Lander BCM Offers Unique Environment
Among the many opportunities to get involved at Lander University, perhaps one of the most outreaching and caring groups are Scott Smith and Katie Troutman at the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, also known as BCM.
The goal of the BCM is “Outreach for Christ”, says Smith, the Director of the organization, who has been serving for 30+ years. Through weekly worship services and events throughout the semester, BCM aims to connect with the students in a meaningful way. “We want to point people to Christ”, says Troutman, who is also a Director at the center.
Each week, students meet the BCM center, located on Cambridge Avenue, just up the road from Laura Lander Hall. Along with the opportunity to meet local students and make lasting friendships, the center also has a student-led praise and worship band. Each week, a different speaker speaks on a different topic each week. The upcoming speaker for the week can be seen on the banner which hangs in the Cultural Center of the Josephine Abney building.
Students can also go on a statewide retreat held by the South Carolina Baptist Convention. The event, called Converge, is held every year. It has been held at Myrtle Beach, as well as Ridgecrest Conference Center. Baptist Collegiate Ministries from colleges across the state attend the weekend-long event, participating in praise and worship, recreation and also hear from a speaker. Past speakers have included Ben Stuart, Clayton King and Chip Luter.
The center also connects with faculty, and hold an annual barbeque at the beginning of every fall semester, which is attended by coaches, campus staff and the school president. They also hold events with the international groups, such as bowling nights and movie night.
On top of the many events held by the BCM, students also take part in many volunteer opportunities. One of these is Lamplighters, in which students spend a Sunday helping Connie Maxwell Children’s Home. They also volunteer at the annual Harvest Fest held by Connie Maxwell, as well as mission trips and other volunteer opportunities.
Students can attend the weekly worship service on Thursday nights at 8:00 pm, as well as Monday Luncheon Bible Study every Monday at 12:00 pm. The center is open all day throughout the semester, and has a Facebook page where you can follow the events happening at the Lander BCM.
