Renewal College Fellowship (RCF)

The event or experience in my life that will influence my academic work and goals here at Colorado Christian University (CCU) is much more than a single event. I believe that everything in my life that has brought me to CCU to further my education and pursue God’s calling: helping people.

During the week in Chicago, I grew closer to God, learned how to be a better leader, and learned to put others before myself, which is what helped me become a better person. Serving others that had situations worse than I could imagine was life changing. The idea I could make such a tremendous change in someone’s life while doing activities I enjoyed, opened my eyes to the potentials of serving. After the week ended and I returned home, I wanted to do more for the people around me who were less fortunate. Going into freshman year, I made the decision to volunteer at Urban Vision. I help kids who have newly immigrated to Akron and the United States find items at a holiday shop for their families and themselves. Many of these kids went directly to the necessity aisle, (i.e. toilet paper, laundry detergent, and soaps) to get these items for their families, even though there were plenty of toys for the kids themselves. These kids helped me realize I should be grateful for everything in life, from shelter over my head to the clothes on my

Beginning just before my senior year I went through a series of trials that continued through most of my senior year. I wanted to do something for myself, and was encouraged to attend the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC). I decide to go, and so in January I set off for Indianapolis. Once at the conference, I listened to music, met other catholic high schoolers, and participated in workshops. I learned a lot about my faith, and about different forms of worship. This was something that I had not previously been exposed to, as while I was a member of one of the largest parishes in Central Ohio, it is a very traditional parish that had not exposed me to much more than the basic teachings of the church, and also had not demonstrated

Last May, I traveled with Alternative Breaks to New York for community service. During this service, I worked with Meals on Wheels who dedicate their time to provide food for the elderly of Manhattan. As I delivered the food to the seniors, I got a sense of fulfillment because I made them smile by providing them with food. Thus, I chose MDC’s Single Stop because I wanted to make a difference in my home campus by providing and assuring nourishment to those that do not have it just like I did in New York. As my first two years of college comes to an end, I wanted to leave a mark of my own here at home at Miami Dade College North Campus. During the month of September, I decided to partner up with a few of my peers to serve at MDC’s Single Stop.

In the amount of eight years spent towards my local 4H program, I have had one special memory that has lead me to the reason why every year I still participate in the program. It was the winter before 4H camp had begun, and I received a letter in the mail from one of my former campers. It was a letter explaining how much I had impacted her week, and her parents thank you on the role I gave as a figure for her to look up to. Having so, I recall making positive impacts to former counselors. Always, reminding them that, younger age youths will always look up to you. Making a huge impact to my college future, I serve as a role model to my niece, who as a first generation student as I am now. I plan on continuing to inspire other students who

At Baylor, students coming from a religious non Baptist home with a close network of individual who share their beliefs, may find themselves longing for their religious community once at Baylor. In Derrick Ho’s, a writer for CNN, article, he says, “Homesickness isn't necessarily about home…. It stems from our instinctive need for love, protection and security -- feelings and qualities usually associated with home.” Here Ho is expressing his belief that the lack of familiarity and community in a new place can make someone feel homesick. Ho, in his article also quotes Josh Klapow, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at the University of Alabama's School of Public Health, who said “You're missing what's normal, what is routine, the larger sense of social space, because those are the things that help us survive” (Ho). Religion is a source of identity and a way of life for many students. Without a place to express their faith, it can be difficult. Not having individuals with similar view around, can lead students feeling alone. For non-Baptist students it is not easily assessable to find religious groups because many are not recognized due to refusal to sign the Affirmation Statement. Without recognizing these different religious organization, finding people who have similar ideals may be hard because of Baylor’s large campus.

In recent days I had the opportunity to go back to North Carolina for a few short days. There, with a heavy heart from a loss in the family, I had nothing else to look towards. I’ve always heard of individuals finding peace, faith, blessings, and love of Christ from attending church. I’ve never been a person who put their faith into a higher power. As I was growing up my parents never wanted to force me into any religion without me knowing everything about it and choosing which route to take on my own. As the years treaded on, I never bothered myself to learn about the many different religions and what each stands for. So I used this opportunity as mine to attend church for the very first time. I attended the Roman Catholic services held

The church that we used to attend -Wooddale Baptist- was a mega church just outside of St. Paul, Minnesota. Every Sunday, I had the same schedule consisting of Sunday School, snack time, and then “Big Church,” which was with the adults. Due to the unthinkable amount of kids, I was never given the opportunity to make anything more than acquaintances. Every Sunday it felt like I met someone new, plus I only got to know their surface layer identity. Once we started at my new church, Aldersgate Church, my social and religious outlook improved. Starting on the first Sunday, my family and I had made plenty of good friends. We even had dinner plans with two strange families after church that night! Little did we know that these two families became the most supportive and trusted people we would ever meet. Also, the small community within the church and the pastor inspired me to grow in my faith than ever before. I began to enjoy Sunday school, and understand the lessons. Exchanging churches changed the way I worshipped God, and gave me the chance to meet new

Now imagine the world without Christians: Seventh Day Adventist to be exact. I chose a faith based institution for spiritual training, Sabbath keeping, and having the tools that will prepare me to offer different services and deploy me out in the world while building God’s kingdom. While attending Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, Texas. It was training ground, a family based atmosphere filled with love and a little heaven on earth. Knowing how imperative this in a dark, hungry and thirsty planet. I made it my duty to attain all the spiritual training needed to be a light to those dying souls. And I believe at a faith based intuition I will receive the spiritual training needed where I will be able to build a Christian character, develop an inner transformation that will help ignite changes in

Born and raised in Marion, Iowa and into an evangelical church, my parents “Baby Dedicated” my life to christ. At age 5 my family moved to New Covenant Bible Church. When I was young I didn't think much of church, it was just something you did and was merely going through the motions. But when I hit middle school my parents made me go to church every Wednesday and Sunday. Key phrase, made me. At this point in my life I didn't like church, at all. As I grew older, I wanted to be at church less and less. And I dreaded going every time Sunday morning rolled around. I had the mindset that the world had more to offer me than Christ did. And so I made excuses and put up fights and soon I rarely went to church. My family went but I stayed

The thrill of moving out for college, the new profound independence that one encounters once they indulge themselves in the undergraduate experience is something I’m yet to experience. ASU recommends every Freshman to live on campus at least their first year of college and to join various clubs and organizations in order to fully enhance the undergraduate experience. Unfortunately, I couldn’t partake in that tradition, due to financial problems, I haven’t yet had the privilege of living on campus. Throughout my undergraduate career thus far, not living on campus has been a huge burden that often prevents me from being able to attend beneficial events that will help me in my future. If I’m selected into the McCord Scholars Program, it will greatly

I did not come to know Christ until December of 2003 at the age of 25 at First Baptist Church of Gordonsville Tennessee. As a young boy, I had a desire to know GOD, and had even made a profession of faith, but never had anyone

How often had we heard about individuals who have chosen to leave a church community because they did not feel like they were a part of the community? I am guilty of making this decision myself. I have felt left out, ostracized and not loved by my church community, therefore I left because I was not unified with the church community. I felt lesser and forgotten about. There are many obstacles that can prevent or extinguish the reciprocating community God has intended for Christians.

When I was a sophmore, I went through a period of time where i stopped going to church as much as i had before. After a while i found myself questioning where i stood in my faith. I would always become angry quickly and shut everyone out, soon i realized that i needed to go back to where i started. That same night i fell to my knees in prayer asking the

Within my growth as a Christian, I have usually surrounded myself with others who possess the religious beliefs that I hold. As a result of my