Baptist Collegiate Ministries students from UTK and UofM stand at a station they offered at the University of Memphis. From left are Mason Thornton, Miranda Smith, Catherine Sharp, Katlyn Luthi, Vincent Nutt, Alex Rosas, Joe Drummer, associate pastor – college, Calvary Baptist Church, Knoxville, and Rebekah Luebbe.
By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector
MEMPHIS — A Baptist Collegiate Ministries group in the state recently served “in partnership,” as one BCM director put it, with another BCM group in Tennessee. The BCM at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, served with the BCM at the University of Memphis on the UofM campus as part of the fall missions trip of UTK BCM.
State BCM groups from several schools have worked together before, but this cooperative effort was very unusual in that one group considered the campus as a missions field and ministered there, said Bill Choate, collegiate ministries director for the Tennessee Baptist Convention.
Jeff Jones, BCM director at UofM, said, “It was amazing. They came to help reach our campus.”
Jones said in his 11 years as BCM director at the school, no BCM group from Tennessee had come to serve on their campus. He has worked with BCM groups from Kentucky and Alabama.
Rodney Norvell, BCM director at UTK, agreed with Jones that it was an effective and rare effort. On missions trips “we rarely have the opportunity to minister with other college students,” said Norvell.
The timing was great, said Jones and Norvell. UofM had already had a fall break when the UTK group came and the BCM was planning to hold Engage 24. Engage 24 is a national BCM effort which encourages students to share their faith on their campus during a 24-hour period in October.
So the 27-member team from UTK worked with fellow BCMers on Oct. 15 to hold Engage 24 at the UofM.
The timing of Engage 24 also was good because the school was drawing many students to campus for a football game against the Ole Miss.
As a result of Engage 24, one student made a profession of faith and many others “showed signs and had conversations that revealed … that the Holy Spirit was really dealing with them. We hope those students will make decisions,” said Jones.
As part of Engage 24, the BCM leaders at the UofM set up five stations across campus. Two were offering drinks and conversation. The other three were more creative.
One was a cardboard bus labeled “The Struggle Bus.” Students could write things on pieces of paper that they struggle with and post it on the bus. Then BCM students would pray with them about that struggle if they wished.
Another station had huge letters forming the word “LIFE.” The letters could be written on with chalk. Students visiting the station could write on the letters something that was important to them in their lives. Conversation also was offered as part of the experience.
Finally, a station featured red cups, representing the cups often used for drinks at parties. At this station students could post on a board featuring a red cup “what fills them up.” Again, BCM students were available for conversation.
Finally, cards were distributed that day inviting students to Focus, the BCM’s weekly service which would be held that week in a much bigger room on campus. Though the UofM has mostly commuter students — about 75 percent — about 200 students attended Focus the night of Engage 24.
Another part of Engage 24 was a 24-hour prayer time during which about 24 UofM students prayed for one hour. Most of them did this in a room designated for the prayer time.
UofM students also developed the stations. About 45 BCM students participated.
