Ouachita Stories

The annual Christian Focus Week (CFW) for Ouachita Baptist University will be held Sunday, Feb. 7, through Friday, Feb. 12. This year’s concert will feature Jake Smith on Wednesday, Feb. 10, at 7:30 p.m. in OBU’s Jones Performing Arts Center.

“Christian Focus Week is a time of spiritual emphasis designed to inspire, challenge, teach and equip students, faculty and staff to be more effective disciples of Jesus Christ,” said James Taylor, OBU director of Campus Ministries.

Classes are canceled one hour each morning so that students have every opportunity to take advantage of the worship service held on campus. Cassie McKinley, a CFW student leader and senior Christian studies and Biblical studies major from Missouri City, Texas, explained, “CFW gives our students, who spend so much of their semester pouring into others, a week to be cared for and ministered to.”

This year’s CFW will revolve around the theme “Found” and is based on the Bible passage from Philippians 3:7-9. “There are so many students here who don't know who God is or what it really looks like to be found in Christ,” McKinley said. “We also really want to challenge the Christians on our campus because it's pretty easy here to get comfortable in doing good things, our own earned identities, and become complacent in our faith.”

Taylor said that the CFW student leadership team helped “organize everything that goes on during the week” including choosing the theme and setting the main schedule.

“We've been praying, meeting and planning for this week since we arrived back at OBU in August,” McKinley said. “We've strived to build on the strengths of CFW and introduce new ideas.”

As a new addition to the week’s activities CFW will include a service project to be held Wednesday, Feb. 10, at 3:30 p.m. “It is a great opportunity for students not only to talk about who God is, but show who Christ is by our actions,” said Nathan Wade, a CFW student leader and sophomore business administration and finance major from Big Sandy, Texas.

Students will also have the opportunity to attend daily worship services as well as Breakout sessions and special events. This year’s main speakers include Dr. Rodney Woo, pastor of Wilcrest Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, and Ben Stuart, director of Breakaway Ministries at Texas A & M University. Dr. Casey Motl, OBU assistant professor of history, will be leading Thursday’s breakout session on “Finding and Following God’s Will.” Other guests during the week include Dr. Mark DeYmaz and Steven Weathers from Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas in Little Rock, Ark.; Klayton Seyler, a 2009 Ouachita alumnus currently serving as student worship leader at Geyer Springs Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark.; and representatives from the Southern Baptist International Mission Board and Wycliffe Bible Translators.

“Ouachita is a Christian university year-round,” Taylor said, “but I think it’s important to have special times of emphasis and focus, where we can challenge students to grow in their faith and to reach out to the campus and community.”

Wednesday, Feb. 10, at 7:30 p.m. the Campus Activities Board will host Jake Smith in concert. Smith, a native of New Orleans, released his debut album “Real” in 2007. His second album “All That We’ll Ever Need” was released in 2008. Smith’s songs reflect times from his own life such as dealing with Hurricane Katrina, a car wreck and his parents’ cancer. His music is a mix of rock, funk, soul and pop.

To find out more about Jake Smith and listen to his music, visit his MySpace page at www.myspace.com/jakesmithmusic. For tickets or more information about the concert, please contact the Campus Activities Office at (870) 245-5539 or visit www.obu.edu/campusactivities/. For more information about Christian Focus Week, contact the Campus Ministries office at (870) 245-5536 or visit www.obu.edu/cfw.

The schedule for the week includes:

Sunday, Feb. 7:
9 p.m.—Pancakes and Prayer Breakfast (ESC Bridge)

Monday, Feb. 8:
9 a.m.—Main Session (JPAC)
12 noon—Noonday (Berry Chapel)
3 p.m.—Breakout:  “Art and Worship” (ESC Banquet Room)
7 p.m.—Evening Worship (JPAC)
9 p.m.—Bonfire (Eubanks)

Tuesday, Feb. 9:
10 a.m.—Main Session (JPAC)
3:30 p.m.—Breakout:  “Multi-ethnic Church Ministry” (Berry Chapel)
7 p.m.—Evening Worship (JPAC)
9 p.m.—Coffee House (Commons)

Wednesday, Feb. 10:
10 a.m.—Main Session (JPAC)
12 noon—Noonday (Berry Chapel)
3:30 p.m.—Service Project (Elrod Center)
7:30 p.m.—Jake Smith concert (JPAC)

Thursday, Feb. 11:
10 a.m.—Main Session (JPAC)
3:30 p.m.—Breakout (Berry Chapel)
5 p.m.—Missions Dinner (Elrod Center)
10 p.m.—Refuge (JPAC)

Friday, Feb. 12:
11 a.m.—Main Session (JPAC)
12 noon—Noonday (Berry Chapel)

By Rebecca Stone