I have never regretted being a member of the Baptist Collegiate Ministries. I can honestly say that being a part of the community I found there has been the best thing that has happened to me in college. As a Christ follower, I have been encouraged spiritually. As a college student, I have been encouraged socially. As a human being, I have been encouraged mentally. Because of the positive impact that this campus ministry has had on my life for the past three years, I'm sharing six things that being a part of the BCM has taught me.

1. True friends aren't hard to find.

At least, at the BCM they aren't. I've always seen people buy into the lie that true friends are hard to come by, but, because of the BCM, they have been proven wrong. All of my close friendships were formed through the BCM, friendships that surpass age and major and friendships that live on, even after graduations. Every person I've met there has sacrificed their time and energy for me. There isn't one member of the organization that I wouldn't consider a true friend to me and others. We pray for each other, we encourage each other, and, even when the struggles of life get us down, we are always right there to pick each other up. I've never experienced friendship like it anywhere else.

2. Church isn't the only place to find fellowship.

There was a time when I thought you had to be in a church to feel surrounded by a community of believers. Now I know that I get the same feeling just by walking inside the BCM every day. I do love being a part of my church, but I also love being able to find the same fellowship within the BCM and on a college campus. It is a real blessing when I can walk right out of class, straight to the BCM, and have a group of people ready to pray with me, to read the Bible with me, or to just have Christ-centered conversations with me. Talk about a stress reliever.

3. You don't have to beg for money to be able to go on missions.

I went on my first mission trip when I became a member of the BCM. It wasn't because I didn't believe in mission trips, it was because I was never a member of a church growing up, and even if I had been a member of a church, I could never have raised enough funds to actually go overseas. The BCM taught me that these fees aren't just attainable, but they attain them for me. Through SendMeNow and the BCM, I have been able to go spread the Gospel for free. I have watched so many people donate money and create fundraising opportunities so that I and other BCM students can go to places like St. Louis, Brazil, Haiti, Africa, India, Texas, California, and all over Georgia. It is such a blessing to know that BCM members all over Georgia are reaching people all over the world without having to worry about finances.

4. Being a leader means being a servant.

I once thought that being a leader meant being the head of a group, but now I know that being a leader doesn't mean you're the most important person. Because of the BCM I realize that being a leader means serving others before serving yourself. It means being completely selfless. And being a part of the leadership team at the BCM hasn't just helped me be a better leader, it has helped me be a better person because of that realization.

5. Prayer warriors are a real thing.

You may think that "prayer warrior" is a term found primarily on Facebook posts made by moms in hospital waiting rooms, but prayer warriors are a real thing. I thought that prayer warriors was a term that really religious people used to describe their really religious friends, but now that I have had BCM members rally around me in prayer, I know the truth. Prayer warriors are blessings. They have prayed over me, with me, and even from affair when I was under anesthesia for a 6+ hour surgery. Because of BCM members praying ceaselessly, I have constantly been reminded of the Biblical truth: prayer works.

6. You can share the Gospel on a college campus.

I never thought I would learn this lesson. I figured that it's hard enough sharing the Gospel and barely being able to follow God's commandments in high school, so there's no way I can be a witness for Christ in college. I was wrong. I never thought a guy in my class would let me pray for him out loud, but he did. I never thought I could talk about Jesus with a fellow English major, but I have. I never thought I would be able to invite someone I've never met before to worship with me, but I did. God uses us in so many ways, and one of those ways is to be a light on a lost and hurting college campus.

I encourage you to find the home that I have found through the BCM. It would be a shame for me to keep something that has impacted my life so positively to myself, so by sharing the lessons I have learned, I'm hoping that you will one day experience the same thing.