October 23, 2024
As a campus ministries intern at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lissy Sandoval builds relationships and helps women come to know Christ. In her work, she has seen students’ lives transformed by the gospel.
“One of my favorite stories is of a girl named Carla,” Sandoval said. “Carla grew up going to church but did not know what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus who makes disciples. In her junior year of college, she began to read the Bible with Taylor, who comes from a Buddhist background. Through this time together, Taylor became a follower of Jesus. Taylor then joined our disciple-making group and began to share the gospel with her friends and read the scriptures with others. She continues to grow and be a fruitful member of our church. As for Carla, seeing the transformation that happened in Taylor, she became even more passionate about sharing the gospel. She is now one of our rising leaders who leverages her life both in her vocation and as a volunteer to continue to make disciples.”
Sandoval serves in part thanks to a grant from the Woman's Missionary Union Foundation’s Baptist Student Union Advancement Fund. Sandoval received the grant as a stipend for her internship.
“Through my ministry on campus, I have been able to teach multiple women to become faithful disciple makers who are committed to the work of discipleship in our local church, Mill City Church,” she explained.
“This pipeline has developed into a strong group of women alumni, some who now volunteer with our campus ministry and others who disciple both students they meet on Sundays but also women in their community or workplaces.”
The Baptist Student Union Advancement Fund aids Baptist collegiate ministries on college campuses across the country and provides aid in areas where local Baptist congregations are not able to support Baptist student ministries.
This grant was most recently awarded to the Baptist Convention of New England. Collegiate Director Andy Haynes said the funds would be used “to support our 10:2 intern program which provides recent graduates and seminary students support to serve in campus ministry on a campus in New England” — students like Lissy Sandoval.
“My goal in ministry is to raise up more Carlas,” Sandoval said. “I want to raise up women who get a vision of disciple making and leverage their lives and their gifts to serve the Lord faithfully.”
As more and more people see the difference being made in New England and all over the world through collegiate ministry, Woman's Missionary Union Foundation leaders pray that others will find their missions passion through the Baptist Student Union Advancement Fund so even more college students will come to know Christ.
“The BSU Advancement Fund grant was honestly an answer to prayer at a time that I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to continue in full-time ministry,” Sandoval said. “I am truly grateful for the support you’ve provided and for your prayers.”
