40 Celebrating the CCO past, present & future
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Celebrating the CCO
past, present & future What happened went far beyond their expectations.
Over forty years ago, a group of pastors and businessmen had a dream of building leadership for western Pennsylvania. There was talk of “making Pittsburgh as famous for God as for steel,” and a part of that vision had to do with what was happening on local college campuses. These pastors and businessmen were concerned that high school students who had recently graduated from strong youth ministries had few resources to continue to grow in their faith now that they were in college. The CCO was born out of this concern. The hope was that, after these young people graduated from college, they would return to their hometowns and provide solid leadership for their churches and communities. And they did. I bump into former students of CCO ministries all the time. They are thoughtful Christian parents, business leaders, teachers, attorneys, homemakers, community volunteers and church leaders. They are making a positive difference in the lives of everyone they meet. But the CCO far exceeded the expectations of its founders. What started in Pittsburgh has stretched east into New Jersey, west into Indiana, south into West Virginia, and north into New York. Because of what happened 40 years ago, thousands of college students have heard the Good News of Jesus Christ and have been equipped to live out their faith in their families, workplaces, churches and communities—and around the globe. Forty years seems like a long time, but in God’s economy, it’s just the blink of an eye. I am grateful for how God used the CCO to transform my own life. I am excited to see where He will lead us next. Daniel J. Dupee President & CEO Coalition for Christian Outreach
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letter from a parent Dear Mr. Dupee,
Please allow me a moment to express my deepest gratitude to this ministry. As a parent sending her first child off to college, I prayed diligently that my daughter would seek out a ministry group. When she connected with CCO at Arcadia University, I thanked the Lord! Now, I am expressing my thanks to YOU! My daughter is in her third year and this past semester she faced her greatest challenges. She made a few disappointing choices in her struggles, but your campus minister was there for her, as was his wife!
the present
Greg and Ashley meet students on campus, they hold many Bible study groups, they mentor leaders, they open their home 24/7 to any students in need…many times there is no real “need” other than a place to go that feels like “home away from home.” My daughter speaks of “laundry night” when the campus girls watch a “chick flick” with Ashley as she does the family laundry one night a week. She has studied the Bible with Ashley during her most difficult times. I cannot express my gratitude enough for all their blessings to my daughter and they do this very same thing for so many other students as I have watched their attendance quadruple in just three years! Therefore, as a mom, I want to say my deepest thank yous to you and your ministry teams—for giving my daughter a Christian family on Arcadia University’s campus! Most lovingly in Christ, Elaine
Why
college ministry matters
The college years have often been called the bridge between adolescence and adulthood. College students are exploring new ideas, trying on new identities, weighing what they have been raised to believe with a whole range of new philosophies and worldviews. CCO staff members come alongside college students during this vulnerable time to help them think through the Big Questions. They invite them into a relationship with Jesus Christ, or they reconnect them to their Christian faith. They equip students to approach their studies through the lens of a Christian worldview, so that they will someday approach their vocations in the same way. Students who are influenced by the CCO’s ministry during their college years graduate and become leaders within their communities, workplaces and churches. They are committed to service and the larger mission of the Church in the world. We know this is true because we have interviewed hundreds of them. Former students of CCO ministries are now doctors, teachers, lawyers, artists, business leaders, spouses and parents who are influencing thousands of people all over the world.
the results Renee Horst
Interior design major, Philadelphia University Class of 2011
When I first met Renee, the student ministry on campus was very small and struggling to gain momentum. After her first year, I started meeting with Renee individually and encouraging her to lead a small group. She was reticent at first because she didn’t think she knew enough about the Bible to lead a study or had the leadership gifts needed. Renee disciples younger women, meeting them for lunch or inviting them on design supply runs, just to invest in their lives and draw them closer to Jesus. The girl who once believed she had little to offer is now so naturally taking part in God’s transforming work in the lives of the young women around her just by living out her faith honestly among them. Renee has also led the charge for community service within the ministry and through the Student Development office on campus. She has developed partnerships with community organizations, proposed projects that incorporate the design skills of students, and invited others to come with her. Allowing Christ to shape her heart, Renee has fallen in love with Kensington, one of the poorest and most violent neighborhoods in Philly. She has sought volunteer service opportunities and unpaid internships to serve this needy community. As she prepares to graduate, she has decided to move into Kensington and live out her faith and calling to serve the poor amongst her neighbors. Even as she contemplates the dangers and difficulties of living in such a place, all Renee sees are people desperately in need of the restoring love of Jesus Christ. Amy Nichols CCO Staff at Philadelphia University
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the results Billy Riley
Double major in psychology and philosophy, Washington & Jefferson College Class of 2013
Jamie Donne CCO Staff at Washington & Jefferson College
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we do
CCO staff people reach out to students by entering into their world. They are on campus every day—at athletic practices, in cafeterias, student centers, coffee shops, residence halls, and sometimes even classrooms. CCO staff members meet students where they are. CCO staff members spend the majority of their time on campus deeply investing in 12 students each year, mentoring them to grow up as Christian leaders who love Jesus intimately, view the world biblically, live obediently, join Christ in his restoration of creation, and invite others to do likewise. These 12 students become co-workers with our staff, and together they seek ways to strategically influence the lives of at least 70 other students and the larger campus community. While on the surface no two CCO ministries look exactly alike, the mission on every campus is the same: to develop men and women who live out their Christian faith in every area of life.
CCO named Best Christian Workplace for nine years in a row The purpose of the Best Christian Workplaces Institute is to help Christian organizations model qualities and behaviors that create healthy, effective and great workplaces. The survey is completed anonymously by our staff people, encouraging them to give honest and candid feedback. Receiving this award indicates that we are accomplishing our goal at the leadership level, which is to help best serve our staff so that they can effectively serve students on college and university campuses.
the present
Billy’s love of Jesus is evident in his humility, kindness towards his peers, and steadfast faithfulness. Besides participating in a small-group Bible study on campus, Billy has been shaped by his experiences of CCO-sponsored conferences like Faith for Thought and Jubilee, as well as by the summer he spent at the Ocean City Beach Project. One of the areas where Billy reflects a biblical worldview is in the classroom. He engages his class work deeply, often discussing it with professors, friends, and me. Last spring, he was in a Human Origins class which challenged the biblical creation story. He developed a relationship of deep mutual respect with a professor who is often antagonistic towards Christians. This professor asked Billy to serve as a mentor in his first-year experience course, offering Billy an opportunity to develop his relationship with this professor as well as first-year students. This January, Billy organized a panel discussion in which four professors discussed claims both for and against the existence of God. Over 85 students came. It was an incredibly thoughtful dialogue and an opportunity for us to serve the campus. One of the professors said, “This is the best thing I’ve been a part of at W&J in my 20 years here.” In a recent faculty meeting, the Dean of Academic Affairs talked about both the panel discussion and Billy as reflections of cultivating thoughtfulness on a liberal arts campus. What a gift for a Christian leader to be known by faculty as a thoughtful student!
What
The marks of a transformed student • loves Jesus intimately • views the world biblically • lives obediently • joins Christ’s restoration of creation • invites others to do likewise
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Grove City College
The benefit of having CCO staff on our team, in addition to their like-minded commitment to Christ and our students, is the excellent training and support they receive from the CCO. This understanding of ministry and college students not only shapes their ministry to students but also promotes dialogue within the Student Life and Learning team. Our CCO staff are an intricate part of the Student Life and Learning team here at Grove City College. Larry Hardesty Vice President for Student Life and Learning Grove City College
Ohio Wesleyan University the present
Ohio Wesleyan University has been blessed by its close partnership with the Coalition for Christian Outreach for 20 years. Over these two decades, thousands of OWU students have participated in CCO’s annual Jubilee, hundreds of OWU students have grown through CCO Bible studies, wilderness treks, and other ministries. Jon Powers Chaplain Ohio Wesleyan University
Edinboro University
We partner with the CCO because the result is a clear, consistent, dayto-day presence of the love of God in the lives of students. The CCO is the best organization to deliver that presence, through its well-qualified, intentionally trained, and consistently supported staff. We are proud to be part of the effort. Tim Rankin President of the Edinboro Ministry Council Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
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How
we do it
As our staff people develop men and women to live out their Christian faith in every area of life, they: • study the Scriptures with students and equip them to lead Bible studies with others. • teach students how to live out their Christian faith in every area of life. Our staff invite students to our Jubilee conference and encourage them to dream about how their gifts might be developed to serve God and others.
• connect students with the church. Our staff invite students to get involved with their local church, making it more likely that they will join a church when they graduate. • equip students to take active leadership roles on campus and in their communities. Our staff people take students on local service projects and trips and encourage them to get involved in summer projects to develop deeper levels of community and leadership. Our experience has shown that when students are given opportunities to lead and to invest in others while in college, a safe environment where they are trained and given feedback, they are better equipped to take that learning and translate it into their various roles after college.
the results Jamilia Bush
Early childhood development major, Kent State University Class of 2013
Jamilia came to our fellowship meeting her freshman year and never stopped. After her first semester, I put her on a plan of discipleship. I got her involved in tutoring through a local church, and that was the move that pushed the needle to the other side. From then on, she’s been all in. Even when she struggles with her faith, she walks it out. She represents the ministry well. Jamilia is involved in a lot of different areas on campus—she’s a member of BUS (Black United Students), she’s training to be a resident assistant, she is involved in advanced placement studies, and she works with the Student Success program at Kent, mentoring first-year students. She also works as a tour guide for the university. And in the midst of doing all the things that she’s doing on campus, she still carves out time to be sure that she’s not just present at Bible study or our meetings, but she’s participating and leading. She’s handing out flyers, sending out emails, recruiting people, talking about the ministry in places where I am not or I don’t have access. I think that makes her exceptional. Last fall, our football team was playing in a game the day after Thanksgiving. My wife and I decided we’d have dinner available for the football players and any other students who couldn’t go home. My wife made two turkeys, two pans of mac and cheese, yams, the whole dinner. And Jamilia’s mother made all the desserts. This was her way of saying, “I can’t financially support you right now, but I see the change that’s taken place in my daughter and I just want to participate.” Avery Danage CCO Staff at Kent State University
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the results John Milligan
Chemistry major, Allegheny College Class of 2012
Mollie Little CCO Staff at Allegheny College
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partnership Since the beginning, the CCO has chosen to partner with churches, colleges and other organizations to place our staff in strategic positions of influence on campus. Some of our staff people serve as an arm of the local church on campus, while others work directly for the college or university as residence hall directors, assistant chaplains or experiential education facilitators. Some of our staff are funded by community boards which have formed from a group of churches or individuals because they understand the value of reaching college students for Christ. Staff people who partner with a local church represent that church to students on campus, extending a personal invitation to attend and get involved. Staff members who partner with a college are able to meet all kinds of students; for example, those who work as residence hall directors are able to meet every student in their building. Partnership means that churches and colleges have access to high-quality, CCO-trained staff people who are committed to developing students as leaders, and the CCO receives access to students who might otherwise never come in contact with a campus minister. Working in partnership with local bodies means that our staff people are able to more effectively meet the specific needs of the campus community they serve. And our staff receive the support, encouragement and expertise of our partners. While we could work independently, it’s better to work in partnership. “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Together, we can do more than we could individually.
For over thirty years the CCO has been the bridge between our congregation and college students who live a few miles away but in a different world. As they, and we, cross this bridge, we meet the same Savior. Craig Barnes Pastor Shadyside Presbyterian Church
Penn State University
As a church, one of our mission fields is the campus; reaching out to students has always been important to us, given our proximity to Penn State’s campus. [CCO staff member] Erica Young Reitz is an incredible joy to work with. CCO offers great resources to Erica for her growth and development, and that helps our church. There’s value that CCO and Erica have that is really important for us—so it’s a great partnership.
the present
As a quiet leader of Allegheny Christian Outreach, John Milligan has continued to impress and surprise me. For the last year, John has led a Wednesday morning prayer time, and he steadfastly invites new students to join them, even though 7:15 a.m. seems absurdly early to college students. He plans breakfast or lunch afterward to develop deeper relationships with students who are less connected. John not only excels in his school work, but helps others with homework. He regularly participates in service, helping friends and strangers all over campus. On top of that, John is deeply involved with his fraternity. He co-led the student-run Jamaica Mission Trip during winter break this year, which involved nine months of planning, recruiting, fundraising and team-building. I knew that John had some potential when he arrived as a freshman, and he was receptive to my input and to the nurture of the upperclassmen. John says, “I think that I came to Allegheny not totally solid in my faith, but getting advice and perspective from the CCO was really inspiring in growing my faith.” John regularly attends church and has helped out with the ninth-grade confirmation class this year. He critically engages the world around him and will offer up a good challenge or critique when necessary. I’ve seen him work hard to understand things that don’t come easily to him, because he wants to grow. He sets goals and has a direction for his future, but he remains open to God’s direction. It’s a pleasure to work with students like John.
How we do it:
Carnegie Mellon & Chatham Universities
Dan Nold Pastor Calvary Baptist Church
Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades
Dan Hayner’s embodiment of our core values of faith, integrity, diligence, excellence and service is a role model for all of us. Our relationship with CCO also brings us the XD Team. They do a great job helping our students not only to become better team members and leaders, but to incorporate our mission and values into their lives. We are hoping to utilize the CCO even more in the coming years. Guy Gardner President Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades
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Our History
The CCO is a ministry that grew out of partnership with the church to reach college students for Jesus Christ within a 150mile radius of Pittsburgh. CCO ministry has grown far beyond the dreams of the original founders, both in geography and in scope of influence. It has grown into a ministry that influences not only students for Christ, but universities and communities as well. We estimate that the ripple effect of CCO ministry has extended to over a million people all over the world. The CCO’s primary mission is to bring various ministries together with a unified vision to evangelize and disciple college students in cooperation with local churches. John Guest becomes the first Executive Director.
the past
1970
• Realizing that many college students are floundering in their faith, a group of parents, pastors and youth leaders from western Pennsylvania churches join together to sponsor the first Revolution + One conference. Incoming freshmen are linked to Christian fellowship opportunities on local campuses.
• Early planners of Revolution + One include (from left to right) John Guest, Bob Letsinger (Pittsburgh Power & Light), Bob Long (Bellefield Presbyterian Church), Dick Shorthouse (Young Life), Jim Welch (Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church) and Carl Derk (InterVarsity Christian Fellowship).
1971
• The CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) is incorporated in Pittsburgh on March 23, 1971 as an interdenominational college ministry.
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• The original four goals of the CCO are: evangelism, discipleship, local church involvement and working cooperatively with other ministries.
• God uses the work of Pete Steen to shape the CCO’s distinctive emphasis that Christ is Lord over everything. Though common now, this idea seems revolutionary in the 1970s. Terry Thomas joins staff. Over the years, Terry becomes a powerful communicator to CCO staff and students of the message that Jesus is Lord of everything.
1973 • Working with local churches is core to the CCO’s mission. The first partnership with a church is established when Graystone Presbyterian Church partners with the CCO to reach students at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
1972
Bob Long comes on board as Executive Director of “the Coalition.” He is 31 years old and has been heading up a vibrant campus ministry program at Bellefield Presbyterian Church, reaching out to students at the University of Pittsburgh. At the CCO, Bob finds six staff people on four campuses, no office space, and virtually no money. Bob’s muchcelebrated drive and tenacity are key to the growth of the CCO.
• Waynesburg College hires a CCO staff person to serve as a residence hall director, marking our first partnership with a college. Jim Welch joins the CCO as Associate Executive Director. He develops most of the partnerships with churches and schools between 1973 and 1979. Jim is also the founder of Summer’s Best Two Weeks, a camp that has transformed thousands of children for Christ.
• The Chatham Center Weekend, forerunner of the Jubilee conference, is sponsored by the CCO and area ministries. • Demonstrating our commitment to reach college students who often do not have access to campus ministry, the CCO partners with two churches to bring a staff worker to Butler County Community College. • The CCO establishes its first ministry at a Catholic university when we partner with First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant to reach out to Gannon University students.
1974
• Staff size doubles: 37 CCO staff people are reaching students on 27 campuses in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.
1976
1978
• Over many years, the CCO’s freedom to innovate attracts a number of strong and creative leaders like Paul Harbison. Paul develops the CCO’s experiential education ministry. • As the CCO’s vision for campus impact expands, new kinds of positions are developed; staff serve as coaches, school nurses, directors of student activities, career counselors, assistant chaplains and instructors.
1977
Bonnie Liefer comes on staff and walking-around life— as the CCO’s and place it before God as an offering." graphic designer. She develops the CCO’s card ministry, which eventually reaches people all over the world.
After leading a large, fruitful ministry at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Bill Painter comes into the CCO office. Over his 24 years of ministry with the CCO, Bill develops scores of new opportunities for CCO staff to reach students.
Illustrating the CCO’s drive for academic excellence, former CCO student and staff worker Byron Borger establishes Hearts & Minds Bookstore with his wife, Beth. Byron has played an invaluable role in CCO ministry by
"Take your everyday,
ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work,
romans 12:1
(From The Message)
1979
• The CCO grows to 165 staff members serving on 39 campuses.
• The CCO sponsors the first Jubilee conference at the William Penn Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh. By inviting Christian leaders and practitioners from a variety of fields, the Jubilee conference gives students tools to begin to integrate their Christian faith into all areas of their lives.
1980
Influential Christian Senator Mark Hatfield is the keynote speaker at the Jubilee conference. Known for his years of service as a Christian leader, Hatfield is an excellent example for students. • Because the CCO values biblical education, a cooperative graduate program is established for CCO staff with Fuller Theological Seminary; this program later shifts to Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 1986.
providing resources for staff and students at the Jubilee conference and at staff training events.
1982
1983
• The Ocean City Beach Project debuts, bringing Christian students from various campuses together for a summer of intense discipleship and leadership development. God uses the Beach Project powerfully over the years to develop scores of Christian leaders. • The book All of Life Redeemed: Biblical Insight for Daily Obedience is published, authored by four CCO staff people: Brad Frey, Bill Ingram, Tom McWhertor and Bill Romanowski. For many years, this book is used as a tool in opening up the fullness of the gospel for college students.
• Carl Henry, author and founder of Christianity Today, speaks at Jubilee. • CCO staff member Bill Saxton begins a thriving ministry to international students at Penn State University. Bill and his wife, Barb, have been instrumental in the formation of many international Christian leaders.
• Demonstrating the CCO’s commitment to Christ’s claim on all areas of life, CCO staff member Bill Romanowski develops a traveling rock-and-roll show to teach students a Christian perspective of popular culture.
1986
Ted Schumacher begins his ministry at Kent State University, where his primary outreach involves athletes and unifying black and white fellowships.
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Our History
1990
• The Erie Summer Project begins. Students live in community in Erie, Pennsylvania, where they have access to leaders like Pennsylvania Congressman Tom Ridge during the day and spend evenings collaborating about how to bring a Christian perspective to their work.
the past
1987
Over the years, CCO staff have had the opportunity to be taught by many top seminary professors and authors. JI Packer, author of the best-selling book, Knowing God, teaches a two-week course in 1987.
1988
U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop speaks on medical ethics at Jubilee.
• Offering students an opportunity to invite their friends to hear more about Jesus, the CCO sponsors the first evangelism conference, “RSVP: An Invitation that Demands a Response.”
1989
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Well-known Christian leader and author John Stott is the keynote speaker for Jubilee.
• Encouraged by the CCO’s commitment to multicultural ministry, Gene Tibbs joins staff. Gene builds and maintains a thriving ministry at the University of Pittsburgh to black students from America and around the world.
1991
• Another illustration of the CCO’s culture of innovation, CCO staff member and Messiah College resident director Doug Bradbury establishes Issachar’s Loft to strengthen student discipleship through mission and adventure experiences. Veteran CCO staff worker Ken Wagoner begins ministry with Chinese scholars at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. Another example of the CCO’s passion for reaching students of all races, Ken has
reached hundreds of Chinese people who have gone on to be leaders back in their home country.
• Time magazine foreign affairs correspondent David Aikman speaks to journalism students at Jubilee.
1992
The Pitt Fund is developed to reach athletes at the University of Pittsburgh. Ministry to student athletes is especially strategic as athletes are prominent leaders on campus.
1994
• The Master of Arts in Higher Education degree program is established with Geneva College to offer CCO staff further opportunities to understand and make an impact on university culture as they work among college students.
1996
• The CCO has 157 staff reaching students on 43 campuses. CCO staff member Steve Garber publishes The Fabric of Faithfulness: Weaving Together Belief and Behavior, based on his years of experience ministering to college students and young adults. The Fabric of Faithfulness is voted one of Christianity Today’s books of the year.
CCO staff member Michael Barbato establishes the Pisgah Program at Geneva College, illustrating the CCO’s commitment to the college as well as its students.
1997 • Recognizing the effectiveness of experiential ministry, the CCO introduces Leadership and Discipleship in the Wilderness as a new summer ministry opportunity.
• Bill Roemer, CCO Board member and Chairman of Integra Bank, is instrumental in securing new office space for the CCO when Integra Bank gives us a three-story office building located in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
2005
• To demonstrate God’s love, CCO staff and students at West Virginia University distribute free hot dogs to students returning to their dorms after a night of partying. This is the first of many late-night outreach ministries which have reached thousands of students over the years.
1999
1995
• After having to turn students away two years in a row, RSVP splits into two conferences.
1998
Dan Dupee becomes President and CEO of the CCO, and Bob Long becomes Chairman of the Board. Dan brings new energy and direction to the CCO as he leads a group of staff in developing the CCO Core Purpose (Transforming college students to transform the world) and Core Values: • All things belong to God. • Jesus changes people’s lives. • We love college students. • Faithfulness is pursued together. • We celebrate life.
2000 • Denny Trimmer retires from a 30-year career as a UPS delivery man to fulfill his dream job: ministering to college students at Kent State University’s Tuscarawas campus. Denny is the first of a wave of gifted men and women who join the CCO as a second career and go on to develop extremely effective ministries.
• The CCO employs 195 staff reaching students on 50 campuses.
2001
The CCO begins ministry to students in Philadelphia under the leadership of Samuel Chez. Today, the CCO has a presence on 14 campuses in the Philly area.
• CCO staff members play a key role in FreshX at Ohio Wesleyan University. This freshman orientation experience helps first-year students to connect with each other and excel during their undergraduate years. The CCO has reached thousands of students through programs like these.
The CCO expands to the Washington DC area with ministries to George Mason University and Howard University students.
2002
As part of the CCO’s ongoing commitment to multiethnic ministry, Wayne Younger is hired to serve as Director of Multiethnic Ministries. Wayne develops a comprehensive, practical training program to equip all of our staff to reach students across races and cultures.
• Another example of the CCO’s commitment to reaching an underserved student population, artist and CCO staff member Dayton Castleman pioneers a ministry to students at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
2004
• The CCO establishes its first ministry in New York State by partnering with North Presbyterian Church to reach out to students at Elmira College.
• CCO staff member Derek Melleby and CCO staff alumnus Donald Opitz co-author The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness: A Guide for Students, which continues to be used as a college textbook.
2008
Jubilee moves from the Pittsburgh Hilton to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center to accommodate the growing number of participants. Close to 3,000 students attend Jubilee 2008, where Chuck Colson is one of the keynote speakers.
2009
2003
• The CCO is recognized as the Best Christian Place to Work by the Best Christian Workplaces Institute. We have gone on to win the award every year since.
2007
• Recognizing that over 60% of young people raised in the church will leave it during college, the CCO and the Center for Parent/ Youth Understanding collaborate to develop a seminar that prepares thousands of Christian high school students for the college experience. • The CCO is invited to join other college ministries on the Youth Transition Network’s website to help high school students locate Christian fellowship opportunities.
• Recognizing the need for ministry to students at trade schools, the CCO establishes two new ministries; Mitch Marcello pioneers a ministry at Wyotech Blairsville and Dan Hayner reaches out to students at The Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades. Because of the impact CCO Chairman Bob Long had on his own life as a college student, former University of Pittsburgh student-athlete Rod Schoon funds the CCO’s expansion into the state of Indiana. In 2010, Ryan Miller moves with his family to Indianapolis to begin the work of building partnerships at churches and campuses. 15
Our History
What
Drives
CCO Ministry • CCO staff members Steve Lutz and Jonathan Weyer pioneer ground-breaking ministries to atheists at Penn State University and The Ohio State University.
the past
The CCO begins a new ministry to football players and wrestlers at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania via veteran CCO staff member Sandie Starr Everhart. An All-American athlete herself, Sandie has worked with students at five campuses since first joining CCO staff in 1987.
2010
2011
• CCO staff worker Derek Melleby’s newest book, Make College Count: A Faithful Guide to Life and Learning, provides a valuable resource for graduating high school seniors. • The CCO celebrates 40 years of ministry with 224 staff people reaching students on 90 campuses.
Bob Long retires after 38 years with the CCO.
President and CEO Dan Dupee becomes Chairman of the Board. Executive Vice President Vince Burens becomes the Chief Operating Officer. A gifted leader, Vince leads the CCO in developing a new infrastructure which we believe God will use to increase the impact of CCO ministry to the glory of Jesus Christ.
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• The CCO’s ministry to athletes expands to reach hundreds of influential student leaders.
• We partner with 36 churches from 17 different denominations. • 60% of our staff have either earned or are currently pursuing graduate degrees. • Our Board consists of 33 business leaders, community leaders and pastors. • The CCO begins ministry in Indiana, partnering with Big Brothers/Big Sisters to reach students at Indiana UniversityPurdue University Fort Wayne.
How a community college student became a nationally recognized leader
Paul Harbison was a freshman at Butler County Community College in 1975 when he met CCO staff member Jay Brennan. Before he knew it, Paul found himself a member of the largest student club on BCCC’s campus. “We went from zero to 56 members in two years,” Paul remembers. “I caught a vision for the breadth and depth of the Gospel that changed my life.” Paul learned from Jay Brennan and itinerant CCO philosopher Pete Steen that Jesus cares for every single area of his creation, including what Paul especially cares about: experiential education. For the past 33 years, Paul has been taking groups of students into the woods and teaching other staff how to provide experiential education opportunities. Now Paul leads a team of 27 adventure education staff. Paul estimates that over 100,000 students have been touched by the CCO’s adventure ministry opportunities over the years.
The influence of Paul’s transformation as a college student has had far-reaching effects, beyond the confines of CCO-specific ministry. The CCO is a member of the Wilderness Education Association, a national outdoor education association that offers training and certification to instructors at colleges, universities and organizations across the United States. The WEA is the highest profile organization of its kind, and the CCO has provided a model of what it means to do adventure education well. In 2008, the CCO received the Wilderness Education Association Affiliate Award, and in 2009, Paul was named Instructor of the Year. “Our level of integrity and competency gives us credibility,” says Paul. “Because we love and are committed to what we’re doing, the way we model a relationship between our faith and what we do intrigues even people who are outside of Christ.”
From the very beginning, Christ’s Lordship over all of life has been a central focus of the CCO’s ministry. The love of Jesus Christ and the understanding that God cares about restoring all of his good creation to himself—and that we are to be his co-laborers in that effort—is what drives CCO staff members in their outreach and discipleship of college students. This emphasis has its roots in Reformed theology, which has consistently sought to order the whole of personal and corporate life according to God’s requirements in Scripture. The reality that all things belong to God has permeated the way CCO staff members do ministry, from fellowship and discipleship meetings, evangelism, conferences and summer projects. The Jubilee conference, the Ocean City Beach Project, and the CCO staff training program are drenched with this emphasis on God’s sovereignty over every area of life.
The Jubilee Conference
Jubilee helps college students to understand the public implications of personal transformation through Christ. It’s a gathering of thousands of college students learning how to worship God with their whole lives. The weekend is designed to help students catch a vision for how they might integrate their faith in Christ into their studies and future vocations—from engineering and science to art and music, law and politics, medicine and mission. Jubilee takes place every February in downtown Pittsburgh.
A few prominent Jubilee speakers
These Christian leaders represent only a few of the hundreds of professionals who have come to Jubilee to model for students how to live out their faith in their workplaces and communities.
Chuck Colson Founder, Prison Fellowship and The Colson Center for Christian Worldview
Makoto Fujimura Artist and founder of the International Arts Movement
Gary Haugen President and CEO of the International Justice Mission
Michael Gerson Columnist, former speechwriter for President George W. Bush
Gabe Lyons Author of unChristian and The Next Christians
If it were not for the Jubilee conference, I would never have become the president of the CCO. In fact, I don’t know where I’d be today. Jubilee changed my life. I was a freshman at Ohio Wesleyan University when my older brother, Dave, first invited me to attend Jubilee in 1978. I had yet to surrender myself to the living God of all creation. Dave knew that. I knew that. And at some subconscious level, I knew that going to a conference like Jubilee would wreak havoc on the status quo. But I went. I showed up at the Pittsburgh Hilton on Friday afternoon, and by Sunday, everything had changed. Jubilee weekend remains one of my favorite times of year.
Os Guinness Author, social critic, and a Senior Fellow of the EastWest Institute
Kelly Monroe Kullberg Author and founder of The Veritas Forum
C. Everett Koop U.S. Surgeon General from 1982 to 1989
Mark Hatfield Donald Miller U.S. Senator Author of Blue from Oregon and Like Jazz author of Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Barbara WilliamsSkinner President of the Skinner Leadership Institute
John Stott Author, theologian and Christian leader
Tony Campolo Founder and president of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education
Kay Coles James Vice President for Policy of the Family Research Council
John Perkins Founder of Voice of Calvary Ministries and the Christian Community Development Association
I still get excited each February as I watch thousands of students gather to sing praise songs and to be challenged to live all of their lives for Christ. How many of them have walked in on Friday evening as one person and left Sunday with a whole new awareness of God’s presence in their lives? And where will they be 30 years from now? Daniel J. Dupee President & CEO Coalition for Christian Outreach
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a few longterm
results
The CCO leadership training at Carnegie Mellon was outstanding.
The main thing I took from interacting with CCO campus ministers was the importance that everything is God’s, and can be done for God.
My involvement with the CCO was a HUGE part of my developing and maturing walk with Christ.
It was the day-in, day-out time spent with CCO staff people and other students involved in the ministry that convinced me that being for science and for Christ were not incompatible.
the future
Transformation of a
Neighborhood In 1976, Friendship Community Presbyterian Church almost closed its doors. Founded 20 years earlier by the Pittsburgh Presbytery, the hope was to nurture a thriving inter-racial congregation in this inner-city neighborhood, tucked between the University of Pittsburgh’s campus and the famed Hill District. But by the mid-70s, there were only a handful of members, and even fewer people showing up on Sunday mornings. When this news spread to the CCO’s college fellowship group of Pitt students at nearby Bellefield Presbyterian Church, everything changed. A handful of college students committed to worship weekly at Friendship, and they also volunteered in the community, hosted after-school programs, started a daycare center, and founded a housing
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rehab organization called Breachmenders. CCO staff member Dana Shaw and his wife, Ruth, moved into the community, and Dana served as Friendship’s lay pastor. Some of the students even moved into the neighborhood after they graduated, and raised their families in this low-income, racially-diverse neighborhood. Because of the faithfulness of a handful of Christian college students involved in CCO ministry at the University of Pittsburgh, not only did the doors of Friendship Church stay open, but decades later, Friendship continues to be a model of inter-racial Christian mission in the city of Pittsburgh.
Because of his involvement in the CCO’s ministry at Carnegie Mellon University, Ron learned to view his role as a student, and later his work life as activities to be pursued in God’s service. “Without the CCO, I would not have been prepared for some of the roles I have played in churches since, nor would I have seen my day-to-day work in the same way,” says Ron. Known both as a Christian and as an excellent manager, Ron holds his employees to high standards while treating them with respect and dignity. On top of a demanding career, Ron is active in his community and church, coaching sports teams and leading Bible studies and discipleship groups for youth and adults. Ron and his wife, Julie, are the parents of five children. Carnegie Mellon University 1981
affordable healthcare
Ron McCormick General Manager of Flat Rolled Business Development for Steel Dynamics, Inc. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
CCO student alumni develop
Daniel Ryan
Telecommunications Engineer for the U.S. Department of Defense Wiesbaden, Germany
“CCO staff members at Penn State challenged us to understand and critique the culture in which we live and work to redeem it for Christ,” says Dan, who is now living out his faith through his work as an engineer. “I try to share my faith through my works more than my words. I work with military personnel, and simply being a good example in life and encouraging them to pursue right paths is often more than they ever receive elsewhere.” Penn State University 2003
Michele Barnes McClendon Stay-at-home mom and author of Perpetual Grace in the Valley of Endure Akron, Ohio
Michele made a commitment to Jesus Christ during her freshman year at Kent State University and treasures the investment CCO staff made in her life. “I understood that my life was not just about me, but about the greater purposes of God’s kingdom,” she says. Today, along with writing and raising two young children with her husband, Jahmal, Michele is active in her community as well as their church. She has volunteered as a counselor at a pregnancy crisis center and at a soup kitchen and plans to have her sons volunteer with her in the future. Kent State University 1994
Fil Alleva
General Manager for the Speech Group at Microsoft Redmond, Washington
One of the early developers of speech recognition software, Fil made a commitment to Jesus Christ at the Jubilee conference in 1979. Today, he supervises an international team of approximately 80 people and strives to be an effective manager, attempting to “create an environment that Jesus would be proud to have one of His people leading.” “Because of my experience with the CCO, I can see the difference that living an integrated life makes for people like me in the high-tech world,” Fil says. Despite the demands of his job and family, Fil is very active in his local church and community. He recently helped his church start a local community center for under-privileged kids.
for the poor
In 1995, three young physicians who had recently completed their residencies followed God’s call to use their medical degrees in service of the poor and underserved people of Pittsburgh’s North Side neighborhood. Todd Wahrenberger, Mark Guy and Dan Holt first met as undergraduates at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, where they lived in a men’s discipleship house and were mentored by CCO staff workers. After graduating, they all went off to different medical schools. Through the Jubilee conference, Todd rubbed shoulders with other pre-med students and he met medical students, residents and doctors who made real his career path and practiced medicine the way he envisioned. Todd attended the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine, where he continued his involvement in the ministry of the CCO as he was mentored by Steve Garber.
Todd, Mark and Dan reunited after their respective residencies and realized that they all felt called to use their gifts to serve those less fortunate. The North Side Christian Health Center was born out of this shared calling, and even though all three founding physicians have moved on to other practices, it continues to be the only health center located within the public housing system in Pittsburgh. It provides primary care for the city’s largest public housing complex. Patients receive treatment without regard to their ability to pay via a sliding-fee scale for patients without adequate insurance coverage. Gannon University 1986 University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine 1991
Carnegie Mellon University 1980
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a few longterm
results
The underlying premise The CCO has shaped how that the CCO emphasized, I live my adult life. that we are to integrate our faith in Christ into who we are and what we do, really did influence me.
I wasn’t looking for a small-scale answer, and they weren’t offering one. The CCO provided a place for me to flourish.
Having high-level, biblical teaching in the midst of my formal education fueled a deep sense of stewardship in me.
The fingerprint of the CCO marks all that I am and all that we’re doing through the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding today.
Jack Porter
Administrative Law Judge Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Teri Woodland the future
Organizational Consultant for Wudelen Partners Beijing, China
“Operating in the international business world at very senior levels, I don’t see very many Christians, or people I would know are Christians,” says Teri. “They keep their faith separate, go to church, but then live dayto-day in a whole other world, which is their work. They don’t see the marketplace as a mission ground.” Teri does see her work as belonging to God, and she thanks the CCO for giving her that vision. “The CCO set as a goal for me to live out my Christian faith in every area of my life. Just having that as a goal has made all the difference.” University of Pittsburgh 1986
Jack can’t imagine what his life might be like today had he not encountered the CCO’s ministry during his undergraduate years. Three decades later, Jack continues to live out a seven-daya-week faith, in his family, his church, his workplace, and the nation at large. In 2001, Jack was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as Director of the White House Faith-Based Initiative at the U.S. Department of Education. Today, as an Administrative Law Judge, he hears about 60 cases each month. He tries to treat all of the claimants “with dignity and respect and to make a just decision. I get to implement justice on a personby-person basis.” Indiana University of Pennsylvania 1981
Albert Pedulla Sculptor New York City, New York
“CCO staff people challenged me to grow in my faith and to learn what it means to be a leader within the Christian community, as a whole person and as an artist,” says Albert. Today, Albert works as a sculptor in the New York City area. He has received several prestigious grants and has shown his work at museums around the country. Albert and his wife, Nancy, have three children, and they are members of All Angels Church in Manhattan. Albert sits on the board of Christians In the Visual Arts (CIVA) and is the founder of Angel’s Net, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting art projects undertaken by Christian artists and organizations. Carnegie Mellon University 1984
Carla Sivek
Deputy Director Veterans Administration VISN 4 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Carla oversees operational aspects of 10 VA medical centers and 44 community-based outpatient clinics throughout the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Her responsibilities include overseeing finances, logistics and capital assets. Carla says that the CCO played a key role in the way she performs her job today. “I am grateful for the foundation I had through the CCO to learn to integrate my faith into all that I do. The career I have had in social work and health care administration, serving the elderly and veterans, is one I have loved. The solid foundation which the CCO provided in those critical college years has helped me to find this place.” University of Pittsburgh 1984
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Walt Mueller President of the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding Lancaster, Pennsylvania
“As an undergraduate student at Geneva College, I was nurtured by CCO staff who taught me what it means to embrace faith in a way that transforms all of life,” says Walt. The result of that challenge is the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding. Founded by Walt in 1990, CPYU is a nonprofit organization committed to building strong families by bridging the cultural-generational gap between parents and teenagers. CPYU has developed an international reputation as a voice providing cutting-edge information, resources and analysis on today’s youth culture. Geneva College 1978
Transformation of a
University
When Chuck Ellis stepped onto the Waynesburg College campus in 1982 to serve as a CCO RD in a men’s residence hall, there was only one working toilet, one sink, and fragments of a shattered mirror due to vandalism. Graffiti and burn marks masked the walls. It was a place he would never have imagined sending his children. Almost two decades later, Chuck saw such a drastic shift at Waynesburg that he and his wife, Sally, enrolled their daughter there. Chuck himself played a role in that transformation. In August 1973, the CCO initiated its first-ever partnership with a college when another Chuck—Chuck Baily—moved into Martin Hall with his wife, Shirley, to serve as a resident director. “Instead of being a kind of outside campus minister, I was directly tied to the college,” says Chuck. “Because of my position, I had 24-hour exposure to the 180 students in my dorm.” Throughout the decades, the CCO’s influence spread across campus as many CCO staff workers served as RDs and parttime athletic coaches, in student services and as chaplains. CCO staff engaged in “social alternatives” with students to direct them away from potentially destructive lifestyles: outdoor adventure trips, on-campus special events, the Jubilee conference, small groups and weekly campus fellowship meetings.
By the early 1980s, CCO alumnus and board member Richard “Skip” Noftzger, Jr. began serving as Waynesburg’s Director of Student Activities. Since that time, he has taken on many roles and currently holds the position of Senior Vice President for Institutional Planning, Research and Educational Services. “The CCO has been a valuable partner with Waynesburg University in the dramatic transformation of our institution,” says Skip. “They have served not only our students, but also the institution in support of a new vision.” “One of the dramatic ways that the CCO has contributed is precisely in the genius of the partnership relationship,” says Waynesburg’s chaplain, Tom Ribar. “The college was not simply a vehicle for ministry; the college, as an institution, was the ministry. The Lord has worked powerfully with people who were open to the possibility of an institution changing. We are moving toward an integrated approach to higher education, with the CCO playing an important role.”
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the future
There is no higher priority for the church today than to ground our young people in solid doctrine and righteous living. Cheap grace abounds in the Christian church today, but I’m praying God will raise up a generation of strong, tough-minded young people to challenge the false values of the culture. From what I’ve seen in my own experience speaking to the CCO, that is exactly what they are doing, teaching the faith entrusted to the saints once for all. Doing this is a huge contribution to the work of the Kingdom. Chuck Colson Founder, Prison Fellowship and The Colson Center for Christian Worldview
The Future
When the idea of the CCO was first conceived more than 40 years ago, we were committed to reaching students within a 150-mile radius of Pittsburgh. Because of the high concentration of universities in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, our strategy nearly took care of itself: do great ministry in a focused area. Over the past four decades, God has blessed our efforts where He has planted us, resulting in growth to New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Northern Virginia, Washington DC and Indiana. The need is great in this part of the country, which has more college students than any place in the United States, save New England. Greater Philadelphia alone hosts over 80 schools! Conversely, there is a dearth of college ministry in this important region. If one includes New England, 70% of college campuses in the Northeast have no campus ministry presence at all. The CCO approach, rooted in our original vision of partnering with churches, colleges and community organizations, seems to work well in this part of the country.
What’s next?
1. We will continue reaching students in our core area of western Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. 2. We will nurture those ministries that have been planted outside our original core, particularly in Philadelphia, Indiana, New York City, and Washington DC. 3. We will continue to seek God’s leading about expanding into New England. In all of this, we will live in constant pursuit of our core purpose, “transforming college students to transform the world,” bounded by our core values: • All things belong to God. • Jesus changes people’s lives. • We love college students. • Faithfulness is pursued together. • We celebrate life. Our fervent prayer is that students will be transformed into leaders who will reach their peers and the world for generations to come. 22