Ignite UK

God has ordained that He reach the nations through the agency of the local church.  In 2 Corinthians Paul writes to the “church” in Corinth and says that through “us” God “spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.”  (2 Cor 2:14) Paul is pointing towards the church as the body through which God has chosen to carry-out His divine purposes in glorifying Himself (See also Ephesians 3:10-11).  And since this mission is given to the church body, individual Christians are called to be members of and involved in the local expressions of the universal body.  Hebrews 10:23-25 reminds us to be encouraged to make sure and “meet together”.  As we meet together we are encouraged and motivated by each other to go out and take the gospel to the people around us.  We are also pictured in the Bible as the body of Christ. We are to carry-on the work that Christ started when He was here during the incarnation.

The list of reasons can go on and on as to why the local congregation is important.  Suffice to say that God has deemed it such in His Word and so we have sought to plant an actual local church on the campus of the University of Kentucky.  Our prayer is that God would work through this local community of believers to reach those that live, study, work, and spend time around the campus.  You could say that is our purpose.  But all that does not answer the question of why we don’t join forces with the BCM.

The BCM is what is called a Para-church ministry.  They are to work alongside of the local churches.  A Para-church ministry exists to aide the churches, to encourage students and help them get involved in a local community.  These ministries were never intended to take the place of the local church.  Over the years students have begun to make their Para-church ministries their “churches” and that has taken a toll on many churches in the country.  Students tend to be so involved with their campus religious organization that they have little or no time to be plugged in and serving in a local church.  So, on Sunday, students will at times church hop, going wherever they feel like going on a particular Sunday.  Then as they graduate they may continue to church hop, stop going all together or turn into a nominal church member.  This is not true in all cases, but it is a pattern that has been noticed by some.

So, we want to provide a local church that exists on the campus.  It is a place where your Para-church ministries can encourage students to plug into and help fulfill the mission that God has given to the local church.  If we were to join the BCM we would simply be another Para-church ministry.  The BCM is a great place for students to connect with other believers and be challenged in their faith.  But, as an entity of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, I am sure they would say they want students involved in local churches, and Ignite is a church located only footsteps away from the dorms and classes of university students.