Campbellsville University students, faculty, staff visit 13 Kentucky Baptist churches and 1,500 worshipers

CAMPBELLSVILLE, KY (03/04/2015)(readMedia)-- What did 62 Campbellsville University student servant leaders, 17 CU faculty and staff, 13 Kentucky Baptist churches in Boyle County and 1,500 worshippers have in common Sunday, March 1?

"A Day of Kingdom Advance," according to Dr. G. Ted Taylor, director of church outreach.

The Office of Church Outreach at CU chose this particular day to lead churches for God in Boyle County's South District Baptist Association.

The churches involved included: Junction City First Baptist Church, Perryville Baptist Church, Perryville First Baptist Church, Parksville Baptist Church, Salt River Baptist Church, Southern Heights Baptist Church, Pleasant Run Baptist Church, Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Calvary Baptist Church, Gethsemane Baptist Church, Mitchellsburg Baptist Church, North Rolling Fork Baptist Church and Gravel Switch Baptist Church.

Taylor said March 1 was a day that "will not be forgotten soon. Student servant leaders advancing the Kingdom one church at a time is what Campbellsville University is about. Our message is focused on CU being Christ centered, church connected and changed lives."

Taylor said the Rev. Choe Sergent, a master of theology student at CU and pastor of Junction City First Baptist Church, "has been instrumental in recruiting churches in coordination with Church Outreach."

Sergent said, "As students led the worship services, they reflected the Christ-centered education received from the school. Our churches initially set out to be a blessing to the students of CU, but quickly discovered that we instead were the ones blessed by the passion, commitment and proficiency of the CU students toward the gospel ministry."

Dr. Michael V. Carter, president of CU, gathered with the students, faculty and staff at 6:45 a.m. to give a charge to the group.

Carter spoke to the 225 in attendance at Junction City First Baptist Church and said, "When the founders established what would become Campbellsville University 108 years ago, they were driven by the need for a Christ-centered education that would remain church connected and result in changed lives for the Lord Jesus."

He said they formed to serve south central Kentucky when the institution was founded, and now CU serves students from most of Kentucky's 120 counties, 43 of 50 states and 46 foreign countries.

He said CU was honored to have student Life Teams doing the Lord's work in 13 churches in Boyle County as well as in Cincinnati and in Louisville for the "Day of Kingdom Advance."

He thanked Sergent and the Junction City First Baptist Church for their warm welcome. The church was the central location for the CU caravan serving in Boyle County's South District Baptist churches. Life Teams began their day there with a reception and prayers, and then went to their respective churches.

Two students gave testimonies at Junction City First Baptist Church.

Lucas Humphrey, a freshman CU Tiger football player from Shepherdsville, Ky., said, "You are on a path set by God to bless someone else on your journey." He said sharing the gospel is like breathing to him and that "you can try to set your own way but God will bring you back to the path you are meant to walk."

Jeremy Bell, a singer for CU Sound, who is a senior and from Harlan, Ky., said, "If you'd asked me if I was a Christian when I was in high school in Harlan, Ky., I'd have said yes. Once in college, however, I joined in the party scene until Christ changed that." He said he is very thankful to be learning, growing and enjoying singing as a ministry at CU.

Leighton Lavey, a sophomore from Mayfield, Ky., led the service at Calvary Baptist Church in Danville asking how words affect us. He said there are words to others, words to ourselves and words we hear.

He said sometimes we are our biggest enemies, and we need to remember we are "God's masterpiece" and are "beautifully and wonderfully made."

He said the following words should guide us, including: powerful vs. hopeless, empowering vs. destroying; building others up vs. tearing them down; and encouraging vs. discouraging.

Lavey told the congregation: "Jesus is the answer to your thirst, anger, sorrow, joy and grief. Jesus can complete you.

"Jesus wants you to know that he died for you and wants in your heart and to control your life."

Julie Smith, who is from Corning, N.Y., gave her testimony about being picked on while growing up. She attempted suicide three times and was in an abusive relationship in a public high school.

She transferred to a Christian high school where she "grew in the Lord" and became involved in sports, etc.

She came to college at Campbellsville University and is now a nursing major who will graduate in May. She has served as a missionary in Haiti and will go back in June for the third time.

"You are called to live life worthy of Him," she said.

The Rev. Brent Rowe, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, said, "The group at Calvary was fantastic. They did a great job in leading worship and preaching. They were very mature and sensitive to God's leading. They were certainly a blessing to us, and I hope that we were a blessing to them."

Zack Wright, a sophomore from Summersville, Ky., said, "Today was not about any person. It wasn't about Campbellsville University. It was about coming together, having one common interest of sharing the gospel. There is no better title for this day than 'a day of kingdom advance' because that's what it was."

He thanked Gravel Switch Baptist Church for the "compassion, love and genuine caring that they showed our life team. I, personally, don't think I could've made it through this day without the support that the church showed me. Because of that, I know that they have the right heart to go out and continue to spread the gospel and continue this great movement."

Kevin Rothacker, a senior from Milton, Tenn., gave a testimony at Parksville Baptist Church. "Our service was great. We had an amazing time of fellowship and worship. The Church Outreach program helped build a good bond between CU and the 13 churches we traveled to today. I was very thankful and blessed to be a part of the amazing opportunity."

Megan Massey, a 2014 CU graduate from Science Hill, Ky., said, "It was great to be a part of such a powerful outreach through Campbellsville University to spread the gospel today. The spirit of worship at Gethsemane Baptist Church was truly a blessing."

Taylor Ohlmann, a junior of Louisville, Ky., said, "I assumed I would be the one pouring into others this morning, but to my surprise, I was poured into just as much. I was very encouraged by Pleasant Run Baptist. I loved sharing my heart for CU and missions with them."

Christian Naylor of Russellville, Ky., a sophomore, said, "It's great to get out into the community and do God's will -- especially when you're with many of your own friends at school who share the same passion as you."

Martin Combs, a freshman from Red Fox, Ky., said, "My experience today in kingdom advancement was an honor. I appreciate Southern Heights for affording us the opportunity. The church was filled with the presence of God. Today was about glorifying the name of God and telling people the goodness of the Lord."

The Rev. Jamie Lawrence, pastor of Parksville Baptist Church, said, "Absolutely great day at Parksville! Special thanks to Aaron Smith for the great message and the whole crew for inspiring testimonies and blessings in worship."

The Rev. Doug Davis, pastor of Perryville Baptist Church, said the event was "warm, personable and focused on the Lord. They brought a fresh and vibrant relationship with the Lord into their worship."

"It was a blessing to be a part of such a wonderful day," Sarah Stults, a freshman from Hodgenville, said. I really enjoyed the opportunity to share what God has been doing in my life. Not to mention, Southern Heights was extremely welcoming and loving. It was so encouraging to see what great things God has in store for them."

Landon Rogers of Harrodsburg, a sophomore, said, "My experience at Gravel Switch Baptist Church was wonderful. The church welcomed us in with open arms and treated us like dignified guests. They prayed for us and supported us through the whole service. I think that a day of kingdom advancement was a wonderful time in CU's history, and I am very proud to have been a part of it."

Wes Carter, assistant director of the Office of Church Outreach, who gave the message at Southern Heights Baptist Church, said, "Today was a powerful day and a true blessing as I bore witness to God further uniting CU students and area churches for the advancement of His kingdom. I am humbled and thankful to have been a part of such an enriching experience."

Taylor said CU's Church Outreach life teams will be in 50 churches this academic year. "It's amazing what God can do when we join hands together to advance the kingdom," he said.

Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,500 students offering 63 undergraduate options, 17 master's degrees, five postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.

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Cutlines for pictures for "A Kingdom Advance" story

Dr. Michael V. Carter, president of Campbellsville University, spoke to the 225 in attendance at Junction City First Baptist Church March 1. (Campbellsville University Photo by Linda Waggener)

CU Sound, a group of Campbellsville University students and graduates, sing to those in attendance at Junction City First Baptist Church on "A Day of Kingdom Advance" Sunday. (Campbellsville University Photo by Linda Waggener)

Leighton Lavey, a sophomore from Mayfield, Ky., gets a hug from Karla Adams, who has attended Calvary Baptist Church since she was 18 months old, following Lavey's sermon at the church. (Campbellsville University Photo by Joan C. McKinney)

Students performing at Calvary Baptist Church include from left: Clark Tippett of Midway, Ky.; David Richards of Beaver Dam, Ky.; Cody Ferguson of Lebanon Junction, Ky.; Paul Taylor of Versailles, Ky., and Julie Smith of Corning, N.Y. (Campbellsville University Photo by Joan C. McKinney)

Posted Wednesday March 04, 2015 at 11:47 am by Campbellsville University
Last Updated Tuesday March 10, 2015 at 01:45 pm