As college students approach the “lazy days of summer,” what can churches do to maximize ministry to these young adults? Image ’07, a statewide conference taking place this May, can be “a great catalytic event” for any church college ministry this summer, according to Lance Crowell, church ministries associate for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

“Whatever the size of the group, this could be a great springboard into a summer developing a collegiate ministry,” Crowell said.

Image, an annual conference, offers Texas college students and their ministry leaders the opportunity to come together for biblical teaching, statewide fellowship, and practical training. This year, collegiate ministries from around the state will gather in Fort Worth from May 17 to 19 for large- and smallgroup study of biblical truth.

Main sessions will feature popular communicator and Houston-area pastor Voddie Baucham, who will present his material entitled, “The Ever Loving Truth.” Baucham explores themes of apologetics and a biblical worldview, as well as discussing the role Christians should play in a culture that often rejects Christian viewpoints.

This fits directly into the overall concept of the annual conference, Crowell said. Though the surrounding culture so often tries to remake college students – including Christian students – into its own image, “the whole concept of image involves helping students reclaim the image [of God] in whom they have been made,” Crowell noted.

A unique addition to this year’s conference is the provision of materials that students take home to continue the discipleship process.

Students and their leaders will receive eight weeks of follow- up study material at no extra cost, Crowell explained. “We’re wanting [the impact] to be sustained and not end,” he stated. “We’re wanting to encourage life change in the students.”

The study materials, developed by Baucham to follow the “Ever Loving Truth” conferences, can be used by individuals or in church Bible study settings.

Image ‘07 will also feature worship led by The Smith Band, Texas-based musicians, and a mix of smaller sessions for students and leaders. These breakout sessions allow attendees to connect with various aspects of spiritual and church life, including Scripture study, Baptist distinctives, the connection of culture to faith and other themes.

Spencer Plumlee, college minister at Southcliff Baptist Church in Fort Worth, remembered last year’s conference fondly. He particularly appreciated that image allows students to use the information received immediately within the context of their church ministries.

“Sometimes you have to do a lot of jumps to get [conference material] back to where [your ministry] is. In this case, it was easy to apply to where the ministry was. Image was geared toward equipping students to go back to their churches and back to their schools. You get a lot more bang for your buck that way.”

Like many college ministers, Plumlee believes that college ministry aims to impact people in a very critical period. “College is the most influential time in a person’s life they will ever have,” Plumlee said. “More major decisions are made between 18 and 25 than any other time.”

“A week like this is so important because collegiate ministry is trying to penetrate that culture, moving [students] from the culture that surrounds us, moving them to biblical Christianity,” Plumlee said. “If we can reach a generation like this through a conference like this and really ‘rope in’ a generation, then I think we can really turn the tide.”

Crowell agreed, suggesting that while ministry to collegians is often missing in churches, church leaders should aim to change that. Image, while impacting established ministries, can even be a tool to help a church begin its ministry to students. “You can get folks who are coming home from school or are around” this summer, Crowell suggested, “and then you come home with eight weeks of material” that can be used after the conference.

Information on conference registration, promotional materials, and further resources for Image ’07 can be found at the SBTC’s collegiate web page, www.sbtexas.com/collegiate.

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