Sending Missionaries to Campus

I was a little worried about Derek when I heard he was getting married.  He, like I, spends a great deal of time telling college students about Jesus.  He, like I, would have the responsibility of providing for a family.  Ministry is a challenging way to make a living.  When I asked him, "How do you eat?", he very confidently responded "Regularly".  

Alex with Mr. and Mrs. Derek DiCesare

Derek is what I'm hoping more of our students will become: a fully-funded missionary to the MSU campus.  He attended Michigan State University, heard the Gospel and has committed to sharing Jesus with students through His House Ministries.  

I shared with Derek the pain of seeing students know, worship and grow (KWaG) as disciples of Jesus Christ, yet come to the end of their college career seeing no option to continue doing what they love: reaching students with the Gospel.  He assured me that people all over the country are committing their lives to making disciples and making a living wage.

Steve Shadrach

One of the authors teaching people to become spirtually healthy, vision-driven, fully-funded missionaries to college campuses is Steve Shadrach.  His book, The God Ask was recommended by Derek.  While reading Shadrach, I discovered another of his books and have chosen The Fuel and the Flame as summer reading for Connection.

Connection is the student outreach ministry of University Baptist Church.  Using best practices described by Shadrach, and modeling practitioners like Derek, we are sending a fully-funded missionary to campus by Christmas.  Dedicated volunteers continue to pursue the mission of seeing more students of the world know, worship and grow (KWaG) as disciples of Jesus Christ.

I look forward to the day when multiple vision-driven, spiritually-health, fully-funded missionaries can be just as confident as Derek in God's ability to provide for their needs.

Church at prayer on missionary's sending day

Alex Pickens III serves as the Senior Pastor of University Baptist Church in East Lansing, MI.  He tends a vision to see all peoples of the world know, worship and grow (KWaG) as disciples of Jesus Christ.  Alex and Naudia live with their two children near the campus of Michigan State University.