As a kid, I would often spend Sabbath afternoons playing missionary games with my siblings. We would pull out all our toys and transform the living room into continents where we would explore imaginary new areas and pretend to be missionaries on exciting ventures.

In reality, I have not felt the call to go to distant lands where dangers lurk and new territories need to be explored. But I have discovered a vast mission territory that has hardly been touched, right in my back yard here in the United States. This field is the campuses of public universities, where bright young minds are brushing shoulders with a wide array of fringe and not-so-fringe cultures. A place where everything goes and all is acceptable, but few missionaries venture to share the three angels’ messages.

Why is it that we spend large amounts of resources trying to enter countries within the so-called 10/40 window, but hardly think of entering our public universities, where the only cost is time and interest? Yet the best and brightest from the 10/40 window nations are sent to American public universities where we can reach them with the good news of Jesus Christ, before they go back to their home countries.

The good news is that across this nation, young people are right now answering the call and holding up the banner of Jesus Christ on public campuses. One young man is praying that he may lead between 50 and 100 to Christ at a public university this school year. At another university, a group of Adventist young people began Bible studies, and 52 came the first night.

Here in Indiana, young people are also getting involved. Both at Indiana University in Bloomington and at Purdue University in Lafayette, our young people are forming student associations with the full intention of presenting Jesus Christ to their fellow students and faculty.

At Purdue University, about 20 young people come together on campus each Friday evening to fellowship, sing, and study the Bible. Because they have formed a student association that has been accepted by the university, they have full access to campus facilities to carry out their mission.

The Indiana Conference sponsored a seminar on public campus ministry. Two young men who have been involved in campus ministry at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, told of their experiences and shared ideas of what can be done to reach young people. The students then spent time exploring how they could apply these ideas on their particular campuses.

To begin a ministry at your local public campus, start praying to God for guidance and that He will send workers to help. Seek out Adventist students on the campus and form a student association that is registered with the university authorities. Expect God to lead you to the right people, those whose hearts the Spirit is already working on, and trust that God will give a bountiful harvest.

Elizabeth is an 18-year-old student at a public university. She isn’t a Christian and is interested in sorcery. One Friday night when Adventist Students for Christ met, she took the initiative to pray. In her prayer she voiced, "Thank you God that we can believe in You."

Is it possible that God might call you to minister at a public university mission right in your back yard? This is no kid’s Sabbath afternoon game. It's the real thing.

Throstur Thordarson is the Lafayette (Indiana) Church pastor.