Fireproof- Coming to SMSU January 31st

Fireproof was one of the greatest film success stories of 2008. Made with a crew of volunteers, and a cast of mostly amateur actors for less than $500,000, it made over $30 million in theaters.

But that is not what makes it great. It is a great story of love, love lost, and love recovered in a marriage. It is a story of personal redemption. It is a story of salvation. 

And we will have it here on this campus, Saturday night, January 31st, at 6:30 PM. Make plans to attend! If you are married, thinking about getting married, engaged, or might possibly want to be married, you should see this film. Bring yourself, your significant other, and invite your friends.

There is a suggested donation of $5 to CCNSMSU for this event. Any money raised will provide scholarships for our students for two missions trips coming up later in the semester and in the summer. 

Hells Best Kept Secret!

Hells Best Kept Secret!

Are you a Christian? How did you decide to follow Christ?

I have heard many different answers:

• I have always been a Christian.
• I was raised in the church
• I go to church every Sunday.
• I am not a Muslim, Hindu, atheist, or agnostic. By default, I am a Christian!
• I believe in God
• I believe in Jesus
• I was baptized
• I was confirmed
• I prayed a prayer at camp
• I went to an evangelistic crusade and accepted Christ
• My pastor told me I was a Christian
  
• I was raised in America

These are shocking responses, because none of them are found in the Bible! This is the subject of the message Hell's Best Kept Secret:

• What does the Bible teach about true conversion?
• What are the necessary elements of conversion?
• What is God's role in conversion?
• What is man's role in conversion?
  
• What are the tests to see if I have been born again?

If you are curious to discover what it is that you may be missing, you should come to Hell's Best Kept Secret. If you are not a believer in Christ, but you are curious, you should come to Hell's Best Kept Secret. If your Christian walk is a bit, well, unsteady or inconsistent, you should come to Hell's Best Kept Secret.

We invite you to come, and, bring a friend!

Hells Best Kept Secret

We are preparing for December 11th 2008 when we will present "Hells Best Kept Secret" at the Lower Ballroom in the SMSU Conference Center.

This is a life-changing message that is appropriate for all Christians. If you apply the principles in this message, it, by the power of the Holy Spirit, has the power to change your life, and the lives of your family, your friends, and all those who you come in contact with day by day.

This is being presented by Change Collegian Network, but all churches, Christian organizations on campus, and all parties who are interested and curious are invited and encouraged to attend. We will begin seating at 6:30, and will begin the presentation promptly at 7:00.

Just for Fun

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Busy Month at CCN

We have been quite active over the last month at CCNSMSU! We have made a trip to Minneapolis, where most of our group experienced passing out tracts and sharing their faith with strangers. We also hosted Evangelist Shawn Holes at one of our meetings, where, after spending the day in the commons sharing tracts and doing one to ones, he challenged the students to do so themselves. 




There are quite a number of events coming up that will give us the opportunity to raise our voices on the campus. On November 19th, there will be an all campus ministries event called Who is He? Which will be an apologetic for Jesus Christ. This will be a great opportunity to share with students who might have questions. Then, we will host a Thanksgiving dinner for our international students. Last, right before finals week, we will be holding a conference called Hell's Best Kept Secret, which will expose the secret of faith that the Demons do not want you to know. We are so excited to see you at these upcoming events!

Reverse Trick or Treat

How do you like my costume??

Hey CCNSMSU!!

We are hitting the streets in Marshall this week for a reverse trick or treat party! We will meet at the Chisham's home at 6:30, where we will split up the candy, pass out tracts, and then hit the streets! We will go door to door, and give homeowners full size candy bars and tracts, and give the little trick or treaters small size candy bars and tracts. Afterwards, we will have a Reformation Day party at the Chisham's house.

Bring a bag of small candy and a box of full size candy bars to hand out. It is a BLAST!

Repent and Witness Minneapolis!

What a great night!



Watch Repent and Witness- CCNSMSU in Travel Videos, Faith Videos, and Activism Videos  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

It was 50 degrees or so, and there was a lot going on in Minneapolis. Kelly Clarkson was here to put on a concert, so there would be 15,000 people coming into the Target Center.

We had our members: Abby, Jason, and Thurstin as well as our new friend Austin, and Abby's mom! What a blessing! They got a stack of tracts and were stationed at many different corners around the Target Center. Austin even had a sandwich board on proclaiming the Gospel!

Later on, we moved up on Hennepin Ave, and were joined by other street evangelists. All in all, there was 20 or so Evangelists working the street. Mainly, our crew from SMSU distributed tracts and had one to one conversations. Even mom got in the act and was sharing with people one to one!

It was a night where we were really stretched. But it was really great and God was glorified! If you think that church is boring...you will be refreshed if you get out and put your hand to the plow in obedience to His command!

Looking for Workers who will not look back or be ashamed!

Come tonight for a time of prayer, fellowship, and learning about Evangelism!

We will look at scripture to support your witness!

Also we will be speaking about Bible sudy groups on campus!

Come, take a study break and fellowship with us!

CCN 10/6/08

Come one come all!

Tonight, we will cover Ch. 2 in The School of Biblical Evangelism- Making Grace Amazing and Review the names of Jesus found in Chapter 1 of the Gospel of John.

Remember: October 24th we will be hitting the Streets with Shawn Holes, a traveling evangelist. Make your plans now for our first 'Repent and Witness' weekend. 

This Sunday, following River of Life Alliance Church, we will have an informal get-together at the Chisham's place- We will have lunch and fellowship together. 

9/22/08- Tonight at CCNSMSU!

Tonight at CCNSMSU we will have Penny Iverson, from Taiwan. She will be discussing a few different topics, including cross-cultural evangelism, the importance of Evangelism, and some stories from the mission field that she is a part of. We will also introduce our study of the book of John, and invite you to become part of an in-depth study of that book. We hope you will join us!!

Change Collegian Network- What is it?

We had our first meeting of the school year, and it was great meeting all the new freshmen, sophomores, and transfer students. We got to know one another a little bit, to hear some of our experiences growing up as Christians, and some of our experiences being born-again. We also heard about the importance of digging deep as college students, discovering why we believe what we believe. This is not your parent's faith; it is yours!
We will be digging into the Gospel of John throughout the semester. John's purpose in writing is this:

John 20:31

31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

It is our hope that first, College students would believe that Jesus is who the Bible and God says Jesus is.  There are a lot of false Jesus Christs' being taught out there. We desire that you study for yourself and discover who Jesus is in truth! And second, that by believing, that is by placing your trust in Jesus, you would have life in his name. After all, the Bible promises:

16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

For those who cannot come on Monday Nights, or who would like a more in depth, intense, give and take, question and answer study of the Bible, we will be meeting for a Bible Study on Wednesdays over the lunch hour (11:30 AM-12:30 PM) in the main lunch area for this in depth look at John's Gospel. If you have been a Christian for years, or are just investigating Jesus' exclusive claims, this Bible Study is for you. We invite you to come and be a part!

Change Kickoff Party- September 8th 2008 CC202 7:00 PM

We hope that you will join us for our Change Collegian Network kickoff event on Monday Night, September 8th. We will have food, fun, and fellowship and will talk about our campus ministry, our mission, and our goals. We hope that you will come and check us out!

Also, check out our booth on Wednesday, September 3rd in the commons area! Stop by and pick up your Freshman survival kit and check out all of our ministries on campus. 

What did you do this summer? and WELCOME BACK!

This summer, I got to do a lot of golfing, which is something I really enjoy doing with my friends, my wife, and my children. It was a great time!
I also got to go to Los Angeles and participate in a ministry called the Ambassadors Academy where I was able to hone my skills in evangelism and outreach! What a blessed and fun event!

And, most recently, I was in New York City for a missions trip with Change Collegian Network where I spent four days with some of the coolest college kids from around the country spreading the Gospel on subways, in parks, in the middle of Times Square, and on boats. 

How did you spend your summer? I hope you got lots of relaxing done and caught up with friends and family. But did you make use of your time for the Lord? Please share in the comments below what you did with your summer, and some goals you have for this school year. I am looking for spiritual goals- what do you want to accomplish this year for the Lord? What do you want to see the Lord develop in you? 

And Join us on Monday nights this fall in CC202 7:00 PM for Change Collegian Network! 

Repent and Witness Evangelism Camp 2008

Tomorrow is not promised- In memory of Andy Wiersma

All of us in the SMSU family are in a state of shock and unbelief again, as one of the finest young men who ever attended SMSU has passed away far too early. Andy Wiersma was in an automobile accident on Sunday afternoon and he died as a result of the injuries.

I do not want to dwell on his death, however. Everybody who is commenting publicly is focussed on the life that he led. We are sad that he is not with us physically any longer and so we hold on to memories.

The short time I knew him, I remember him as a faithful man of God. He was the leader of my Son's youth group. He worked at Campus Crusade for Christ, and in that capacity, I have nothing but admiration for this young man. Every conversation I had with him he impressed me as a deep man of faith. I take this quote from a meeting in 2005, in which he gives the reason that he was such a fine young man, and all could see it:

"The thing I found I can put my hope into is Jesus Christ,"

Andy's hope was in the Lord Jesus Christ. Andy had come to an end of trusting himself, and placed all of his hope in Jesus Christ. If he could speak from the grave, I believe Andy would urge you to take the opportunity of his passing to examine yourself, to ask 'who am I living for? and 'what is my hope in, should I pass away today?'

"We have all put our hopes in something that is temporary or false," Wiersma said.

Wiersma said Christ's love guides him because it is eternal, perfect and it gives him peace.

"Things in my life aren't defined by the moment anymore," Wiersma said.

Andy had a faith in Jesus Christ that was displayed for all the world to see. He didn't just speak about his faith, he lived it. And this testimony calls out from the grave, for because of it, Andy has cheated death. Despite the fact that he is no longer with us in the flesh, his spirit lives on in heaven. His life was a testimony of what Jesus meant to Him, and in his death, we who also know Jesus can testify that he lives on, because we all share in this hope that he had.

Andy's life was in Christ from the time that he repented and trusted Jesus Christ. And now, we who are in Christ can say with all confidence and in all hope, he is in a better place. We grieve, but not like the world, because we who are in Christ will get to see Andy again.

Interview with two Teens

Change Collegiate Network SMSU can help you learn to share your faith with your family, your friends, your classmates, and your Professors! Join us this year as we meet on Thursday Nights!

Pocket Testaments

Everyone at CCN-SMSU Should take advantage of this ministry. You can order thirty books of John each month free of charge and hand one out for every day of the month. If we have ten people taking that challenge each day, that will be 300 per month and 3000 per academic year. Take the CCNSMSU Challenge, and lets get pocket books of John in the hands of EVERY student, staff, administration, and others on the campus.

Baptism

Matthew first came to CCNSMSU as a non-student, but desiring to learn more about the Lord. After watching "True and False Conversions" He realized he was a false convert. He repented radically from his old lifestyle and made some incredible life-changing decisions, including truly trusting the Savior, Jesus Christ. He approached me about being baptized, and he has, as of today, followed the Lord in believers baptism. Here are some really cool pictures of the event.

Ladies: How to use your PURSE as a evangelism tool!

Kristen, Abby, Sindy, Ashley, Sara......Here is a GREAT video for you!

Repent and Evangelism Camp NYC

Check this out, and consider going!

Last CCN Of the Semester!

I cannot believe we are saying this!

This is the last CCN of the Semester. A lot has happened. We have become OFFICIAL! We have elected officers, and we are a recognized student organization, thanks to Abby, Sue, and Thurstin for stepping up.

We will miss you all this summer, but take what you have learned home or to your summer destinations with you, along with a lot of tracts and willingness to share your faith!

Come to the last meeting, get some training, say your 'so longs' and pray for one another as we enter the dreaded finals week.

This is what I was doing last week, and if you would like to learn to do the same, ask me about the Evangelism Camp in NYC this summer.

CCNSMSU Evangelism Training 2 CC202 7:00 PM

Tonight @ CCNSMSU We will be doing part 2 of our Evangelism video training series.
Remember- It is very important not to miss out on even one part of this series. I am sure, due to the nature of this training, that there will be many stumbling blocks to your coming, but be determined! We cannot wait to see you there!

How not to become a True Convert- By Todd Friel

Churches divide over carpet color, building additions and budgets. In the meantime, our fellow church members are going to hell by the boat load.

A.W. Tozer said, “It is my opinion that tens of thousands of people, if not millions, have been brought into some kind of religious experience by accepting Christ, and they have not been saved.”

D. James Kennedy said, “The vast majority of people who are members of churches in America today are not Christians. I say that without the slightest contradiction. I base it on empirical evidence of twenty-four years of examining thousands of people.”

Friend, we argue over so many petty things. May I suggest we have lost sight of the most important debate of all, “What is salvation?” My theology teaches that salvation happens when a man repents and places his trust in Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21).

I would like to present thirteen ways that we have re-defined how a person becomes a true convert. Have we done this intentionally? Certainly not. We have simply created lingo that has a grain of truth in Scripture, but it is so open to interpretation that the un-converted understand it in ways that lead to false conversions.

1. Make Jesus your Lord and Savior. We cannot make Jesus our Lord and Savior, He is our Lord and Savior. We are living in rebellion to Him and He commands us to repent and trust Him.

2. Ask Jesus into your heart. Does Jesus come into our hearts? Yes He does. The question is, “How does He get in there?” It is not by simply asking Him in; it is by repentance and faith.

3. Just believe in Jesus. The demons believe and they tremble. We must repent and trust.

4. You have a God-shaped hole in your heart and only Jesus can fill it. We have far more than a hole that needs to be filled so we can feel complete; we have a wretched, deceitful, sinful heart that needs cleansing. Repentance and faith applies the blood of the lamb for that cleansing.

5. Accept Jesus. Whoa. We need to accept Jesus? This is entirely backward. We need Jesus to accept us–and He will, if we repent and trust.

6. Make a decision for Jesus. Decisional regeneration puts man in the driver’s seat of salvation. When we repent and trust, Jesus decides to save us. That puts Him in the driver’s seat…where He demands.

7. It is easy to believe. While the formula of repentance and faith sounds simple, a complete surrendering of self in repentance is anything but easy. It’s hard.

8. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. The only promises for the convert are trials, temptation and persecution. If that is how you define a wonderful life, fine. Otherwise we must command all men everywhere to repent and trust.

9. Come to Jesus just as you are. We should come to Jesus just as the sinners we are, but He also expects a broken heart and contrite spirit demonstrated in repentance and faith.

10. Come to Jesus and you will receive forgiveness of sins and ________________ (fill in the blank with money, health, a healed marriage). Jesus didn’t promise healed marriages; in fact He promised broken homes because we would divide when one member repents and trusts.

11. Come to Jesus and experience love, joy, peace. Do we get the fruit of the Spirit upon conversion? Yes. But if we come seeking the gifts and not the giver, we will receive neither. Instead, we must repent and trust.

12. Jesus is the missing piece. Um, no, the God of the universe is not the missing piece, He demands that He is the center of our lives when we repent and trust.

13. Jesus is better than fame and fortune. That is an understatement, and frankly, it is insulting. Saying Jesus is better than money is like saying that a steak dinner is better than eating a dung hill. He defies comparison and we trivialize the Son of God. Instead, we should be pleading with all men everywhere to repent and trust.

If I showed up at your door with a can of grapefruit juice and a roll of paper towels and offered to change your oil, you would say, “No thanks.” If we wouldn’t let someone mess with our car using the wrong method, why do we allow the Gospel to be presented so ambiguously?

Would you let a doctor operate on your child who was “sort of” accurate? The salvation of men is far more important than an appendix.

I beg you to consider how you share the Gospel. You and I know what we are talking about when we use these phrases, but do the unregenerate? Is it possible that we have so many backsliders today because they never slid forward in the first place? Is it because they were never told that they must repent and trust?

If we are willing to debate shag verse plush in the fellowship hall, shouldn’t we be more concerned about an issue that has eternal consequences?

Monday, April 7th

Dr. Thirumalai and his wife, Swarna came to SMSU this past weekend and lectured on different world religions. The lectures were decently attended for a weekend, and those who attended learned quite a lot. We are thankful that Dr. Thirumalai came and shared his life experiences growing up in Southern India. We also appreciate his current work over there in a school he has founded, with training women in the tailoring trade, and in caring for widows. 

We had another Voice of the Martyrs Display where young people who attended the presentation were able to become more informed about the persecution of Christians worldwide. 

On Monday Night, March 7th, we will be looking at "True and False Conversions" video at SMSU 202 at 7:00 PM. We hope you will come and take part!

Tonight at SMSU @ 7:00 CC202

Tonight we will watch part two of 'Hells Best Kept Secret' and review some of the Evangelism methodology that we covered last week at our meeting. We hope to see all of you there tonight. After all, where are we going with eight inches of snow, anyway?

By the way, as promised I will order pizza tonight so we can munch and fellowship! Hope to see you there!

Dont forget this week, Andre Kole is being presented by Campus Crusade. Go and support them! 

And also, Dr. Thirumalai will be coming and sharing his faith story in a presentation about Hinduism and Islam on Friday and Saturday night. You will not want to miss that. He will be in CH 201 at 6:30 PM both nights. 

Great Meeting!

We had a great meeting this week. It was nice to meet Abby and Sindy, both of whom have a great heart for people.

Just a reminder, on April 4th and 5th at 6:30 PM, Dr. Thirumalai will be speaking in CH201. He 

will be giving his perspective on Hinduism and Islam, and will be comparing the different world religions to Christianity. This will be a very enlightening discussion; we hope many people will come and raise some spirited questions and debate.

Dr. Thirumalai was raised as a Hindu and was converted to Christianity some 20 years ago, and this in itself makes for a very interesting story. He is also a well respected linguist, tenured at many different universities in the study of linguistics. He edits an online journal of linguistics, specializing in different Indian dialects.

We invite you to come, whatever your interest!

Tonight at SMSU

What is the significance of Easter?

Is it all about a bunny? Spring Break? A great Ham dinner?

What does it  mean to we who call ourselves Christians?

1 Corinthians 15:13-20  tells us:

13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Come to CCNSMSU and learn how the truth of Christ's resurrection can change your life.

CCNSMSU Goes GREEN!

Tonight, Change Collegian Network goes Green!

• At 5:00 PM, We will gather at Main and College for St. Patricks Day Parade Evangelism/outreach!
• We invite you to come to Change Collegian Network at SMSU at 7:00 PM Tonight in CC202. Tonight, we will be talking about how to share your faith with Irish people! (and people of all nationalities...)
  
• Coming up in April- Dr. Madasamy Thirumalai will be speaking at SMSU- April 4-5th -6:30 PM Look here for more information, and invite your Hindu and Muslim friends!

CCNSMSU 3/3/08

Tonight, I know that you folks are stressing over Midterms, so the attendance might be light....

But if you can come, we will take time to pray together, and specifically for you as you study and prepare. It will be valuable time!

Next week, there will no meeting as it is BREAK!

Windeypants tonight @ CCNSMSU

Windeypants (the 'thug' on the left) is going to be leading CCNSMSU tonight, Monday Feb. 25th@7:00 PM @CC202-

Show up for some great fellowship and teaching on 'True and False Conversion" Bring your friends-even if they are not yet saved- this is an EXCELLENT video that really gets to the core of Christianity and following Christ in truth. Following the meeting, Adam ( his real name) will be showing how to share the Gospel with your classmates. It is time to change SMSU- and that will only happen when people are brought into a faith relationship with CHRIST. We hope to see you there at cc202 at 7:00 PM

Revive and VOM Outreach

Last week, we got to take part in Revive where we displayed our VOM magazine, and handed out Bibles, tracts, and information about the CCNSMSU chapter.
Pastor John, CCNSMSU Leader, displays the postcards that were handed out to the participants who were interested in learning more about CCNSMSU. There were about 200 people at this ministry, which was really quite cool in that, all of the campus ministries participated together. The stated desire was to promote a radical change on the campus for Christ. We had the opportunity to speak to several of the students afterward and explain how the campus can really be changed for Christ; through Christians practicing Biblical Evangelism!
This is Dr. John (left) and 'Brummer', who is a CRU leader. They were photographed having an intense discussion following the Revive meeting. Brummer has a real heart for evangelizing the lost through CRU on campus. We hope to help him and others towards that goal!

Tonight @ CCNSMSU

Okay, so were you revived last week?

We were so excited to meet so many Christians who desired to see the students at SMSU changed for the glory of God!

How does one get revived according to scripture? Obedience is the key. 

When one is Born Again, he or she is given a new heart, and a new nature. We desire to read and to follow God's Word, the Bible. The last command of Jesus was to "Go, make disciples". Are you being obedient to that command? When Christians at SMSU begin to obey that command, called the Great Commission (Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:18-20) revival will come, because dead people (dead in their sins) will be revived- brought to new life- in Christ. 

Do you desire to be revived every day? Come, be a part of CCNSMSU where you can learn truth from God's Word, meet friends who share your desire who will pray for you, and leaders who will train you to stand strong in your faith as you share it with peers and professors alike. You can be a part of seeing revival come to SMSU!

We meet weekly at 7:00 in CC202. If you are a part of another campus ministry, GREAT! we welcome you, and you will not be late to your meeting, if it is on Monday Nights. We do promise if you apply what you will learn with us, your life as well as your Campus will be changed for the glory of God. 

We hope to see you at CCNSMSU!

Come to CCNSMSU!

Tonight February 11th- We will be diagnosing "What makes a CHRISTIAN?"

• Do you know you are a Christian?
• How can you know if you are a Christian
• What makes a person a Christian?
• 10 question test to diagnose yourself...

We invite you to come and to check us out. We meet in CC202 between 7:00-8:15, and we are out and about on the campus following.

We also encourage you to go to REVIVE following our meeting, at 8:30 in CC211. We hear there will be Pizza there!!

Come to CCNSMSU

Monday Feb. 4th Topic: How to confront SINNERS!
7-9:00 PM SC 206

Welcome to CCNSMSU

Pastor John Chisham, CCNSMSU Campus Leader welcomes you!

MORE COLLEGE STUDENTS WALKING AWAY FROM CHRISTIANITY

"Allison Lynn grew up attending an Assemblies of God church with her family. But when she moved from home to go to Texas State University in San Marcos, she walked away from her faith.

"I wanted to experience college life and all that went with it," Lynn says. "I knew in my heart I couldn't do some of the things [other college students] were doing and still call myself a Christian. So I just decided I didn't want anything to do with God."

The binge drinking, drugs and relationships Lynn pursued didn't bring her the freedom she craved. Instead, she spent much of her college career feeling as though something was missing.

At the urging of her younger sister, Lynn started attending Chi Alpha her junior year and eventually rededicated her life to Christ. Now a senior at TSU, Lynn hopes to become a youth pastor and help other young people avoid the mistakes she made.

"I see a lot of students doing the same things," she says. "They have a void in their lives that they're trying to fill with the wrong things. I drank alcohol until I threw up. What I really needed was God in my life."

Lynn's story is not unusual. An alarming number of college students are severing ties with the church. Some, such as Lynn, later return to the faith. Others walk away permanently.

More than two-thirds of Protestant young adults exit the church between the ages of 18 and 22, according to a recent report by LifeWay Research, a branch of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Among the chief reasons young adults gave for quitting church - one in four mentioned the transition to college, while 22 percent said they moved too far from church to keep attending and 27 percent said they just wanted a break. Another 23 percent named work responsibilities as the primary factor.

"The years immediately following high school graduation often determine the course of a person's life as decisions are made about careers, lifestyles and spouses," says George O. Wood, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God. "It's a tragic loss when a young person walks away from the body of believers during this crucial time. We must pray and do our best to not let that happen."

Wood says approximately 60,000 AG youth are expected to graduate from high school next spring. National statistics indicate 50 to 70 percent will leave the faith within four years. Among those who attend evangelical colleges, however, the percentage is only about 5 percent.

"The temptations [on a secular campus] can be so strong during the college years," says Dennis Gaylor, national director of Chi Alpha campus ministries. "It's easy to fall away if you don't connect with other Christians early."

Gaylor says the relationships that first-year college students form during the initial weeks of school are often the ones that continue to influence them during their entire four-year stay. Those who are part of Chi Alpha try to make connections quickly, even offering to carry students' luggage as soon as they arrive on campus."

This is why it is so important to plug into a group like CCNSMSU early on in your college career. You can discover more about your faith, get deeply rooted in it, really making it your own. In addition, you can be trained to help others discover how they also can be born-again.

Join us on the first floor student center coffee shop, 7:00 PM each Monday night for prayer, Bible Study, and outreach.

What is CCNSMSU?

Check out this video, and come to our next CCNSMSU Meeting @ the coffee shop, 1st floor, student center, 7:00 Monday Jan. 21st. Be there!!

President Proclaims January 16 “Religious Freedom Day”

January 15, 2008

SAUDI ARABIA – President George W. Bush has proclaimed January 16, 2008, Religious Freedom Day.

In a proclamation released by the White House during President Bush’s visit to Saudi Arabia, he called on all Americans, “to reflect on the great blessing of religious liberty, endeavor to preserve this freedom for future generations, and commemorate this day with appropriate events and activities.”

President Bush added, “In an era during which an unprecedented number of nations have embraced individual freedom, we have also witnessed the stubborn endurance of religious repression. Religious freedom belongs not to any one nation, but to the world, and my Administration continues to support freedom of worship at home and abroad. On Religious Freedom Day and throughout the year, we recognize the importance of religious freedom and the vital role it plays in spreading liberty and ensuring human dignity.”

On Religious Freedom Day Americans celebrate the 1786 passage of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which greatly influenced the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights, promising religious freedom to all Americans.

“How interesting that President Bush would announce this proclamation from Saudi Arabia, which is consistently one of the worst persecutors of Christians in the world,” said Todd Nettleton, Director of Media Development for The Voice of the Martyrs. “This is an important day to thank God for the freedoms that we enjoy in this country. It’s also an opportunity to remember to pray for our brothers and sisters in restricted nations, like Saudi Arabia, where they are persecuted, arrested and sometimes even killed simply for being a follower of Christ.”

Pray for Christians in restricted nations who risk their all because of their relationship with Christ. Ask God to protect them and give them grace to remain faithful in spite of persecution. You can encourage persecuted Christians in a practical way by writing letters to Christian prisoners in restricted nations at www.prisoneralert.com.

Take advantage of your freedoms today, SMSU students! You have the right to pray, to read the Bible, and to share your faith with others! Pastor John will be on campus today passing out Bibles and tracts, so look for me and join me!

Check us out!

1st Meeting

The 1st Meeting of CCNSMSU will be very informal, as we are in the process of gaining approval from Student Activities.
It will be held on the 2nd floor of the student center, on the couches, by the fireplace. Come and meet us there at 7:00 PM Monday, January 14th. We will have prayer for the campus, Bible study, and a run-thru of what CCNSMSU is all about.

Introduction

Allow myself to introduce....me

My name is John Chisham, and I am a Pastor in Marshall, MN

I am also the CCN Campus leader for SMSU!

What is CCN you ask?

CCN is a campus ministry whose main goal it is to train Christian students how to be biblical Christians. So many students leave their homes and go to college, and when they leave home, they leave the 'faith of their fathers'...because it really was not theirs to begin with. Many students cannot even articulate why they believe!

It is our goal, through careful Bible training, discussion, and practical experiences to help build up a new generation of Biblical Christians at SMSU!

What is a Biblical Christian?

I am glad you asked. A Biblical Christian is one who has repented of their sins, trusted Jesus alone for their salvation, and has evidence of being Born Again by the way that they live their lives!

A Biblical Christian......
-continually communicates with God in prayer
-can't get enough of the Bible
-relies on the power of the Holy Spirit
-loves to be in fellowship with other believers
-produces fruit in keeping with repentance
-shares their faith (Evangelism)

How do you build a biblical Christian? Its simple. You practice, together, weekly. Its called equipping, and it is the job of the local church. We come alongside the local church on college campuses to equip you to be all that you can be through the Lord Jesus Christ while you are at college.

If you are a born again believer, CCNSMSU is for you.
If you want to grow in your faith, CCNSMSU is for you.
If you want to learn how to share your faith effectively and biblically, CCNSMSU is for you.
If you want to fellowship with other Christians CCNSMSU is for you!
If you want solid apologetics to help defend your faith, CCNSMSU is for you.

We hope you will come check us out! watch this blog for more information.

The Four Letter Word That Keeps People From Coming to Christ

If you could sum up in one word what it is that is stopping most of this world from coming to Christ, what would that word be? Perhaps you would say “unbelief,” or “rebellion” or “sin.” True, but I believe that it is “lust” that is at the forefront of sin. The Bible says that the corruption we see in the world has its roots in lust (see 2 Peter 1:14). It is the burning and shining light for Hollywood, Soap Operas, the Internet, magazine covers, TV programs, car advertising, the sale of clothes and popular music and contemporary culture. In 2 Peter 3:3 we are told that the reason men mock God is because they love their lust. So, what would make any sane man turn from lust’s powerful pleasure? Two things: One is that we can never separate lust from death. If we embrace lust, we embrace death.

A realization of that eternal truth should cause common sense to kick in, in the human brain. No sane man wants to embrace death and on top of that, eternal damnation. The second reason a man walks away from the pleasures of lust is the knowledge of what it cost the Savior for our forgiveness. If my father sold everything he had to raise money to pay a fine for me to get out of prison, what sort of wretch would I be to go straight back into crime, because I enjoyed it?

The Prodigal son made a sensible choice. The Bible says that he “came to himself.” When is comes down to it, that’s the point to which we are trying to bring the lost. We want them to exercise common sense (now there’s an oxymoron). All we are saying, is, “Come to your senses and call on the Name of the Lord. He will not only change your unclean desires, but He will also save you from death and Hell.” When the power of the Gospel changes a sinful and lust-loving heart, no amount of atheistic whining or evolutionary silliness comes close to making a Christian even slightly doubt the reality of God.

Distributed by www.ChristianWorldviewNetwork.com


By Ray Comfort

Welcome to CHANGE Collegian Network (CCN) Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU)!

Did you know that according to the late Dr. Bill Bright, Founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, "Only 2% of believers in America regularly share their faith in Christ with others." Newlife (pg 65)

Are you part of that 2%?

If not, you can be! Get equipped to share your faith with everyone from atheists to devout Hindus, and learn how you can be obedient to our most sobering task. Plus, join us for worship and get rooted and grounded in your faith by studying the Word of God!

"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." - Jesus Christ (Mark 16:15)

Check back for more information about CCN SMSU!

For more information, contact jbcrev@gmail.com

www.ChangeYourCampus.com