Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University’s Campus Ministries will host the annual Christian Focus Week (CFW) from Sunday, Feb. 6, through Friday, Feb. 11. A concert featuring Charlie Hall and Lindsay McCaul will be held Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m. in OBU’s Jones Performing Arts Center (JPAC) to benefit Lighthouse Ministries in Arkadelphia.

This year’s theme, “Same but Different,” is based on Ephesians 4 and emphasizes that the body of Christ needs its diverse members to unify and grow together. The scripture passage affirms that members have different gifts, but all are seeking the same goal.

“Christian Focus Week is a great time to be intentional about your relationship with God,” said Katelyn Mustain, a member of the CFW student leadership team. “Although school is just starting, I know we all are already in need of some time to take care of ourselves spiritually and being involved in Christian Focus Week is a great time to do that.”

“We hope students will find this week to be encouraging and challenging personally,” said James Taylor, OBU director of campus ministries. “Hopefully they'll learn more about scripture, the body of Christ and their role in God's plan of redemption.”

Students will have the opportunity to attend daily worship services as well as breakout sessions and special events. This year’s keynote speakers include Jarrett Stephens, teaching pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, and Bryan Loritts, lead pastor of Fellowship Memphis Church. In addition to the Tuesday night concert, McCaul and Hall will lead worship during the morning sessions Monday through Wednesday and Jarrett Davis Band will lead worship Thursday and Friday.

“This is a week when we have a number of special resources available to students,” Taylor said, encouraging students to “take advantage of the extra worship services, breakout sessions and events to reflect on their relationship with God.”

The Campus Ministries staff and CFW student leadership team has been planning the week for several months, selecting a theme, booking guest speakers and musical artists, setting the week’s schedule and organizing publicity. Members of the student leadership team are Beau Landers, a senior Biblical studies and speech communication major from Allen, Texas; Katelyn Mustain, a junior dietetics major from Coppell, Texas; and Jessica Schleiff, a senior English major from Benton, Ark.

“It's been a great process,” Taylor said. “It's always difficult to plan such a large week, but our students are great and we rely on a lot of volunteers. We began planning for this last spring, so it's been a long road.”

“It has been really fun planning with James Taylor and the other CFW leaders,” Mustain added. “The best leaders are really just servants, and what the CFW leadership team and I really desire is to serve the students of Ouachita.”

The week will kick off Sunday, Feb. 6, with an evening of prayer and pancakes on the Evans Student Center Bridge from 9-11 p.m.

On Monday, Feb. 7, the opening worship service will be held in JPAC at 9 a.m., followed by Noonday in Berry Chapel at 12 noon. The 4 p.m. breakout session, “Art & Worship,” will be held in the Evans Student Center Banquet Rooms. Bryan Loritts and Lindsay McCaul will hold a ministry question and answer session at 5 p.m. in the Ouachita Commons, followed by Coffeehouse at 9 p.m. in the Tiger Den.

On Tuesday, the morning worship service is at 10 a.m. in JPAC, and a breakout session on international testimonies will be held at 4 p.m. in Berry Chapel. A men’s dinner will be held at 5 p.m. in the Tiger Den, and the Charlie Hall and Lindsay McCaul concert is set for at 7:30 p.m. in JPAC. The doors will open at 7 p.m. for the concert, and cost of admission is a donation of 2-3 toiletries or non-perishable food items to benefit Lighthouse Ministries in Arkadelphia. The concert is hosted by OBU Campus Ministries, Campus Activity Board and Student Senate, and all seating is general admission.

Wednesday’s morning worship service will be at 10 a.m. in JPAC, followed by Noonday at 12 noon in Berry Chapel. The 4 p.m. breakout session including alumni testimonies will also be in Berry Chapel. No on-campus activities are planned Wednesday evening to encourage students to attend and serve in local churches.

On Thursday, the morning worship service will be at 10 a.m. in JPAC, and the breakout session including faculty and staff testimonies will be at 4 p.m. in Berry Chapel. Refuge, Ouachita’s weekly, student-led worship service, will be held at 9 p.m. in JPAC.

Christian Focus Week will conclude with a final worship service Friday morning at 11 a.m. in JPAC.

“Hopefully students will learn that God made us all different with unique abilities and gifts,” Mustain concluded. “It takes all kinds of people to make up the body of Christ and He has a purpose for each and every one of us.”

Jarrett Davis of Jarrett Davis Band is a 2010 Ouachita graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music. He has served as a worship leader for OBU’s Refuge and First Baptist Church in Benton, Ark., as well as numerous college and student events. His band includes Seth Plemmons, a student at Stephen F. Austin State University, and current Ouachita students Michael Curtis, a sophomore music major from Wyle, Texas; Taylor Geurin, a junior Christian ministry major from Little Rock; and Oliver Thomas, a senior music major from Searcy, Ark.

Charlie Hall regularly leads worship at churches, colleges and conferences such as Passion and enjoys spending time at home with his family. For more information about Hall and his band and to listen to their music, visit http://charliehall.com/.

Bryan Loritts is currently the lead pastor of Fellowship Memphis Church, a multicultural church ministering to the evolving community of urban Memphis. Loritts has also served as an adjunct professor at Crichton College. In addition to serving the city of Memphis, Loritts’ ministry takes him across the country as he speaks to thousands at churches, conferences and retreats. He is also the author of the book God on Paper and is a contributing author for the book Great Preaching.

Lindsay McCaul began leading others in worship while a student at Moody Bible Institute and has continued in that role at Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, Ill., as well as on conference platforms around the country. For more information about McCaul and listen to her music, visit www.lindsaymccaul.com.

Jarrett Stephens graduated from Ouachita in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical studies and psychology. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2006, and he will receive his doctorate from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in May. Stephens currently serves as teaching pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas.

For more information about Christian Focus Week, visit www.obu.edu/cm or contact James Taylor at [email protected].

By Meg Gosser