CHANGE Collegian Network - SMSU Chapter

2011-02-02T19:03:00.000-08:00

NEW SEMESTER! Welcome Back, Students!

2011-01-02T06:21:00.000-08:00

Check out our CCN Year in review! Many great things happened in 2010, and we are looking forward to the blessing of 2011 as we step out in faith at SMSU!!

We look forward to seeing you again on campus with the new year! We will start up again on January 18th at the couches for fellowship and the word. If you are a Christian at SMSU, and you want to grow in your faith, join us! We will look forward to joining with you and equipping you to go forth to share your faith!

E- News for November!

2010-11-09T13:24:00.000-08:00

Come join us at SMSU at 6:30 each Tuesday Night!

November 2- Who is Jesus? What does it mean that he is the Word?
November 9- Who is Jesus? What does it mean in the beginning?
November 16- Mission to MSU/ Uof M
November 23- Thanksgiving Break
November 30- Who is Jesus? What does it mean the Word was God?

Remember to sign up for Repent and Witness Evangelism Camp

Read our

New Bible Study!

2010-10-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

Starting October 19th, we will be starting a new Bible Study called "Who is Jesus, Really?". The study will be on the Gospel of John, and we will go in depth to examine the claims Jesus made about Himself.

This Bible Study is for ALL COMERS! You can be Muslim, Buddhist, Athiest, Christian, Agnostic, or worship the Flying Spaghetti monster. All you need is your questions and an honest mind that is willing to examine the claims of Jesus:

Did Jesus believe He was God?
Did Jesus only preach love and acceptance?
Did Jesus like religion?
Did Jesus really die?
Did Jesus really rise again?
Did Jesus ever exist?
Does Jesus live now?
What does Jesus expect of me?

All are welcome, and all are challenged to come. We will meet in the Student Center, upstairs at the couches.

Our Campus Tour Report!

2010-10-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

JOIN US ON CAMPUS EACH TUESDAY NIGHT AT 6:30 PM!!! WE MEET ON THE COUCHES IN THE STUDENT CENTER!!

WHY DO WE SHARE THE GOOD NEWS? PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING!

Jesusʼ primary mission was, in His own words, “to seek and to save that which was lost”-wherever they are lost (Luke 19:10). That it is His intent for us to be just as concerned with this activity as He was is made clear by His parting words to the disciples. One weakness in our denomination in the past is that people have interpreted missions as requiring salt water. A missionary does not have to be cross cultural; a missionary can go even more effectively to his or her own home town or culture. When Jesus said go in Matthew 28:19 it is a greek word poreuō which can be interpreted in your going, go. In other words, wherever you travel you should be about the business of making disciples.

Romans 10:13-17 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The word whosoever (hos) is used to express an objective possibility.
In other words, it implies a condition which experience or results must
determine. It does not mean that if someone names the name of Jesus
they will be saved. It does not mean that if someone identifies Christ as their Savior, or if they identify as a follower of Christ, they are saved.

Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is inheaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we notprophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

What it does mean is that there is an objective marker that determines whether or not they are saved. The objective marker is the phrase epikaleo interpreted ʻcall uponʼ and means an action of turning to and appealing, crying out to Him. In the context of this passage, whoever turns (repents) and calls out to (appeals to) the name of the Lord, that is, the name He is known by, the proper name, the one true Lord Jesus Christ they shall be saved. They will be saved (sozo) in this context from death and judgment (as the consequences of sin). Not only that, but salvation brings in all positive blessing in the place of condemnation. Sozo, to be saved, means to save from the penalty of death and destruction and to bestow everlasting life as the result of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are brought into his family (we know Him) and we are changed, able to walk by the Spirit not by the flesh. We are no longer enslaved to sin or to death, we now have new life in Christ. We are a new creation, Godʼs workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do.

That is the positive aspect; that whosoever calls out to the Lord Jesus
Christ in repentance and belief can be saved. Who He is, that is, believing on the the right Messiah is so important to the idea of this passage. In other words, having an incomplete understanding about who Jesus is will standin the way of a person being saved. If a person does not believe that He or she needs salvation. In other words, if a person is convinced that they are saved by good works, practicing their religion, even in working together with Christ to achieve their own salvation, they are not believing or trusting in Him fully. It is like my friends who came to visit me in Mankato this week. They knew that the flood had affected 169 between the cities and Mankato, yet they chose to drive on 169 anyway. They had a knowledge that did not change their actions, and until they experienced the real road closure first hand, they did not change their direction. They did not really believe.

In order to have a chance to believe, they must first have an opportunity to hear. People who do not know about Christ must be able to hear about Him. Today, we can hear about Him many different ways, the source of information should always be the Bible. In the context to which Paul was writing, the ONLY way that people could hear about the Lord Jesus Christ was through the preaching of the Word. Not everyone could read, they did not have the printing press, the internet, or other more advanced forms of communication. In todays’ world, this is the exception, rather than the rule. In most places today, you do not have to preach (kerusso) that is, be a herald, proclaim the Gospel on a street corner or out in a public forum. You can actually share through one to one encounters at work, school, when shopping, etc. Imagine this: In this community you can be a missionary to Wal-mart, your high school, your neighbor, SMSU, the Jail, co-workers, at the Drive thru window, your bank, and the list goes on. I believe that the primary way in which people hearand understand is through the spoken word from a trusted individual (like a friend). While sharing the Gospel verbally is the ideal, if you simply cannot speak out, you can be a tract missionary. Tracts speak 24 hours a day, never having to sleep or rest. Tracts can be reused, passed on, and they do not require an education or training. They also do not need to have a permit or get permission to speak. Tracts can go places that you are not permitted to speak out, they can get into homes of people that you do not know or will ever meet. In this way, people can hear. What I want to emphasize is that we are all called to be missionaries, and there are many ways in which we can see the great commission completed. Can you think of places that you can go that you can hand out or leave Gospel tracts?

How will they hear without a preacher? Unfortunately, today, many people have heard about Jesus, but only enough to be dangerous. When we bring the Gospel to people, we must be sure we are preaching the truth. There are many preachers out there who are presenting a false or incomplete picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. On my travels, I have heard of the Jesus who saves and forgives everybody, the Jesus who approves of continued lifestyle sin, the Jesus who is the brother of Satan, The Jesus who is not fully God. This is why it important that the preacher is sent. We ought to give sacrificially financially as a church to see to it that trained
missionaries are sent to home and to abroad. We ought to give of our time and reputation sacrificially to see to it that people around us have heard the true Gospel. And the beauty is in the feet, that is, in the going out and sending out to preach the Good News. The Gospel is the best news ever, that sinful men and women who have offended God and have sinned against His holiness can be saved by trusting in Jesus. It is a fragrant offering to God when we give of ourselves and of our finances until it hurts to see this good news spread. When we do it with joy, God is honored and He is pleased with this sacrifice.

Our responsibility as Christians is not with the result, it is with the obedience to proclaim the Gospel, to bring the good tidings. Just because people hear, that is, just because they have been given the good news, does not mean that they will respond. Now those with different theological leanings will take this truth differently. Essentially, If God does not give you ears to hear, if the god of this world (Satan) has blinded your eyes from seeing the truth, then I believe the scripture teaches that you will not respond. The responsibility is placed squarely on the individual, however. If they will not obey the Gospel, if they will not repent and call out to God for their salvation, then they cannot be saved. The indication that they have believed our report, that they have believed God, is that they would obey the Gospel.

When you are speaking to one person, others listen in. These are international students at St. Cloud State. To the right is a professor. So, true Biblical faith comes when the hearer of the Word of Christ, that is, the Gospel, responds and obeys the Gospel. There is no other
prescribed way in the scripture that God has given that people can be
saved. Good works cannot save, religion cannot save, Jesus Christ plus
___________ can not save. No, faith comes from hearing the word of
Christ. Faith means that the hearer must respond. It is not our response that saves us; it is the work of God alone. We are justified, sanctified, glorified all by the work of God. It is not our belief that saves us; it is the shed blood of Christ that pays for our sin that saves us. But we must obey the Gospel, we must call on the name of Christ. We cannot do that if we do not believe, we cannot believe if we do not hear, and people cannot hear if we will not share.

It is Godʼs grace that has saved you, and the reality of that salvation is demonstrated by the fruit that your life bears. If you truly believethat mankind is lost, and that if they die in their sins that they will go to a place called Hell, that the shed blood of Jesus Christ is the only way that sin can be atoned for, then you will share the Gospel with them so that they can have a chance to respond and be saved. Jesus Christ came to seek and to save the lost. His parting words to his disciples are His words to us, that we ought to go, that we ought to make disciples, that we ought to preach the gospel to every creature by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that we ought to teach them all that Christ has commanded us. With the command comes the promise of his presence, never leaving nor forsaking us. Will you go in His power and with his presence to a lost and dying world?

Minnesota Campus Missions Tour 2010

2010-09-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

The week of September 27th, Change Collegiate Network SMSU and Mark 1:15 Ministries will join with Luke 10:2 Ministries on a Campus tour of the state of Minnesota. We will start out Tuesday on the campus of Minnesota State University in Mankato. There is a great courtyard area between the Student Center and the Classrooms, and hundreds of students waiting to hear the good news.

We will continue our tour Wednesday at St Cloud State University. This campus is full of young minds that are desperate for the good news of Jesus Christ.

We will start Friday off right with a tour of Northrup Mall at the University of Minnesota. We will proclaim the truth of God our Creator and Savior to science students on the mall.

Later, we will challenge the Desiring God Conference goers outside the Minneapolis Convention Center to THINK about the true Gospel Message before entering to hear Rick Warren’s keynote address. Then it will be on Downtown for the Twin’s game and the after game parties.
Saturday, we will travel back to the U of M to preach to the football fans entering TCF Stadium for the Gopher game. Later, we will return downtown for the Twins’ game. After we conclude the tour, Shawn Holes of Luke 10:2 Ministries will be presenting the message to close the 2010 Missions Emphasis at River of Life Alliance Church.

Sign up NOW for Repent and Witness 2011

2010-08-26T19:26:00.001-07:00

NEW SEMESTER!

2010-08-25T07:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome Back! And to all you new freshman....WELCOME!

CCNSMSU is a Christian Ministry on campus which exists to build up and equip Christian college students to be able to witness and share their faith with their classmates, professors, and perfect strangers!

If you want to embark on this adventure with us, an adventure where you will come out more in love with Christ, and grow deeper in your faith, meet with us THURSDAY 7:30 PM at the couches (Student Center, upstairs). We will dig into the scripture, pray, and have fellowship.

Following our fellowship, we will go to Main and College and read scripture and preach in the open air.

We hope to see you there!

Repent and Witness NYC-2010

2010-08-17T06:12:00.000-07:00

Are YOU a GOOD PERSON???? Featuring Mr. Nice Guy

2010-07-30T12:29:00.000-07:00

Take a few minutes to see if you are as nice as Mr. Nice Guy!!

HOW is CCNSMSU Different from any other Ministry on Campus?

2010-07-19T06:49:00.000-07:00

The Lord has blessed SMSU with more than one on-campus ministry. Let the Lord lead you to which ministry you should commit to.

What makes CCN different from the other ministries?

Apologetics - n. (used with a sing. verb)
1. The branch of theology that is concerned with defending or proving the truth of Christian doctrines.
2. Formal argumentation in defense of something, such as a position or system.
*
CCN focuses heavily on rooting and grounding Christians in their faith, strengthening their Christian theology (study of God), and preparing them to"be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15) through the use of apologetics.
*

In CCN meetings, we not only learn about our own faith, but we also learn about other faiths: how they are similar and how they differ. We learn how to share our faith with others intelligently and compassionately. Whether we are refuting evolution or relativism, the goal is always to bring others to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through the preaching of His gospel (Mark 16:15).

Then, we all go out as a group and we put what we learn into action!

Along with Bible study and apologetics, we also enjoy group worship, prayer, special events, on and off campus fellowship.
*

Come out and join us as we endeavor to fulfill Mark 16:15 on campus!

Main Meetings (Worship/Word/Apologetics): Tuesdays

Prayer and Devotional Bible Studies: Thursdays 9:30am – 11:15am

See you at the family gathering!

http://www.changeyourcampus.com/

Summer School Bible Study/Fellowship!

2010-05-11T05:50:00.000-07:00

Campus is now pretty empty, congratulations to the graduates!

CCNSMSU will continue to fellowship through the summer leading up to our New York trip. We will meet Tuesday evenings at 7:30 at Chisham's home for fellowship and Bible Study in preparation for Repent and Witness.

There are also several events coming up for the Summer and CCNSMSU:

Sonshine Festival- July 14-17- We will be preaching the Gospel and handing out tracts for this event. We are working on getting passes, but, if not, we will simply preach outside the event.

Lifelight- September 3-5- This is a free concert, we will be handing out tracts, doing 1:1's and preaching at the event.

Please pray about your participation in any and all upcoming events!

Day of Silence BROKEN!!

2010-04-20T03:54:00.000-07:00

The Day of Silence (April 16th) was a planned event that turned into the Day of Proclamation on the campus of the University of Minnesota. Our college ministry, Change Collegian Network drove up to the University of Minnesota to preach the glorious Gospel to those who would be silent!

Bro. John sharing the Gospel with two Hindu Students

Mark with resident Heckler Michael Gould

Reading and Preaching Jude to those waiting at the Bus stop

We did not find much resistance at the campus, as expected. We were able to preach the Gospel in the open air as well as share in one to one conversations with several students who came around as we were preaching.

Mark sharing 1:1 with a curious Catholic

The excitement really began when we traveled down to the new Twins Stadium in Minneapolis. I was preaching on a very busy corner where we have preached before for the Timberwolves games. On this day, however, a public sidewalk became no longer a public sidewalk. I was reading from John 3 and beginning to preach when an officer approached me and said that I was not able to preach on the sidewalk because of blocking the sidewalk. I was nowhere near blocking anybody, but the seargent was insistent. I asked what law I was breaking, and he said he would figure one out. He came back and told me if I would not move, I would be cited for public nuscience. I told him that I would not move unless I could mover where there was a crowd. He did not give me that option, either move now, get a ticket, or go to jail. I told him that I insisted on a ticket. The reason I did that was to fight for the freedom of speech, I must have a ticket to prove I was prevented from exercising that right while others were given the freedom to do theirs. There were MULTIPLE people on that corner using different kinds of speech and solicitations.

What the devil would try to use for Bad, God used for Good. we were sent to a busier corner with a more static crowd. This was in front of a bar, a wicked restaurant (Hooters, what a great preaching platform!!) and where all the scalpers were. We preached there for a good two hours in front of bar patrons and people buying tickets numbered in the thousands. The scripture was read and the good news was proclaimed.

John outside of Hooters

Mark reading Romans 2

Following the game, we moved up to the bar district, where we continued to preach and read the scripture to thousands of people going back to their car or going to these bars and strip clubs. After Mark read Romans 1, I began to preach on suppression of truth and the results. Out of nowhere, a young man socked me in the jaw, knocking me off my milk crate. I told him ‘God Bless You’ as he walked away. a person who witnessed the incident came up and shook my hand. Another young man, dressed like a pimp, spoke to John about this and listened with a clear conviction as I preached. Glory to God! This was all good until an officer approached me after both John and I had preached and I was getting back up to preach and said that we could not preach on the milk crate any more. He stated we were blocking the sidewalk (we were not) and that we had to keep moving. It was then that the Gospel went mobile!

Bro. John walking in front of a Strip Club preaching!

What you must understand, dear reader, is that we are not allowed to preach in front of some of these places because of ‘harassment laws’ regarding homosexuals. But the police officer gave me a great idea. If all we have to do is keep moving, we can walk back and forth in front of these places preaching the Gospel, and the bouncers and door men could do nothing about it. It was disgusting how many people were waiting in line in front of the strip clubs and smoking outside the gay bars. But, Glory to God, these lost people got to hear the mobile Gospel! We preached the good news that God saves sinners! That there is no sin so big God cannot save you from, and no sin so small it will not be judged by a holy God! It was wonderful, reading the Word and preaching. It saved our voices, the crowds were static, and we saw some conviction as one ‘christian’ going into a strip club said it was all good, he would go in the strip club and God would forgive him. That was a powerful witnessing platform for John. he used it to preach the law and the Gospel to the whole line of people outside the strip club.

Glory to God, though we were to be hindered by the police, instead, they were used by God to spread the Gospel even more effectively. Though a young man wanted to bring harm to me, by the grace of God, it impacted at least two souls who witnessed the incident.

Reading the Scripture in the open air

2010-04-07T05:51:00.000-07:00

CCNSMSU Member Mark DeSutter reading Matthew 26 in the open air!

Adam reading from Matthew 27!

See how easy it is? These guys both read scripture for the first time in the open air that very weekend!

Campus Leader John Chisham reading Mt 28 and Preaching the Last Words of Jesus!

Join us for the DAY OF PROCLAMATION on April 16th at the UofM campus and later at Target Field.

March Madness- Part one

2010-03-08T05:27:00.000-08:00

Most of our friends at SMSU are at Spring break- except for the Men's Basketball team who is tearing through the competition at the NSIC Tournament!! (GO MUSTANGS!!) Anyhow, we are heading north to the Cities to preach at the State Hockey Tournament!

Schedule: Thursday March 11th

Depart Marshall at 7:00 AM
Arrive Cities 10:00 AM - Park nearby Mariucci Arena
10:00 AM-1:00 PM Preach at Consolation Round- Mariucci Arena
1:00 PM Preach at Abortuary near Campus- Recon
4:00 Supper Break- BONA
6:00 Head to St. Paul to Preach Downtown
?? Head over to John's place to sleep

Friday March 12th
7:00 AM Strategy and prayer session
8:00 AM Head to St. Paul
9:00 AM Preach at XCel Energy Center
1:00? PM (When crowds are done) Lunch @ Holy Land & Strategy for Evening
4:00 PM Head to Minneapolis- Target Center- Preach at T-Wolves Game
7:15? PM Set up outside Brass Rail- Preach
10:00? Head back to Marshall

Really begin to pray for the Souls who we will be ministering to on these days! Ask God to grant them repentance!

CCN Fridays-MARCH MADNESS!!!

2010-02-19T07:41:00.000-08:00

Join CCNSMSU for CCN Friday Nights- MARCH MADNESS editions

We will be traveling to Mineapolis via Suburban for the State Hockey and State Basketball Tournaments. We will be joined by John the Evangelist in Minneapolis to preach the Word.

March 10th- Leave at 8:30 AM from SMSU to arrive at Mariucci Arena (U of M Campus) We will preach here until 4:00, then head over to St. Paul Xcel Energy Center to preach. We will return late Friday.

March 24th- Leave at 8:30 AM from SMSU To preach at UofM Campus from 11:30-3:00 then head over to Minneapolis. We will start at the Target Center, and work our way around Downtown to preach open air and hand out tracts. We will return late Friday.

Meeting Time Change

2010-01-26T07:42:00.000-08:00

Change SMSU will be meeting at the Couches on Tuesday Nights at 7:30 PM as a part of SUPER TUESDAY at River of Life Alliance Church.

Make sure you tell your friends and make note of the Change in time. We will be studying the Word, Praying, and sharpening our evangelism skills while we meet each week.

Our focus this semester will be "Living as a Christian while in College". We will be looking into personal discipline, holiness, purity, and of course verbal proclamation of the Gospel.

You are also invited to our Super Bowl Party, beginning Sunday Feb. 7th at 5:00 PM. Contact John for details.

Come to the 2010 Repent and Witness Evangelism Camp- New York City

2010-01-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

If there is one place you can go this summer, you should make it the Repent and Witness Evangelism Camp. It will Run August 5th-9th, and for $299 you get lodging, breakfast daily, transportation (while there) and two other meals. In addition, you will experience urban evangelism in the city that never sleeps. You must apply right now, there are only 30 spots available. Apply at http://changeyourcampus.net/evangelismcamp.html

Magic, Zombie Apocalypse, and Backward Monkey Heads

2009-12-18T14:20:00.000-08:00

Monday nights at the couches, we have had some bizarre conversations.

The first Monday, We spoke about Magic, a game that a group was playing on the couches. From that conversation, a Christian young man got up and wanted to talk about using Magic to reach the young people who were sitting there. He explained that he started playing the game as an outreach to the young man. It was a great opportunity to share (again) with this young man that we do not need to become like people to witness to them. We just need to start a conversation.

A young lady was listening with interest, and began asking questions about the scripture. Our Bible conversation went very well, also. We covered several issues with a curious new believer. We went through a number of scriptures about the Christian life and living. She was very interested and loved the teaching and is encouraged to continue with the study.

This last week, we went back to the couches, and the introductory conversation was about a Zombie Apocalypse and Backward monkey heads. These young men, two of which are professing Christians, were more prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse and how to escape than how to share their faith. A further discussion about this brought up more evolution talk from my Atheist friend, and about how we can make new creatures. He cannot see that these backward monkey heads don't evolve, it requires an intelligence outside to do so.

This conversation led to a philosophy question about God, free will, and sin. It was a wonderful conversation with another curious young man. It was interesting to see the Christians pipe in. We spoke about the Word being the truth and that the judgment is coming, and it will be what the Bible teaches, and there will be judgment for all men, and if we die in our sins we will be judged by a holy God and spend eternity in a lake of fire- far worse than the potential of being killed by zombies. I encouraged them to be concerned about their eternity.

Finally, we had a real great conversation with a young Lutheran girl who had some confusion about salvation, but the good news is that she holds the scripture in very high regard. I have great hopes for this young ELCA lass. She was willing to sit with Jake and I and converse about how one is saved, what the role of baptism is, and whether or not a person can be in a lifestyle sin and be saved.

Have a Merry Christmas, and we will see you January 11th on the couches!

New Study Mondays 7:00 PM @ Couches

2009-11-30T14:25:00.000-08:00

Change Collegian Network is all about teaching people how to share their faith (Evangelism) but we are also all about spiritual growth. Our faith is based upon the person of Jesus Christ, and the person of Jesus Christ has been changed by many different groups over the years, and even today we can find a different Jesus being taught in churches, on talk radio, the popular media, and even in modern 'christian' literature. Who is the real Jesus? We will strive to answer that question together over the next several weeks leading up to winter break and continuing into the spring semester.

We hope that you will join us, whether you are a committed follower of Jesus Christ, someone who is curious about Christ, or someone who does not believe in Christ. We will meet in the SMSU Student Center, by the couches, at 7:00 PM each monday night that school is open. Join us!

Don't forget- Next Meeting SMSU CC206 7:00 Monday

2009-11-21T03:18:00.000-08:00

All of our friends from the Evolution Open Forum and from 'The Big Question' are all invited to our next meeting, this coming Monday at 7:00 PM at CC206. Bring your new Bibles, and your questions, and we will have a discussion about all your questions, and maybe even give you some new ones!

You are all also invited to become a FAN of ChangeSMSU on FACEBOOK! http://www.facebook.com/johnchisham?v=feed&story_fbid=187047821195#/pages/Marshall-MN/ChangeSMSU/182520875912?ref=ts

Join us for THE BIG QUESTION

2009-10-07T05:46:00.001-07:00

Change Collegian Network SMSU is hosting an Interactive Forum called THE BIG QUESTION on October 13th at 7:00 PM at SMSU Charter Hall 201.

This is a forum and a challenge to all students to come and wrestle with the Big Questions in Life- is there a God? Is there absolute truth? Where did we come from? Why am I here?

It is a challenge to be intellectually honest, and to be challenged in your thinking about the Big Question, and the answers you have come up with!

The presenter will be Shawn Holes who has travelled to over 100 college campuses discussing these questions in the open air with thousands of students. The audience will have full opportunity to interact with Shawn, asking questions, and engaging in lively discussion with him.

We hope that whether you are athiest, agnostic, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, irreligious, non-religious, spiritual, philosopher, theologian, student, professor, or community member that you will join us. The more variety, the better the discussion and interaction to the BIG QUESTION

The first 100 audience members get a free gift! Come early!

Come to CCNSMSU

2009-09-03T07:02:00.000-07:00

Our kickoff party is coming up September 14th in SC 206! Come and check us out!

Check out our Repent and Witness Evangelism Camp Praise Report Pictures!

2009-08-05T13:23:00.001-07:00

The Gospel was preached and God was glorified at our recent Evangelism Camp held on Thursday, July 30th through August 3rd!

Check out our pictures from...

Click on our Missionary Team's Team picture to view photos:

Photography by Shawn David Holes of www.luketentwo.com

Learn more about CCN's Evangelism Camps!

Recap of CCN Repent and Witness- Our Purpose!

2009-08-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you j wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

I am writing this on the tail end of the trip to New York City for the Repent and Witness Camp, for Change Collegian Network. This was an excellent camp! As my wife says, when it comes to New York City, I am like a kid in a candy store. There are SOOOO many people and so many opportunities to preach, to share, to hand out tracts, just to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. What a privilege! But, a close second is the fellowship of believers who are united in faith and in purpose to win the lost for Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father.

My Team

The Men- always prompt and ready to preach

My team was made up of awesome believers from around the country. Kris from North Carolina, Ryan and Bryce from Nev-ah-da, Al

Pastor Al was always sharing and praying with people

and Aaron (father and son) from Connecticut, and Jack Suehiro from California (fellow ambassador) This team had two associate Pastors, which means that my prayer is being answered that pastors would get out from behind the pulpit and preach to the lost who will never come into a church.

As we discussed goals, we had two who had never broken the sound barrier, both from Nevada.

Bryce from NAH-VAH-DUH breaking the sound barrier with Psalm 23

They both desired to get up and preach, but were tentative. They were both obedient to the Lord and proclaimed the Word with boldness on the very first day. I only had to do my Steve Sanchez (the Pusher) impression once. When Ryan

Ryan breaking the sound barrier

got up and read John 3, he was shaking. When he got off, he was trembling. It reminded me, as I prayed with him, that we should all tremble before the Word. We should be reminded of Ezra and other prophets being undone as they read it. Both of these men were very humbled as they read the Word.

All the other members of the team had experience in the open air, but with the exception of Kris, who was with us last year, none had really done it in an intense urban setting like New York City. These guys all desired to get out and preach. Specifically, Aaron

Aaron Preaching @ Battery Park

and Jack wanted to speak with doubter or atheists and practice with their apologetics, and to learn how to turn back to the law and the Gospel effectively. Both got their wish as we traveled to Times Square on that first night. Immediately after preaching the Gospel, conversations broke out. Aaron got the French athiests, and Jack

Jack sharing with NYC's finest

got the wider grace Catholic. They did excellent work in both these situations. It was very cool to see these men obediently be stretched with no real coaching on my part. As we headed back late to our location the excitement was palatable and the fellowship was very sweet.

The Teaching
The teaching was focussed on training and motive for Evangelism. From our first joint devotion time, which was on Unity, or how to extend grace to team members who are from different denominations which may have different focusses on issues not central to salvation or faith, because we were all in NYC to win the lost for Jesus Christ using Biblical methods. So, as we broke into small groups and studied, we solidified our bonds as brothers (and sisters) in the Word, and we prayed together for one another and fort the city as we went forth.

Shawn Holes then gave us an excellent teaching on counting the cost of being an evangelist. What we do and how we do it, as we know, is very opposite of what the world system recognizes as acceptable. It is really counter- cultural! Unfortunately, it is also counter church culture as well. Shawn shared that some of our worst criticism

Shawn bringing the teaching

may come from within the walls of the church and family! He encouraged us to not to look back once we began the mission which God had sent us on, so to count the cost before we would become an evangelist.

Pastorboy (Me) gave a message about our motive for preaching to the lost- the love we have for God. We should love God with all of our heart, soul, strength and mind. Because we love God, he is an easy subject to speak about, and we ought to love Him and obey His commands. Because we love Him, our fear of man is suppressed, and we preach to honor God. But we love mankind because we love God, so we preach so that man might be saved, and that God might receive the glory above all else.

Ministry

The focus, or purpose was very clear for us. We were not here to build a missions house or to do art projects with kids, or to paint homes. We were here to preach the Gospel. Many trips and much money is spent every year to give young people a ‘missions’ experience, but it has nothing to do with evangelism, that is, proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. The things are good works that we ought to do because we love people and want to help them out, but it is not really missions. These are things we should do for our neighbors year round to show them love (as we preach the Gospel) The Great Commission is that we would preach the good news to every creature. Well…there are a LOT of creatures in New York City from all over the planet. Literally thousands of people heard the Gospel call in the 4 days of the camp. There are many stories, but in my dispatches that follow, I will try and detail some of the more unique ways that we did it.

I would encourage everyone who wants a Missions experience to get trained in Biblical Evangelism and make plans to attend either the Ambassadors Alliance, a Transformed Conference, a Crash Course, or a Basic Training Course, and then to make plans to come next year to New York City to get your Masters Degree in Evangelism. Because as the old song says- if you can ~~make~~preach it here, you can ~~make~~preach it anywhere.

Kenya Missions Trip

2009-04-24T04:27:00.001-07:00

One of the local churches is traveling to Kenya this summer to build up and equip several local churches, and to do evangelism.

And our own Abby A. is traveling with them. She is excited to work with the women in these churches, as well as with the many young people giving purity talks- based upon the Bible's teachings, of course!

Please pray for Abby, and the rest of the team. She really loves the Lord and I know she loves people enough to share the good news with them!

Thurstin 1st time open air Preaching

2009-03-27T05:55:00.000-07:00

Matt needed some notes, But he was bold in a very difficult place!!

Renewed Passion!

2009-03-23T19:21:00.001-07:00

Michael Marcavage, Vincent Pieter, John Chisham Sr. And John Chisham Jr., Matthew Thurstin, Greg, Robert, Jay Estabrook, Jake Gardner, and Shawn Holes at PCB

Well, to say that Panama City Beach was a life changing experience would be an understatement.

CCNSMSU members have returned to campus with a renewed passion, even a NEW passion to win their friends, neighbors, and classmates to Christ.

Join us at 7:30 Thursdays at SC 206 to catch the fire to reach the Lost. We invite all clubs and organizations and individuals with the same passion to join us for training!

CCNSMSU At Spring Break PCB

2009-03-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

It is Spring Break here in Sunny Florida. Hundreds of thousands have come to the beach for an annual dose of drunkeness, drugs, fornication, and flaunting of the lusts of the eyes and the lust of the flesh.
Our Campus group, (Change Collegian Network) travelled down here and joined forces with Shawn Holes, Michael Marcavage, and seven others to proclaim the Gospel to these young people focussed on fulfilling the lust of their flesh. After months of prayer and preparation, I thought I would be prepared. But I have never been in so wicked and vile a place as here.
Day one, we hit the beach at 11:00 AM and set up our station near LaVela, the worlds largest nightclub. If you have State Farm Insurance or Geico, you should find another company immediately because they are major sponsors of this wickedness. We have a half mile haler, and some microphones, and we simply preach the law and call men to repent and believe the Gospel. To those who are seasoned open air preachers, this is paradise and hell rolled up into one. Paradise in that there are 1000 sinners in direct hearing of the free preaching of the Gospel. The bad news is that many of them have no concept of decency in terms of dress or behavior. They do not understand personal space, or respect personal property. During our day there, young men and women openly exposed themselves, made sexual gyrations, and cursed God and us. We were privileged to be spat upon, have objects thrown at us, and have our micropone and speaker attacked. While they are doing this, they are proclaiming their goodness and their belief in God. I wonder quietly which emergent church they attend, and what jesus they worship.
There are so many who claim to be Christians here. I wonder if Jesus was speaking to them in the words of Jeremiah the prophet: 9Concerning the prophets:My heart is broken within me; all my bones shake;I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine,because of the LORD and because of his holy words.10 For the land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land mourns, and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. Their course is evil, and their might is not right.11 "Both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in my house I have found their evil,
declares the LORD. 12 Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery paths in the darkness, into which they shall be driven and fall,for I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment,
declares the LORD. 13In the prophets of Samaria I saw an unsavory thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray.14But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah."15Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: "Behold, I will feed them with bitter food and give them poisoned water to drink,for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land."I am so tired of these pastors giving bad advice and counsel to young people that Jesus loves them and will forgive them no matter what they do. A partial truth is still a lie. Young people who believe it will go to Hell just as sure as the most lost heathen. You cannot be a Christian and drink sin in like wine. The open flaunting of sin is beyond anything that I have seen; and the accompaning self righteousness and pride that states that they are still moral and good and christian is unbelievable. And they get this from their 'christian' parents and 'christian' pastors.
Pray for us, we are leaving this internet cafe and going out to do more preaching

Repent and Witness NYC 09

2009-02-05T04:53:00.000-08:00

Here is the new repent and witness video!

Make sure that you sign up before March 1st; there are only 30 spots open as of right now!

Great Turnout for Fireproof!

2009-02-01T05:59:00.000-08:00

Last night, at SMSU, we showed the movie Fireproof. On a night when the College is largely empty, we had 200 some people show up. This was a combination of college students and community members. We are so thankful that so many came!

To open up the movie, we showed the new CCN Repent and Witness video, and there was great feedback from the audience about it. We passed the plate, and were able to raise about $499 to help with our Missions Trip to Florida. This will cover our campsite and most of our fuel! Praise the Lord!

We also helped another ministry, called the Alternative. They took the child care duties, and folks donated directly to them. Recently, they experienced a plumbing issue at their building and are not able to meet there for a while. Please pray for Sharon and Steve and the kids- they are great folks.

Thanks to the community for supporting this effort!

Repent and Witness=NYC 09

2009-01-26T05:27:00.000-08:00

Make plans to attend and

If we get enough participants, we will road trip it out there!

New Meeting Time! New Location! SC206 Tuesdays 7:30PM

2009-01-19T05:10:00.000-08:00

Tuesday Nights, 7:30 PM

Room: SC206- Above the Bookstore, in Alumni Hall of Fame

This semester, we will:

Open with testimonies of the week!
Then we will pray; for each other, our campus, and CCN national, and for our missions trips!
Spend the next 50 minutes in intense training for our spring break trip to Panama City Beach Florida and to New York City using the Intermediate Training Course!
Practice what we preach by going out into our campus and sharing our faith, along with road trips to Minneapolis and Sioux Falls SD.

Remember, we also desire to start a Bible Study for young believers and for those who have questions about Christianity! Keep your ears open for the best time!

This year, Repent and Witness NYC is July30-August 3rd. The Cost is around $250. Go to changeyourcampus.com to register!

No Meeting Tonight

2009-01-12T05:52:00.001-08:00

There will be NO MEETING tonight, January 12th, due to blizzard

We are changing our meeting times! Comment here to vote on the best time for you!

Monday Lunch (11-1:00 PM)

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday late nights (after 8:00)

Tuesday/Thursday Lunch? (11:00-1:00 PM)

Other suggestions?

Leave your ideas in the comments section!

Fireproof- Coming to SMSU January 31st

2008-12-29T10:10:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-12-12T18:45:00.001-08:00

Hells Best Kept Secret!

2008-12-08T06:26:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-30T06:28:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-25T17:38:00.001-08:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Busy Month at CCN

2008-11-19T04:59:00.001-08:00

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

2008-10-29T05:21:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-06T14:28:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-22T07:07:00.001-07:00

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?

2008-09-19T18:19:00.001-07:00

2008-09-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-31T06:17:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-08-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-16T06:36:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is not promised- In memory of Andy Wiersma

2008-07-29T12:32:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-08T19:23:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-05-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

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

Repent and Evangelism Camp NYC

2008-05-08T04:51:00.000-07:00

Check this out, and consider going!

Last CCN Of the Semester!

2008-05-05T06:12:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

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

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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

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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!

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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

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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!

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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!

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Come to CCNSMSU!

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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

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

Welcome to CCNSMSU

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Pastor John Chisham, CCNSMSU Campus Leader welcomes you!

MORE COLLEGE STUDENTS WALKING AWAY FROM CHRISTIANITY

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"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?

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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”

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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!

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1st Meeting

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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

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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

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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)!

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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