“Big God, small problems.”
A phrase often shared around the Ashland University campus as students navigate through journey to finding God.
AU is showing a rise in Christianity as miniature Jesus figurines and sticky notes with Bible quotes are scattered through campus, one of which can be attributed to freshman, Natalie Cunningham.
“At the beginning of the school year my mom sent them to school with me,” Cunningham said.
She then raised the following question: “What am I supposed to do with these?”
This question then resulted in her scattering them around AU’s campus in hopes that people would find them.
“I hope if anyone’s having a bad day or a doubtful thought, or anything, they pick that up,” Cunningham said. “Makes someone smile or make someone’s heart warm.”
Cunningham understands everyone isn’t religious; however, she believes that these figurines can spark an idea in someone and maybe they’ll want to become religious and go to Christianity. But, even if that isn’t the case, she “feel[s] like it could just bring people together, being happy and spreading joy,” despite the world being full of “negativity,” Cunnigham said.
She is also very intentional with the location of these figurines: “I kind of choose where I feel like people would see them but it’s not out in the open.”
If you look to your left or right a miniature Jesus figurine could be next to you; Cunningham has scattered these figurines around various locations around campus, such as the student center and convo, so more people get to experience the feeling of seeing a miniature Jesus figurine.
These Jesus figurines are to help other students; however, Cunningham finds that the university has helped her grow her own personal faith stronger, especially with the community of Christianity at AU.
“I was already religious previous to coming here but I feel like once I started attending FCA I definitely found people that were welcoming,” Cunningham said. “It was easy to be more faithful, spread that and have that open. It’sdefinitely like another family.”
Cunningham will continue placing the figurines around campus, and possibly seeking ways to grow this project, but for now she just wants to keep the Jesus figurines going.
“A little pick me up and it’s also fun – and they’re adorable,” Cunningham said.
Outside of the Jesus figurines, faith shows persistence on campus through Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).
Kylie Arnett, sophomore FCA leader, found Christianity through her grandmother.
“I did not at all believe in the faith and was actually very against it,” Arnett said. “And my grandmother was a believer, but not for her entire life.”
Her grandmother faced many trials and tribulations throughout her lifetime, but towards the end she got diagnosed with cancer and it wasn’t caught right away. As her grandmother was taken to the doctor and given three months to live; she looked at Arnett’s family and said, “God’s not done with me yet.”
Then, she lived for a year and a half after that despite being given only three months to live. During this time, she shared the gospel with Arnett, softening her heart and eventually Arnett went to her knees and prayed with her grandmother.
“I told her that I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior,” Arnett said. “And since then, my life has not been the same.”
She’s been obedient to God since that moment and then sought out a university that was heavily involved in the faith – thus she came to AU.
“I felt at home,” Arnett said. “The track and field coaches were awesome and then I met Reverend Joe Maggelet and got involved with the Fellowship of Christan Athletes.”
Maggelet was very supportive in Arnett’s journey and her testimony, especially not coming from a background of faith.
What really drew her to FCA was a fifth-year track athlete who attended the university, Konnar Ray. Upon his graduation he was praying for a teammate to step up in their faith and take his place so the team could continue Bible study and share the love of Christ with the rest of their teammates who don’t know him personally.
He then approached Arnett after track practice to come to a meeting with him; ultimately, she was in awe of the vulnerability everyone was and the beautiful community they shared.
She now is actively involved in FCA and serves as support system for other people seeking Christ.
“We meet with someone who’s further along in the faith, to pour into us and in that overflow, we can then turn around and pour into someone who’s not as far along in the faith,” Arnett said.
Arnett explains she’s seen this discipleship work a lot in the football team and the cross-country team.
She finds she sees a revival occurring on campus with the 25 baptisms that happened during this semester along with the miniature Jesuses on campus and the emphasis on the internal transformations that are happening that aren’tvisible to the naked eye.
Through that revival, she and her peers take that as seeing that God is softening the hearts of people, regardless of their background.
She further explains that Ephesians 2:10 states that, “God has prepared a work in advance for us to walk in as believers. And that has prepared all of this in advance.”
“Revelation says that our names are written on the foundations of this earth, on the foundations of everything. So, I think that students at Ashland, knowing that, gives them an assurance of their salvation, that just shows them how much they’re loved by God.”
Whether it’s Delight, FCA or Newman, Arnett finds that God prepared everything in advance to bring not just AU students, but his believers, to Christ.
