By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Student ministry leaders and Baptist Collegiate Ministry campus directors were motivated to develop a strategy to help them continue discipleship of high school seniors as they embark for college or the workforce during the Forum.
Held Feb. 23 at the Baptist Building in Alexandria, the Forum featured encouraging messages from keynote speakers Brian Mills, pastor of Together We Church, Yukon, Okla., and Anthony Vargas, student pastor at Together We Church, and a time of fellowship for the 36 student ministry leaders and eight BCM campus directors.
Louisiana Baptist Youth Strategist Lee Myers said many churches report that seniors “check out” of their youth group and church before graduation and he hoped the Forum provided some tools to help them bridge that gap.
“This year’s event was targeted towards the great senior drop-off that happens each spring,” Myers said. We wanted to address the issue of 12th graders in our ministries checking out before they head off to college or the work force. It was important that we have that conversation as Louisiana Baptists. We want to lead seniors to finish strong and stay involved in church and collegiate ministries. Brian Mills and Anthony Vargas were the right leaders to help us address the issue. I feel like everyone learned something in that room that’s going to help their students as they go forward.”
Myers felt it was important to invite BCM campus directors so they could engage with and start building relationships with student ministry leaders.
“Youth leaders need spiritual contact on the campuses where their students are attending,” he said. “The relationship between them and the BCM directors is a natural “win-win” situation.
Patrick Lively, student minister at Norris Ferry Community Church, Shreveport, said he was encouraged by how many other youth leaders were at the event to learn the best ways to help their students remain strong in their faith as they enter college.
“One takeaway that has impacted my ministry is the idea of giving parents and students a list of at least three churches in their college town that would be a good fit for them along with the name and contact information of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry director that the student can reach out to before they get on campus,” he said. “All in all, the Forum has challenged my thoughts and allowed me to collaborate with others over a similar struggle.”
Cody Wilson, youth pastor at Judson Baptist Church, Walker, said the event encouraged him to push accountability and discipleship even more for his seniors.
“The biggest point they tried to make at the Forum is your ministry to seniors doesn’t stop at spring break,” Wilson said. “It attacked the subconscious idea that once seniors graduate, you hand them off and don’t continue discipleship. They really stressed we should be knowledgeable about all of our local BCMs and colleges and guide those seniors to follow up with them through their freshman year to let them know we still are their youth pastor and care about them.”
Blake Grundy, director of the McNeese State BCM, said he enjoyed the time of fellowship and sharing ideas.
“It was good to be in the room and be able to collaborate together on making the transition easier for students,” Grundy said. “One personal thing I took away from the Forum was to make some attendance systems stronger for better accountability. Getting them in the door is one thing but getting them connected takes more intentional effort.”
