Imagine yourself a young adult, 18 or 19 years old, away from home for the first time at a large public university. Your dorm-mate is not a Christian and has a lifestyle that makes it hard for you to have a consistent devotional life. Some professors espouse views that undermine Christian beliefs and values. Some labs or tests are scheduled for Saturday. Of course, prime athletic and social events occur during Sabbath hours. Sooner or later, a year or more of such persistent attack in this kind of spiritual warfare is bound to find a weak point in the defense lines of even the strongest Christian student. Adventist youth need our support during their student years.
For a variety of valid reasons, Adventist youth attend public colleges and universities. Sometimes the courses they need are not offered at Adventist schools. Estimates vary from 60,000 to 75,000 students. They represent the leadership and stewardship base of the denomination 15 to 20 years from now. Out of sight, these young people are often out of mind of church members, and soon they are out of touch and out of church. Not because that is their intent, but often distance and absence makes the heart grow fonder of other interests. The spiritual life imperceptibly slips into casual, then careless neglect.
Concern for the spiritual well-being of Adventist youth serving in the military prompted several measures of support. Service centers, retreats, literature, and a Bible Kit were all sponsored by the National Service Organization (NSO), a chapter of the present Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries Department (ACM). For nearly 50 years, the NSO Bible Kit has proved to be a positive factor in creating a caring link and/or communicating a sustaining link between the Church and its members in uniform. Pastors and chaplains present the Bible Kit to young adults who enter the military and have a special dedicatory service and prayer for him or her. The kit contains a New King James version of the Bible.
The NSO Bible Kit has worked so well that it has been adapted for a pilot project for students in public schools, and similar results are anticipated. The Student Bible Kit contains a bonded leather New Living Translation version of the Bible in a matching nylon carrying case, a modern version of Steps to Christ, a small book on the Sabbath and creation, and Dialogue magazine. Dialogue is an international journal of faith, thought, and action published by the Committee on Adventist Ministry to College and University Students in cooperation with the 13 world divisions of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (see http://dialogue.adventist.org/). Also, the Student Bible Kit would provide instructions on how to locate Adventist Activities Associations on campuses that are part of Adventist Christian Fellowship.
Imagine the impact on a young adult in your family or church, if the pastor arranges for a brief but special dedication service before he or she departs for a public college or university. The pastor would commend the student, challenge them to be a faithful witness, offer a prayer for them, and present them with a Student Bible Kit.
The Student Bible Kit is available from AdventSource in Lincoln, Neb., in limited quantities. A small charge to cover handling and shipping fees will be assessed per kit. Call AdventSource at 800-328-0525 or visit website www.adventsource.org. For further information about the Student Bible Kit or NSO Bible Kit contact Gary Councell. You may e-mail him at gary.councell@nad.adventist.org or call 301-680-6782.
Gary R. Councell, Associate Director/Military Endorser, Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries
