BSU and Impact teams train students to find ways to minister
Posted by The Skyliner on September 1st, 2010Emily Bain
Staff Writer
BSU Director Jody Jennings. Photo by Kristen Hutton.
Baptist Student Union strives to serve the student body by focusing on internally growing the individual and turning that growth into external service.
“The name can be misleading,” BSU Director Jody Jennings said. “You don’t have to be a Baptist, and it’s not really a union, but you do have to be a student.”
The Thursday night meetings at 7 p.m. target internal growth by training students in God’s word, which they then have the opportunity to live out as they serve the Lord through ministry teams.
This semester, BSU’s Thursday night meeting is concentrating on how to live a life centered on worship in its new study in Psalms. The study is divided into four sub-themes on the topics of who is man, who is God, man’s response to God, and God’s response to man. The theme is designed to teach students to live in a way that continually worships God.
“Worship is not an activity, but an attitude of the heart,” Jennings said.
BSU offers many programs to live out this semester’s theme of living a life that worships God in the local area of Tigerville and all across South Carolina. Students will also minister to a great diversity of people, both Christian and unsaved, and spread the word of God not only through their words but through their actions.
Joyful Sound, a vocal ensemble, and Act II, a drama troupe, are two creative methods to worship the Lord by reaching outside of NGU to minister to others. These two ministries grow students in Christ as well as cultivate their talent for singing and theater while visiting churches, schools, and other organizations. Participating in Act II was particularly beneficial for Matt Martinez, 2008 graduate, due to the experience he gained while spiritually ministering to others.
“BSU has the most impactful times at NGU,” said Martinez.
There are many options for students to go out to witness and minister to others through a wide variety of weekday community impact teams, such as after-school programs, singing and leading Bible studies at nursing homes, evangelizing on the street in downtown Greenville, feeding the homeless, and working with inner-city kids, besides numerous other ministries. Weekday impact teams go out into the community at varying times in the afternoon and at night on different days of the week.
Jennings invites anyone who is a student to come to BSU every Thursday night at 7 p.m. for an evening full of learning how to worship God through everyday life.
Tags: Fall 2010, Vol. 111 Fall - Issue 1