POINT LOOKOUT – Christian Lingner had been homeschooled from the time he was of school age—something he considers a great blessing, as it gave him time to foster his interests, experience nature, spend with his family, and develop a love for learning. As the third of seven kids in a single-income family, private schooling wasn’t a feasible option. When he was sixteen, a unique opportunity arose: the chance to finish his last two years of high school in a private Christian school—at zero … [Read more...]
Missionary kid gains Great Commission passion through MBC collegiate ministry
POINT LOOKOUT – Tim Cheah grew up as a missionary kid, but it wasn’t until college that he began to understand what it meant to personally live out the Great Commission in every sphere of life. Born to Malaysian parents, Cheah spent most of his childhood on the mission field in Indonesia. His parents served through an organization called Ethnos 360, laboring to build relationships between the people and local churches in the area. In a predominantly Muslim country where animistic beliefs … [Read more...]
Summer missionaries encourage believers, share Christ’s love
JEFFERSON CITY – Summer Missions 2021 is under wraps. For the last two-and-a-half months, God has been on the move, working in and through college students as they serve across the state. From the kickoff at orientation at the end of May, this year’s internship program was off to a promising start. MBCollegiate Director Gene Austin, received even more positive feedback than usual following the training weekend. “Every year I hear in a general way how Summer Missions Orientation prepares … [Read more...]
Ky. student connects with MBCollegiate, becomes Mo. Baptist summer missionary
JEFFERSON CITY – The scope of MBCollegiate isn’t limited to Missouri college students. Sometimes a simple connection through a friend is all it takes to reach across state borders to impact collegians on other campuses in other states. Olivia Helm is one such case. Helm, a senior at Campbellsville University in Kentucky, learned of a Mexico mission trip opportunity over Christmas break through a Campbellsville friend who had done her undergraduate at Hannibal-LaGrange University. Now, … [Read more...]
BSU students from Missouri Southern State University partner to bring help, hope to Colorado
EAST TROUBLESOME, Colo. – In March, the Colorado Baptist Disaster Relief sent out the call that they needed teams to come to Grand County, CO to assist their efforts helping locals recover from last fall’s East Troublesome wildfire. Ignited on October 14, 2020, East Troublesome burned at a staggering pace, blazing through over 100,000 acres in one day, making history as the largest single-day wildfire burn in state history. By the time the fire was contained on November 30, 2020, it had … [Read more...]
Campus missionary leads students to make the most of relationships
KANSAS CITY – How do you connect with college students when you can’t physically be on campus? That was the question Campus Missionary Carson Conover found himself asking as another semester started at Longview and Blue River Community Colleges in the Fall of 2020. With a handful of student leaders, his intern, Emma, and the staff of Collegiate Impact, Travis Hamm and Kerissa Breisch, Conover wanted to make the best use of their weekly leader meetings on Thursdays. Given the constraints … [Read more...]
Pandemic schoolyear yields surprising Freshmen engagement at NWMSU
MARYVILLE – Having a high amount of freshmen engagement wasn’t something Campus Missionary Jason Yarnell expected in a pandemic year, but that’s exactly what happened at The Lighthouse at Northwest Missouri State University this school year. When the semester began, Yarnell fully expected the campus to revert to online after just a couple weeks of classes. With that prospect hanging over his head, he prepped himself and his student leaders for a tiny window of opportunity to connect with … [Read more...]
Saved after finding Bible on coffee table, Stockert shares God’s Word at UCM
WARRENSBURG – Getting the Word of God into the ears, hands, minds, and hearts of college students is one of Campus Missionary Jerome Stockert’s key objectives in his ministry at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri. “I’m a very strong believer that God’s Word can change us and draw us in because it’s His Word,” he says. Something as simple as a Bible on a coffee table can radically transform a life – Stockert knows this, because that’s his story. Stockert grew up in … [Read more...]
Campus missionary’s workouts lead to new ministry opportunities
TRENTON – The decision to get an on-campus gym membership was a personal one, not a ministry one: Campus Missionary Christina Boatright wanted to build healthier habits for her overall wellness. The on-campus gym at North Central Missouri College, which is open to the public, just made sense. Three months later, that seemingly personal decision has led to a bountiful ministry harvest. “God was like, ‘let’s just throw some extra on that,’” Boatright says. One of Boatright’s BSU student … [Read more...]
MBC campus missionaries, students intentional in gospel witness to all
ST. LOUIS – MBCollegiate Campus Missionaries aren’t just passionate about reaching college students with the gospel of Jesus Christ. From insurance salesmen to neighbors and everyone in between, they are living as gospel witnesses in all their spheres of influence – and teaching their students to do the same. Kale Uzzle, Campus Missionary in St. Louis, and his wife have been faithfully and intentionally reaching out to their neighbors for months. While COVID has provided challenges, they … [Read more...]
BSU ministry connects students with local churches
SPRINGFIELD – It’s a simple idea, but a revolutionary one in the world of college ministry: group church visits. Starting this semester, MBCollegiate Apprentice Levi Springfield and his girlfriend, Kaelyn Denham are taking their group of Missouri State University college students on monthly church visits to help them find and plug in to a local church. Springfield has seen a trend in BSU ministries that he says has “been here since the age creation of the BSU”: students often find their … [Read more...]
BSU student overcomes worry, graduates, becomes staff member
MARYVILLE – Beth Yarnell grew up in a solid Christian family in Liberty and accepted Christ at a young age. Though she understood the saving grace of Jesus, she found herself constantly worrying about the future. “I was prone to worrying and wondering if God liked me,” she says. “I felt like I had to do it all on my own.” When she started her freshman year at Northwest Missouri State University, the worry only intensified. “It was a big transition, going from having that family and … [Read more...]