Penn State Mont Alto / en Bennett's Story /bennett <div class="layout layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--33-67"> <div class="layout__region layout__region--first"> <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="-menu" class="_none block block-menu navigation menu--about-us-menu"> <h2 class="visually-hidden" id="-menu">About Us Menu</h2> <ul class="clearfix nav"> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/about-us/what-we-believe" class="nav-link nav-link--about-us-what-we-believe" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/9386">What We Believe</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/about-us/our-purpose" class="nav-link nav-link--about-us-our-purpose" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/6927">Our Purpose</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/about-us/financial-info" title="Financial Info" class="nav-link nav-link--about-us-financial-info" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/6926">Financial Info</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/about-us/2022-2023-annual-report" class="nav-link nav-link--about-us-2022-2023-annual-report" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/4976">2022-2023 Annual Report</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/about-us/leadership" class="nav-link nav-link--about-us-leadership" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/6928">Leadership</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/about-us/intervarsity-and-ifes-history" class="nav-link nav-link--about-us-intervarsity-and-ifes-history" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/6925">ñ and IFES History</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/about-us/news" class="nav-link nav-link--about-us-news" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/6929">News</a> </li> <li class="nav-item menu-item--collapsed"> <a href="/about-us/press-room" class="nav-link nav-link--about-us-press-room" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/6931">Press Room</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/contact" class="nav-link nav-link--contact" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/9383">Contact Us</a> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> <div class="layout__region layout__region--second"> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenewsfield-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Gordon Govier</div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenewstitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Bennett's Story </h1></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenewsfield-square-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-square-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/default/files/styles/300x169/public/news/IMG_8112.JPG?itok=X__v9uKK" width="225" height="169" alt loading="lazy" class="image-style-_00x169"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenewsbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>When the Dickinson College ñ chapter solicited questions about God, in exchange for a grilled cheese sandwich, freshman Bennett Briante was curious.</p> <p>“Doesn’t your religion depend on where you were born?” He thought.</p> <p>Bennett&nbsp;got the sandwich and an answer to his question. He signed up to get more information about ñ, but every time Campus Staff Minister Andrew Berg&nbsp;invited him to the chapter’s activities, Bennett was no longer interested.</p> <p>What Bennett&nbsp;<em>was</em> interested in was the party scene at Dickinson. He spent his time partying and hanging out with his&nbsp;baseball teammate Chris.</p> <p>Then, on Halloween,&nbsp;Chris got in trouble. He had his ROTC scholarship revoked&nbsp;and&nbsp;dropped out.</p> <h2>A Friend that Changed His Life</h2> <p>The next April,&nbsp;Chris came back to visit the campus, and Bennett was surprised at how much he had&nbsp;changed.</p> <p>“The last time I had seen him he had been in a very low place,” Bennett recalled. “Six months later, seeing him in the most incredible, peaceful, happy state, I said, ‘Chris, what happened?’ and he explained to me about God and Jesus. And I said, ‘I want that.’”</p> <p>That summer Bennett&nbsp;stayed with Chris for a month. His time with him&nbsp;confirmed that he wanted to follow Jesus himself.</p> <p>When Bennett arrived back on campus to start his sophomore year, he knew he had to make some changes, but he wasn’t sure how. Then he discovered that he still had Andrew’s number on his phone.</p> <p>Bennett&nbsp;gave Andrew a call and started going to Bible study.</p> <p>This time, Bennett responded to Andrew’s invitations and plugged into ñ, and by his junior year, he was a member of the leadership team. He led prayer events, shared his faith with his friends, and also, ironically, led the grilled cheese outreach that first introduced him to ñ.</p> <h2>Changing Someone Else's Life</h2> <p>In his senior year Bennett signed up to go to Fall Conference for the first time, after avoiding it for two years.</p> <p>“This fall, I really felt the Holy Spirit say, ‘You should go to this one.’ I did, and by God’s grace this amazing thing happened.”</p> <p>Bennett found himself in a small group at Fall Conference that included a student&nbsp;from Penn State Mont Alto named <a href="http://intervarsity.org/carlos">Carlos</a>, who wasn’t a believer. Reminded of where he was himself a couple of years earlier, Bennett invited Carlos on a hike where he made his own decision to follw Jesus.</p> <h2>The New Bennett</h2> <p>Bennett looks back to where he was two-and-a-half years ago.&nbsp;People that knew him back then even refer to when he was the&nbsp;"Old Bennett" verses now as the&nbsp;"New Bennett".&nbsp;</p> <p>“ñ created a friendly environment, allowing me to meet Christians and have friendships with them for the first time," Bennett&nbsp;said.&nbsp;"It’s so incredible what has transpired over the past three years and how rapidly my faith has grown, and how rapidly my life has changed. The things that I used to do I don’t do any longer. It’s been a total 180. Everything has changed.”</p> <p>ñ wants to see more students, like Bennett, hear about the good new of Jesus and experience his love for them. But more than half of the college campuses in our country don't have a witnessing community of Christians. That's why God has given us the 2030 Calling, to reach every corner of every campus. You can be a part of it by giving a generous gift to ñ. Click the button below for more information.&nbsp;</p> <p class="rtecenter"><a class="button-action mega deep-button" href="https://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#s22362">Give to the 2030 Calling</a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenewsfield-news-keywords"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-news-keywords field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News Keywords</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2187" hreflang="en">transformation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2347" hreflang="en">story</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2380" hreflang="en">Dickinson college</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2381" hreflang="en">Andrew Berg</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2364" hreflang="en">Penn State Mont Alto</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2348" hreflang="en">testimony</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/829" hreflang="en">Fall conference</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/715" hreflang="en">Bible Study</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 09 Aug 2018 17:16:15 +0000 ashlye.vanderworp@intervarsity.org 2461 at A Friendly Atheist /carlos <div class="layout layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--33-67"> <div class="layout__region layout__region--first"> <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="-menu" class="_none block block-menu navigation menu--about-us-menu"> <h2 class="visually-hidden" id="-menu">About Us Menu</h2> <ul class="clearfix nav"> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/about-us/what-we-believe" class="nav-link nav-link--about-us-what-we-believe" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/9386">What We Believe</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/about-us/our-purpose" class="nav-link nav-link--about-us-our-purpose" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/6927">Our Purpose</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/about-us/financial-info" title="Financial Info" class="nav-link nav-link--about-us-financial-info" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/6926">Financial Info</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/about-us/2022-2023-annual-report" class="nav-link nav-link--about-us-2022-2023-annual-report" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/4976">2022-2023 Annual Report</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/about-us/leadership" class="nav-link nav-link--about-us-leadership" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/6928">Leadership</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/about-us/intervarsity-and-ifes-history" class="nav-link nav-link--about-us-intervarsity-and-ifes-history" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/6925">ñ and IFES History</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/about-us/news" class="nav-link nav-link--about-us-news" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/6929">News</a> </li> <li class="nav-item menu-item--collapsed"> <a href="/about-us/press-room" class="nav-link nav-link--about-us-press-room" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/6931">Press Room</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/contact" class="nav-link nav-link--contact" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/9383">Contact Us</a> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> <div class="layout__region layout__region--second"> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenewsfield-author"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Gordon Govier</div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenewstitle"> <div class="content"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>A Friendly Atheist </h1></span> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenewsfield-square-image"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-square-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/default/files/styles/300x169/public/news/Carlos_left%20and%20Bennet_middle.png?itok=bcCzlnG7" width="294" height="169" alt loading="lazy" class="image-style-_00x169"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenewsbody"> <div class="content"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Carlos Vera was well known as an atheist on the Penn State Mont Alto campus. He thought Christianity was for people who were unable to handle the challenges of life by themselves&nbsp;and needed to believe in another being—one that didn’t exist.</p> <p>He also had questions about God that no one seemed to be able to answer&nbsp;for him.</p> <p>But shortly after he arrived on campus Carlos&nbsp;met Rachel, a Christian&nbsp;who wasn’t shy about throwing his questions back at him. They frequently bantered about philosophical issues and both enjoyed learning each other’s views.</p> <p>“We clashed on a lot of ideas,” Carlos said. “But she continually invited me to [ñ] events. She invited me everywhere.”</p> <p>At first, going with Rachel to a Bible study or to church didn’t sound very interesting, and he ducked the invitations. But as Carlos struggled with the rigors of college, he also realized that Rachel was a good friend who he liked hanging out with, so he began to take her invitations more seriously.</p> <h2>"I Feel Ready to Choose..."</h2> <p>When Rachel&nbsp;invited Carlos&nbsp;to ñ’s Fall Conference, a weekend retreat away from campus, he thought, <em>Why not?</em></p> <p>At the retreat, Rachel and Carlos ended up in a small group with Bennett, a senior from Dickinson College, who had come to faith several years earlier through the influence of his best friend. Nudged by the Holy Spirit, Bennett invited Carlos to go on a hike during their free time.</p> <p>As they hiked for over two hours, Carlos shared about his doubts&nbsp;and how no one had ever been able to answer his questions about God and Christianity. Bennett tried his best to answer Carlos' questions and told his own story of how he started following Jesus.</p> <p><a href="http://intervarsity.org/bennett">Bennett's story</a> about&nbsp;his journey to faith struck Carlos and felt relatable to him.</p> <p>“Our stories are remarkably similar,” Carlos said.</p> <p>At the end of their hike, Bennett asked, “Carlos, what do you think is the next step for you in exploring faith?”</p> <p>“I feel ready to choose: I want to follow Jesus,”&nbsp;Carlos answered.</p> <h2>"I Was An Atheist For a Good 18 Years..."</h2> <p>Carlos read his Bible voraciously for the rest of the fall semester. He dropped a lot of his bad habits and spent more time with his new ñ friends.</p> <p>“The idea of an omnipotent, omniscient, benevolent God did not fit with my worldview, so I rejected it harshly,” he reflected. “ñ taught me that the secret to life is not really a secret. It’s truth that is available to everyone.”</p> <p>As the spring semester began, the first assignment in Carlos’s communication&nbsp;class was to give a speech about something he used to believe in but changed his mind about. It was an easy assignment.</p> <p>“I was an atheist for a good 18 years. But now I’m Christian,” Carlos said during his talk.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Just like Carlos, ñ wants to see more students who don't know Jesus experience his real hope and decide to follow him.&nbsp;You can help make that happen by giving a generous gift to ñ. Click the button below for more information.&nbsp;</p> <p class="rtecenter"><a class="button-action mega deep-button" href="https://donate.intervarsity.org/donate#20628">Help Students Experience Real Hope</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="_none block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenewsfield-news-keywords"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-field-news-keywords field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News Keywords</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2362" hreflang="en">atheist</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/826" hreflang="en">Evangelism</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2363" hreflang="en">Pennsylvania</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2364" hreflang="en">Penn State Mont Alto</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2365" hreflang="en">fall retreat</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2366" hreflang="en">communication class</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2347" hreflang="en">story</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2348" hreflang="en">testimony</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2367" hreflang="en">answers</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2368" hreflang="en">Bible</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2187" hreflang="en">transformation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2369" hreflang="en">world changer</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 19 Jul 2018 15:56:27 +0000 ashlye.vanderworp@intervarsity.org 2457 at