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Photo provided by Leslie Oldroyd |
| Brandy (left), Danny (center) and Anel, three students from Miami-Dade Community College's Wolfson Campus, enjoy a break from school at the Coffee House at First United Methodist Church, Miami. The church, which shares a city block with the college, began the ministry to students this fall after the Rev. Joe Teague shared his vision for evangelizing students. |
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By Michael Wacht LAKELAND — Students attending classes at the Miami-Dade Community College’s Wolfson Campus are finding a new place to hang out between classes this fall, thanks to a team of volunteers from First United Methodist Church, Miami. The church, which shares a city block in downtown Miami with the college, has converted its old office building into a coffee house that is open five days a week to the nearly 27,000 students who attend the school each year, according to Leslie Oldroyd, the church’s program director. "The students come and study, they can get coffee and pastries and things like that," Oldroyd said. "It’s a low-key, low-pressing thing. It’s relational evangelism. The students coming to the coffee house lead to relationships which open the door to sharing Christ or inviting them to church." Because the church shares the block with the campus, Oldroyd said the pastor, the Rev. Joseph Teague, and members of the church had been looking for ways to reach the students, many of whom "drive from elsewhere" to attend school. "They [students] need a place to go between classes," Oldroyd said. "There are only a few places around here to go…and most are not conducive to studying because they’re too loud. We have tables with chairs so they can sit and read a book or do a puzzle. There’s a desk for studying. There are couches and chairs where they can sit and chat." Church members cleaned and refurbished the church’s old office building, which had most recently served as a thrift shop. Church members also donated much of the furniture and the coffee machines. The local Lion’s Club donated a popcorn machine. A team of 10 volunteers from the congregation now operates the coffee house, and donations from church members allow it to offer free refreshments. The church advertised the coffee house in the campus newspaper and by posting and passing out fliers. Word-of-mouth advertising is also helping spread the word. "Several students have come back, and they’re letting their friends know about it and that they have liked it and enjoyed it," Oldroyd said. The church is also working with Campus Crusade for Christ to start a weekly Bible study for the students. Wesley House focuses on freshman
As the new freshman class arrived for FOCUS, Stetson University’s freshman orientation program, students with the university’s Wesley House were waiting with bottled water, an idea Wesley House director Cindy Guiles says she got from this summer’s DeLand District Celebrate Jesus Mission. "We wanted to greet the freshmen who move in before the other students do," Guiles said. "The school is strict about what they’ll let you do. We couldn’t help them move in because of potential liability…but we can pass out bottled water." Guiles, who is a member of First United Methodist Church, Ormond Beach, said she got the idea for custom-labeled bottled water from her church’s evangelistic mission last June. After seeing how well church neighbors responded to the church’s gift of bottled water, she decided to do the same thing on campus. A team of volunteers at three stations handed out bottles of water imprinted with information on the campus ministry, including its prayer request e-mail address. "It made a huge impact," Guiles said. "With the three-story dorms and people lugging stuff up they needed the water. Then, half the water fountains broke that day. It was great for students and their parents and impacted the Stetson staff that we were out there in full force." Guiles said she saw some of the results of that impact at the year’s first worship service when new people outnumbered the returning students. "It was a great start to the year," she said. In addition to the service project, Wesley House sponsored a campus-wide pizza party on the first day of class. Members of local United Methodist churches served the 250 students who attended. Students were also invited to sign up for the ministry’s mailing list. Once the greeting activities are over, the real ministry of the Wesley House begins, according to Guiles. "Our big task now is to take care of the people God’s brought our way," she said. That task is accomplished through regular programs, including weekly dinners, worship and Bible study, and as many as six small groups. The DeLand District also helps by participating in an "Adopt a Student" program. "Between 30 and 40 students are adopted by families from local United Methodist churches and plug into the local church," Guiles said. In addition to expanding the students’ spiritual experience, she says the involvement helps when a student faces a crisis. Top
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