By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
LAFAYETTE, La. (LBM) – A spiritual awakening is gaining momentum among college students and young adults at First Baptist Church, Lafayette.
Since 2019, the group has grown from 25 college students and 15 young adults to 100 college students and 50 young adults, with 12 students and three young adults having been baptized since January (compared to none in 2019).
Scott English, who serves as the minister to young adults, attributes the growth to an emphasis on evangelism and discipleship.
“There are a lot of good quality young people who are being responsive to the Gospel and obedient to the Lord’s calling on their lives,” English told the Baptist Message. “They are embracing the need to share Jesus and be disciples.”
GROWING IN CHRIST
Each week, the college students and young adults meet separately for Bible study on Sundays and discipleship sessions on Wednesdays. They also meet at other times throughout the week when they sharpen each other further to become fully devoted followers of Christ. The group’s leaders gather every Tuesday for prayer and purposeful in-person outreach, and others are invited to join them.
Additionally, they share the Gospel on the University of Louisiana campus and in other areas of the community, participated in a missions trip to Boston, Massachusetts, and helped to lead revivals at other churches.
Dylan Randolph, a ULL junior, is among the students who were on the team that led revival services at Vatican Baptist Church, Carencro, in 2022 and Gibson Baptist Church in early October 2023. He is grateful for a church that gives students an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
“This has been a really good way to help prepare me for my next step in life, which is ministry,” Randolph said. “Every time we have mission opportunities like this, we never have a shortage of people who want to go.
“God’s been working through us a lot and it’s become a beautiful community of followers,” he said. “God has a lot more in store for us. Please pray that we will get out of the way of our own desires and do what God has called us to do.”
Likewise, Anna Spence has enjoyed the multiple opportunities to serve alongside other young adults.
Spence, who joined FBC Lafayette in 2020, serves on the young adult worship team and preschool department.
“I grew up in church and have always felt like everyone should find a place through serving, volunteering or connecting,” she said. “I feel like we have been given good opportunities to connect through there. We have so many opportunities and there’s always a need. Church should be part of your life and serving is an important thing.
“I have really enjoyed the priority our church has made in the young adult ministry,” she said. “This age range isn’t always offered opportunities to plug in with actual ministry. It’s been neat to watch our ministry grow and find people our age.”
Scott English, minister to young adults, baptized Matthew Elrod, a University of Louisiana-Lafayette junior, during a service, Oct. 8.
Matthew Elrod, another ULL junior, who now serves as a BCM small group Bible study leader, said his time at FBC Lafayette and at the campus Baptist Collegiate Ministry have helped him grow deeper in his faith. In the past year, Elrod attended Bible studies on Sundays and Wednesdays and, on Oct. 8, professed his faith through baptism.
Though he accepted Christ in seventh grade, he never followed through with baptism. But the Holy Spirit convicted him through a conversation with a classmate about the importance of being baptized.
“Once I got baptized, it was like this weight was lifted off my shoulders,” he said. “I decided to go through with baptism because it’s a step of obedience God calls us to do. I wanted to move from just saying I was a Christian to living and acting like one. I am grateful for this community we have where we hold each other accountable. We help each other grow closer to Christ and are about leading others to know Him.”
