UMBC Is a Catonsville Mission Field
- Jared Osborn
- Apr 8, 2009
- Series: Newsletter Vol. 2 Num. 1
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Less than two miles away from St. Timothy's Church is the University of Maryland, Baltimore County which has an enrollment of over 12,000 students.
This year, the incoming freshman class has 1,570 students, 74% of whom live on campus. The most popular majors at UMBC are science, engineering, information technology, and mathematics, though majors in psychology, music, and the arts are also represented.
The Princeton Review ranked UMBC second place in the nation for diversity of its student body, with 22% Asian American students, 17% African American students, and 4% Hispanic and Native American students.
Having all of these students nearby is a great opportunity for St. Timothy's Church to reach out with the love of Christ. College students are a great opportunity for ministry, especially to out-of-state and international students, since they are essentially in a new, unfamiliar situation.
The Young Adults Group is especially interested in exploring opportunities for fellowship with Christians and evangelism to non-Christians at UMBC. Several possible avenues for ministry are being considered.
First, St. Timothy's Church could partner with one or more of the existing student ministries at UMBC. Campus Crusade for Christ and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship have chapters at UMBC, and there are also several small group Bible studies taking place on campus. There is even a gospel choir and a liturgical dance ministry that are run by UMBC students.
Partnering with an existing ministry would allow St. Timothy's Church to get connected with UMBC students to provide them with a home church, to engage student life at UMBC, and to investigate further opportunities for ministry on campus.
Second, St. Timothy's Church could start a ministry for students such as the Alpha course. At the "Developing Transformational Missional Churches" conference in February, MeMe McNairy, the regional director for the Alpha course, encouraged churches to reach out to young adults with "radical hospitality" to show them the love of Christ as part of the Alpha course, which provides basic teachings on the essentials of the Christian faith.
This ministry must be undergirded by intercessory prayer and sensitivity to the work of the Holy Spirit in the group. St. Timothy's Church could use this course to fulfill the Great Commission by making disciples at UMBC.
Third, St. Timothy's Church could simply make an effort to spread the word to UMBC students that they are welcome in our church. Posting flyers around campus, purchasing ads on campus radio stations, and visiting the campus to talk to students are all good ways to spread the word.
Another potential avenue for ministry is hosting an event at a bar or other venue near campus where students frequently visit. Special opportunities also exist at the beginning of the school year, when many students will be looking for a church home.
In reaching out to the community of Catonsville, UMBC is a great place to start!
Story by Jared Osborn.
