Story by Mike Green, Executive Director
It was a wet Friday morning when I arrived at a local middle school. It was just a few minutes past seven and I thought for sure I would be the first to arrive. But through my rain-soaked windshield, I spotted three of our Campus Life students in front of the school. As I exited my car they shouted in unison “We’re here for Campus Life.” As I approached them, I reminded them that today’s meeting was just for the students who had raised their hand on Wednesday. I was encouraged when they all confirmed that that’s why they were there.
Then suddenly a 7th grader named Lyla grabbed me by the arm, pulled me to the side, and softly whispered: “That prayer was to begin a relationship with Jesus, right?” I responded “Yes” and Lyla smiled. The students who were gathering with me that morning had all prayed with me to begin a relationship with Jesus two days earlier and had each raised their hand indicating they wanted to meet to learn more about following Christ. I was eager to see who else would be joining me, Lyla, and her two friends at our meeting.
As we settled into our chairs I sat face to face with seven middle schoolers in a small circle. The discussion that ensued confirmed for me that these were not church kids. A couple had wanted to go to church but their families were not able to get up on time on Sunday mornings. Another was relatively new to Tuscaloosa and her family had simply not found a church. The others just never thought of church as an option. My goal on this early morning was to make sure these students understood who Jesus is and what a commitment to follow Him would look like. Had they been paying attention? Could kids with little to no church involvement truly have grasped the Gospel message that was shared two days earlier?
So what made Jesus unique? What did He do that no one else has done? I waited for their response. Sarah spoke up first. “He never sinned. He always did what God wanted Him to do.” Then Tim shared “and He died on the cross for our sins. He died in our place.” It was as if they were reading my notes. A few more questions confirmed for me that they truly understood the basics of Jesus’ life and His purpose in coming to earth. So I asked them if they sincerely desired to follow this Jesus that they just described. Kailyn, Lyla, Sarah, Tim, Azari, Gabbi, and Kara answered with an emphatic “Yes.”
Stories like this are happening again and again at Campus Life clubs in Tuscaloosa County. God is still actively moving in our community and in the lives of students like these. What a blessing it is that we get to walk on these campuses week after week and share the Gospel.