QR codes are the “new thing” at the University of Oklahoma (OU), according to Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM) Director Shane Kammerer. QR codes look like the barcodes on items for purchase. At the OU BCM, using them provides a touchless way to get student’s contact information, Kammerer said.
Doing campus ministry since 2006 and serving as director at OU BCM since 2016, Kammerer said college years are the most strategic, life-changing years because of the momentous decisions made: marriage, career, and values.
“What we do, we try to become their friend and invest in their lives,” Kammerer said. “We’re going to sit and talk with them and share Jesus with them. When they come to Christ, we try to share our life, share good spiritual habits, and connect them to God’s family and His purpose and to do this by being personally involved in their life.”
Kammerer calls it “tabling.” It involves standing behind a display table on campus offering something free, such as a free Popsicle or coffee, and trade that for contact info, or perhaps a meeting. Permission is always requested for these Gospel appointments. “Around 75 percent have given us a shot,” the BCM director said.
“Because of COVID-19, we’ve had to be a lot more personal,” Kammerer continued. Large group events have given way to more one-on-one Gospel conversations, which totaled at least 400 during last fall semester.
“A lot of it is a numbers game,” Kammerer said. “A lot of people will avoid you. Some go to college to get away from church; some have never heard of the Gospel; we have also found that many kids who grew up in church, don’t always understand the Gospel.”
Kammerer and his wife Kathleen, married 10 years, have four youngsters between the ages 3 and 8. They’re members at Norman, Providence Road.
Because of the generous giving of Oklahoma Baptists through the Cooperative Program, an amazing array of ministries are supported, such as the OU BCM and other BCMs across the state. This unified giving encourages fellowship with other believers all over the world. Collectively, Oklahoma Baptists are advancing the Gospel together.
Shane Kammerer was featured in the 2021 Missionary Prayer Guide for Oklahoma Baptists. To see BCM Director Kammerer’s prayer requests, visit www.oklahomabaptists.org/cp