La Tech ABS

04/07/2026

February/March Update

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I pray that everyone who reads this is doing well and rejoicing in the goodness of our Heavenly Father.

Spring is already showing signs of life—flowers are blooming, trees are coming to life, and pollen is covering everything! It’s also the start of the Spring Quarter at Tech, which means that for many of our students, this is the final quarter of the school year. We have a couple of seniors who will be graduating in May, so please pray that their final quarter will be their best one yet.

Classes for the Spring Quarter began on March 11. The Tuesday before that, we hosted a fun “Welcome Back Impact” for our students. This time of year also marks nearly two years since I began serving as the new ABS director here at Tech—time has truly flown by!

Another event to look forward to this spring is Time Out for Tech, a preview day for high school juniors and seniors to visit campus. This gives us a wonderful opportunity to introduce our ministry to prospective students and to prepare for Summer Orientation, which will be happening soon. If you know of any students who will be attending Tech next fall—or even visiting this spring—please let us know so we can meet them and share more about the ministry of ABS here at Tech.

Our church plant effort continues to be a great blessing from the Lord. On the first Sunday in March, we had the privilege of baptizing a young man into membership. This was especially exciting because he and his wife have been faithful attenders of our church plant from the very beginning. We continue to be amazed at the work the Lord is doing and the partnerships He is providing along the way.

A church in Arkansas has contacted me about planning a mission trip here this summer, and we are prayerfully considering how we might partner with them. Other churches have also reached out, and it’s incredibly encouraging to see so many people interested in supporting our efforts to plant a church in Ruston.

As we become more known in the community, we want to be intentional in our work. Our goal is to make disciples, because that is the purpose of the local church. We also want to clearly communicate the church’s essential role in the disciple-making process. The church is not an optional part of God’s plan—it is His master plan for disciple-making.

We strive to be a church that values membership, church discipline, and corporate worship—marks of a healthy, faithful congregation. Our desire is to help everyone who attends understand why these elements are vital to the life of believers, and to communicate that truth with love and clarity.

Please pray for us as we plan and prepare to engage and evangelize those around us. Pray that God would give us clear vision for reaching people in our town who remain underreached or unengaged with the Gospel. Pray also for our members and those who regularly attend with us.

In all things, give thanks to God for His incredible blessings upon us and upon His churches that faithfully preach the true Gospel and seek to make disciples of all nations.

02/23/2026

January/February Update
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I pray that all of you reading this have thawed out from the winter weather for the time being and are living faithfully and obediently in the goodness of God. We in Ruston are doing well—thankful that we maintained power during the ice and sleet and praising God for His continued blessings on our work here.
Louisiana Tech had an unexpected week off after the accumulation of sleet and freezing rain, and next week (Feb. 16–20) students will have another week off for Mardi Gras. Despite these interruptions, we have enjoyed our time together on Tuesday nights and have been grateful for opportunities to reflect on our calling on campus and how best to engage others with the Gospel.
Each week, I invite the students to put forward questions for discussion. I have been both surprised and impressed by the way they are thinking through the Bible, current social issues, and how to apply what they are learning. No topic or question is off the table, and we seek to thoughtfully engage the matters they raise. Please pray that these young people will continue to seek truth and understanding as they grow, and that they would learn at all times to rely on the Word of God for all of life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).
This past week (Feb. 9–13), we also experienced some “excitement” on campus when a Charismatic group from southern Mississippi came to engage students. While I will not speak directly about this group or their motives, I will say that their presence opened the door for many spiritual conversations. I pray that these conversations will bear good fruit. It served as a helpful reminder that many voices are competing for attention, and we must not ignore what people are saying—even when we disagree with their doctrine or methods. Young people are listening, and they are searching for truth. We may not always understand what God is allowing, but He may use even unexpected circumstances to draw people to Himself through hearing and believing the true Gospel.
Please continue to pray for your ABS ministry here at Louisiana Tech, and for the hearts and souls of the students.
As for the church plant, I had the opportunity to be with our sending church, FBC Magnolia, AR, on Sunday night, February 1, for their quarterly members’ meeting. It was a joy to update them on what God is doing in Ruston and to express our appreciation for their support.
We have seen attendance of nearly 50 or more in recent weeks. Even when we had to delay services because of winter weather, we were able to gather that Wednesday and enjoy sweet fellowship together. We have also begun receiving tithes and offerings from our members, and God has already blessed us with resources that, I pray, will help prepare this work to endure well into the future.
Your support continues to play a vital role in our ability to build and sustain a healthy, Bible-believing, disciple-making church here in Ruston that will last for generations to come. Thank you for your faithful partnership.
Please pray for us as we labor here. Pray for our church plant, and pray for those who are serving alongside us to see this mission accomplished.

02/12/2026

Forgot to post our previous update! Better late than never, right?

ABS / Church Plant Updates
December–January
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I pray that each of you enjoyed a wonderful Christmas season with family and friends and that the New Year has been a joyful and refreshing time as well. Hopefully, you are still keeping your 2026 resolutions and staying on track with your Bible reading plans.
The New Year began with the ABS traveling to Louisville, Kentucky, to attend CrossConference, joining approximately 12,000 high school and college students from across the country. We departed Ruston on December 31 with a small group of Louisiana Tech students, then picked up additional students in El Dorado, along with Wyatt Baptist Church’s pastor, Adam Thomas, who graciously served as our second van driver. Our final stop was in North Little Rock, where we picked up a student from Central Baptist College before continuing on to Louisville. In total, our group included more than 20 people, including my entire family. The trip went smoothly—like most trips that include a stop at Buc-ee’s!
CrossCon26 was an excellent conference featuring faithful preaching, powerful interviews with missionaries serving in difficult places, informative breakout sessions, and a clear call for students to consider giving their lives to the mission of God. During the final session, two students from our group stood with hundreds of others and publicly committed to pursuing missionary service. That alone made the entire trip worthwhile. Please pray for these students, as well as for the others who attended, that God would mobilize them for the spread of His name among all peoples. The church of God has been entrusted with the gospel of God to send people for the glory of God, making known the name of God—and we must take this calling seriously. This is why I value this conference so deeply and plan to continue taking students each year as long as I am able. Next year’s conference will be held in St. Louis, Missouri, and I am hopeful we will be able to take even more students.
Our return trip included some unexpected challenges, including a church van breaking down and our arrival back in Ruston at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday morning. Even so, it was all worth it. The church plant was incredibly gracious in allowing me to preach on very limited rest, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this trip possible. This highlights why supporting the ministry and work of ABS is so important. Our work is all about helping students to create lifetime habits of being connected to gospel-preaching, gospel-teaching churches where they can serve faithfully for decades to come. Conferences like Cross help students catch that long-term vision and purpose for their lives.
Church plant work continues to progress very well. We currently have interest from two additional families who are considering becoming covenant members, and the fellowship within our group continues to grow. We also have three families expecting babies this year, and, Lord willing, we look forward to ministering to and supporting them in every way we can. Please pray for safe deliveries and healthy babies.
Additionally, pray for us as we seek to reach more people here in Ruston. Much of our growth thus far has come through word of mouth and personal relationships, but we desire to be more intentional with outreach and engagement opportunities in the coming year. Pray that God would grant us wisdom and discernment as we pursue these efforts.
May the God of all grace and peace bless you and your churches in this New Year as you seek to serve and honor Him faithfully.eer

12/30/2025

November/December Update

Grace and peace to the saints and churches of the BMA of Louisiana. I pray that each of you has enjoyed meaningful time with family and friends this Christmas season and that you are making plans for a fruitful 2026.
Here in Ruston, we are grateful to have our students with us for a few more weeks before their Christmas break. The winter quarter has just begun, and they will be on campus for three weeks before leaving for a two-week break, returning again the first week of January. We’ve enjoyed our Tuesday night Impact gatherings and look forward to celebrating Christmas together on December 16.
The most significant ABS event of the year will take place during this upcoming break. We will be taking a group of 15 students to Louisville, KY, for the Cross Conference (CrossCon), an annual missions conference specifically geared toward high school seniors and college-age students (18–25). We will leave Ruston on December 31 and return in the early hours of January 4. Please pray for safe travel and for the hearts of our group as we spend these days together in God’s Word and in worship. My great desire is for these young people to see the need to make God’s name known among the nations and to understand how they can be mobilized in the global missions movement. We desperately need laborers willing to go, and my prayer is that through conferences like CrossCon, students will catch a vision for what God is doing around the world and how they can participate in His work. Please pray that God will work in the hearts and minds of those attending and that this will be an eye-opening, life-changing time for them.
God’s work in our church plant efforts continues to amaze me. Over the past few Sundays, we have been blessed with visitors—one family from the Washington, D.C., area who plans to retire in Ruston, and another family connected with the Louisiana Center for the Blind. Please pray for us as we minister to this family and to others from the Center who have attended our services. Also pray for our church plant as we look ahead to 2026 and the opportunities before us to reach more people in Ruston. Up to this point, our growth has come primarily through “word of mouth.” Pray for wisdom as we consider ways to more publicly engage our community with the work God is doing here.
Our desire is to make disciples of all peoples, just as Matthew 28:19–20 commands. We know that to accomplish this, we must be “going” to the people in our city who need to be reached. Pray that God will give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and boldness to engage people with the truth of the Gospel.
May God bless you all in the name of His only Son, Jesus Christ, and may His blessings carry you through this season of joy and into the New Year. Thank you for your prayers and support—we could not do this work without your partnership.

11/20/2025

October/November ABS/Church Plant Update
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This week (November 10–14) is finals week at Louisiana Tech, which means the Fall Quarter is quickly coming to an end. We will celebrate our Thanksgiving Impact with students on Tuesday, November 11. I hope to report in December that this was a great event and a special time of connecting with students before they leave for break and return the first week of December for the Winter Quarter.
Our focus this quarter has been on evangelism during our Tuesday night gatherings, and we are hoping that next quarter we will have more opportunities to train and then take what we have learned to campus for gospel conversations with other students. Please pray for the students who are being trained and for those with whom we will prayerfully be able to share Christ. Pray that God would already begin to prepare their hearts for the seed of the gospel to be sown and to produce fruit in keeping with repentance and faith.
The church plant continues to move forward, with six more individuals (three couples) being voted into membership during our members’ meeting on the first Sunday of November. We heard each candidate’s testimony of salvation and their desire to become a member of Ruston Baptist Mission. As a body of believers, we were greatly encouraged by the ways God has worked in the lives of these young couples, and we consider ourselves blessed to have them join our fellowship. One of those who came forward will be baptized in the coming weeks, and we look forward to celebrating this precious ordinance soon.
I also had the opportunity to visit and preach at one of our supporting churches in Mississippi. This is a church we were privileged to help plant in 2022–23, and it has since organized and continues to minister faithfully in Ellisville, MS. We are incredibly thankful for our supporting associations, churches, and individuals. It has been a joy seeing many of you at association meetings and sharing with you about our work in Ruston. Please pray for God’s continued blessings and for Him to give us fruit for our labors. May we all live with continued joy and thankfulness for the abundant blessings of God.

10/24/2025

Registration is filled up for the January 1-3 dates of CrossCon… BUT we have tickets and spots available for any student who would like to join us for this incredible missions conference for older high school and college students!

A conference for 18-25 year olds and their leaders that focuses on the gospel, the church, and the nations.

09/30/2025

Breakfast for supper! Let’s make an IMPACT!

09/22/2025

August/September ABS—Church Plant Updates

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from the ABS and from Ruston Baptist Mission to our brothers and sisters in Christ and the churches of the BMA of Louisiana. It is my joy to share an update on the works taking place here in Ruston and to thank you for your continued prayers and support for both ministries. We are blessed in more ways than we can express because of your partnership in the Gospel—both for the sake of the students at LA Tech and for the planting of a biblical, Christ-centered church in Ruston. I do not take for granted that these works would not be possible without your support. On behalf of our students and our church plant, thank you for investing in us.
I have never been accused of being a wise planner, and August proved that point in a big way. First, as I mentioned in our last report, we began public meetings with our church plant, and things have continued to go incredibly well. We have averaged around 40 each Lord’s Day and even had the joy of receiving a new family into membership on the last Sunday of August. That gives us five families, including my own, who have formally joined our work, along with about four other families who attend regularly and with whom we have begun conversations about membership. I am greatly encouraged by our people and their commitment to the work.
Every Monday morning, I meet with six men to review the previous day’s service and to plan for the coming Lord’s Day. Their insight and involvement are crucial to our continued growth, and I want them—and their families—to know they share fully in this work. This is not a ministry led by one man, but by Christ, with all of us linking arms, utilizing the gifts God has given, and sharing the labor together so that Christ may build His church here in Ruston.
Secondly, toward the end of the month—on August 27—students finally began moving in at Tech! Many of you, both individually and through your churches, responded to our request for help with DAWG-HAUL/Welcome Week lunches, and we are deeply grateful. The first day was slow, but attendance grew on Thursday and Friday. Then, the following Tuesday, EIM (Evangelistic International Ministries) sponsored our last lunch, which turned out to be our highest-attended event of the week.
For those unfamiliar, EIM is a ministry started by my grandfather, Bro. Rocky Goodwin, and now led by my father, Bro. Mike Goodwin. EIM faithfully shares Christ around the world, trains pastors in developing countries, and distributes Shepherd Bags to children. I am incredibly thankful for their work, and I hope ABS students will soon join them on short-term mission trips to some of the countries where they are laboring. Partnerships like this are vital to our ministry at ABS, and I thank God for each one. Please continue to pray for our work here and for the students God has brought us to train and equip to share Christ on the campus of LA Tech.
Finally, in the midst of all this, Jessica and I welcomed our eighth child, Laurel Katherine Goodwin. She was born on August 19 at 5:35 p.m., weighing 7 lbs. 12 oz. and measuring 20 inches long. At the time of this writing, she is just over three weeks old, and both mom and baby are doing wonderfully.
Having a baby in our 40s was not in our plans, but once again God has shown Himself wiser than we are. We love Laurel dearly, her brothers and sisters cannot keep their hands off of her, and we cannot imagine our family without this precious gift. Life has certainly grown busier, and with all the work before us there are moments we feel overwhelmed—but God is faithful.
As Christians, we are called to “do hard things.” We know God has not called us to lives of ease but to lives of self-sacrifice. We can walk this road not by our own strength but by the grace of God and the union we share with Christ. This is exactly what Paul meant when he said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).
Please pray for us as we labor for Christ. Pray for our children—that they may have faithful, God-honoring parents who continually point them to Jesus. Thank you for your prayers, and may God richly bless you and your churches.

08/29/2025

We’ve got burgers for lunch on this rainy Friday! Come join us
11 AM - 1 PM

08/28/2025

MOVE-IN LUNCH!!! Come get a free meal!
11-1(ish)

08/24/2025

July/August ABS Report
Greetings in the Lord from the Association of Baptist Students! As summer winds down and students prepare to return to school, I pray that we lift them, their teachers, and their administrators up in prayer. Whether they are headed back to college, high school, homeschool, or pre-K, let us ask the Lord to protect them, to show Christ through them to those around them, and to give them opportunities to share the Gospel with their peers and instructors.
In July, we participated in the last two Org Browse events of the summer, held on the 10th and 24th. The July 10th event was especially fruitful, giving us many conversations with students, including one Gospel conversation I had with an incoming freshman. I pray God will use that encounter to lead him to salvation. We also spoke with another student about “church hurt” and some recent challenges his family has experienced in their local congregation. Several students signed up to receive more information about the ABS ministry and our upcoming fall events. Overall, it was one of the most productive Org Browse days I’ve ever been a part of, and I am deeply thankful for God’s kindness to us.
We wrapped up Org Browse for the summer on July 24th. While we continued to have meaningful conversations and saw students express interest, the real work now lies in getting them onto campus and engaging them well once they arrive at Tech. Please pray that we will do this effectively.
If you or your church would like to help, we will once again be hosting welcome lunches at the ABS on August 27, 28, 29, and September 2. These lunches give us opportunities to connect with new students—and often their families—as we begin building relationships. We need sponsors to either (1) provide donations to cover lunch costs or (2) help host the meals and personally welcome students. If you’re interested, please email me at [email protected] or text me at (870) 914-1274. We would love for your church to partner with us in this ministry!
July also marked our annual board meeting, where I was greatly encouraged by our members as we reflected on God’s blessings over the past year—both financially and spiritually. Through your church and individual support, we were able to:
* Take students to CrossCon in Louisville, KY without charging them this first year.
* Provide meals every Tuesday night before Impact, along with other special events and discipleship opportunities.
* Make needed repairs to the ABS building, including painting the entire interior and currently installing new siding on the exterior.
These improvements have brightened our space and prepared us for a brand-new quarter starting soon. We also plan to attend the CrossCon conference again on January 1–3, 2026, leaving Ruston on December 31 and returning immediately after the conference. This year’s cost is $250 per student, which covers meals, lodging, and the conference fee. If you have high school seniors or college students interested in missions—whether or not they attend Tech or the ABS—please connect them with us.
Students will begin moving in on August 27, and classes start September 4. Please pray for us to minister faithfully to the campus of Louisiana Tech University.

07/24/2025

June ABS update
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I pray you all are staying cool and enjoying these summer months. For the ABS June means it’s time to start preparing for the Fall Quarter, and that’s exactly what we did. We started the month pulling out everything we could get a hand on, and hosted a rummage sale at the end of the month so that we could maximize our space and get things in order. We were helped by a volunteer from FBC Magnolia, our few of our students from the past school year, and our church planting families. Next up is clean up and putting everything back in its proper place, but that’s what July and its update will be about!

From a ministry standpoint we had a great time at the first orientation of the summer on June 11 & 12. Because of rain we our typical Wednesday night activities were moved from Railroad Park in downtown Ruston to Howard Auditorium on campus. It was still great to introduce ourselves to the incoming students and tell them a little bit about the purpose and work of the ABS. The next day we set up a table and canopy in the middle of campus with all the other student organizations and had students come up and ask us about the ministry and sign up for more information in preparation for the school year in the Fall. The Org Browse is helpful from an engagement standpoint with incoming students, but being over two months away from move-in day provides a lot of time for students to forget about those conversations! However, we met a good number of students who were either familiar with us or the ministry, and really enjoyed getting to meet them face to face. PRAY FOR THE INCOMING CLASS OF FRESHMEN AT LOUISIANA TECH!!! Pray for their safety. Pray for their salvation. Pray that we as a campus ministry would have a great impact on seeing them come to know Christ, and make Him known on the campus of LA Tech.
Also, June 24-27 I had privilege of preaching a church camp in Carson, MS for Covenant Baptist Church. Covenant is the church I had the privilege of helping to plant the last couple of years I was in Mississippi, and the people there hold a very special place in the hearts of our family. I preached four messages in the book of Exodus highlighting the Glory of God. We had a great time together and I was blessed to be with dear brothers and sisters in Christ for that week.

In Christ,
Jason Goodwin
ABS Director