EVANGELISM “I’m not gonna get canceled if I say something stupid in this interview, right?” Evan Keck, ’22, has a quick wit and a big heart. Going into college, Evan knew he wanted to apply for the Christian Leadership Scholarship because he saw college as a mission field where he could “influence others for the cause of Christ.” He was “very prideful” as a freshman, but he learned, “If you don’t understand your sinfulness, you can never fully understand the Gospel.” Now, Evan pours into freshmen, helping them see their sinfulness, understand the Gospel, repent, and begin a new life.
“When we start college as freshmen, we’re all looking to either build on the identity we had back home or create a new identity for ourselves,” Evan said. “But, really, our identity can’t be ourselves. It has to be Christ. I want our freshman to start finding their identities in Him.” Post-graduation, he has similar plans. “I want some people to get saved. That’s all,” he joked. But besides that, he plans on applying for medical school, becoming a worship pastor, and sharing the Gospel. With the practice he’s had at Cumberlands, it won’t be too much of a stretch.
AWARENESS Tessa Gray, ’22, a tennis player and long-standing member of the Sports Ministry Team on campus, says the Christian Leadership Scholarship has helped her become more aware of her own actions and the actions of those around her. “You could be the only Jesus someone ever sees in their life,” Tessa said. “As Christians, our reactions in life and in sports should look different from unbelievers’. I want to set the standard of Christlike behavior in every circumstance – win or loss, hardship or triumph.” She read the book The Assist her freshman year that addressed the topic of Christian behavior in the sports realm and inspired her to be the one to give encouragement after
John “Evan” Keck, ’22 | Corbin, KY
I ACT because. . . ... Christ acted for me. Evan Keck, ’22
I ACT because. . . ... Christ loved first. Because Christ loved first, so should we. Tessa Gray, ’22
a tough play, handle a loss with grace, and take a win with humility. One evening in her freshman year, Tessa followed teammate and fellow Christian Leadership Scholarship recipient Jacyln Jewel, ’20, to every Sports Ministry leadership meeting, even though Tessa wasn’t yet a leader. Since that day, Tessa has not missed a meeting, and she continues to serve as a Sports Ministry representative on her team. Each representative is tasked with evangelizing and ministering to their specific team. Tessa has found that many of her teammates haven’t had much exposure to Christianity before coming to Cumberlands, so she’s spent a lot of time praying over them, getting to know them, and continuing to show them an example of Christ-like responses to life’s – and sports’ – tough situations.
Tessa Gray, ’22 Mayslick, KY
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