By Message Staff
PINEVILLE – A movement by the Holy Spirit prompted more than 100 Louisiana College students to make life-changing decisions for Christ during the campus chapel service Thursday, Oct. 11.
LC President Rick Brewer said the college staff and local pastors prayed countless times God would move among the students. While many of the decisions were to restore fellowship with the Lord, 30 students gave their lives for Christ.
“In my near 32 years in Christian higher education, I have never seen such a response to the Gospel,” said LC President Rick Brewer. “Despite peer pressure and their concerns about lunchtime, 100 of our students decided to get serious with God.”
Each student, who made a decision, received the discipleship book “Download.”
Members of the LC staff and local pastors will follow up with each individual who made decisions Thursday. Tim Hisaw, pastor of Tioga First Baptist Church and captain of the counseling and follow-up team for the upcoming Hope4U Crusade, was amazed at the response.
“This was truly a mighty move of God,” Hisaw said. “The Lord even moved some students to come forward at the end of the chapel service and counsel some of their friends. If this is any indication to how the Holy Spirit could move during the Hope4U Crusade next week, we are in for a truly amazing event.”
In his message to students at the chapel service, Rick Gage, founder of GO TELL Crusades in Duluth, Georgia, said the desire of the Louisiana College leadership is for every one of the students to have a relationship with Christ.
“It is impossible to meet God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit and not know it,” Gage said. “It is also impossible to meet God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit and not change.
“When a person truly gets saved they will have a desire in their heart for others to know Jesus,” he continued. “I want to ask all of us here today how many of us in this room today can say you are ready to meet God? The scripture declares that we must be ready.”
Since the semester began, revival has swept across the Louisiana College campus.
On Sept. 14, 30 students surrendered their lives to Christ on the final day of the school’s fall revival. During the Fields of Faith youth revival Oct. 7, Louisiana College students were among the 94 junior high, high school and college students who placed their trust in the Lord.
Despite the results in the past couple of months, Brewer said his staff is anticipating more mighty movements of the Holy Spirit across campus.
“We do not intend to rest on laurels,” Brewer said. “Instead, Louisiana College will continue to be God’s instrument as He helps us fulfill our vision of preparing graduates and transforming lives. Truly, that is what we witnessed today.”
Louisiana College students pray during a chapel service Oct. 11, 2018. Brian Blackwell photo
The chapel service, which took place in Guinn Auditorium, was one of several events leading up to the Hope4U Crusade at the Rapides Parish Coliseum in Alexandria which begins Sunday, Oct. 14-17.
More than 50 churches in the CENLA Baptist Association as well as other denominations are involved in what could be one of the largest multi-denominational outreaches ever in central Louisiana.
Gage, team evangelist Ken Freeman, founder of Ken Freeman Ministries in Martindale, Texas, and Scott Camp, founder of Discover Joy Ministries in Fort Worth, Texas, will bring Gospel messages during the four-day event.
Worship will be led by award-winning Christian bands Rush of Fools and NewSong, who will be joined by an area-wide mass choir as well as the GO TELL worship team,
Additional counselors are needed for the upcoming Hope4U Crusade. A training session is scheduled Saturday, Oct. 13, 1-2:30 p.m. at the River Outreach Center in Pineville. For more information, visit hope4u2018.com or facebook.com/hope4u2018.
