This article is a part of a series we are running in 2024. You can read Marty’s introduction here, as well as Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 , Part 4, and Part 5 (if you missed them).
Where are we today? What is BEMA Discipleship? What is Impact Campus Ministries? Why does any of this matter?
This matters because our heart for ministry, and my job throughout, has never changed. Impact Campus Ministries is a campus ministry based on spiritual formation that believes if we can impact college students, they are going to impact the world. If we can turn Jesus loose in their hearts and in their lives, the fruit Jesus will bear will be something to witness.
BEMA was born out of this conviction in my heart. This was how I, as a teacher who loves the Bible, wanted to impact students. BEMA was a ministry of ICM that represented my personal beliefs about young people and the Bible.
All of that is still true.
One of our executives recently gave a perfect metaphor. Like Mars Candy Co. makes M&M’s, so ICM facilitates BEMA. Most are familiar with M&M’s and far fewer know about Mars—and yet that relationship is critical.
Our heart with BEMA still lies squarely with the thousands of college students who listen and find BEMA to be a helpful resource. But what about the tens of thousands of other listeners? Do they not matter? Do they not also have a place in our ministry?
Quite the contrary—they could be everything we’ve been looking for.
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Next month’s article will bring the conclusion of this series and set us up for some announcements and vision-casting.
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