[1]NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–In more ways than one, college is a learning experience.
In addition to the classes, tests and papers, college provides valuable lessons in time management, responsibility and relationships. Sometimes, stress and tension become familiar visitors, while peace of any kind, especially spiritual, can be hard to find.
That’s why LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention sponsored “Live Feed,” a weekend seminar for college students that focused on spiritual rejuvenation and a renewed relationship with Christ.
The Nov. 9-10 event at LifeWay’s Nashville, Tenn., complex was attended by about 100 students, including groups from Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and Arkansas.
“College was the best of times and the worst of times, and sometimes that happened in the same hour,” said Julie Woodruff, a Bible teacher from Hendersonville, Tenn., who helped lead the event. “The majority of my college days were not so good because I really didn’t know who I was. Deep down inside there was this emptiness and I couldn’t fill it.”
Much of the collegiate event focused on the importance of being in a complete, satisfying relationship with Christ. Throughout the weekend, Woodruff addressed the women in attendance, while Greg Matte, director and founder of Breakaway Ministries at Texas A&M University, led the men in separate teaching sessions. Discussion centered on focusing on God’s will through in-depth Bible study as well as relationships and dating.
[2]A first-of-its-kind event, Live Feed allowed students to choose from among various workshops on such topics as accountability groups, worship, using technology in ministry and summer missions. In a special coed workshop, students put a panel of single, married and dating people to test, questioning them about relationships and the so-called battle of the sexes.
Chad Cates, a Christian singer/songwriter, led the group in praise and worship throughout the weekend and served as host of a special fellowship event that pitted women against men to test their knowledge of current events, pop culture, movies and commercials.
But Live Feed was more than an event that allowed students to take a momentary break from the stress of college and talk about relationships and dating. It was a challenge to collegiate Christians.
“Without God we will accomplish nothing,” Matte said during a coed teaching session. “Thirty pages gone in a computer crash is an inconvenience. Fifty years in a life lived for self is a tragedy. We’ve got to abide in Christ. If you’re going to be a leader on your campus, there has to be Christian character.”
Matte’s challenge to college students to actively live out their faith reflected the overall goal of the event, organizers said.
“The goal of Live Feed is to see students get active in a local church while they’re away at school and to see them join an accountability group — to always be active in a Bible study,” said Candace Keck, project coordinator of adult enrichment events at LifeWay. “I think it will offer them a challenge to get involved in church while they’re away at college. It will encourage them in their own walk and encourage them to get active in a Bible study.”
The idea for Live Feed sprang from discussions with collegiate ministers who observed a need for more active involvement in local churches, Bible studies and accountability groups while students are away from home at college, Keck said. Similar collegiate events are being planned for the future.
For Corley Madden, a freshman at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Ark., just making the trip was a step toward learning that lesson of completeness in Christ.
“I came because I wanted God to really speak to me this weekend and really get something out of it,” she said.
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For information of future Life Feed events, contact Candace Keck at (615) 251-5772 or [email protected] [3].