College Pastor Ben Panner

Ben Panner

The past year has brought many challenges for all of us, but God has been teaching us what it means to build our lives upon the solid rock of God’s Word! Amidst the many uncertainties, God has been faithful to the college ministry in 2020-2021.

With the limitations and needed restrictions for gathering, we needed to think creatively in the fall of 2020 about how to engage college students. We moved college ministry outside “under the tent” in the north parking lot. On short notice, Howard Kern and the maintenance team supported our ministry by helping assemble a 30 x 70 tent to facilitate ministry to college students. Pastor Moody was graciously willing to preach at another service each week to help create an easy landing place for students during this unique COVID season.

We gathered a team of students under the musical leadership of Pastor Dan Hiben to help with weekly singing. And on August 30, we held our first 10:15 a.m. student service under the tent. The Lord has used the 10:15 a.m. service to welcome students into the life of our church and provide space to worship the Lord. During the week, we gathered students to study Ephesians, Mondays through Wednesdays. Students kept coming back to gather around God’s Word and pray for one another! Our discipleship team is full of committed church mentors who humbly served each week by studying the Bible with these students. The mentors sacrificed time as they came on Thursday mornings at 6:30 for a Bible study prep time for the upcoming week. It was a joy to see God’s work through his Word in the ministry.

We were also thankful for a month of fun trivia nights on Thursdays under the tent. In January, we brought the 10:15 a.m. COVID student service inside during the winter months. Students have now been able to meet with mentors for prayer and spiritual exhortation before and after the service. We are excited to see students grow as they abide in Christ and delight in his Word.

God is good! God is faithful! He is teaching us patience. He is teaching us the power of his Word which is not bound but is alive and active. Thank you for your prayers for our college students. May God be glorified in our midst as we look to him for all that we need for life and godliness.