University of Central Missouri<\/a>. \u201cAs we prayed about it, it fit and connected. We felt the Lord directing them and directing us.\u201d He started in July of 2020.<\/span><\/p>\nThe ministry had experienced a lot of turnover over the last few years, with a couple of interim directors and a military reserve campus missionary who was deployed in the middle of his 4-year stint at UCM. \u201cThere was a lot of good stuff happening; there just hadn\u2019t been a lot of stability,\u201d says Stockert. He realized the ministry would need a reset to establish their DNA with the small core group of students and gain momentum.<\/span><\/p>\nDespite the challenges of the pandemic, the year has been fruitful. \u201cWe\u2019ve had to be more deliberate,\u201d he says. In the absence of typical large gatherings, they\u2019ve focused on one-on-one or other small group settings and spiritual conversations. They\u2019ve had an abnormally large number of gospel appointments. \u201cOur students are connecting with people and sharing their testimonies,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\nRecently, they conducted an Easter survey on campus, putting the gospel on display before students as they answered questions with push pins on a bulletin board. \u201cWe shared the gospel probably 80 times,\u201d Stockert says. Roughly twenty students said \u201cyes\u201d to learning more about Jesus. They also set out Bibles free for the taking. Two young women took Bibles, something that excites Stockert. As is evident in his own life, \u201cGod\u2019s word does not come back void,\u201d he says. \u201cAnytime we can get Scripture in any way to students \u2013 it\u2019s a good thing. God\u2019s spirit works in them,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\nAs he looks toward the future, Stockert simply hopes to bring the gospel to students and help them have the strongest aroma for Christ that they can as his life verse, 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, talks about. Despite all the moves over the last three decades, God continues to keep him working with young adults.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThe people who made a difference for me were older \u2013 40s+,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen I was in college, they provided stuff for me that I really needed. Hopefully, I can be that for some others.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Editor\u2019s note: this article was originally published on May 19, 2021 in The Pathway, a publication of the Missouri Baptist Convention. Republished with permission. JEROME STOCKERT’S STORY WARRENSBURG \u2013\u00a0Getting the Word of God into the ears, hands, minds, and hearts of college students is one of Campus Missionary Jerome Stockert\u2019s key objectives in his ministry […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1742,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":"","_wpscp_schedule_draft_date":"","_wpscp_schedule_republish_date":"","_wpscppro_advance_schedule":false,"_wpscppro_advance_schedule_date":"","_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[]},"categories":[26],"tags":[15,102,126],"yoast_head":"\n
Saved after finding Bible on coffee table, Stockert shares God\u2019s Word at UCM - mbCollegiate<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n