ANN ARBOR, MI – Every fall a new set of fresh faces show up in Ann Arbor to begin classes at the University of Michigan. This year is no exception, but there are two faces, in particular, who will not be there to crack the books, but to crack the campus culture for Christ.
Michael and Emily Guyer moved from North Carolina to Ann Arbor this summer to start a new church near the University of Michigan campus. The church is called the ‘Treasuring Christ Church.” Michael Guyer says, “Our desire is to come with the message and hope of the Gospel, the one thing that is needed above everything else is that Jesus Christ would be treasured.”
For the Guyers, it will be important for their church to meet near the Michigan campus. Guyer says, “Our focus is to reach the next generation, so proximity matters so that we can build relationships and have influence.” Emily Guyer adds, “We have always had a desire to go somewhere that was unreached and overlooked.” So God begin to draw their hearts to the community in Ann Arbor as place they could fit in and work to reach.
The Guyers are part of a number of new church starts being planted near campuses across Michigan. There are new works springing up near Michigan State in East Lansing, Western Michigan in Traverse City and Wayne State University in Detroit. The Baptist State Convention of Michigan (BSCM) Director of Missions, Tony Lynn says, “It is arguably the most obvious move of God taking place across Michigan and the rest of the Midwest.” He adds, “No other organization is better than the local church at evangelizing, discipling, and mobilizing people.”
(To download this video for playing in your church service or small group setting, click here.)
The church starting efforts in Michigan are supported in part by the Frances Brown State Mission Offering. The goal for the offering is $90,000, and this year one quarter of the offering will go to support church starting efforts. The remaining portion of the offering will go to help in the areas of strengthening churches, sending churches, and to the Bambi Lake Conference Center.
If you would like more information about the campus churches mentioned, or the offering, or resources to promote the offering in your church, go to www.bscm.org/smo.
