Scott Taylor, many thanks for your expert help with the statistical analysis and help with the Excel spreadsheet setup. Jeffery Horner, thank you for supporting my research, for your encouragement, and for your helpful comments, criticisms, and suggestions. I would also like to thank my parents, Mac and Carolyn, for their support during my PhD journey.
Most importantly, praise be to the Almighty God who has consistently guided me through this journey.
INTRODUCTION
Unless they become involved in Christian campus organizations during their college years, many will abandon their faith and succumb to the temptations and pressures of the college campus. Nevertheless, traditional college students still make up a large population of the college campus. Serving as liaisons with area churches, Baptist Collegiate Ministry is one of the largest Christian campus organizations in the United States.
Because of the change in the religious landscape, it is critical that college students hear the gospel. Collegiate ministries have the opportunity to fulfill Christ's commands in Matt 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8 within the context of the college campus. The current research assignment was to study the Christian engagement and ministry of students involved in Baptist Collegiate Ministry groups at universities and community colleges during the last six weeks of the 2019-20 school year.
The delineation for the study limited the sample population to students involved in Baptist Collegiate Ministry during the last six weeks of the 2019-2020 school year. The ministry includes member churches of the Southern Baptist Convention and is made up primarily of undergraduate students.39.
Quantitative
Once the survey results were quantitatively analyzed, a random subset of the respondents were contacted by telephone for an additional follow-up interview at their election. Given the nature of the mixed-methods approach, the design of this research was divided into the following phases. In addition, a group of six experts in church leadership provided additional feedback and guidance for the project.49 As a result of the rigorous process of instrument review, Ashcraft assumed that the BSMARF was a reliable instrument.50 Ashcraft's research involved college graduates. which was involved in Texas. Baptist Collegiate Ministry as students.
College ministers/sponsors were contacted by e-mail at the Baptist College Ministry and asked for permission for their students to participate in the research study (see Appendix 5). Using a survey email link adapted from Ashcraft's study and developed on Survey Monkey, the survey was sent to campus faculty ministers/sponsors, who forwarded the link to participating students via letter (see Appendix 2). The survey was made available to minister/faculty sponsors to connect on BCM's Facebook and other social media pages.
At the end of the survey, a question was asked if the students would be willing to participate in a telephone interview. Students willing to participate in a telephone interview included their name, email address, and telephone number.
Qualitative
Finally, the review focuses on the spiritual formation of college students and a discussion of the need for collegiate ministry. Collegiate ministry not only helps meet the spiritual needs of students; it also functions as a vital student organization on the college campus offering college students an opportunity for social involvement and activity outside the classroom. One of the powerful influences for students in Astin's research was from a student's peer group.
It is important that these individuals gain traction early in their college careers by becoming involved in college life. Samples, through a qualitative study, sought to gain a better understanding of the impact of student involvement in a campus ministry organization. Adulthood may well be one of the most confusing times in a college student's life.
In light of the relevant literature regarding student engagement and the importance of spiritual formation, this study focused on the Christian engagement and service of students involved in BCM in the United States. The final part of the survey tool consisted of questions measuring student engagement in BCM.
METHODOLOGY
I used the level of church involvement to measure the respondents' Christian commitment and service. Statistical significance was found between gender, frequency of church/ministry activity, and Southeast geographic area (see appendix 12). The variable of type of school attended by students determined whether there was any significant relationship with frequency of church/service activity.
The employment status variable determined whether there were significant associations regarding frequency of church/work activity. The variable of geographic area where students attend school determined whether there were significant associations regarding the frequency of church/service activities. Only two respondents indicated that they did not hold any worship positions in the BCM.
Nine of the respondents said BCM helped them discover God's purpose for their lives. Many of the students also shared how BCM has helped them grow in their walk with Christ.
CONCLUSIONS
Demographic Information
-Time On Campus Part Time/Full Time Off Campus Unemployed 6. Life On Campus Life Off Campus 7.
Did you participate in
Which of these skills, training, and relationships were important to you in BCM?
How has being involved in BCM affected your life?
Current church and ministry involvement 5.1 How often do you attend worship services?
Please answer with the most appropriate response
I am the faculty sponsor for Baptist Collegiate Ministry at Henderson Community College in Henderson, Kentucky. Therefore, I have chosen to investigate the significance of student involvement in the Baptist College's ministry for Christian commitment and service. As the Director/Faculty Sponsor of Baptist Collegiate Ministry (or Baptist Student Union), I would like to ask you to forward my participation request (attached) and survey link (attached) to any student who has been active in your ministry since Fall 2019 .
It is my hope that, with your help, I can reach a significant number of students involved in Baptist Collegiate Ministry and receive a response. I am a professor at Henderson Community College, Henderson, KY and serve as a faculty sponsor for our Baptist Collegiate Ministry organization. My dissertation study will focus on the Christian involvement and service of students involved in Baptist Collegiate Ministry.
I am writing to request permission to use and/or adapt the BSMARF instrument you created for your study, An Examination of Texas Baptist Student Ministry Participation and Post-College Service Activity. My name is Laura Winstead and I am the faculty sponsor for Baptist College Ministry at Henderson Community College in Henderson, KY. You are receiving this email because you indicated your willingness to participate in a telephone interview to provide further information about Baptist Collegiate Ministry.
An Examination of Texas Baptist Students' Participation and Service Activity After College.” PhD diss., Dallas Baptist University, 2010.
