BaptistLIFE Online

Justin Woods, Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) director at the U.S. Naval Academy

By Sharon Mager, BCM/D Correspondent

ANNAPOLIS, Md.—Justin Woods has a clear cut vision as the new Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) director at the U.S. Naval Academy—to see souls saved, to facilitate their growth and to connect the new believers to the body, the local church, where they can serve.

“I am a missionary on behalf of Southern Baptist churches,” Woods said.

Churches cannot go on the base, Woods explained, and the Midshipmen cannot leave during the week, so Woods works to provide mid-week ministries such as Bible studies and personal discipleship.

On Sundays though, he encourages the Midshipmen to use their free time to attend local churches and get involved. “The key thing to understand is that God established the local church as a place for worship, teaching and community – it’s critical to our spiritual lives.”

Woods is excited to minister in Annapolis. “Six new believers were baptized on Easter Sunday. It was just fabulous!” Woods exclaimed. Two of those baptized were involved with the BSM.

Justin accepted Christ at a summer camp when he was in middle school after seeing a reenactment of Christ’s crucifixion. The young Woods felt that for the first time in his life he understood the Gospel message clearly. “I was washed, made clean and forgiven,” he said. Woods was baptized at the First Church of Texarkana.
After graduation, Woods attended Texas A&M University where he joined the Corp of Cadets and worked at a Christian camp where he grew and learned about ministry. The time in college, Woods said, was a formative season and he felt God leading him into full-time military ministry. He graduated from Southwestern Seminary. Woods said seminary was “…a wonderful experience of knowledge and a wonderful time of deep growth.”

Woods, who is also a reserve Air Force Chaplain, is married to Tera and the couple has an 18-month-old daughter, Anna. They’re expecting a second child, a son, in September.

“Pray for us, that the Lord will work and move among the students and bring them to Himself,” Woods asked.

Woods said he is seeking churches that want to partner with the BSM and that want to be a place Midshipmen can go to be full-functioning members.

“Its’ such a priority to be connected and involved in a local church,” he said.

By Sharon Mager, BCMD Staff Correspondent

DOVER, Del.—College students at the University of Delaware are trash talking for Jesus. That is, they’re using trash collection to introduce themselves to others and make the Baptist student ministry more visible.

Baptist Student Ministry

Every few weeks Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) volunteers knock on dorm doors and offer to take out the trash. Campus minister, Blake Hardcastle, said students are usually a little leery at first and want to know why the BSM students want to do the dirty work. Hardcastle said they tell them they’re the BSM on campus and that they’re doing a service project.

“Then they may say ‘why are you really doing this?’ and we say ‘We’re a Christian group trying to show people that God cares about them and we’re showing that in a small way by taking out their trash,’” Hardcastle said and, adding with a laugh, after a few visits the students are saving their trash for them.

On Fridays, BSM students give away free hot cocoa and donuts in the cooler weather and snow cones when it’s warmer.

Hardcastle said about 25 percent of the freshman on campus pass by the BSM building on their way to class and by making those initial contacts, he’s hoping to make a favorable impression and to encourage students to stop by the building for other BSM events and outreaches.

Blake Hardcastle has been ministering at the University of Delaware for 13 years, starting as a US2 missionary and later as a North American Mission Board career missionary.

“Some things haven’t changed. Students still have the same needs,” he reflected. But Hardcastle’s own life has changed. He and his wife Jenny have had three children while ministering—Nathan (8), Jack (7) and Sam (4). Life is definitely busier.

Hardcastle was in the 7th grade when he was saved at a youth camp a friend had invited him to. “One evening the speaker explained that God could be your Father and you could belong to a spiritual family. I talked and prayed with him afterwards. I don’t remember exactly what was said, but I know I asked Christ to save me and for God to become my Father.”

Hardcastle began feeling called to collegiate ministry while involved with the BSM at The University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee where he received his undergraduate degree in biology.

The summer after his senior year he attended National Collegiate Week (LifeWay’s annual collegiate conference) and became drawn to the USC-2 missions program, and eventually felt God leading him to Delaware.

The ministry at University of Delaware started off slow but has steadily gained momentum. Over 40 students attend a large group meeting weekly and three to four small groups, with six to 17 participants meet at various other times.

One shift in campus ministry that Hardcastle noted is that churches are stepping up to try to incorporate students into their church bodies and to support the campus ministries in various ways. Ogletown, Hockessin, Friendship and Bethany are among those making an effort.

Hardcastle said that could make a big impact on students’ Christian growth.

“They get a bigger taste of what the church is and the way God uses relationship to sanctify us, not only in our own slice of demographics,” Hardcastle said.

One particularly helpful and impacting way to minister, he said, is for families to come along and “adopt” students. A family may take an interest in a student, invite him or her to their home and be there for that student. It provides discipleship in passive life ways, he said.

Each year BSM students and friends, some who are not believers, take mission trips. This year they’ll go to Charleston to do work on homes, painting, fixing them up. Hardcastle said the trips are a huge relationship builder and those who are not believers get a chance to witness God’s love first hand. Many students who attend mission trips later get involved with the BSM and make decisions for Christ.