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Table of Contents page
2 Campus Minister page
3 Focused on Others page
4 Campus Worship page
5 Steadfast page
7 Living All In
CONTACT US
bcm@ucumberlands.edu
FIND US
Edna Taylor House
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New Campus Minister Jacob Ratliff, ’15, faced an identity challenge common to many new college athletes. Since second grade, football had been a huge part of Jacob’s identity. As a freshman at Cumberlands, though, he quickly realized the hard truth: he wasn’t skilled enough to play for a college team. In what felt like a huge leap of faith, he quit the team after more than a year and trusted God to give him other meaningful things in his life. God delivered. Through one unexpected opportunity after another, God repeatedly taught Jacob to trust him, be content, obey, and serve. “My faith has challenged me to live out the command of Christ to take up my cross daily,” he said. “God has been faithful even when I am not. Every blessing I have is a result and affirmation of God’s grace.” Jacob has served on the Residence Life leadership team and as an interim youth pastor. His longest “official” ministry experience was serving as an interim pastor at a small church in McCreary County for three years. Jacob is currently on the preaching rotation at Cornerstone Community Church in Williamsburg where he and his wife, Hannah, ’16, are actively involved. Dr. Chad Everhart, after five years as campus minister, decided to step down and focus on his position as professor and department chair of Missions & Ministry. After much prayer and consideration, he and Dr. Emily Coleman, provost at Cumberlands, are confident that Jacob is God’s choice to step into the role. “It is entirely by the grace of God that I am here,” he said. “My biggest goal right now is to get to know all the staff and students involved to see how I can encourage them and use my passions to support the ongoing ministry they’re already doing. I’m looking forward to it!”
I ACT because. . .
I love seeing God work in ways I never imagined. It’s one of the greatest blessings I’ve experienced. Jacob Ratliff, ’15
Focused on Others When Sabian Mitchell, ’22, was three years old, his parents could no longer care for him and his three siblings. Fortunately, all of them were adopted together, and Sabian’s life was forever changed. He is proud to call his adoptive parents Mom and Dad. “We’re a different kind of family, but it doesn’t seem different in my eyes,” said Sabian. “It’s the family I’ve known all my life. Me, my brothers, and my sister weren’t in a good situation, but we were given another chance. I have a great outlook on life now, and it really defines who I am.”
I ACT because. . . It’s a means for growth, accountability, and community. Ultimately, to serve the Lord well. Sabian Mitchell, ’22
After graduating from high school in Paducah, Kentucky, Sabian came to Cumberlands on a football scholarship. Along with his four majors (yes, four), Sabian is involved in Student Government Association and is on the residence hall leadership team. And for the 2020-2021 school year, he was a work-study student with Mountain Outreach (MO). The MO team stayed busy this year delivering clothing, installing flooring, renovating bathrooms, delivering stoves, loading washers and dryers, facilitating Pats Serve events, and beginning landscaping work for a new house, which MO is donating to a family in need. “The intentionality and work ethic of the leaders of MO is incredible,” Sabian said. “There was no expectancy of reaping a benefit for the work, it was all done with Gospel intent and the motivation to faithfully serve the Lord. When you do that, your mind stays focused on the hearts of the people you’re serving. Listening and being receptive is also important.” To Sabian, MO is an “avenue of service, fellowship, and family,” and he is grateful he’s had the chance to be involved with it.
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LET EVERYTHING
THAT HAS BREATH
PRAISE THEPSALMLORD. 150:6 WEEKLY CHAPEL SERVICES STUDENT-LED WORSHIP FIND CUMBERLANDS_BCM ON YOUTUBE AND INSTAGRAM EMAIL BCM@UCUMBERLANDS.EDU TO ASK ABOUT WORSHIP TEAM
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Steadfast If there was a contest for Most Bubbly Personality on Campus, Tristan Gibbs, ’22, would probably win. That said, it’s no surprise she loves being around children, and they love being around her. Tristan has served in Appalachian Ministries (AM) since her sophomore year. As she’s built relationships with the kids who attend AM’s events, she has learned how rough some of their home lives are. “AM requires us to be steadfast,” she said. “We try to provide consistency that they might not be getting at home.” Sometimes it can be hard for AM to tell whether the children are truly understanding what they’re being taught about Jesus. Tristan said, “A verse I really love is Proverbs 22:6, ‘Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ Sharing Jesus and modeling His loving, servant heart to these local families is an offering that God will use in the kids’ lives. We are planting seeds in their hearts, and God is faithful in saving the lost. We may not see it immediately, but He’s working.” God has taught Tristan a lot through AM. In addition to better teamwork with fellow students and thinking on her feet, God also helped Tristan see her inner struggle with judging others who aren’t like her. She’s since repented from her partiality. “God desires every heart,” she said. “I’ve conversed with people I don’t have much common ground with, and God has used those conversations to help me love those people like He does.”
I ACT because. . .
My life has been forever changed by God’s faithfulness, and I want to be faithful to God by sharing His Gospel with children! Tristan Gibbs, ’22
On campus and in the community, she is learning to do just that.
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Living All In Even though constant peoplepleasing and fearing what others think about you is stressful, it is a pretty common way of life. John Owens, ’21, used to live that way, but not anymore. “Those two sins controlled me early in my walk with the Lord. I was hesitant to share my faith out of fear of rejection, and I put up a front because I wanted to please those around me. It left me empty,” he said. “But God, being rich in mercy, revealed to me these sins through mentors speaking into me, my brothers in Christ challenging me, His word, and prayer. God, by His grace, has changed and sanctified me and allowed me to put those sins to death by the blood of the Cross.”
I ACT because. . . My savior, Jesus Christ, has commanded me in His word to make disciples and to be a doer of the Word! John Owens, ’21
God has pruned and refined John a lot in the past four years, especially through the ministries John participated in. His first step into ministry at Cumberlands was Band of Brothers, the men’s ministry on campus, which he’s continued serving with
since freshman year. He joined Fellowship of Christian athletes as a sophomore, and he led the worship team as a senior. He and his wife, Cailee, ’21, have led many Bible studies in their home. The experiences have humbled John, encouraged him, and given him a greater urge to share the Gospel and love others well. “We, as Christians, do not care if you have been running away from God. We are all sinners who have fallen short of His glory!” he said. “We genuinely want you to come join in ministry events. We want to walk through life with you, get to know you, pray with you. Ministry is designed to turn brokenness into God’s glory.” He added, “There comes a time in everyone’s life where they have to decide to be all in or all out. God does not honor riding the fence; He actually condemns it. I say this in love, not to scare anyone, but because choosing Christ has changed my life, and I want the same for everyone else!”
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HOW CAN YOU ACT? PUT YOUR FAITH INTO ACTION.
MOUNTAIN OUTREACH
CAMPUS MINISTRIES
FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN ATHLETES
APPALACHIAN MINISTRIES
CONTACT: Rocky Brown 606.539.4346
CONTACT: Jacob Ratliff 606.539.3561
CONTACT: Devon Goings 606.539.4605
CONTACT: Caitlyn Howell 606.539.4173
