CCO On Campus | Summer 2016 by CCO | Campus Ministry

ON CAMPUS SUMMER 2016

TRANSFORMING COLLEGE STUDENTS TO TRANSFORM THE WORLD

WHAT NEXT GENERATION LEADERSHIP LOOKS LIKE

JUBILEE 2016: BUILDING

NEXT GENERATION The CCO* calls college students to serve Jesus Christ with their entire lives. Our ministry is distinct in three ways: 1. We develop students to be passionate leaders who serve Jesus Christ in their studies, jobs, communities, and families. 2. We serve together with the church, inviting students into the lives of local congregations. 3. We design each ministry to fit the needs of every campus we serve. For more about us, please visit our website: www.ccojubilee.org *Coalition for Christian Outreach Photography: Andrew Rush, Peter Chace Pictured on the cover: Ashland University student Barouk Gari On Campus is produced by Bonnie Liefer and Amy Maczuzak.

he news is inescapable, and much of it is not good. Terrorist attacks. Broken political systems. Human trafficking. Inner-city violence. Refugees and migrants. The list seems endless. Where can we find hope? One place is the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh in the middle of February. In 1977, hundreds of college students from the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia gathered in Pittsburgh for the first-ever Jubilee conference to catch a vision for how they might serve God with their entire lives. Four decades later, a recordbreaking crowd showed up in Pittsburgh during the weekend of February 19-21 for Jubilee 2016. Over 3,500 people attended, representing over 30 nations.

Jubilee 2016 was the most diverse conference in its 40-year history, with students attending from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and Indiana—and from Brazil and China and the Congo, from Ukraine, Nigeria, India, and El Salvador. More than 80 speakers traveled to Pittsburgh this year to share this Christ-centered vision of transformation from the main stage and in smaller workshops. Large-group gatherings fleshed out the four-act biblical narrative of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. Workshops helped participants envision what it means to live out their faith in Jesus Christ through their current callings as college students and as future entrepreneurs, lawyers, teachers, parents, athletes, artists, scientists, and politicians.

LEADERS

ince that first Jubilee in 1977, Theresa Miller has taken this vision into her work as a journalist and public relations executive at Prudential Financial, Inc. Doug Lee applied what he learned to his law practice, and now to his leadership as president of Waynesburg University. Dave Opalka recognized that he could serve God as a scientist, working in the Global Vaccines and Biologics Department of Merck and Co., Inc. And Gabrielle Ingram seeks to glorify God as a teacher and coach of a middle school girls’ soccer team. For 40 years, Jubilee has been offering college students the antidote to the darkness of daily news reports. It serves as an annual reminder of the power of the One who created everything and who is in the process of redeeming and restoring that fallen creation.

Jubilee offers college students a vision for how they might participate in God’s good work in the world. Jubilee equips new generations to go into the world and bring healing , hope, and light to broken and dark places, in the name of Jesus. Thank you to our Jubilee 2016 sponsors: Senior Compassion International Junior Eastern University Lamar Advertising Sophomore Experience Mission

Freshman Crossworld Lancaster Bible College Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Western Theological Seminary

A few of the Jubilee 2016 speakers Gabe Lyons Author and Founder of Q Ideas

David Kinnaman Author and President of the Barna Group

Rufus Smith, IV Senior Pastor of Hope Church

Jena Lee Nardella Cofounder of Blood:Water Mission

Eric Mason Founder and Lead Pastor of Epiphany Fellowship

Michael Gerson Washington Post columnist and former aide and speech writer for President George W. Bush

Bethany L. Jenkins Director of The Gospel Coalition’s Every Square Inch

CATCHING A VISION FOR WHAT GOD IS DOING IN THE

WORLD

The mission of the CCO is transforming college students so that they will go out and transform the world. So imagine our excitement at Jubilee this past February, when we realized that more than 30 nations were represented among the more than 3,500 participants! We have an amazing privilege every year to gather thousands of students in one place where they can catch a vision for what God is doing in His world and how they might participate. Today’s college students are tomorrow’s leaders, and if the students highlighted in this magazine are any indication, we have reason to hope. Amanda, Barouk, Nick, and Madeleine are seeking to bring light into the darkness of human trafficking, international business practices, the European migrant crisis, and urban decay. Our prayer is that every student who gathered in Pittsburgh for Jubilee 2016 will share the good news of Jesus Christ with the people who cross their paths daily. And as they graduate and move into their particular areas of influence, we pray that the ripple effect will continue as they seek to serve Jesus Christ with their entire lives. Vincent J. Burens President & CEO CCO

NEXT GENERATION LEADERSHIP: AMANDA DOOM HELPS RESCUE

TRAFFICKED CHILDREN C

ombatting human trafficking is my passion—a passion born out of a single breakout session at a conference called Jubilee. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that there are times when God gives you a little nudge and times when He hits you straight in the face with a two-by-four. My first Jubilee conference was one of those two-by-four times. I remember my first night at Jubilee: the exciting worship, the crazy number of other Christians gathered in a single place, the exhibitor booths, the smaller break-out workshops. One of the workshops, hosted by the International Justice Mission (IJM), sounded pretty cool, so I went. As I sat in that tiny conference room with grey carpet and maroon chairs, the presenter began to talk about something called “human trafficking,” which is essentially modern-day slavery. It is the third largest criminal enterprise in the world, with one of the highest profit margins and lowest prosecution rates of any illegal activity. A modern-day slave costs less today than when slavery was legal. That was it. That was my moment. Right there, on the second floor of that hotel, God ignited something in my heart, this passion that cannot be explained or deterred. Stamping out human trafficking became my life. The rest, as they say, is history.

At the time, I was a freshman at Washington & Jefferson College majoring in international studies and political science. As soon as I returned to my college campus, I chartered an IJM chapter. I read everything I could get my hands on about the subject, attended any available conference, and watched as many documentaries as I could. At one of these conferences, I met a survivor of human trafficking who told me that the largest gap in services for survivors was legal representation. So I decided to go to law school. I sought out internships with Legal Aid, with county prosecutors, with district attorneys, and with nonprofits that aided trafficking survivors in immigration proceedings. Everywhere I went, my focus was human trafficking. By my final year of law school, I was desperate for more direct contact, so I pursued an internship with End Child Prostitution and Trafficking International in Bangkok, Thailand, where I worked to draft an international bill of rights for trafficked children.

currently serve as a Justice AmeriCorps Fellow and Equal Justice Works Attorney Fellow at Catholic Charities of Dallas Immigration & Legal Services. You know all those kids you hear about on the news who

are flooding our borders, fleeing gang violence in Central America? Well, I’m paid to represent them in immigration court and try to find a form of immigration relief that will allow them to stay in the United States legally. We have an intake screen for children who may have been trafficked; most of the time, the kids I represent have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by one or both parents. I chose this position because it’s one of the few organizations that provides free immigration services to children who have been trafficked or abused. Free legal services for survivors of human trafficking are almost entirely non-existent in the United States. My clients are undocumented children who came to the United States unaccompanied by a parent or guardian. This means that these kids have made the dangerous journey from their home countries (primarily Guatemala, El Salvador, or Honduras) on their own. When they finally arrive in the United States, often these children don’t speak English, and they have a hard time fitting in at school. Those who were not trafficked into the United States are often at a high risk of being trafficked once they arrive. None of this—the IJM chapter, law school, the internships, my work today— would have been a part of my life

had it not been for that single workshop at Jubilee my freshman year of college when God hit me in the face with a two-by-four.

ubilee touched more than just my life. I had been so moved by Jubilee as a freshman, that my sophomore year—when I was studying abroad—I begged my best guy friend, David Doom, to attend in my place and send me daily updates. David attended reluctantly— he wasn’t interested in Christian fellowship, let alone a Christan conference. Bob Goff spoke that year and said that he’d never audibly heard God speak to him, that instead, God used other people to speak to him. That was God’s two-by-four to David Doom’s face. Jubilee changed him that year in a way that was undeniable. In the years since our first Jubilee experiences, David Doom and I both graduated, fell in love with and married each other, and have moved all over the country. Our two-by-four moments at Jubilee forever changed us.

That was it. That was my moment. Right there, on the second floor of that hotel, God ignited something in my heart; this passion that cannot be explained or deterred. Stamping out human trafficking became my life. The rest, as they say, is history.

—Amanda Doom,Washington & Jefferson College 2012, International Studies & Political Science

CCO staff member Jamie Donne ministers to college students at Washington & Jefferson University.

NEXT GENERATION LEADERSHIP: BAROUK GARI INVESTING IN

ETHIOPIA I

grew up with a Godfearing family, so I am blessed to say that I knew Jesus since I was very young. Before coming to college, I was actively participating in my church in Ethiopia. I served as a youth leader and also as drummer for the worship band. I still consider the friends I made there my closest. It was my life. In America, everything felt a bit foreign at first. As an international student at Ashland University, I needed someone to show me around and get me used to American culture. I first connected to the CCO through Jake Blasdel, the CCO staff person at Ashland. Jake is one of those people who always has a smile on his face, who always wants to hang out and have a conversation. We have a common interest in sharing the gospel with international students on campus. Since my first year, I have grown spiritually through the CCO, found good friends, and I am actively participating in whatever the church has to offer. When Jake invited me to go to the Jubilee conference, I accepted his invitation. We had a powerful time, with incredible community and worship. I still remember Jake and my friends looking at me funny when I was dancing during worship. “That’s how we dance back home, and this is the song we dance to!” I

told them. After that, I wanted to be as involved as possible. I am learning to not compromise my faith or my culture and to speak boldly about who I am and who I am not. Jubilee reminded me that, as Christians, we are not of this world—we have a higher calling. It’s not about what you have done, but what has been done for you. I learned that, as a Christian, I am never called to mediocrity. I have a mission that transcends all missions, and that’s working for God. It’s powerful. It’s strengthening and equipping.

fter college, and possibly grad school, I will be heading home to Ethiopia. Ethiopia is one of the fastestgrowing nations in the world. Although my country has a long way to go, it might not be long before Ethiopia is finally self-sustaining and its people are out of poverty. Although America has been an outstanding experience so far, my calling is back home. Ethiopia is one of the earliest Christian nations in the world. Christianity is embedded in our culture. The country is seeded in Christian values, and even in our greetings, we bless God. I am majoring in international business, and right now I am planning to work with my father’s company before hope-

fully starting my own business. Through his international transit company, my father deals a lot with foreigners planning to work in Ethiopia, and my education should come in handy in that area. But if God’s willing, I would love to work in the ministry of Public Affairs, the office that is responsible for international relations. Government work in Ethiopia is not easy. With widespread corruption and nepotism, Ethiopia’s government is in dire need of God’s presence. International business teaches you an appreciation of other cultures and a sincere interest in the world. Being a Christian, you are never ignorant of others; you are honest in your work and never back away from your responsibilities.

want to go back to Ethiopia because I want to serve my country in any way that I can. In this great age in Ethiopian history, you see a lot of young individuals taking up the reins of the country in politics, business, and culture. They have slowly started taking over the country, hence the huge growth. I want to be a part of that growth. I don’t want to miss out on the opportunity of being one of the people that changed Ethiopia forever. —Barouk Gari, Ashland University 2017, International

I want to go back to Ethiopia because I want to serve my country in any way that I can. In this great age in Ethiopian

Barouk and some of his high school friends from Beza International Church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, started a magazine called The Youth Mag, which continues to gain readership in Ethiopia and beyond. “It’s a magazine that helps the youth of Africa understand God better in their lives,” says Barouk. “With humble beginnings, the magazine is now selling beyond Ethiopia and is growing rapidly. Although far away, I help with editing, marketing, and general decision-making, and I am very excited to go back and help and see what God is going to do with it.” Find out more about this unique publication: theyouthmag.com

history, you see a lot of young individuals taking up the reins of the country in politics, business, and culture. I don’t want to miss out on the opportunity of being one of the people that changed Ethiopia forever.

DID YOU KNOW? CCO staff member Jake Blasdel reaches out to students at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio.

There are over 1.2 million international students currently studying in the United States. —Student and Exchange Visitor Program, The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, December 2015

NEXT GENERATION LEADERSHIP: NICK BERSIN AND THE EUROPEAN

MIGRANT CRISIS

y first night at Pitt, I was worried about whether I’d find a campus ministry. The next day, I saw people from the CCO’s Cornerstone ministry handing out water bottles near Bellefield Presbyterian Church. I started coming to CCO events during orientation week, and I got to know people that I immediately knew would be my family during college. I went to freshman Bible study first semester and am one of the leaders for that this year. I go to fellowship meetings on Wednesday nights, and I go to church at Bellefield on Sunday mornings. My major is International and Area Studies, with a focus on Russia and Eastern Europe, and I am also studying German. I have a skill for languages and a passion for learning how they function. I’m now taking German, French, Polish, and Old Church Slavic. I believe that learning a language is the best way to learn about a culture and its people. Coming from a mixed ethnic background myself, I am interested in issues around justice and reconciliation between different people groups.

I want to serve people who are cast out or neglected by society. I have a long way to go in learning how to do that, but God has been pruning my heart and gently correcting me towards that end. He has been showing me the amazing hope He gives. He has shown me how He is working to reconcile all things to Himself in crazy, incredible ways.

hen I graduate, I hope to teach German as a second language in Germany or Austria or Switzerland. My plan right now is to move to Europe when I graduate; I may pursue graduate education there, and I am considering going into academia. I would love to do research to benefit people who are on the ground. Or I may go into social work or ministry. Right now, Germany is experiencing an incredible influx of refugees. They have done better handling it than most other countries in the European Union, but it’s definitely put a strain on them. It’s been a sharp change in parts of the country that aren’t used to outsiders and are suddenly having to host people from vastly different cultural backgrounds. I feel called to speak and live out the Gospel in this context.

I took a sociology course on immigration in Europe and realized that the way that immigration gets talked about in literary circles can be superficial and detached from reality. Looking at it from a social science perspective, I can see the laws and difficulties on both larger and smaller scales. As it helps me understand all of these things from a broader perspective, it makes me want to help people in a tangible way.

big part of my experience of the CCO and the Jubilee conference is seeing how many different areas there are where you can serve God. I’ve come to realize that God cares deeply about people. I’ve come into a robust theology of creation, of restoration, of healing. I view the Gospel as a beautiful invitation to love God and His creation. Jubilee 2016 was a time to celebrate this. Being around so many people who love God and long for the healing of this world refreshed my soul and moved me to go out and do God’s work.

I think this is all preparation for whatever I end up doing after I graduate—whether teaching German to immigrants and refugees so they can find employment and become part of larger society, or working in a church to help bridge the gaps between ethnic Germans and people of foreign heritage, or helping the North American Church better understand the situation of their brothers and sisters across the pond, or introducing people to God who know Him only as a greeting. If I do any of these things for the glory of God and the restoration of this earth, it will be worth it. —Nick Bersin, University of Pittsburgh 2018, International and Area Studies and German

I hope to use my language skills and cultural knowledge to welcome immigrants and refugees into the Church in the German-speaking world and to help them adapt to German society.

CCO staff members Andy Moore, Chris Ansell, Bobbi Perkins, Mark Michaelis, Brytani Hinson, and Greg Burdette invest in students at the University of Pittsburgh through a partnership with Bellefield Presbyterian Church. 9

NEXT GENERATION LEADERSHIP: MADELEINE WATTENBARGER’S HEART FOR

THE CITY I

became involved with CCO my sophomore year at Penn, when my understanding of the Gospel transformed from one of disconnection to one of profound connection. Towards the end of high school and the beginning of college, I began to notice that my ideas about Christianity felt disconnected from my lived experience. Christians weren’t always the nicest people I knew; they weren’t the most justiceoriented, or the most truthful, or the most loving. They weren’t the smartest people I knew, or the most thorough critical thinkers; they didn’t seem to have more answers than others. They certainly didn’t have the most charitable history. When I looked around me, I felt that the values I’d absorbed through my Christian upbringing were pretty easy to find elsewhere, and I saw a lot of people outside of Christianity who seemed to be doing them a lot better. So what was the Gospel, aside from a life insurance policy vaguely tied to a strict and poorly upheld moral code? It seemed disconnected from my life. I increasingly couldn’t say what Christianity meant or why the person of Christ should matter to me. I entered college vaguely hoping to figure out some of these things, but spent freshman year rarely, if ever, speaking about faith. I attended a Christian

event here or there, but I generally felt skittish around the most devout. I was embarrassed that I lacked answers to my big questions; I didn’t know how to ask the questions I had, or who to ask them to, or if they were even allowed. A chaotic year followed, one much like that of most college freshmen. I constantly questioned my identity, community, and ethics—issues which were stirred up by my academics and social life. I didn’t grow closer to God because I finally figured out who I was, or because someone sat me down and explained Christianity over again, better this time. Rather, I returned first to the people of God, who welcomed me in without requiring me to sort out my qualms or formulate my identity.

y sophomore year, the CCO ministry at Penn had begun a number of new initiatives, including a weekly worship service that met in a living room. Here I found intimacy and grace that I’d dearly missed. Mike and Sonja Chen, the CCO staffers at Penn, welcomed me regularly into their home and lives, for Sunday lunches and discussion groups; my fellow students exhibited similar shocking hospitality to me. I encountered the Gospel in a new way through them: they lived with critical and prayerful intentionality; they asked

questions and disagreed on their answers; they sought to live as the church. I began first to understand the Gospel as a narrative that encompassed all facets of life. I saw people asking what Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection meant for how they used their houses, for how they approached their fields of study, and for how they pursued friendships. This reoriented how I thought about Christianity: the implications of the Gospel could be seen in everything I did. I began to realize that God’s plan involved more than my making it through life avoiding moral failure. Seeds of redemption appeared everywhere. My vision of God’s kingdom expanded as I realized how complete was Jesus’ victory over death. This meant I could see his connection to my relationships, my academics, my ethics, and beyond. This journey caused me to deeply interrogate my personal and academic pursuits. Throughout college, I’ve repeatedly confronted the systemic brokenness of all parts of society that isolate the privileged and exploit the vulnerable. Meditating on Jesus’ ministry to the poor and his works of reconciliation has convicted me that I need to address those ends through my own work.

n particular, I’ve examined how our world’s injustice manifests in cities, and I’ve chosen to major in Urban Studies. I hope to pursue work that affirms the dignity of the marginalized, as Jesus did, and that attempts to manifest His redemption in our cities. Throughout my intellectual, personal, and spiritual exploration of these topics, my CCO staffers have encouraged and challenged me; they’ve recommended books, pointed me to resources, and affirmed my questioning. I’ve been motivated to seek discussions of faith in situations and relationships outside the Christian community, rather than shying away from difficult topics. I can now share the Gospel with others with confidence, having experienced its power in my own life. Through my experience with the CCO at Penn, I’ve grown to understand the profound and thorough connection between the Gospel and all parts of my life. I am a different girl.

I hope to pursue work that affirms the dignity of the marginalized, as Jesus did, and that attempts to manifest His redemption in our cities.

—Madeleine Wattenbarger, University of Pennsylvania 2016, Urban Studies

DID YOU KNOW? CCO staff members Mike and Sonja Chen invest in students at the University of Pennsylvania. Mike is currently Director of Cross-Cultural Ministry for the CCO.

60%

of Christian students fall of Christian away from the Christian students fall away faiththeduring from Christiancollege. faith in college.

—The Barna Group, 2006

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TRANSFORMING COLLEGE STUDENTS TO TRANSFORM THE WORLD

Return Service Requested

WHY BOB AND GLORIA BISHOP GIVE TO THE CCO Bob and Gloria Bishop have been involved with the CCO’s ministry since the 1970s, when they served students at Waynesburg University. Today, they live in the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh, and Bob is Executive Vice President at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC. Bob and Gloria have four daughters, three grandchildren, and are active members of Orchard Hill Church. They are also active in their community—Bob has served on a variety of boards, including a public school board, Habitat for Humanity, and the CCO. Why do you support the CCO, and why do you encourage others to do the same? Besides our own involvement with the ministry before we had kids, we raised four daughters who have gone to college. We understand how a college ministry can help young people keep their faith alive and grow. Gloria and I love young folks and sponsor students every year to go to Jubilee. We want to invest in collegeaged young people. It’s exciting to watch students grow and see how their faith has an impact on their studies and careers. Christians need to be more intentional with college-aged kids, to invest in their lives and ask questions. The CCO does that very well.

ON CAMPUS SUMMER 2016

By supporting the CCO, we are investing in the next generation, our future leaders. The ministry on campus and what we experience at Jubilee every year gives us a lot of hope. When you start investing in the next generation, you get to see their faith and how they’re living it out in all areas of their lives. When we invest in them, we feel we receive more than we give. Why did you decide to make a planned gift to the CCO? Our faith has certainly had an impact on our work and our view of money. We live by faith, and we earn and give by faith. We chose to make a planned gift so our children will be reminded of our support for CCO ministry. Even through leadership changes, the CCO has stayed true to a simple and consistent message over the years: proclaiming the Gospel and how it applies to everyday life. Have you remembered the CCO in your estate plans or through another planned gift? For more information, please contact Allyson Sveda, Director of Development, at 412.363.3303.

OUR BOARD Elizabeth Baker CEO Hot Metal Media LLC Robert H. Bishop Executive Vice President Janney Montgomery Scott LLC CCO Staff Alumnus Vincent J. Burens President & CEO Coalition for Christian Outreach Kurt E. Carlson Executive Vice President Hefren-Tillotson, Inc. The Rev. Nancy O. Chalfant-Walker Rector, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church CCO Staff Alumna Jennifer Ciccone Human Resources Director, Productivity Software Group EFI Judith Herschell Cole President Herschell Environmental, LLC Ryan D. Deaderick, P.E. Vice President, Production Energy Corporation of America Joseph P. Diggins, Jr. Partner Ernst & Young LLP Louis A. Divers President Precision Abrasives Daniel J. Dupee Chairman of the Board Coalition for Christian Outreach The Rev. Dr. William R. Glaze Pastor Bethany Baptist Church Darrin E. Grove CEO TrueFit John M. Holt, Jr. President HOLSINGER, PC Harry Kunze President & CEO Safety Works, LLC Amylyn Kyler Managing Director Kyler Professional Search The Rev. Dr. Robert R. Long Chairman Emeritus Coalition for Christian Outreach

Martha McElhattan Homemaker and Volunteer Terrence H. Murphy Shareholder Littler Mendelson P.C. Brian T. Must Founding Member Metz, Lewis, Brodman, Must & O’Keefe Attorneys at Law The Rev. Richard Noftzger Executive Presbyter Redstone Presbytery CCO Staff Alumnus J. Paul Organ Founder & Certified Financial Planner Marathon Financial Services CCO Staff Alumnus James W. Rimmel Senior Vice President, Investments UBS Financial Services, Inc. James D. Roberge Managing Director Staley Capital Advisers, Inc. David A. Schrader, Ph.D. Partner Full Circle Group CCO Staff Alumnus Chris Seidler Sales Executive Net Health Kenneth E. Smith President Simcoach Games Lori Stuckey Homemaker and Volunteer Henry B. Suhr III Adjunct Faculty Geneva College CCO Staff Alumnus J.T. Thomas Entrepreneur & Business Consultant Mary Martha Truschel Assistant Counsel, Southwest Regional Office PA Department of Environmental Protection The Rev. Dr. John H. White President Emeritus Geneva College James D. Young COO, Senior Vice President Crown Castle

WHAT NEXT GENERATION LEADERSHIP LOOKS LIKE