Impact 1:8
Besides the academic training that a student receives at Baptist University of Florida, the University also provides opportunities for the practical aspects of ministry, too. Whether our students are called into full-time Christian service or not, they will all have opportunities to serve the Lord in a variety of capacities. To encourage each degree-seeking student in any major in the School of Theology & Ministry to be active in ministry activities at all of our campuses and online, the University has developed a program entitled “Impact 1:8.” The basis of this program is Acts 1:8. This verse states: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The Impact 1:8 program seeks to balance the academic and theoretical content learned in the classroom with the practical components of ministry outside of regular class activities. Students will be required to participate in two specific types of activities and to report on those activities throughout each semester.
Impact 1:8 Assignments
Each degree-seeking student in the School of Theology & Ministry at Baptist University of Florida will complete practical missions activities in two areas each semester: personal witnessing and ministry activities.
The first activity is sharing the gospel. Each student will be asked to share the gospel at least one time every eight weeks during the semester. What constitutes a gospel presentation? The goal is for each student to make an earnest attempt to present the plan of salvation with a non-believer. As a part of this presentation, the student attempts to share the gospel and gives the individual an opportunity to respond.
The second activity relates to a ministry-related event. Each student will be asked to participate in at least one ministry related event every eight weeks during a semester. A ministry-related event can be described as any event in which the student serves his/her church in a missional activity. Examples of this include working with a ministry at your church; working with youth or children; going on a mission trip; working with your Sunday School class or small group; or working with a missional organization in some capacity. This list is not exhaustive but gives examples of ministry-related activities in which one can participate. The university will provide multiple ministry opportunities or projects during each semester as well.
Reporting
Once a student completes one of the assignments, he/she will go to MyBUF to give a report for the work. If a student does not complete the Impact 1:8 activities during the semester, he/she will receive a grade of “F” for that respective semester in the Impact 1:8 module. This grade will not affect a student’s overall GPA since it is a zero-credit course. However, it will appear on the student’s transcript.