ABOUT BUD
What is BUD?
+ BUD is a ministry seeking to unite, disciple and equip college men to Be Unshakably Devoted (BUD) in their pursuit of Christ. BUD provides materials and resources for men to lead groups and organizations at their respective campuses and in their daily lives to further the Kingdom of God. These resources include but are not limited to leadership materials, workbooks, prayer, personal discipleship, conferences, and a variety of opportunities to connect leaders that share the same heart for Christ. BUD supports men from all walks of life including fraternity chaplains, athletic team bible study leaders, small group leaders and ultimately men all over the world who are seeking to grow their spiritual journey alongside their community.
+ BUD exists to honor and glorify God. This is where we begin and end.
+ BUD is meeting a true need. God has become invisible in the lives of most college-age men today. Yet, they have an innate desire to know they are loved by Him, and they are desperate for a community of faith where they can be themselves. In a setting where they feel comfortable – a setting that allows the masks to be torn away -- we are discovering that these men want to experience the authentic, exciting, and fearless life that Jesus desires for them.
+ BUD is about community. A powerful community of faith that draws young men who likely wouldn’t attend a “normal” Bible study; who have been hurt by the traditional church; or who need a trustworthy community where they can ask tough questions, confess their weaknesses without being judged, give and receive prayer, and experience genuine brotherhood.
+ BUD is about training leaders. Finding, mobilizing, mentoring, and equipping authentic Christian men as leaders on college campuses across this country is a primary focus of our work. This not only blesses those on each campus, but it is developing a network of Christian leaders across this country – and beyond! By providing leaders with lessons, discipleship and prayer, it is our hope that BUD be a resource for college men seeking to develop Christ centered community on their campus.
+ BUD is producing results. Typical of God, the Spirit is moving here in non-traditional ways. His Spirit is evident as we gather in community and seek to be guided by His Word. The weekly meetings start with a time of socializing where the guys are able to feel welcome and comfortable. Once seated, a group of members proceed to share their “personal testimonies” in relation to the week’s theme. This is a powerful time of reflection, vulnerability, and connection. We then move into the “epic weekly material” using a great quote, historic fact, or powerful story to illustrate the topic and draw the guys into conversation. Next comes a time of questions and discussion where we wrestle with the subject matter of the day. Once we have heard from each other, we then move to God’s Scriptures – this takes us from our views to God’s truth. Finally, we end with an exercise created to make space for God’s Spirit to move and speak to their hearts. This is the time when the guys really dive in and apply what we have been talking about to their lives. The result is that God is moving in these meetings. We know this because over the course of the semester we see a hunger develop for more of Him in the lives of these young men. Our original goal was to have two college groups utilizing our resources by the end of the first year. We now have our resources being utilized by seven college campuses across the country -- with several more being developed. We have also been asked to establish a BUD community at a boy’s home in Mexico. It is wonderful to see God’s Spirit moving through the efforts of BUD and, more importantly, guiding our steps as an organization.
+ BUD speaks in the language of young men, but our curriculum contains substantive teaching about Christ through Scripture. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is infallible . “ For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Young men have become unplugged from their source of authority – the Holy Scriptures -- and as a result man’s word, not God’s word, tends to dictate their views of themselves and others. Sadly, a large percentage of young men do not attend a traditional church when they reach adulthood. Their main stated reason is that they don’t believe the Bible is true and that the church has done little to answer their doubts. The fastest-growing “religious group” in America is the "no religion" category. The major growth of the "no religion" segment is among young adults ages 18 to 29 - the ones who no longer believe the Bible is true. BUD is raising up a generation of leaders who are convicted that the Scriptures are God’s true and enduring word and are speaking His truth into the lives of others.
+ BUD is a response to the desperate times we live in. Just look around. We are surrounded by terrorism, sexual assault, pornography, lying, cheating, addiction, and so on. College is a time of intense development and often instability. The greatest affliction of college-age men is depression (almost one-third report feeling so depressed that they have trouble functioning; nearly half say they have felt “things were hopeless”). The greatest cause of death of those under 35 is suicide. Young men today experience the gamut of ills – anxiety (nearly two-thirds of college men report experiencing “overwhelming anxiety” during the past year), addictions (young men have significantly higher levels of substance abuse than young women), threats to self and others, decreased social support, comparison with others, self-focus, pressure for grades, and so on. The Center for Collegiate Mental Health describes it as an “epidemic.” Let’s just say it: the only source of real hope in this world is Jesus! Faith in Him equals resilience, faith in Him equals hope, faith in Him turns focus beyond self. We have got to be about the business of sweeping spiritual change across this country. BUD believes this change can start with the generation of young men coming out of our colleges (both faith-based and secular). To accomplish this, these men need contact with God’s word and the Holy Spirit, along with a community to guide, encourage, and support them. This is where it starts, and this is why we believe BUD is so important for such a time as this.
+ BUD is touching and transforming lives. These young men are discovering they are free to be everything they ever hoped to be – strong, courageous, compassionate, forgiving, faith-filled, hope-filled, and more. The testimonies of those who have benefited from BUD say more about this ministry than anything we could ever write!