Christian Challenge
Week by week, each Thursday evening throughout the semesters, a large group of students from Missouri Western State University gather together to worship, study the Bible, and build community.
Christian Challenge, formerly known as the Baptist Student Union is a community of Christian believers at Missouri Western. The group meets collectively each week, leaders host smaller intimate studies throughout the week, and there are regular activities and events that happen throughout the months.
The intimate Bible studies, referred to as Life Groups, are an opportunity for men to gather with men and women to gather with women to study the Bible, share their weeks, and pray with one another. These studies happen multiple times a week to conveniently meet the scheduling needs of any college student. Life Groups are where difficult questions can be asked. Rachel Denney, a Life Group leader shares the importance of asking the types of questions.
“Life Groups give people the chance to ask hard questions,” shares Denney. “Whether it be about the text we’re studying, or questions of accountable scripture application, these are the types of questions that help us grow closer together in community and in our day-to-day walks with the Lord. They’re a place that we can be real and vulnerable with one another.”
Hope Corkins, a nursing student at Missouri Western, shares why she is grateful to attend a Life Group.
“I love that I can just come as I am,” explains Corkins. “Whether I’m happy or stressed, I know that I’m seen and heard and truly cared for at my Life Group. I’m also so glad to really be in scripture! I know that when we’re at Life Group we will truly and intentionally be sitting down to spend time in the Bible with one another and it has helped me to learn and grow so much.”
While Life Group is smaller and intentional, the larger weekly worship gatherings, referred to as Challenge Night, gives people another option to join together in fellowship. The weekly Challenge Night is a place of intensive scripture study, worship, and prayer. Each message builds from the previous week as the group travels chapter by chapter through the Bible. This semester, Christian Challenge is doing a themed study in the book of Mark. Michael Adams, a staff member with Christian Challenge, shares his thoughts on the study.
“Mark is so interesting!” Adams exclaimed. “It’s enthralling how he authored these stories that we hear accounts of from the other Gospels with such urgency and immediacy. Mark jumps from story to story with such intention. It sheds light on a new perspective of these stories and challenges us as believers to approach them with a genuine spiritual focus.”
Additionally to Life Groups and Challenge Nights, Christian Challenge hosts different events and activities throughout the semesters. From the annual events like the Halloween dance party and ThankChrist dinner, to the sporadic casual coffee crawls and late game nights, there are ample events for these group members to join together and grow friendships. The head of the organization, Paul Damery, shares why these events are so fun and important.
“Being able to join together in fellowship is such an important thing,” Damery says. “This can happen at Life Group and Challenge Night, but also hosting these casual events allows people to get comfortable and know each other better. They’re a great way to invite people into the community and build valuable friendships. Plus they’re just plain fun!”
If you’re looking for a place to grow intentional friendships, learn more about scripture, and be a part of a community that prioritizes fellowship, you should highly consider attending an event with Christian Challenge.
