to just supporting, 48:29 just being there for the events that the students have planned, 48:34 it means a lot to the students. 48:36 Us as students, 48:38 we're always a little bit insecure 48:40 about what we plan, the things that we plan, 48:41 the events that we plan, 48:43 and we're always insecure about them failing 48:47 but just having the church members there, 48:49 just having people there to support you, 48:51 even if it does fail 48:52 just knowing that there were people 48:54 there to fail with you is, 48:58 you know, it's comforting and, 49:00 you know, usually when there's more people 49:02 it probably won't fail so... 49:04 So, Alanna, I'm thinking then there's 49:06 so there's universities around basically every major city, 49:09 you may not have one in your town 49:11 but you know of one close by. 49:13 And so let's say, you have no student 49:14 there at your local church, 49:16 you want to start a Campus ministry, 49:17 you don't have anyone 49:19 that's actually attending the university. 49:20 How would you encourage someone to actually start 49:22 something as a ministry, as an outreach, 49:24 and mission field in their local university or college? 49:27 The first thing I suggest is people to pray for students. 49:29 I remember one year 49:31 we didn't have any students coming back at Tech 49:33 and we prayed and God send us eight Adventist students. 49:35 Oh. Wow. 49:36 Which is very unusual for such a small university. 49:39 And every time I've seen local churches pray for God 49:41 to send converted Seventh-day Adventist Christians, 49:45 God has answered that prayer. 49:47 So that's the first thing I would say is pray. 49:48 Secondly is, just visit or ask, 49:53 take a poll from your members, 49:57 and ask them if they know of anyone 49:58 in the area that's attending. 50:00 A lot of times some member has a granddaughter 50:03 that's attending at certain university 50:05 and visiting them and saying, "How are you doing? 50:07 Is there anything that we can be praying for?" 50:09 At the beginning of the school year 50:11 having a certain time to dedicate those students 50:13 that are there for the year that's coming, 50:16 and they can even, 50:18 pastors can actually go to the university 50:20 and ask them 50:22 if there is any of their constituents 50:24 at that university. 50:25 So oftentimes when the students enroll in that university, 50:28 they'll mark what religious preference they are 50:30 and they keep that record. 50:31 And the pastor can take a letter 50:33 from an official letter asking for those names 50:36 and they can visit them. 50:37 And so that's another way 50:38 that they can find students that are on the campus, 50:40 but the biggest thing is praying... 50:41 Amen. 50:43 And then providing food on Sabbath, 50:44 potluck is a great way to I mean food attracts students. 50:46 Oh, of course. Oh, yeah. 50:48 So... Yeah, like bees to honey. 50:49 So, just meeting the needs, 50:51 meeting the needs of the students that do come 50:53 and praying for God to send people. 50:54 Yeah, that's great. Fantastic. 50:56 We're almost out of time, 50:57 we're almost gonna go to your address roll here, 50:59 but, Israel, can you take 30 seconds 51:00 and just talk to us about the retreats, the conferences, 51:04 and what that's involved? 51:06 Yeah, so bringing the young people together 51:08 is very critical, especially 51:09 'cause many of them are feeling alone 51:11 on these public universities. 51:12 And so we, at Campus we hold multiple retreats 51:15 throughout the year. 51:16 We encourage our young people to come, 51:18 we start off the school year with our fall retreat. 51:20 Abigail talked about the High C retreat 51:22 where we bring in college and high school kids together. 51:25 We have our winter retreat that takes place 51:27 over the president's holiday weekend in February, 51:30 and then we also invite our young people 51:32 to come to GYC every December. 51:34 Amen. That's wonderful. 51:35 Well, right now we're gonna go to the address roll for Campus. 51:38 If you are interested in financially supporting 51:41 what's going on here. 51:42 If you are interested in attending a retreat, 51:44 going to the missionary training program 51:46 or one of the conferences, 51:47 here is how you can get in touch with Campus. 51:53 If you would like to learn more about Campus Ministries, 51:56 you can do so by writing 51:58 to Michigan Conference Public Campus Ministries, 52:02 520 Ann Street, East Lansing, Michigan 48823. 52:07 That's Michigan Conference Public Campus Ministries, 52:11 520 Ann Street, East Lansing, Michigan 48823. 52:16 You can call 517-316-1569. 52:20 That's 517-316-1569. 52:24 You can also visit them online at CampusHope.com. 52:29 That's CampusHope.com. |
Revised 2017-04-13