Deeper Revival Nights Lead to Deeper Relationships with Christ
Photos provided by Rampage student photographer Abby Gasperson.
Bluefield University Student Ministries (BUSM) hosted a series of evangelistic sessions in February called Deeper Revival Nights, designed to lead students into deeper relationships with Jesus Christ.
A new version of Free Week, hosted by BUSM in the fall of 2023, the Deeper Revival Nights featured a series of guest speakers, including Quita Coleman (February 5), Doyle Bradford (February 7), and Anthony Gurrola (February 9).
Campus Pastor Mason West defined Deeper Revival Nights as nights of ministry set aside to ask a deeper question of who God really is for us.
“In a generation and time where people are asking deeper questions for deeper context and longing for deeper relationships, we believe this is found in the person of Jesus and his presence being central to lives,” West said.
West said that the outcomes from Deeper Revival exceeded his expectations. He said the speakers set the stage and gave space for BU students to linger a little longer in God’s presence in worship and prayer and receive from the Gospel in a deeper and more “set apart” way.
“I think to set space like that aside is key to seeing God move in hearts and lives,” West said. “If we can give time to all of the finite and inferior things of life, we can most definitely give time to linger in his presence and learn more of the depth and truth of who he is.”
West said God worked mightily through Deeper Revival and did some very unique things for individuals.
“Many might come in with expectations of just seeing a headcount of more salvations or just excellent services, but there was more that occurred and should be more than just those things,” West said. “Many laid down their anxieties, depression, and addictions at the altar.”
During Deeper Revival, West said many students responded to various calls, including physical healing, heart healing, breakthroughs with their families, salvation for friends, or simply a deeper relationship with Christ. During the first session with Coleman, he said students were challenged to avoid a lukewarm lifestyle and to have more passion about their relationship with Christ. During the session with Bradford, students were asked, “What will you do with the love you’ve found?” With Gurrola, students were invited to “cry out for just one touch from God that can change everything.”
“We ended the week with a spontaneous worship moment of commissioning that ripped the roof off,” West said, “declaring that we will drown in the River of Life all the days of our lives. What a gift it is to have these moments in his presence on campus.”
BUSM leader Abby Gasperson said the Deeper Revival Nights were one of her favorite times of the spring semester. She said Jesus never failed to show his presence during the sessions.
“That Wednesday night, we had service at the Roasted Bean coffee shop, and the room was so full of people hungry for Jesus that people were standing and sitting on the floor because we ran out of seats,” Gasperson said. “These services allowed me to go even deeper in my faith and experience Jesus in powerful and mighty ways.”
Gasperson said she saw God work in many ways during Deeper Revival, including healing students from mental, physical, and spiritual wounds. She said it was beautiful watching peoples’ lives be covered by the peace and love of God.
BUSM leader Abigail McComas agreed, sharing how she expected to see God move during Deeper Revival, but how he “exceeded my expectations.” McComas said that what most stood out for her from Deeper Revival was how the Lord allowed people to worship more freely than ever before.
“I watched as people let their guards down for the first time and worshipped with full hearts,” McComas said. “So many people received salvation and experienced breakthroughs. Those services set a precedent for how people are supposed to live every day. Revival isn’t just a set of services; it’s the daily choice to make it your lifestyle.”
Currently, BUSM does not have another event planned like Deeper Revival, but the team said that revival is not a set of meetings but instead a lifestyle of being fully alive in Christ. BUSM has many other opportunities for spiritual growth and worship, including Home services on Monday evenings in the Student Activities Center and Home Nights on the last Wednesday of every month. Follow BUSM on Instagram (@bu_campusministries), where there are weekly updates on what they have planned for ministry on campus.