University Offers Service Options for Students

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Students participate in MLK Jr. Day outreach

As a Christian institution, outreach is at the heart of BJU. Serving the community around us is loving our neighbor. The University encourages students to serve others and offers different outlets to do so.

Called to Serve

Part of pursuing a life of learning, loving and leading is to serve others, and what better than to serve locally. BJU has been a part of the Greenville community since 1947. The relationship with greater Greenville grows stronger every year, partly because of students’ community involvement.

Many students participate in weekly evangelistic projects. Others join seasonal community events individually or with their societies. These acts shine the light of the Gospel around Greenville. The coordinator of outreach and evangelism at the Center for Global Opportunities reminds students that “we’ve been called to have the same mind that was in Jesus Christ, a mind of humility, a mind of service. … We should all have that mindset that we want to love our neighbors in any way we can because that’s what Jesus Christ calls us to.”

With the help of organizations like the CGO and the Community Service Council, students answer the call of service.

The Center for Global Opportunities

Since its opening in 2016, the CGO has encouraged students to reach beyond themselves. The space on the first floor of the Alumni Building is a connection point for all students searching for service opportunities. Besides its work with international students, “the CGO is primarily a hub for Gospel expansion both here in Greenville and around the world,” he said.

Throughout the school year, the CGO provides four major outreach options for students:

  • Go Greenville—students join off-campus evangelistic opportunities during the first months of the fall semester.
  • Christmas carol outreach—students bring hot chocolate and carols to the community.
  • MLK Day Service Projects—students aid multiple organizations serving the greater Greenville area.
  • CEF’s Good News Spectacular—students present the Gospel to thousands of Greenville children through a day of crafts and games.

During the rest of the semester students are invited to join any of the weekly opportunities—such as Bible clubs, urban evangelism or assisted living ministries—or to look for ministries outside of the box. “We are more than just ‘this is what we have available,’ ” he said. “We want to be a resource where we take the passions, the gifts that students have, and we find opportunities for specific groups and students.” Multiple churches and community centers in the greater Greenville area are searching for people with particular skills. Students may connect with them through the CGO and continue the spread of the Gospel.

The Community Service Council

The Community Service Council, a student-led organization, provides service projects on and off-campus for students. From park clean-ups and fundraisers to poster signing and blood drives, the CSC links BJU to the community.

“We’re committed to connecting students with service opportunities that directly link to their future profession and with their current passions,” said Sarah Rumpf, 2019–20 CSC director. The Council presents students with outreach options through their individual societies and the many student organizations and associations on campus. Events such as the Piedmont Women’s Center 5k and Greenville County Parks, Recreation and Tourism’s Enchanted Forest find many of their volunteers from CSC efforts.

Rumpf said that community service gives her a chance to live out her faith tangibly. “At Bob Jones University, we are blessed with sitting under biblical preaching and observing professors who live out their faith. Community service allows me to do the same to our community.” Students can discover new CSC opportunities through emails or social media posts.

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