Why College Students Desperately Need Gospel-centered Campus Ministry

by Elizabeth | Nov 20, 2014 | Learning Story

Excessive drinking, casual hookups, secular humanism agendas in the classroom…

College presents an array of startling, and sometimes unexpected, challenges.

As a parent of college children, two graduated, two still on campus, I can honestly say I don’t know how they would have come through it all with any level of gospel sanity if it weren’t for…

Gospel-centered campus ministries.

Today I share an update from my FAVORITE campus ministry worker (in gold LSU tee shirt, above)  — our elder daughter, Jackie Turnage.

As you listen to her stories, pray for students and workers on college campuses. While you’re at it, consider supporting a gospel-centered campus ministry today if you don’t already.

Hey Guys!

Here to give you a little update about RUF at LSU.

Fall has finally arrived in Baton Rouge as temps have dropped to an icy 77 degrees or so (although as I’m writing this we have a freeze warning for tonight…don’t ask me), football season is almost over, and we are in the final push of the semester. I’m pretty tired. Things are hard, and also things are really good.

I figured I’d share a story or two and if you want to see some more highlights from the semester just scroll on down!

“I believe in Jesus that he has saved me and that the Bible has authority over my life, but my life does not reflect it at all. I want it to, but honestly I know in my heart I’m not fully willing to give up certain things in my life to obey Jesus. I can say I won’t get drunk this weekend or that I want to stand up for what I believe but I can’t even do the easy things. I’m struggling and I just feel stuck.”

This sweet girl was one of the freshmen I nearly gave up on last fall– never texted back, always cancelled and rescheduled and cancelled again our lunch dates, and one day started showing up to Large group second semester. I’ve gotten to know her pretty well over the last year, but this conversation was the first time she really opened up about her faith and her desire to follow Jesus but inability to do it in her own power. Clearly God has been pursuing her heart from the start.

One of the things I love about my job is that I get to sit across the table from students like this and tell them what I need to hear just as much as they do —

You’re struggling. You need Jesus. In Christ you are washed, you are forgiven, your sin no longer is your identity. And that changes the motivation to do everything you do, to pursue righteousness, to love people. God is not a kill-joy, he wants to make you whole because he loves you.

The thing is, my students don’t need me to help them “make good decisions.” What they need is to come to a fuller knowledge of their sin and a fuller knowledge of Jesus’ profound and perfect love for them demonstrated by his life and death on the cross for us. Don’t we all need that?

Please keep praying for this student, that she would be encouraged and grow in the gospel! And please pray for other students like her, that RUF could be a safe and sweet community for them to come and be welcomed by weary, broken people who are being “renewed day by day” (2 Cor 4:16) by the love of Christ, together.

If you want to read the entire newsletter and see all the pictures, please click here.

What’s your story?

What struggles did you experience as a college student or a young adult? Were there people who pointed you toward real hope?

Jackie says, “We all need that.” How does knowing “that” change your daily life?