Follow Jesus In College
HOW JOINING A CAMPUS MINISTRY LIKE STREET LEVEL COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING
College is a weird place. It reaches beyond the smallness of the hometowns we grew up in and offers a playground that sets us free from the jurisdiction of parents. It’s a realm where anything is possible, and even probable, which means self-discovery is a frequent occurrence here. In no other place will we ever again change into the people we are becoming as much as in this place.
All the while, the question of, “What to do about God?” lies dormant under the surface. Some of us have had the advantage of hearing the truth about God from a young age. In church or youth group we heard that He loves us, wants to know us, and gives us an opportunity to entrust our lives to Jesus, His only Son, who died for us.1 Those with such privilege already know the answer: “Come, follow Me.”2 The choice, then, is to allow or not allow God complete access to shape our future hopes and dreams, as well as our present day-to-day decisions.
Others of us did not have such an advantage. God was not part of our upbringing. And yet, the question remains the same: “What to do about God?” There is no shaking it. God promises such. He made us, and He put the idea of “eternity” into our hearts.3 The way we respond to this question will change everything.
Are you ready to stop being told what to think, and instead learn how to think?
Street Level Ministries is made up of people who are responding to this question. We are a campus ministry for college students, recent graduates from UW-Stout, and other college campuses across the globe. Our goal is to provide opportunities to learn about God and grow closer to Him alongside other Christians. We seek to learn what it’s like to have God change us, instead of lazily accepting the conventional wisdom of the day.4 We set out to allow the Bible to inform and guide our thoughts about life, love, and the world at large. Otherwise, the subtle pressure to achieve a passing grade or conform to the majority opinion will always subtly eat away at our ability to think for ourselves. So, are you ready to stop being told what to think, and instead learn how to think?
Through this ministry, be prepared to be challenged and pushed. It’s not youth group anymore where you sing a few songs and listen to a pleasant talk for an hour a week. We build each other up to be Jesus followers who radically oppose societal pressures to act a certain way. We exist to live out our lives and commitments together by doing tangible things that grow our faith and make a direct impact on the kingdom of God. So, rather than just talking about Jesus, we serve Him with our hands and feet. We have opportunities like writing for this magazine, being a DJ for our college radio station, Burning Dog Radio, handing out a latte at our coffeehouse, the Blind Munchies, and designing projects through our creative team. In addition, we go on mission trips together, camp together, and dream about life beyond college together.
Anyone can join us for our weekly meetings on Monday nights at 6 pm for a free dinner and Bible discussion. Located at the Blind Munchies Coffeehouse, it’s intended to provide time to get to know God, ask questions, and learn how to follow Him. Take a chance and come meet us. It just might change your life.
For more information, visit streetlevelministries.com
1 John 3:16 2 Matthew 4:19 3 Ecclesiastes 3:11 4 Romans 12:2