Loveland, Colorado… A Campion Academy week of prayer is always special. The 2019 program of the week was no different. It featured Benji Maxson, a former chaplain at Campion, who is currently pastoring in California, was the speaker for the week, October 28-November 1.

Commenting on the experience, Ireland Anthony reflected, that “this week of prayer was amazing. At first, I did not want to go, but the first time I heard the speaker, it made me want to stay for the entire week. I wasn’t at the best state with God at the moment, but when I was listening I could feel God’s presence surrounding the space.”

Maxson started off the first night with a relatable story about one of his first experiences as a pastor and how we all have different testimonies of how God has worked in our lives. Maxson held the student’s attention with his unique sense of humor. Student chaplains Madi Jordan and Nolan Eickmann also introduced the idea of giving up something for the week. Some chose to restrain from using social media or listening to secular music and were encouraged to use the extra time to commune with God through prayer and reading the Bible.

Each week of prayer comes with a theme song. This week of prayer’s song was “Who You Say I Am” by Hillsong. The song had an overall theme of believing in who you are in the eyes of God. This theme was also carried on into the talks given by Maxson. Each night Maxson introduced a new story in the book of Mark and told an entertaining personal story to go along with it.

Being at Campion again, Maxson related to many of the events on campus and had many stories to tell. Kendra Eickmann shared, “I liked how the speaker kept everyone’s attention by telling funny stories. The speaker was also able to connect his stories to life lessons taught by Jesus.”

The end of the week of prayer was closed with Vespers Deluxe, which is a special monthly Friday evening worship that is open to the community and includes an afterglow of doughnuts and praise time.

The year’s week had a very strong spiritual impact on the students. At the end of the last talk, Maxson made an altar call for students to accept Christ for the first time or rededicate their lives to Christ and more than half the student body went up forward.

—Megan Michalenko, Student Editor, This Week at Campion; photos supplied