The Ohio Independent Baptist, June/July 1971

Q and A Center (Question and Answer Center) is the name chosen by the Campus Bible Fellowship for their bookroom and coffee lounge opened in March in Cleveland. Located at 2032 Euclid Avenue across from Cleveland State Univers– ity, it is accessible to thousands of college young people. CSU itself, now enrolling 14,000, expects to have 40,000, by 1980. Cuyahoga Com– munity College and other specialized schools are within easy access. There is a real advantage to the CBF in occupying its own center rather than getting permission to use a room on campus surrounded by distractions and conflicts that can't be controlled. Overhead expenses are $200 a month, but there are churches and young people,s groups in Ohio that should be able to care for this. Taking regular assignments man– ning the Center are Clifton and Mary Lou Miller and Wa]ter and Annetta Spieth CBF representatives for the area; Leeland and Mary Crotts, Carol Mclver and Carolyn Renner, Cleve– land-area missionaries to the J ewi h people; and Norma Nulph, Cleve– land missionary to the Negroes. It is interesting that a good number of the contacts made there are Jewish young people. A large number of CSU people are Negroes. The enter thus provides a good opportunity to co– ordinate the various Cleveland min– istries. In the short time since the Center has been open, there have been three decisions for the Lord and many Jong and serious conversations concerning spiritual problems. One of the de– cisions was made by a fellow who had been mixed up in Spiritism; an– other was a fellow with an early Ro– man-Catholic background who had later dabbled in all kinds of religious philosophies. Others have unbelieva– bly mixed-up ideas about religion, 10 JUNE-JULY, 1971 Chri t and salvation. One girl who has spent three years in preparation at a Roman Catholic convent has been involved in "Christian mystic– ism," the new Pentecostal movement in the Roman Church. Another ministry that has develop– ed is toward the "Jesus Freaks" or others from a "Christian commune" background, many of whom used to be on drugs. They are characterized by heavy criticism of the established church. This gives an opportunity to talk to them of the true church and of the believer's responsibility to it. One born-again fellow walked in and said he had been praying for two years for something like this. Now a Junior, he said he would have ap– preciated some Christian fellowship when he first came into the worldly climate. He personally donated $50.00 for an ad in the student newspaper. TO ALL OHIO PASTORS: SEND THE NAMES OF STU– DENTS ATTENDING COLLEGE IN THE CLEVELAND AREA. The Campus Bible Fellowship or repre– sentatives of the Q & A Center will call on them and help them find Christian fellowship. This is a worth– while ministry in these days of trou– bled campuses. PUT THE Q & A CENTER ON YOUR MAILING LIST. They are keeping a file of calling cards and church bulletins from the Ohio church– es. Then as young people from your area are contacted, they are referred to your church. COME AND VISIT THE CEN– TER. Bring your people to see and participate in what the Lord is doing. Plan to donate some time for coun– seling, participating in a panel dis– cussion or some program of interest to young people. Encourage young people and others from your church to help - not only in counseling but in supplying materially or in sending coffee and cookies. INFORM YOUR CHURCH OF THIS NEW MINISTRY. They should be supporting it in prayer. They should al o take steps to sup– port it financially, by special offerings at lea t. Regular gift are needed for the monthly overhead costs. Students Drop In Often History Repeats Itself! In The D ecline and Fall of tlz e Ro111an E11zpire, Edward Gibbon lists the fallowing reasons for that cata trophe: - 1. The rapid increase of divorce; the undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the basis of human society. 2. Higher and higher taxes and the spending of public money for free bread and circuses for the populace. 3. The mad craze for pleasure; sports becoming every year more exciting and more brutal. 4. The building of gigantic armaments when the real enemy was within, the decadence of the people. 5. The decay of religion - faith fading into mere form - losing touch with life and becoming impotent to guide the people. Do these five reasons for the fall of Rome tell us anything about our present national situation? ... Selected THE OHIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIST ..