This semester I’ve had the privilege serving alongside Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) on the campus of Francis Marion University.  FMU BCM holds a special place in my heart because it’s the place I attended occasionally as a teenager with my sister when she was in college.  It was my first experience seeing college students on fire for Jesus.  I still remember the great leadership of Dena Lucy who was the pioneer campus minister at FMU.  It was that experience as a young teenager in the late 80’s that left a lasting impact on my heart.  It helped lead me to get involved in BCM during my college days at Anderson.

This semester I’ve enjoyed getting onto the campus at FMU.  During this semester I’ve learned a few things:

1. Francis Marion University really is a solid hometown college with a great team of faculty and staff who are providing an affordable – top quality education.
2. The BCM is a bright lighthouse at FMU.  It’s an inviting and exciting organization that welcomes ALL students and introduces them to Jesus.  It’s not only the largest campus organization at FMU, it is also making an eternal difference.
3. God is not dead on university campuses.  College students are seeking now more than ever and they want a real relationship with Jesus.
4. I’m more grateful now for the work of Kendal Danford.  Though I’ve served for six years on the FMU BCM Council, I never fully understood what it took to make BCM great.  Thank you Kendal for your intentional effort to reach the entire campus for the glory of Jesus.
5. We have an awesome team of campus ministers (missionaries) across our state who are doing vital work.  They are working to reach 275,000 students with the Gospel of Jesus.  They need our prayers, financial support and words of encouragement.

Tonight is my last official night serving with the BCM as a staff member and it’s bitter sweet.  As I look back on these last few months of late nights at FMU, I look back on it with a grateful heart.  I’m grateful one student accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord.  I’m grateful for the dozens of students who came to BCM for the first time.  I am thankful  for the awesome student leadership team as well as our fantastic co-director, Mary Cross.  I’m grateful for local churches who showed up each week to feed students.  I’m also thankful for the countless people who showed up to move students into dorms, make cotton candy, bring carnival games, cook hotdogs and everything in between that helped us connect with students who need the love of Jesus.  I’m grateful for Chad Stillwell and the leadership team at our State Convention.  I’m thankful that Ebenezer now has more students than ever going to FMU BCM.  In addition, I now have great relationships with campus ministers all over our state.  This will help personally connect our current and future Ebenezer college students with local campus ministers at a variety of colleges.

So, today I say – Thank You!  Thank you FMU BCM for letting me be your 43 Year Old Semester Missionary.  Thank you for welcoming me and letting me serve with your team at the local and state level.  It helped me far more than you’ll ever know.  Thank you Ebenezer for allowing me to serve outside my normal ministry duties.  And a very special thank you to Ashley for always keeping things together at home and for being such an encouraging wife and ministry partner… even on the nights I came home at 11:00pm.

Welcome back Kendal!  Keep making much of Jesus at Francis Marion University.