(Photos by Luke Dawson)
DAVIS, Okla. – More than 100 college students from across Arkansas recently traveled to the Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center near Davis, Oklahoma, to attend Collegiate Week, Aug. 3-7.
A Baptist Press article reported that nearly 1,900 students and college ministry leaders from across the U.S. and Canada attended this year’s event. Approximately 150 of those were students from the Natural State.
Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) and Church Health Strategist Chris Larmoyeux said Collegiate Week is set up in way “to help students be refreshed and recharged before going back to campus so that they can start the school semester and school year off with a rejuvenated focus on sharing the gospel on the campus.”
National Collegiate Week was created to challenge and equip students to passionately follow Jesus. The schedule included times of worship, teaching, community groups, breakout sessions, and fun. Key speakers this year included Timothy Ateek, lead pastor at Watermark Community Church; Julius Tennal II, director of international missions at The Summit Church; and Jeff Iorg, president/CEO of the SBC Executive Committee.
“(Collegiate Week) helps equip students as they get ready for impacting their campus for the year but then it is also great networking, where they get to know and learn and hear from other friends from across the country and even other campuses and campus ministers. It is a fun way to develop relationships but then also talk strategy,” Larmoyeux said, noting both college and church based collegiate workers attend the event.
Josh Mauldin serves as associate pastor of college and equipping at First Baptist in Fayetteville, and also served on the planning team for the event. He said Collegiate Week exists to “launch students and leaders into effective ministry on their campuses as they start the Fall semester.”
“There is no better event that fills us up with Jesus and equips us in ministry right before the craziness of welcome weeks and fall kickoffs. We’ve heard from the Word, we’ve worshiped the Savior, we’ve attended breakouts to be more effective in evangelism and outreach, we’ve grown closer to our groups, and more. It’s win, win, win, win, win,” Mauldin said. “One of the reasons I love Collegiate Week is that both students and ministry staff walk away ready for fruitful ministry.”
Tyler Hoffpauir, Arkansas State University BCM campus minister, called Collegiate Week one of his favorite events of the year “because it challenges our students and staff to grow.”
“Several of our students were able to explore a call to ministry through exposure to top notch seminaries and missions agencies. The conversations I had with other college ministers helped me to rethink and clarify some areas of our ministry. I came back to campus ready to train our student leaders with new skills and reach our campus with the Gospel,” Hoffpauir said.
“While at Collegiate Week, I was able to lead a breakout session for students on how to lead their small groups well. The hunger from students to make a difference in discipling others was so encouraging. That’s what collegiate week is all about encouraging and equipping students and leaders to make a difference on their campuses.”
Larmoyeux said Collegiate Week is a “great launch pad into the school year. It gets them ready to head back.”
“The idea is how can we launch these students into the year refreshed and with maximum impact for the gospel on campus,” he said. “It’s really fun to have the church and campus based folks together. We’re hoping to see that expand even more with some of our Arkansas churches with college ministries. We want them to know and participate.”
Collegiate Week is held annually near the beginning of August. For more information, check out collegeministry.com.