JOPLIN – The Minor Prophets isn’t a typical selection of focus for a Bible study, much less among college students. Yet this “often overlooked corner of Scripture” is exactly what Campus Missionary Jon Smith of Missouri Southern State University chose for his BSU men to study last semester. As if studying the Minor Prophets wasn’t difficult enough, the study came with a catch: each guy would have to lead at least one week, choosing a prophet, studying it, and presenting their findings to … [Read more...]
BSU students catch vision to share gospel
JEFFERSON CITY – If there’s one thing that seems to be catching fire among MBCollegiate students across the state, it’s the call to share their faith and make disciples. University of Central Missouri (Central BSU) Jerome Stockert says he witnessed evangelistic initiative from his students early in the fall 2023 semester. “Several times this month, at least twice a week students pair up and walk the campus, asking how they might pray for people and then sharing the gospel,” he shares. … [Read more...]
BSU food pantry leads international student to receive Bread of Life
TRENTON – Jesus had a habit of feeding people. Why? Because he knew that as he met the practical needs of hungry stomachs, he could point people to the eternal Bread that satisfies hungry souls. Following in his footsteps, the food pantry at the BSU at North Central Missouri College provides food for hungry college students—and points them to the Bread of Life. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, almost a quarter of undergraduate students on U.S. campuses are food … [Read more...]
BSU fine arts Bible study reaches atheist with gospel
MARYVILLE – Payton Beucher didn’t expect to find himself back at Northwest Missouri State University (NWMSU) in the spring of 2023 after a three-year gap that included multiple school transfers. He also didn’t expect to find Jesus. But he did, on both accounts. As Payton was preparing to move back to Maryville to study clarinet at NWMSU, Brooklyn Ellis and Zach Ringo were feeling led to start a Fine Arts Bible study. The two close friends had both been Music Education majors and shared the … [Read more...]
Spiritually thirsty college students drink deeply of Jesus, profess faith in baptism
KANSAS CITY – “What are you thirsty for?” That’s the question that confronted Malachi Taylor on the side of the Collegiate Impact Proxe station as he walked across campus at Blue River Community College in the spring of 2022. At the time, he didn’t know what he was thirsty for. But he was thirsty. Just a semester before, Owen Hannen had heard about the Collegiate Impact Bible studies on his campus at Longview Community College. He wasn’t connected with church in any way. But he knew … [Read more...]
Disciples make disciples at Missouri Valley College
MARSHALL – The shared goal of MBCollegiate ministries across Missouri is the same shared goal of MBC churches: make disciples who make disciples. At Missouri Valley College (MoVal) through The Bridge Collegiate Ministry, that’s exactly what’s happened with three football players. The story goes something like this: A campus employee takes a freshmen under wing, invites him to her church, and connects him to the campus ministry. He finds community and gets discipled. He takes another lower … [Read more...]
Love for God, students, outdoors converge in ministry of MBC campus missionary
JOPLIN – Jon Smith’s favorite place to be is outside. From hunting and camping to kayaking and white-water rafting, he’s addicted to the outdoors. As a Missouri campus missionary planted far from snowy peaks, rushing rivers, and salty waves, being an outdoorsman is part of who he is, yet for many years, it felt incompatible with where he was. In the past few years, God has given him a platform to minister out of who he is—and being an outdoorsman is a part of himself he can’t escape, no … [Read more...]
Fall retreats offer college students refreshment, community, life change
Fall. That time of year when yellowing leaves begin to waft slowly to the ground. When the mornings are cool and the evenings crisp. When the scent of burning wood and the sound of leaves crunching underfoot invigorate the senses. It is this time of year when many college ministries attend or hold fall retreats. With several weeks of class behind them, students have had a chance to investigate the ministries available to them. They’ve started to build community – or are still trying to … [Read more...]
Missouri Baptist students reach out to MSU football team, band
SPRINGFIELD – A year ago, a series of God-ordained happenstance meetings led to the Baptist Student Union (BSU) at Missouri State University (MSU) partnering with local churches to feed the football team a meal every Sunday. Campus missionaries David Stone and Chris Wilson looked forward with expectancy at what God could do with that opportunity. One year later, another divinely orchestrated meeting has allowed them to build off those efforts. Stone met Brad Snow, MSU’s director of … [Read more...]
MBCollegiate reaches international students
JOPLIN – Missouri is home to over 17,000 international college students, according to the 2021 Open Doors Fact Sheet. Over half of those hail from China and India. The great majority of those international students will eventually return to their home countries, giving college ministries an amazing opportunity to impact the nations – even those whose doors are closed to Christianity – with the gospel. MBCollegiate ministries are reaching those students, and for some, like the BSU at … [Read more...]
MBCollegiate ministries living, active in the summer
JEFFERSON CITY – What exactly do campus ministries do in summer? College students are gone, so ministry efforts cease, and campus missionaries just sit around planning for the fall, right? Wrong. The pace of summer looks different than the school year for college ministries, but life is far from dull, and ministry isn’t dead from June to August. Many campus missionaries use the summer months as prime time to train up their student leaders and mobilize students for outreach and … [Read more...]
Westfall to replant MBC campus ministry at Mizzou
COLUMBIA – Missouri Baptist Convention campus missionary Scott Westfall has begun this fall to replant a collegiate ministry at the University of Missouri here. Through the years, the Missouri Baptist Convention has had a couple different ministries at the University of Missouri (Mizzou). The BSU was the official MBC ministry there until about 15 years ago. At that time, MBC reorganized its college ministry structure, and the BSU chose to become a separate entity. Attempts have been … [Read more...]