A men’s Bible study that began six years ago on Point Loma Nazarene University’s campus continues every Thursday night in the Flex Apartments. They seek to provide a space for students to grow in their faith, ask deep questions about the Bible and have a place of community fellowship.
Trey Weedman, a fourth-year applied health major, began leading the group this semester after being a member since his first year at PLNU.
He said that it’s been a space for him to grow in faith and community.
“Pretty quickly, I found a really good group of seniors that I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I want to learn from these guys; I want to be like these guys,’ and so I wanted to keep going because it was a great place to dive into the Word with people that knew more than me,” Weedman said.
The Bible study has mostly stayed the same over the years, as a result of its mission statement that guides each meeting.
“We want to give those who are seeking a deeper relationship with God a place to ask questions, to express doubt, to be vulnerable and to engage Scripture,” Weedman said. “This is also a place to seek great relationships within the kingdom of God and a chance to share personal struggles and the work God is doing in your life. We want this to be more than just learning about Scripture, but actually about how to apply it and live it out.”
Each week, anywhere from five to 25 men come together in Weedman’s apartment to sing worship songs, pray together, read a passage from Scripture and engage in one-on-one time with each other. After, they go to Timeout Chapel as a group.
“One thing that has stayed consistent is, at the end, we always do 15 to 20 minutes of one-on-one time with someone else in the group that you haven’t met before, so that’s a really cool time to get to meet someone new,” Weedman said.
Simon Agustin, a third-year kinesiology major, started coming to the Bible study last year after one of his friends invited him. He said he had been searching and praying for a men’s group for a while.
“There’s just a group of guys that are smiling and really … fear the Lord and love the Lord,” Agustin said.
He said that, through the group, he’s grown in his faith and theological knowledge. He’s also found friendships that keep him accountable.
“[It’s] definitely a grounding group,” Agustin said.
Titus Gluck, a first-year graphic design major, said that last Thursday was his first time attending and that he feels the group is very welcoming.
“I thought it would be uncomfortable coming in as the only freshman among mostly upperclassmen, but they welcomed me and made me feel like a part of the group, which I was very thankful for,” Gluck said. “I had room to share my ideas on the passages and opportunities to hear from those who have more experience and other insights than me.”
Mason Bloeser, a fourth-year biology major, said that he feels surrounded by men of God at the Bible study and that they’ve grown to be like brothers through their weekly meetings.
“I have built very close bonds with each and every one of the men,” Bloeser said. “I have even become friends with people who have had completely different walks of life than me. Some of my closest friends this year have come from the Bible study.”
Weedman said that the group looks to Hebrews 10:23-25 in the Bible as another guideline for their meetings. The passage reads:
“Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Keven Campbell, a fifth-year biology major, said that he’s gained lifelong friendships from being a part of this faith community.
“Each and every one of those men involved are just so special,” Campbell said. “I can say that if I need help in my faith or someone to talk to, I’ve got it covered.”
The group goes beyond studying the Bible. They also go into San Diego once a month and serve the larger community, ministering, evangelizing and cooking food for the homeless.
“Last semester, in the spring, we went and made burgers for the homeless downtown, kind of in the area [where] homeless ministries happen,” Weedman said. “And so I think we made like 100 burgers and we were there until like 1 a.m. cleaning up, but it was awesome.”
According to Weedman, going out into the community and serving others comes from the group’s desire to not only talk about Scripture but also act on what it says.
“We talk about how faith without works is dead and [how] there’s a lot of lukewarm Christianity on campus,” Weedman said. “We talk about what it looks like to be a man of God and live that out.”
Campbell said they have the hard conversations because it’s necessary. They talk about their struggles, temptations and how to balance faith with other aspects of life.
“It’s one thing to sit in a church, but it’s another to hear from those currently going through the same struggles at the same school,” he said.
Many students involved encourage those interested in the Bible study to try it out.
“College is about meeting people, and if you want to meet some seriously genuine, God-fearing, truth-seeking individuals, this is where it’s at,” Campbell said.
“Definitely try it out,” Gluck said. “You’ll never regret spending time in God’s Word.”
The group meets every Thursday at 7 p.m. in Flex 47D. For additional details, contact Trey Weedman at tweedman0022@pointloma.edu.
Kaelyn VanderSpek