At the beginning of our Fall semester we had a pancake dinner after our weekly meeting. I had waited until everyone had gone over to the building where the pancakes were being served and then I made my way over there too. I walked into the room and looked around to see everyone talking and eating. I passed by one table and there were about 4 guys sitting and talking. One of the guys asked if I would sit and talk with them and I sat down with them. They introduced me to Pete. Pete is a freshman and it was his first time at our meeting. The other guys told me that Joe was interested in knowing more about trusting Christ but he was not sure he believed Jesus was who we claim. Pete came from a family that never went to church. Pete had some friends who were Jewish and he had been to the Synagogue a few times and knew something about the Jewish faith. He was quick to tell me that he was not Jewish but had gone with his friends. He told me that he wanted to believe but how could he know for sure that what we were saying was the truth. I talked with him for a while about faith and man and sin and Jesus. Then I found an Eternal Life tract that was in my office and gave it to Pete. I told him to go home and read it and that there was a prayer in the back and told him that whenever he was ready he could use that prayer as a guide to help him invite Jesus into his heart and life. Pete and the other guys got up and left.
George began his freshman year like most other university freshman. He came to explore life outside the roof of his parent’s home. George came from a Christian home in name only. His parents were good people and respected members of their small community. They owned the independent grocery store in town and George was the youngest of 4 children. They attended church somewhat regularly. George began attending the Fellowship of Christian Athlete’s weekly meeting and came to our large group meeting occasionally. Over Spring break Michael went with the FCA group to Mexico on a missions trip and while there, he realized that he had never really trusted Christ as savior. George prayed and received Christ into his life in Mexico and when he returned for the rest of the semester attended our meetings more regularly.
Karl was a good student and a good person. He came from a middle class family where church and spiritual matters were not important. Making money and having a very comfortable lifestyle was the goal. Karl soon met an attractive young woman at the University and they began dating. It wasn’t long until they were involved in a sexual relationship. The young woman that he was dating came from a Christian home and she had been taught about living a moral lifestyle. She could not escape the guilt of the lifestyle that she was living and began attending our large group meetings most every week. She got involved in one of our Bible studies and began to grow in her relationship to Christ. She came to the point where she made a decision to follow Christ even if it meant breaking it off with Karl. She loved Karl very much and felt that he was going to be the man she would marry but she could not go on with obedience to Christ and stay with Karl. She told Karl her decision and he begged her not to break things off with him. Karl sought out a friend of his that he knew was a believer in Christ and told him that he wanted to become a Christian. Karl’s friend shared Christ with him and he prayed to receive Jesus Christ as his savior. Karl then began attending our large group meetings and got involved in one of our Bible studies.
Karl and his girlfriend made a commitment to live a Christ like lifestyle and stop the sexual relationship until marriage. They are both growing in their faith and are now married. They are a great couple and have shared their testimony with many others in our group.
I pray that God will use them to help other couples change their lifestyle too.
Jeremy came to the University as a freshman and a new believer in Jesus Christ. In his first semester he got involved in one of our Bible studies and began to grow in his faith. Jeremy is very outgoing and exuberant. Jeremy’s nickname is “Crazy Jeremy” because he does not fit the mold of a nice quiet young man. Jeremy has a love and a heart for Christ. Everyone knows that Jeremy is a believer and he is very consistent in his faith. Jeremy joined our leadership team two years ago and has been an excellent leader in the ministry here at the University. Recently in one of our leadership team meetings (we are studying Romans), an illustration was shared about a man who was leaving church one Sunday morning and discovered black ice on the roadway. As he slowly approached the top of a steep hill he pulled over and looked at the twisted wreckage of the cars at the bottom of the hill. He parked his car under a bridge between two pillars and began to stand on the side of the highway trying to get other motorist to stop. Some of the motorist ignored him and some even gave obscene gestures to him as they passed by only to be thrown upon the massive wreckage at the bottom of the hill. Some motorists heeded his cry to stop and were spared the wreckage below. We talked about how God has called us to warn others about the wreckage on the other side of the hill in life. Some may ridicule us and some may become offensive in their response to our cries of impending doom but some will listen and some will change the direction of their life. That illustration gripped Jeremy’s heart and he made a commitment to share the gospel with whoever he comes in contact. Jeremy got 2 friends to go with him and every week walks around campus and shares the gospel with students who will listen. He has been met with ridicule and offensive comments, but he has also been met with receptivity. He has let one person to Christ and is beginning to disciple him. I pray that many more will listen and change course in life because of Jeremy’s witness. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to have Jeremy under my care.
Jessica came to the University as a transfer student. She had gone to a Community College in her hometown and lived at home with her parents. Jessica and her parents attended church on a fairly regular basis and she would consider herself a Christian. She had been in a relationship with her boyfriend since high school and he was a student at the University as well. They had been sexually involved for five years and talked about getting married when they graduated from the university.
Brad came to the University as a freshman. I saw Brad’s name on the list from freshman orientation that he was interested in the Baptist Student Ministries organization on campus. All I had was his address in the dorms so I sent him a letter telling him about our meeting times and our ministry on campus. I never heard or saw Brad at all the fall semester but I continued to send him letters inviting him to join us and the different activities we were having. During a joint activity with other campus ministries on campus I was meeting different students and I introduced myself to a young man and his face got really red. He said that his name was Brad and that he has received a few letters from me.
A weekly book discussion is enriching the lives of some Ph.d. students at the University. Four graduate students and the campus minister meet together for lunch in the student union and to share their thoughts on a book about the Christian faith. The students come from a variety of disciplines - German language, Music, Engineering and Law. Although their academic pursuits are different from one another, they do share a common desire to grow deeper in the discipleship of Jesus Christ. Last semester they discussed the book A Christian’s Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith. This semester Darryl Tippen’s book Pilgrim Heart is the focus of the discussion. New insights into the faith and a closer fellowship promises to strengthen these young leaders-to-be who have the potential to impact the lives of many others over the course of their careers.
Christian Challenge
Jim Robinson, director
1002 W. First
Coffeyville, KS 67337
Phone: (620) 251-6025
E-mail:
Christian Challenge
Jason Huebner, director
P.O. Box 1433
Emporia, KS 66801-1433
Phone: 620.343.2777 or 620.344.2971
E-mail:
Campus Christian Fellowship
Carol Smith, contact person
4200 Sandpiper Ln.
Great Bend, KS 67530
Phone: (620) 792-1667
E-mail:
Christian Challenge
Carin Cochran, director
1723 Golden Belt Dr.
Hays, KS 67601
Phone: (785) 625-6945
E-mail:
Christian Challenge
E-mail:
University Christian Fellowship
Rick Clock, campus minister
Meeting place: The Kansas Union
Lawrence, KS 66044
Phone: (785) 841-3148
E-mail:
Christian Challenge
Brett Yohn, campus minister
PO Box 30083
Lincoln, NE 68503
Phone: (402) 483-1451
E-mail:
Christian Challenge
Brian Sturm
PO Box 832
Manhattan, KS 66505-0832
Phone: 785-537-7569
E-mail:
CrossQuest
Mike Trent, campus minister
P.O. Box 393
Pittsburg, KS 66762
Phone: (620) 235-1260
Christian Challenge
Bill Gandy, campus minister
PO Box 451
Pratt, KS 67124
Phone: (620) 672-7609
E-mail:
Christian Challenge
Craig Freerksen, campus minister
Phone: (785) 862-6603
E-mail:
Christian Challenge
Dave Mitchell, campus minister
Phone: (316) 652-9601
Email:
The Mission (BCM)
Brad Simmons, campus minister
Phone: (316) 943-3446
E-mail: