A student smiles while holding up a crawfish on Tuesday, April 28, during the second annual crawfish boil hosted by the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff BCM. (Screenshot)
At University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, the smell of Cajun spices and freshly boiled crawfish recently filled the air as the Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) hosted its second annual crawfish boil – an event designed to bring students together over food, fellowship, and faith.
For BCM Campus Minister Matt Hall, the event reflects both his Louisiana roots and a deeper purpose.
“You guys know that I’m from Lafayette, Louisiana. I love Cajun food,” Hall said. “Crawfish is a really incredible way to gather people around the table.”
That idea – gathering around the table – sits at the heart of BCM’s mission on campus. The ministry hosts two regular services, “Common Ground” and “The Table,” both centered on building relationships in approachable, meaningful ways.
“Common Ground is the fact that there is nobody that’s ever going to get mad at you over a good plate of food at lunchtime,” Hall said. “And then we called it The Table because, man, Jesus, He went into Matthew’s house with the tax collector and with his friends and He sat at his table and their table at this house. And we believe that Jesus has prepared a table for us to be able to sit with Him and learn from Him.”
As the spring semester draws to a close, the crawfish boil also serves as a capstone event, one last opportunity to connect with students before the academic year ends. For Hall and other campus ministers across the state, this time of year is about finishing strong in their shared mission.
“We’re wrapping up the things that we do to reach college students,” Hall said. “That’s what we’re here for, to make disciples of the generations here at the different universities in Arkansas.”
He emphasized that the ministry’s focus is helping students encounter and follow Jesus in a meaningful way.
“We believe that college students need to find Jesus, need to follow Jesus, and experience life in His name,” Hall said.
Support from Arkansas Baptists helps make events like the crawfish boil possible. Hall said every act of generosity contributes to the ministry’s mission.
“Every meal that’s brought, every dollar that’s spent, everything that’s done for BCM as part of our cooperative ministry … is done to reach these students with the gospel,” he said.
For those involved, the event is about more than sharing food. It is an opportunity to build relationships, foster community, and create space for conversations that can have a lasting impact.
Events like these are made possible thanks to the generous giving of Arkansas Baptists through the Cooperative Program and the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering.