By Tanner Cade
Correspondent
In a year recognizing 100 years of ministry through Mississippi Baptists’ on-campus collegiate ministries known as the Baptist Student Union (BSU), leaders across 29 campuses are opening their doors to literally thousands of college students.
In fact, the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board (MBCB) Collegiate Ministries Department expects nearly 20,000 students to interact with BSUs during this season.
“Welcome Week” is a common annual moment in the life of any collegiate campus. After a summer season of sparse population in Mississippi college towns, the avalanche of footsteps and energy quickly return to campuses across the state.
The high-energy season of new and returning students on campus is a critical time in the life of a BSU ministry.
“Reliable research has shown that the first two to six weeks of school are critical in reaching new students, so we spend a significant amount of time and money for this purpose, says Morris “Mo” Baker, BSU director at the University of Mississippi in Oxford.
“The more ways that we can connect with students during this time, the more potential we have for reaching students and providing a strong Gospel witness on campus,” he points out.
Sam Ivy, MBCB director of collegiate ministries and former BSU director at Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, agrees with the importance of the first few weeks for students and BSU leaders.
“College students are going to decide what they fill their time and schedule with within the first two to three weeks of the beginning of the semester. The first week is crucial. BSU directors are trying to make contact with the student, reach out to their families and their churches and show them that they have a place where they can plug in and know Christ and make Him known through their entire career here at college,” Ivy says.
Kris Walters, BSU director at the University of Southern Mississippi, further describes the month of August on the Hattiesburg campus. “We get most of our contacts for the year during the first three weeks,” he says.
“After we get the contacts we spend a good bit of the rest of the semester trying to reach out to them to set up Gospel appointments. The beginning of school year events have to happen in order for us to get the contacts of new students,” he stresses.
Across all 29 Mississippi Baptist BSUs, leadership teams create a schedule of events that best relate to the context on their campus. Some schedule large events and some schedule a series of smaller events to help capture as many students as possible.
Baker describes the Ole Miss BSU program as providing opportunities for “several smaller events to serve, reach, and involve new students.”
“Ultimately, we want students to know that there is an active BSU on our campus, that the BSU is a place for spiritual growth and community, and we want to connect our upperclass leaders to new students so that faith-building relationships and encouraging friendships can form,” he says.
Michael Ball, BSU director at Mississippi State University in Starkville, describes their large event called “Basic Training” and how they plan to focus on Romans 12:1-2 as the theme of the two-day event this year.
“Our desire is that the theme would be something that would address new students coming to campus, not knowing where they are spiritually but hopefully allowing this to be a beginning point. If they’re not saved, it will be a chance to help them to understand the Gospel [and] if they are saved, to be able to find a place that they can serve, grow, and take the action to become a disciple.”
Ball adds that the theme and activities during Basic Training and other events in August are conducted by returning BSU student leaders.
This school year is another year removed from the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic, and student numbers are returning to a pre-pandemic levels of excitement and energy for the school year.
“With this coming off COVID the past couple of years, it’s regained momentum,” says Ball. “The desire is for students to know there’s a place where people care about them and they don’t have to be perfect here. We’re wanting to help them grow and mature,” he says.
Capturing the attention of new students and encouraging them to join the ministry of BSU on their campus doesn’t stop at campus boundaries. BSU directors encourage students to get involved in local churches, the cornerstones of the Mississippi Baptist Convention.
“One of the things that I love about Mississippi BSUs is that throughout the entire state, these campus ministries are helping point our students to the local church,” says Ivy.
‘It’s our hope they serve and be a part of what God is doing as we seek to know Christ and to make Him known on the campus, in the community, and all around the world in our mission efforts.”
Cade is MBCB communication services director. He may be contacted at tcade@mbcb.org. For more information on collegiate ministry opportunities, Ivy may be contacted at sivy@mbcb.org.
Baptist Student Unions are supported by gifts to the Mississippi Cooperative Program, local churches and associations in specific BSU areas, and individual donations.
