Preach to the peers: What is Student Takeover?
Photo courtesy of Noah Carter.
C.J. Eldridge, News and Features Editor
North Greenville University students took to the stage this past week for Student Takeover, an event where students deliver the message during chapel.
Connor Graves, director of student ministries, explained that they wanted to start a smaller event in the fall semester to complement the larger Student Led Renewal week in the spring. This gives students the opportunity to tell what is on their hearts and encourage their peers through scripture.
“The bonus [of attending] would be to be able to support a fellow student who’s using his or her gifts in that capacity–just to be able to encourage them and be challenged and encourage themselves,” he said.
Matthew Easler spoke Monday, Joseph Bryant spoke Wednesday and Duncan Henderson spoke Friday. The speakers are usually picked because they are soon-to-be graduated seniors and have expressed a desire to preach in some capacity in the past.
Easler had already been preparing a message that he thought would be worthwhile for the NGU student body. He didn’t want to miss out on a “clear opportunity that God had given, only to regret it later.”
Bryant said, “It’s a huge honor to be able to speak before my friends. It’s something that I always wanted to do since I first came to North Greenville . . . I never want to pass up the opportunity to preach the bible to that many people.”
Bryant gave some insight into why he thinks Student Takeover week is important. He explained that when a peer is speaking, someone who students have a personal connection with, those who don’t usually listen in chapel may be more likely to.
He also believes that it’s a good opportunity for seniors to use the influence they’ve gained over their four years at NGU to speak into the lives of their fellow students.
In case you missed his message, Easler gave an overview of what he talked about and why he felt his topic on Acts 8 and the marks of a true believer were important for students to hear.
“It seems that many believers on campus struggle with doubt or lack of assurance of salvation–truly struggles which we all sometimes face,” Easler said.
He wanted to address the topic in a simple, relevant way. But he didn’t want students to be hung into a hopeless search through morbid introspection. The message’s purpose was so believers could “have assurance by resting in the promise of God, given by Christ Jesus, which we can presently take hold of by faith.”
That doubt or lack of assurance may just be lifted by seeing how God has worked in the lives of other students by listening to their message. Your next opportunity to do that is next semester with Student Led Renewal.
