The Baptist Student Union Building

I made friends and started to thrive again. I started attending Emmanuel Episcopal Church in town. I always offered for anyone interested to come with me. Some would come with me, mainly as a way to get off campus and try not to be a Cadet for a little while. The liturgy helped to ground me. The Ritual of the Communion gave me comfort and I continued to heal. I stopped rebelling and started to care about my studies and made friends. My Military Science teacher Norman Smith (aka Big Sarge) asked if I would like to attend his church with him and his wife on a Wednesday night. There was something different about this church, something that I had seen in other churches but never felt. Not even in the Episcopal churches that I had been to. The Church was what they referred to as an Agape church. It was not in a building with grand stained glass windows and gold and silver crosses, priests in clerical garb. It was a hotel conference room with nothing but chairs. All of this was very new to me. I didn’t know anyone other than the couple that I had come with and this was NOT a church. I was thinking that I had been duped and taken to a sayonce. The people were very warm and inviting and treated me as a part of their family. But I had remembered Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

I, Lina Young, the duly elected delegate of the VCE am honored to make the following report on behalf of Liberty Hill AME Zion church, where Rev. Ola Dixon is the pastor.

He is also able to reach the younger unchurched people in the area. He has begun to set things in motion again, causing the church to develop a heart and a desire to reach the local community with the gospel of Jesus. He has revamped the mission statement that now provides direction and purpose for the members. He has a vision to develop disciples who make disciples. He and his wife have started to invest in the lives of younger adults in their congregation. They are building leaders who will be able to lead others, equipping them for ministry.

Although the small group of church goers were mostly elderly Caucasian people, they were diverse and friendly towards new individuals. Those who wore the traditional, elegant attire of a Sunday worship service greeted with a firm handshake and a gentle smile. On the other hand, those who preferred to wear casual outfits greeted with tight hugs and hearty laughter from seeing a new face. After talking to more than half of the attendants, it was evident that everyone knew a lot about each other. It was nice to hear that most of them had overwhelmingly positive words to say about the church itself. Then, I finally met the middle-aged pastor who was glad to see someone new and introduced me to his wife. She had a stoic expression and had nothing to say. Honestly, the wife’s silence struck me as surprising considering how the other people were talkative, but it is nothing to be overly concerned about. After all, it was almost time for the Sunday service to

The 152nd Annual Conference of the Grand Ole North Carolina Conference convened at one of the Conference’s historical churches, Clinton Chapel AME Zion in New Bern, NC. Reverend Dr. M. Luther Hill, its gifted pastor, and his great congregation were very gracious hosts and made everyone feel welcomed. They opened their doors on Sunday and ministers, adorned in their priestly, white robes, marched in to open this great Conference in High Church Methodist fashion. The service, filled with high spiritual elements intertwining the liturgical elements, connected our hearts to the ancient tradition of the Anglican Church; however, with an African American twist. Presiding Elder Lester Jacobs, of the Washington District, delivered a soul-stirring

As I entered adulthood, I had a natural instinct for organization and leadership and I had a strong interest in using those talents to serve the church. I worked with youth groups, participated in WELCA, served on the church council and it seemed there wasn’t a task I would not take on. Many people, myself included, anticipated the next logical stop on my journey would be seminary.

“I’ve really gotten to know some of the people who come in there on a regular basis,” she said. “I’ve had some amazing moments and I’ve been able to pray with people and pray for their needs and just share on a personal level.”

Colorado Christian University Essay Kim Slickmeyer A pivotal experience that I had in my walk with Jesus occurred during “The Walk to Emmaus” in September 2012. I attended the weekend retreat at Livingston First Church in Livingston, Tennessee during the women’s Walk #82 and was assigned the table of Ruth. The fellowship and spiritual experience was beyond what I had expected. The Lord revealed to me during that weekend that He was calling me to teach His Word to women. During the next few months I began leading and attending various Bible studies. I was amazed how much I was learning and the wisdom that God was revealing to me. As with everything in life, there were many who wanted to keep me down knowing I was excited and determined. Some

Ever since I have been saved, life has been a rough ride with highs and lows. My sins were many, but God is forgiving. His love has held me together. I place my faith in Almighty God; His son Jesus Christ, who has become my salvation, and the Holy One who has convicted me to live unlike any other in this world. For we are in this world, and not of this world. Our home is in heaven with His Majesty. Becoming a student at Liberty University will allow me to grow even closer to God. This enables me to enhance my spiritual gifts, passions, and skills for God’s kingdom. I want to share the gospel, which Jesus came down to become sin for us, that we are able to have a relationship with God. I am His servant; I want to serve in any way possible and

On October 12th 2014 I ventured into the Unitarian Universalist meeting house, which is located at 501 South High Street in West Chester, PA. I was greeted at the door by openly gay Reverend Bill Zelazny, who was wearing a tallis-like prayer shawl which was a colorful tapestry with no discernable symbols on it. His head was uncovered. Reverend Bill was very welcoming and agreed to meet with me after the service, which I was invited to stay for. I had never been to a religious service in a denomination other than Judaism in my life, so I was very excited to have the opportunity to experience the Unitarian faith close up.

Similar to majority of cities in the United States today, there are many churches that can be visited in New York City. There are a multitude of buildings in that historic city that have historical significant and which relate to American politics today. Among the houses that have continued through natural disasters, one special church stands out as a place well-maintained and historic political significance. St. Paul's Chapel stands out in the crowd, appearing in the street of a modern New York City like a visual slice of history. Although there are many politically historic buildings still standing throughout New

​The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest denomination in the world. Claiming about 16 million followers of Christ, the convention is known for its mission work and outreach programs designed to draw in more and more members each day. The conventions future, though, did not always look so bright. The convention was and still does play key parts in world controversy’s like war, homosexuality, race, and women’s rights. Many would even say the world looks up to the Southern Baptists. Which makes me ask myself a question, “Have the Southern Baptists play a bigger part in culture than I realized?”. In the next few paragraphs, I would like to explore the culture and history of Southern Baptists.

Since coming to Samford, I started to attend Redeemer Community Church. I am still choosing between Redeemer Community and Shades Valley for my home church. My roommate has chosen Redeemer, so she asked me to join her bible study. There are 6 Samford freshman girls and 2 mid twenties aged leaders. We meet every Monday night either off campus at a coffee shop or restaurant or we meet on campus. We are currently going through an advent devotional. This bible study group has been awesome! I am so glad I got involved with it. The girls in it ended up being some of my great friends. It is just nice to have a community of girls that keep you accountable and encourage you. The leaders are young and able to relate to us really well. They are great

At the beginning of the semester, we started off by answering some personal questions such as: “Discuss some things or someone you need to look at in a fresh was as a reminder of God’s energy or presence in your life and write about one place where you felt the presence of God.” These questions really helped me to look deeper into myself and really reflect on my present spiritual condition and how I felt at the moment. There have been times when I feel alone and unloved, but really being able to focus this semester with all the handouts and meditations, I realized that God has not abandoned me, but rather has been waiting for me to reach out for His help. I am a