Who We Are

Serving the church to reach the colleges to change the world. BASIC stands for “Brothers and Sisters in Christ.” We are a network of college students and churches in the Northeast that meet to enjoy life together, learn about God, and make a difference in the world. The Vision is to see a Pentecost on college campuses across America

What We Do

Students on over 30 campuses gather every week to worship God and inspire each other to live out their faith in Christ at school. Every semester, all of the students from dozens of universities gather together in Rochester, NY for 3 days of passionate worship, powerful teaching, and life-changing ministry. Since BASIC was founded in 1978, over 18,000 students from over 60 campuses and dozens of nations have been affected through these conferences

Today BASIC is marked by two things:

1. A COMMITMENT TO THE LOCAL CHURCH

For over 35 years, BASIC College Ministries has been committed to helping the local church reach, equip and disciple college students. Every BASIC group has a church sponsor—because we believe that the local church is essential to helping students grow in their faith. Utilizing existing local churches has a number of benefits; they can provide stability and maturity as students come and go, and they already have equipment, resources, and money to disciple students. By assisting churches to reach the surrounding college campuses, BASIC provides a way for college students to grow in a church and not only survive the college experience, but thrive. We have found that those who make a commitment on their own to live for and serve God during their college years are much more likely to get connected to a church after they graduate. During a crucial time of obtaining higher education and deciding career paths, we help students and young adults make a decision for Christ and give them training to effectively serve Him in the years to come.

2. THE EMPOWERING  OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Scriptures teach us that “the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power.” We believe the filling of the Holy Spirit as a subsequent experience to salvation releases Christians to receive supernatural power to be God’s witnesses (Acts 1:8). The world is not moved by love or actions of human origin. If Christians are not empowered to live differently than any other people group, then we will only achieve human-size results.

What We Believe

TEN THINGS WE BELIEVE

1. Salvation made possible through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
2. Water Baptism as a symbol of true repentance and obedience.
3. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit to empower Christ-followers as witnesses.
4. A living relationship and a commitment to a Local Church.
5. A personal and growing Knowledge of the Bible, the only inspired and written Word of God.
6. Worship and Praise fully experienced by following the Biblical pattern.
7. Prayer which is essential for Christian growth and victory.
8. Integrity because God prefers obedience over sacrifice.
9. Helping each student grasp his or her Personal Destiny as an important part in history.
10. Evangelism by proclaiming the good news about Jesus, with sensitivity and confidence.

STATEMENT  OF FAITH

• We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God. (2 Tim. 3:16,17)
• We believe in the triune Godhead as eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (2 Cor. 13:14)
• We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed Blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His present priestly ministry. (Ro. 1:4; Matt. 1:18; 2 Cor. 5:21; Matt. 4:23,24; Ro. 3:25,26; 1 Jo. 1:7; Heb. 7:25)
• We believe in evangelistic and missionary fervor and endeavor. (Acts 1:8; Mark 16:15-18)
• We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful man, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential. We further believe in the keeping power of God. (Heb. 9:22; Jude 24, 25; Tit. 3:5)
• We believe that sanctification, holiness, and the overcoming life are God’s design for the Church, which is the Bride of Christ. (Eph. 5:25-27)
• We believe that sexual purity is a necessary expression for all of God’s children, and requires abstinence from adultery, fornication, incest, homosexuality, and other sexual relationships or practices forbidden by Scripture. (Heb. 13:4; 1 Cor. 6:18; Lev. 18:1-30; Gal. 5:19)
• We believe that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime, and a sacred institution established by God. (Matt. 19:4-6)
• We believe that since mankind is created in God’s image, human life is of inestimable worth and significance in all its dimensions, from conception to the grave. (Gen. 1:27; Ps. 139:13, 14)
• We believe that water baptism is for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and is to be administered by immersion, thus bearing witness to the gospel of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection for us, and our own new life in Him. (Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:4)
• We believe that communion, when shared by believers, witnesses to the saving power of the gospel, to Christ’s presence in His church, and looks forward to His victorious return. (1 Cor. 11:23-26)
• We believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as on the day of Pentecost, and in the continuing ministry of the Holy Spirit, as evidenced in charismatic gifts and ministries, and in the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. (Acts 2:4, 10:46, 19:6; Eph. 4:11; 1 Cor. 12:8-11; Gal. 5:22,23)
• We believe that divine healing is obtained on the basis of the Atonement. (1 Pet. 2:24; Matt. 8:17)
• We believe in Christ’s imminent personal return in power and great glory, and in His present and everlasting dominion. (Acts 1:11; Rev. 1:7; Dan. 7:14)
• We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto eternal life, and they that are lost unto eternal punishment. (John 5:28, 29; Rev. 20:15)