About Us
Here at Prepare @ GAC we exist to: - Train Christians to understand and apply the Bible to daily life
- Help students courageously face inevitable intellectual challenges to their faith
- Help others develop a dynamic relationship with God and know Him in His full power and glory
- Equip Christians with the tools and encouragement to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord
- See the supernatural hand of God moving (expressed, exposed,
and experienced) through the gifts of the Spirit
Our Founder
Prepare
@ GAC is a part of a larger campus ministry known as Prepare
Ministries. Prepare has a presence on a large number of campuses in the
upper midwest region.The ministry emerged from several mentoring relationships that Prepare’s founder, Gary Gilbertson, had with college students. Gary was a pastor in the small college town of Northfield, Minnesota for 22 years. He led groups at St. Olaf and Carleton, the town’s two colleges, for much of that time. As these mentoring relationships grew, it became increasingly apparent that God was birthing a new vision in Gary’s heart. It was then that Gary felt the Lord calling him out of pastoring to something new. He resigned from his position and began to seek the Lord. It was during this time he was asked by students from Mankato State University to mentor them; out of this mentorship a campus group grew and developed. Soon friends of the original group asked Gary to speak at their campuses, and Gary found himself traveling to other campuses. It was during the 2001 school year Gary took the name Prepare Ministries and with volunteer staff members founded what we now know as Prepare Ministries.
What's With The Camels?
The mascot of
Prepare Ministries is the camel! When Gary first received
his vision for campus ministry, God led him to the story of Rebekah and
Isaac in Genesis 24. In this story Isaac is waiting for his bride
Rebekah who is arriving soon, her party riding on camels. Verse 63
says, "And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And
he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming."
In the Bible the body of believers that make up the Church is often
described as the Bride or Wife, and Jesus the Bridegroom or Husband
(Ephesians 5:22-33, Revelation 21:1-9). The camels represent the coming
of a treasure, whether it be the Bride or Bridegroom. We believe that
God is shaping and raising up Christians that will serve as "camels",
ushering in the presence of God.Statement of Faith & More Info
You can find Prepare Ministries statement of faith here: Statement of FaithFor more information, the all-campus Prepare Ministries website for all campuses can be found here: Prepare Ministries