CAMPUS Fall Retreat
September 14-20. CAMPUS partners with Pastor Leeroy Hernandez (Missionary Training Program director with CAMPUS, and former pastor in Grand Rapids) to hold a fall retreat with students that attend public colleges and universities in Michigan. One of the highlights of the weekend took place when Sebastien Braxton shared his testimony of God's ability to do for us, what we cannot do for ourselves.
Oct 7, 2020 | Lansing, MI | Judy Klein
“I’m not Adventist.” The college student told me. “But I’m here because I love the Lord and hunger after his word and I just want to learn more about Him.” He went on to explain that he is part of a ministry which works specifically with young persons attending public universities.
Both the young man and I were attendees at the CAMPUS retreat held at Camp Au Sable in September. During the week-long event, up to 30 young people were in attendance, some of whom were not practicing Adventists, or even Adventist at all.
Israel Ramos, director of Public Campus Ministries, taught an eye-opening class on hermeneutics, which simply covers principles on how to study the Bible. He covered basic guidelines for Bible study, and then the students were sent their separate ways to put the principles into practice.
When the students returned, it was amazing how much truth could be pulled from just a few verses—verses that students thought they already knew.
Throughout the week, the participants were able to kayak down the Au Sable River, walk the boardwalk, and drive the go-carts. Each activity was designed to draw the group closer together—and it worked! The little group, which grew each day, was like a family—a small taste of what heaven will be like, when like-minded believers fellowship together.
On Thursday evening, the group was blessed have Sebastian Braxton come and speak. Over the course of the weekend, he spoke on several topics, but the main theme that ran through each was the Bible only.
Friday evening, he shared his testimony, indicating how God had taken him from gang-infested Chicago to a living, breathing relationship with the Lord. Braxton told the students that they too could have a but-now experience, by giving their past to the Lord and serving him now with their all. Many made new commitments or renewed old ones.
It is for this reason—the commitments made to the Lord—that Public CAMPUS ministry is so vital. Young people have strength, endurance and influence. When young people put their minds to something, it can be done. Some of our church pioneers were but teens when they were called to ministry.
CAMPUS pulls together students from all walks of life with one primary interest: learning more about God and serving Him with all of their hearts. The retreat was a huge blessing, and I praise God for everyone who was in attendance.