Alliance College Ministry (ACM) exists to glorify God by making and developing disciples who “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3:18). Discipleship, fellowship, and bearing witness are the main ways this is accomplished. Discipleship consists of reading and reflecting upon God’s Word together, as well as developing skills for life, ministry, and evangelism. Students meet in the chapel at The Bobo Spiritual Life Center on Baylor University's campus each Thursday at 5:00pm for a time of Bible study, conversation, and prayer. Students also gather for a free meal once per month, where they enjoy food and fellowship.
2024-25 Focus: Are You Blessed?
(Matt 5:3-11)
At the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus turns the values of the world on their heads. It is not those who are materially rich, but the poor in spirit who are blessed. The blessed are not those who look at the state of the world with indifference or — worse — as something to take advantage of for their own selfish gain, but those who mourn the world’s injustice. This year, Alliance College Ministry will focus on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7). The twentieth-century British evangelical D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones called the Sermon “a perfect picture of the life of the kingdom of God.” To abide by Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon is not the result of human effort. We can not live it out in our own strength. As Lloyd-Jones explains, “…we are not told in the Sermon on the Mount, ‘Live like this and you will become Christian’; rather we are told, ‘Because you are Christian, live like this.’” Simply put, disciples who have repented and received the Spirit of their Lord will naturally and gradually abide by the teachings of Jesus.
Fall Retreat
Once per semester, Alliance College Ministry hosts an overnight retreat (Friday-Saturday) at Mount Calm Christian Retreat. The retreats allow for extended times of fellowship and discussion of a Christian text.
The Fall 2024 retreat is scheduled for November 15-16 and will focus on The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945). Bonhoeffer was a German pastor and theologian, who was active in the Confessing Church opposed to the Nazi regime. His implication in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler led to his imprisonment and eventual execution in 1945. Published in 1937, The Cost of Discipleship (in German, Nachfolge) treats the Sermon on the Mount and attacks the “cheap grace” promoted by Christians aligned with the regime. Though students are strongly encouraged to read the material beforehand, it is not required to attend the retreat.
Pastor Joe DiLuzio serves as one of the pastors at Alliance Bible Church. Before going into ministry, he taught courses in Latin, Classics, Great Texts, and Medical Humanities at Baylor for eleven years. He has a PhD in Classical Studies from Boston University and a Master of Divinity from Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Because the Scriptures point to Jesus Christ as the source of life itself, Pastor Joe has a passion for teaching God’s Word — for reading it carefully, reflecting upon it deeply, and applying it wisely. He is married to Meghan, who is a professor in the Classics Department at Baylor. They are foster parents and have one daughter.