Students Help Plant the Seed of Ministry

Bill Kilgore, vice president for spiritual development, debriefs about 40 students and church members before visit and pray for households in Keene.

Students and local church members gather together on Saturday afternoons for outreach in the community.  At Southwestern Adventist University, the first Saturday of each month is spent walking door to door to offer gifts of prayer and encouragement.

“When people hear door to door ministry they often get a nervous feeling in their stomachs,” says Student Chaplain Angie Boothby.  “It’s often terrifying to knock on a door knowing that people will look at you strangely and possibly reject what you have to share.  Yet, we still do door-to-door ministry so that we can plant the seed of God’s message.”

During the three days spent going door to door this semester, 650 homes have been visited, 55 people have wanted a second visit, and at least 10 Bible studies are currently being held with these homes.  All of this is because a group of 40 students and church members gave two hours on a Saturday afternoon to the Lord.

Students that go on outreach pray with those they meet and offer them a gift, while church members act as prayer warriors following along in their car. The gift that’s handed out is called an “emergency kit.”  It ministers to physical needs, spiritual needs, and has various emergency contacts, a Bible study in both English and Spanish, and other fun things such as hand sanitizer.  They also ask if people would like to receive Bible studies with students, or church members.

“One of the most exciting Bible studies we are giving is at a house near the church,” says Boothby.  “When the students knocked on the door, they had no idea the amazing result that would happen.  They returned to give the Bible study, and along with the two people who had answered the door, there was an entire family of eight people, including children.  A whole family is learning the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, all because students and church members allowed God to work through them.”

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