I Regret Nothing: Adam Guillory

When I came to Louisiana Tech, I was not very into normal religious activities like going to church, reading my bible, or even praying regularly or correctly. I figured this was a problem and looked at the various solutions, one of which included: going to a college ministry and learning how to be a better Christian through them. At that point, I had an important choice to make. Which ministry should I pick? The problem was that I did not know much about different denominations, and the only ministries I really knew anything about were the Catholic, Baptist and Methodist ones. To me, Catholic and Baptist were unlikely, as Baptist churches were too unpredictable and catholic ones were too ritualistic and, in my mind, felt too impersonal and corporate. Because of this, I chose the Wesley and took a step into a ministry which was part of a denomination I knew nothing about. The only thing I had ever heard about them was a joke a friend of mine made in middle school. I regret nothing about making my choice. 

I’ve seen compelling examples of God’s love and grace through the people I’ve met here and the community that’s being cultivated here is one of the best I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of. The community is the main reason I’ve decided to stay at the Wesley and be an active participant. After all, in my mind, you can get a good knowledge of God and how he works and who he is at most churches. However, people go to those churches specifically because of the people they know and love. In my case, I love this church because of two reasons, the first and foremost being just how friendly and forthcoming the people are. I can safely say that I have never been to a church as willing to get to know you and befriend you as much as this one has. The church body here is quite simply a delight to be around, and they actively promote being together often and for students to hang out with each other. Instead of just talking about having a great community, they actually work to build it. 

Of all the many weekly events that the Wesley hosts to get to know each other, I tend to go to three of them. In order of when it happens in the week, these events are: Sunday evening Eucharist, Monday evening small groups, and the Well on Tuesday evenings. Sunday evening Eucharist is a good bang for your buck. Get in, learn about God, share communion, and go. The only ‘abnormal’ thing that happens there is that it is student and intern directed, so, unlike the Well on Tuesdays, it is a worship service led by peers, and has a bit more personal touch. Monday evening small groups are my favorite activity that Wesley does. The way small groups work is that we get a bunch of people and have them talk about God and the message on Tuesday from the Well for an hour in a super relaxed way. It is a good time to unwind and talk among peers as we learn more about God, as well as each other’s thoughts and lives. Finally, is the Tuesday evening Well service. The Well is our long worship service, hosted by our director, Ryan Ford, and is an excellent way to get a good, long, well thought out talk about God, share communion, and then sing some worship songs.

There are many other events at the Wesley, but I do not attend most of them, and thus, can not be expected to speak on them, except perhaps Laid Back Lunch, a weekly $1 lunch for students that the Wesley hosts which is a great way to get new people through the doors and eat great food.

The second reason I love this church is its size. It is one of the smaller ministries on campus, but in my opinion, that serves as a strength. This is because one of the previous churches I’ve been to had several thousand congregates. I did not enjoy that experience. It felt like even though there were so many people, there was no one there I actually knew. Here, it feels like I can not only be with people, but can know them too. The Wesley has definitely helped me tremendously through this transition period, and to build a community of good people and learn about God in a great and powerful way.

 On top of that, I’ve learned how to put my faith in God in ways I had never done before. An example of this faith would be the way I think of how I earn my grades. Before coming to the Wesley, I had always thought that my grades were something that I alone had to work for to accomplish. Last quarter, though, I was struggling to keep my grades to the level of my expectations and had all but given up on making the grades I wanted in three of my classes. That was when I decided I would do my part to study and work, but to consciously put my hope in God to determine what grades I should get. Low and behold, I achieved the grades I wanted, but I can only say that it was because God let me.

Since I’ve been at the Wesley, I’ve learned a lot more about God than I ever thought I would know. Before I came here, I saw God as this foggy, mysterious figure, which I could never hope to understand, but through our small groups and various services, I’ve learned how clear and defined God is. God is known here not as some kind of despot or conqueror, but first and foremost as a father and a friend. This understanding of God is something I had never experienced before because, all my life, I was told to fear and respect God. I do not think I can recall a time where I was ever asked to love God or build a relationship with him. In fact, I am so new to the concept of having an actual relationship with God that I do not think I can accurately say what one looks like for me yet, but I do know that the people at the Wesley have it, and I want it.

Adam Guillory is a freshman engineering major at Louisiana Tech and and has blessed our community with his presence and joy since he showed up on our doorstep in the Fall. His wisdom and excitement are a gift to the Wesley. Adam is passionate about swordsmanship, D&D, puns, and his friends.