Adventist Campus Ministry Winter Edition
Adventist Campus Ministry is made up of Seventh-day Adventist students who attend public universities in the state of Florida. These students organize themselves into ACM chapters. ACM chapters are:
> Led by students...
> Resourced by the conference youth department...
> Supported by local pastors and churches...
For the purpose of accomplishing a four-fold mission:
Experience God
Through worship, Bible Study and small groups.
Share Love
Through Projects of Compassion
Connect Lives
Through Social Events, Interfaith Engagement, Shared Meals and Retreats.
Declare Truth
Through Personal Ministry, Tabling, Public Evangelism and Lectures.
So, what does a public campus ministry look like?
What are the challenges and joys of being an Adventist student on mission at a public university?
What difference Does ACM make in the lives of these students?
Take a look at a few examples of the adventure of being a missional Adventist on a public university.
While students are the primary drivers of Adventist Campus Ministry, they can't do it all alone. It's the support of faculty members, chaplains, pastors, and local church members that helps any ACM chapter reach it's fullest potential.
College is about finding your purpose. At ACM, we help students discover that they were born for a reason. They were born to serve.
At ACM, we make it a point to help Adventist college students feel invested in and challenged by their church. We want them to know that we care about them and that they are essential to the mission of God's Kingdom right now.
In Their Own Words:
"I always attended public schools, so my choice in a university wasn't any different. God wanted me at the University of Florida. Public Campus Ministry transformed not only my college experience but my spiritual life as well. It exposed me to a group of Christ-focused young adults who understood their purpose wasn't only to succeed academically but to also share the love of Christ on their campus. I was blessed to be surrounded by them and grateful I gained lifelong friendships."
~ Audreyanna Loguerre, Class of 2015, Journalism
"Public Campus evangelism works. Out of our outreach we have a couple of people who have decided to become baptized. Furthermore, our membership is actively engaged in life groups and Bible studies. We are connecting , growing, and serving. The NAD needs to support more of these efforts across the nation."
~Adrian Paneto, Class of 2014, Neuroscientist
"Through my public campus ministry group I was given the courage, strength and support to make a stand for Christ at a public university. Fear of rejection in ministry slowly faded and the love of Christ I felt from the members of my campus ministry group made my entire college experience an inexplicable blessing. Together we were evangelists for Christ, winning souls in ways that I never imagined and I made true lifetime friends. Public campus ministry CHANGED my life."
~ Jasmine Dwyer, Class of 2015, Medical Student
"Some people used to assume that when young Adventists made the choice to go to a public university, rather than an Adventist one, that they wanted to be "in the world." Let me inform you that is not the case. Though I was scared of the obstacles I would face attending an institution that didn't share my faith, ACM and other public campus ministries not only gave me a place to belong with fellow believers, but challenged me over my collegiate career to grow in my relationship with God through many evangelism opportunities, taking on leadership roles in ministry, and perhaps most importantly, letting me connect and share my beliefs with friends and individuals I wouldn't have met otherwise."
Xavier Moss, Class of 2015, Biological Illustration
"I had a network of positive & encouraging people around me to keep me grounded & in the Word in spite of my stressful studies on campus."
~ Tammie Bellholm, Class of 2014, University of North Florida
These are just a few examples of the hundreds of lives impacted by Adventist Campus Ministry on public universities across Florida. Our goal is to make 2016 the year Adventist Campus Ministry is put on the map in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in our territory. Here's how we're going to make it happen.
1. Build a strong website and database that allows students attending public universities across the state to register and get connected to others like themselves. We've gotten started. Check it out below.
2. Create media rich content that can be shared with local churches, inspiring them to reach out to local public high school and college students, supporting them to start their own ACM chapters.
3. Develop context specific resources that will give students, church members and pastors all the tools necessary to launch and support a public campus ministry.
4. Organize a yearly gathering of Adventist public university students and high school seniors for the purpose of inspiring and equipping them to be missionaries on their campuses. Our first one is February 12-13, 2016. You can register today!
We are tremendously excited in what the future holds for Adventist Campus Ministry here in the Florida Conference. Please Continue to keep our students and those supporting them in your prayers. That they may experience the joy of a relationship with Christ and devote themselves to introducing Him to others.
All For Christ And Campus
