Coach Brister’s Bible Study: Building Community, Discipleship, and a Lasting Impact.

Acts 2:42-47 describes the state of the early church during the first century in Jerusalem. These believers frequently met to worship God in one another’s homes (verse 46).
Such fellowship occurs every Wednesday evening at the home of Aaron Brister, chair of kinesiology and head baseball coach, a gathering many students and alumni say is well worth attending.
The gathering usually occurs at 7:30 with fellowship and snacks, and around 8:00 music worship begins with two songs, prayer requests and prayer, Brister says. He brings the message, but at other times during the year the message is student-led. Following the event, fellowship continues, sometimes rather late.
“I’m not really a time-bound, time-oriented person,” Brister says. “There’s many times that students are at my house until 11, 11:30, midnight.”
Brister says he and his family have been hosting Bible study gatherings for about 14 years for fellowship, student and community outreach, studying the Bible, and generally worshipping God.
Brister says several students have dedicated their lives to Christ at the event.
“I believe that God has used me and my family to have a huge impact on collegestudents,” Brister says. “These gatherings meet students where they are at. We always want to point outward in service to our community and point inward to our own members and theirneeds.”

Students and alumni agree with Brister’s stance. Senior Shaylee Carver says she went to the Bible study at first because she was invited.
“I now attend because I love the community and family there,” she says. “One of the main things I’ve learned there is the importance of community and spiritual accountability to others.”
Alumni Sheridan Rogers says she began attending the event because most of her friends attended.
“It was our time to all be together, but it became so much more than just a hang-out over the years,” she says. “[The Bible study] pushed me as a follower of Jesus and a leader.”
Rogers says she had the opportunity to share her testimony and a devotional, both ofwhich were out of her comfort zone.

“What I loved the most is that no matter what was going on in our lives, we were there every Wednesday. We all live busy lives, but prioritizing time in community and fellowship with other believers is vital in our walk with the Lord.” -Sheridan Rogers

Alumni Shelby Perez says she attended the Bible study every week while at CBC. “I was consistently spiritually fed. I also became much closer to the Brister family, to the point that they effectively became a second family to me,” she says.
Brister says the ultimate goal is to honor God.

“All we are are just vessels to introduce Jesus, to some people for the first time, to help others grow, and to empower and enable mature believers to become leaders in their communities, at CBC, at home, at their workplace, and everywhere else, as well as disciple
others,” -Aaron Brister

Perez says she wants to emphasize that Brister opens his house to everyone and demonstrates along with Billie Jean Brister, his awesome wife, how to show God’s love to others, especially through hospitality and openness.
“It’s always a spiritual challenge. [Coach Brister] always did a good job talking on timely topics and taking people in. Many college students miss a family atmosphere, and the Brister family does a fantastic job at replicating that,” Perez said.