The USM BSU needs you!

Dear Friends of BSU:

As I look back over this past year, I am thankful for the many ways God has blessed the BSU at Southern Miss. We have reached new heights in sending out missionaries. 40 USM BSU students are headed across the world this summer to share Jesus with many who have never heard. In the next few months, two new couples (former USM BSUers) will join the ranks as career missionaries with IMB. This summer another former BSU couple will move to New England to plant churches. God continues to bless the commitment we’ve made to take the gospel of Jesus to the nations.

However, I am concerned as we approach the summer. I’m sure you are aware of the tough economic times that are affecting individuals and churches. Our church base support has been reduced by more than $15,000 for the year 2011. We were not alerted to the reduction in budget support ahead of time, but now are aware that several of our major supporting churches have reduced their support to a level lower than when I arrived 20 years ago.

The Southern Miss BSU depends on support from the Cooperative Program of the Mississippi Baptist Convention for taking care of the staff salaries (Lloyd and Kris). However, local churches and friends like you fund the ministry here at Southern Miss. The reality is local church support is decreasing and we are more dependent than ever on individuals like you for reaching this campus and the world.

We are asking those of you that have been blessed by this ministry to consider giving back to help reach this generation of students. Please know that you cannot give too little. A sobering fact is that 150 people giving $100 will replace the funds we have lost in the past three months. If you would like to talk to Kris or me about this, please call us-601-264-5160. This summer we hope to contact many of you by phone to ask for your support.

If your church does not support BSU at Southern Miss directly, would you become an advocate to ask them to become one of our partners? We would recommend that a new church partner begin by giving $25 per month.

This is God’s ministry and I am not ashamed to ask you to support reaching students, discipling them, and sending them out with the gospel to the world.

Until All Have Heard!

Lloyd

2011 BSU Summer Missionaries

CIC 2010

96 Mississippi BSU students and BSU directors spent two weeks in China over the Christmas break. 38 of the 96 were from Southern Miss. We had the chance to talk to Chinese students about American culture and the Story of Christmas. Many of them had never heard the Reason we celebrate Christmas. CIC continues to be a phenominal chance to share with people!

USM team in front of the Forbidden City - Beijing.

The Great Wall

Mississippi students had plenty of opportunities to make friends with Chinese students.

Public transportation in China is always an experience. There's always room for one more!

Special friendships were formed

Good times hanging out

Flashback - 6:01 fall of 2010

6:01 (in case you didn't know) is the USM BSU's weekly large group gathering. We have a time of worship and praise through music & we invite a guest speaker to come in and share. This past semester our theme was: Who is Jesus? We looked back at several scripture references throughout the fall semester and explored what the Bible says about who Jesus is. It was a real treat and an honor to have such great speakers in our BSU. A big thanks goes out to: Don Stewart, Ivan Parke, Gary Permenter, Tony Merida, Luke Johnson, Walt Barnes, Ashley Austin, Don Gann, Chris James, Ken Hester, Raymond Johnson & Tommy Mitchell for coming down and sharing with our students.

During the semester we like to take a break and focus on missions. It is always really special to have Tom and Gloria Thurman come in for a visit. Tom and Gloria are our heroes and if you ever met them you would feel the same way. One 6:01 this semester they came and one of our students (Ariel Domico) interviewed them on stage.

We always want to put great folks like the Thurmans in front of our students to show them that God can use ordinary folks (like the Thurmans) to impact the world. Tom and Gloria served in Bangladesh for 35 years. Many came to Christ because of what God did through them. Praise God for using us to bring Him glory.

Next semester's 6:01 theme: believe, love and preach JESUS. May Jesus be glorified through the USM BSU.

And so this is Christmas....

2010 marks the tenth year of Christmas in China. 95 students from the great state of Mississippi are signed up to go to China from Dec. 15 to Jan. 2. 38 of this group is from USM. You can see each of these students on the image above. Would you pray for these going? There will be many opportunities to tell the Chinese of the Reason for the season. Pray for these who are hearing the Good News for the very first time.

Flashback: Lloyd's 20 years at USM

This fall we celebrated the 20 years Lloyd Lunceford has served at the USM BSU. He will admit early on that he planned to be at USM for two years and somehow that turned into 20! What a joy to have him here investing in the lives of students for the glory of God! We had plenty of friends stop by on the day of his celebration (Oct. 2).

Stephen & Amanda McDonald

Wes & Kristen Switzer

Mike Madaris

Presley Walters, Gloria & Tom Thurman

Brant Hanna

Robin Reid Ensign & family

Matt & Jacque Middlecamp / Brad & Jennifer Irvin

Jonathan & Kristen Palmer / Margie Heltzel & Kelly Marzoni

Flashback: 6:01 in 2010

Our study of Philippians this semester has been great. We are blessed to have many gifted speakers who live around the area to come up and share on their selected passage. The book of Philippians is challenging and encouraging. Tonight, we will finish up our study. Dr. Gary Permenter will wrap it up for us. We looked at every "nook" and "cranny" of Paul's letter to the church at Philippi. Speakers such as Argile Smith (FBC Biloxi), Don Stewart (retired pastor/seminary professor), Tony Merida (Temple Baptist-West) all fed us God's Word. Others like Ivan Parke (Mississippi College prof), Luke Johnson (former USM BSUer) and Chris James (Campus minister at UMASS Lowell) gave us a great view of what Paul meant when he wrote and how it applies to us today. Lloyd and I are grateful for gifted speakers because otherwise we would be up there and no one would really want that!