New funding sources emerge for the Texas State BSM

SAN MARCOS—When the Texas State University Baptist Student Ministry discovered it was losing $15,000 from Bluebonnet Baptist Association due to a redirecting of association priorities, BSM Director Abe Jaquez was convinced God would provide the funding needed for the ministry to continue if that was his will.

He did exactly that, Jaquez noted.

At the beginning of 2010, God provided funding connections with churches in the area, as well as through an additional association, Gonzalez Baptist Association, agreeing to provide monthly support for the BSM, he reported. Through the new connections, the BSM gained more than the funds it initially lost.

Abe Jaquez, Baptist Student Ministry director at Texas State University, prays with students. (PHOTO/Courtesy of Texas State University BSM)

“The bottom line is that the Lord has provided,” Jaquez said. “The money that was lost from the Bluebonnet Association has been recovered due to the increase of the giving from the existing churches, from new ones and from the Gonzalez Association.”

When Jaquez learned about the possibilities of the funding change, he believed God laid on his heart a command to approach the neighboring Gonzalez Baptist Association. Jaquez met with Tommy Wilson, the association’s director of missions, and shared his vision of forming a partnership with the association.

“My vision is that we would become a cohesive partner in how we can reach out, bless the churches in that association, and in turn, they come part of this mission field called Texas State,” Jaquez said.

“I hope I can convey to them the need of prayer, discipleship and evangelism on this campus. I hope that they see the need to be a part of this, not just being part of the BSM, but being part of the front lines of prayer and action on this campus to reach this campus for Christ.

“If we are just looking for money, that is pretty shallow. But if we can convey to them and involve them in this ministry call on this campus, I think we have a chance to be a part of something deeper.”

Wilson and Jaquez met with the leaders of the association, sharing the vision to form a partnership to reach Texas State students with the love of Christ. The leadership unanimously agreed to his offer, committing to support the BSM with $500 a month and through any other endeavors possible.

“Right now, the Lord is blessing our association to no end, and we have been able to do tremendous things to bless people around the world,” Wilson said. “Our leadership and executive board are always looking for ways to continue to bless people. I have always been jealous of these DOMs who have college campuses in their associations and of hearing what God is doing there. When Abe came to me, I saw that as an opportunity to expand the association’s ministry.”

Because many of the congregations in Gonzalez Association are small-membership rural churches, Jaquez saw the partnership as a way that the BSM students could encourage the churches and help meet some of their needs. During the spring semester, students directly got involved on more than five occasions with the churches by sharing testimonies in churches, leading worship and hosting Disciple Now weekends.

“Several of our small country-type churches have made use of them with some of the students leading Disciple Now youth weekends this spring,” Wilson said. “To have these college kids be able to come in on a weekend basis or do a weekend service has been a blessing to the little churches.”

In the future, Wilson hopes to see the partnership strengthen with the BSM, eventually seeing the two groups participating in mission endeavors together in Texas and overseas.

In addition to the funding from Gonzalez Baptist Association, many churches that supported the BSM financially through Bluebonnet Baptist Association now have agreed to provide monthly funding directly from their individual church budgets.

Churches providing direct funding are Calvary Baptist Church in San Marcos, First Baptist Church in Canyon Lake, First Baptist Church in Lockhart, First Baptist Church in Luling, First Baptist Church in New Braunfels, First Baptist Church in Seguin, First Baptist Church in Wimberley, Lytton Springs Baptist Church in Dale, Martindale Baptist Church in Martindale, McMahan Baptist Church in Dale, McNeil Baptist Church in Luling, Mineral Springs Baptist Church in Lockhart and Oakwood Baptist Church in New Braunfels.

Additional churches also have joined the effort of supporting the BSM.  First Baptist Church in San Marcos, Calvary Baptist in Weimar, the Fellowship at Plum Creek in Kyle, McQueeney Baptist Church in McQueeney, New Hope Baptist Church in San Marcos, Westover Baptist Church in San Marcos and Alamo City Christian Fellowship in San Antonio also joined the cause so students will have a place to encounter Christ on the Texas State campus.

Through the new funding structure, Baptist General Convention of Texas Collegiate Ministry Director Bruce McGowan said that the churches’ role is heightened as they are connected more directly to the BSM and the local campus, giving them more opportunities to support and participate in direct ministry at the school.

“We want churches to see the BSM director as their missionary,” McGowan said. “They aren’t just supporting the missionary, but they, too, are being missionaries from their church to reach the campus. It heightens the roles and responsibility of the church. The BSM director is opening the door and making connections on the campus, but the BSM can’t lead ministry on its own.”

Although the Texas State BSM budget was funded for 2010, Jaquez said, he still is seeking additional funding because the need to grow ministry on the campus is vast. Just as God provided for the funding needs for 2010, Jaquez remains confident God will provide for additional ministry in his timing.