FAITH IN ACTION by University of the Cumberlands

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Table of Contents

was a really wild experience. In the end, I knelt down by a creek and gave my life to Christ right then and there.”

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The Holy Spirit took over, and Everhart never looked back.

Ever Wild at Hart

Over the next 10 years, Everhart grew as a follower of Christ while also getting married, practicing architecture and working as a university professor. But in his mid-30s, he went through a deep depression that forced him to seek God’s future direction.

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3 Paying It Forward

“During that time, I leaned out,” Everhart said. “I leaned on the Lord and said, ‘God, help me through this.’ And He did.”

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4 Plates for a Purpose page

5 Breaking the Cycle page

7 A Free Soul

Chad Everhart, Campus Minister at University of the Cumberlands, had a “normal” family until he was about 15 years old. That’s when his parents divorced. “That really changed everything,” Everhart said. “Church fell by the wayside because our family got torn apart. It really rattled me and I felt like I didn’t have a family anymore.” Everhart was the oldest child, so he felt the need to step up as the patriarch of his family. But trying to do that as a hurting teenager provided a lot of tension and stress inside him. He had never really heard the Gospel, so he found other, temporary ways to cope.

“I started getting into alcohol, partying, sexual immorality – a lot of stuff just to fill that lack of love,” Everhart confessed.

FIND US

During that time, Everhart’s younger sister gave her life to Christ. She had been the one sibling Everhart just couldn’t stand, but as he

bcm@ucumberlands.edu Edna Taylor House

watched, he noticed a radical change in how she lived. “She said it was Jesus, and I brushed it off,” said Everhart. “Then she married this amazing guy who was also a follower of Christ. They saw how messed up my life was, but they relentlessly loved me and shared truth with me.” They gave Everhart the book Wild at Heart by John Eldredge to read, and it struck a nerve in him. He had just graduated with his master’s degree in architecture, and on the outside, everything looked good for him. But inside, he felt like he was at rock bottom. The book encouraged readers to go out into nature when they were facing internal battles. So, Everhart packed up his camping gear and his Labrador and headed to a favorite hiking spot. “I wrestled with God for a couple days, and the Lord overwhelmed me,” Everhart said. “It

The Lord revealed that Everhart’s calling was to vocational ministry and gave him the position as Campus Minister at Cumberlands. “God showed me that we needed to connect with the local churches and push kids there. Ultimately, we were to be a missions organization for the entire community.” Today, Cumberlands is partnered with four local churches. Attendance at local churches is up. More than 90 students gave their lives to Christ in the fall semester of 2018. Students are leading Bible studies and mentoring underclassmen, just because they want to. “That’s the most exciting thing for me,” Everhart concluded, “seeing students not only make their faith their own but actually put their faith in action and start using it to make a difference. Our students are going out and sharing the Gospel with their friends, teammates, classmates, you name it. They’re growing and maturing - putting their faith into action. That’s powerful.”

Paying it Forward “When you lose everything you’ve ever known, everything you’ve ever had, it affects how you think, how you see things.” Dominick Joseph is sitting on an old metal chair outside the Mountain Outreach (MO) warehouse, staring directly into a camera lens and speaking his heart. “I know what it’s like to have nothing, to be struggling – not being able to eat every night because you don’t have enough, not having a place to stay.” Heavy humidity parallels the weight of Joseph’s words. Yet there is a definite lightness in the air too, emanating from the summer sunshine and Joseph’s bright smile as he continues. “Because of that, and now that I have Christ, I just want to help people. Being able to see someone be transformed – knowing God is going to use you to change someone’s life – it’s absolutely incredible!” Dom Joseph is a senior at UC majoring in religion with a Christian Ministries focus. This summer, he joined MO’s team in building the organization’s 150th house for a family in need. Joseph lived in New Orleans until Hurricane Katrina ripped the roof off his house. For weeks, eight-year old Joseph and his family slept in a church. When a pastor from Northern Kentucky visited and asked who wanted to move up there

to start a new life, the Josephs took the offer. Since then, Joseph has grown into a young man known across UC’s campus as someone who plays football, studies hard, hugs big, laughs loud and above all, loves Jesus. That’s why he joined MO’s summer construction team. “If I want to do ministry after I graduate, why not do ministry right now?” Joseph says. “It’s been tough at points, working in the heat, being really exhausted. But this is awesome. It’s great getting to help someone. You build a house literally from the ground up for somebody. It’s amazing. It’s a humbling experience.” Marc Hensley, Director of MO, enjoyed watching Joseph grow this summer. “I’ve labeled him as one of my kids, and I am so proud of him,” Hensley said. “This man has fought for everything he has, and he’s made a tremendous impact on everyone around him. That’s what makes this program so special. If we can get our students to give of themselves to others, then we have created a true servant leader who will impact this world in a positive way.” If there is anyone whose selflessness and work ethic are contagious, it is Joseph. “We have to get up every single day and be ready to serve other people,” Joseph says. “It’s not about us. It’s about the Lord, it’s about serving others, it’s about building a house for a family and blessing them with that.”

He leans back in the chair. “If I had a million dollars, I would give it all to MO. I know they’re going to use it for the trucks MO needs, the lumber, the tools, everything. All the people who give to MO help us. I’m thankful for the people who give.” Joseph motions to the warehouse, where his fellow MO crewmates, who are also Cumberlands students, are busy measuring lumber or hammering nails. “Most of us have scholarships,” Joseph says. “Someone helped us get those. When

you help someone else out, you’re paying it forward. Our families, our communities, our lives would be so much better if we all just paid it forward. The Lord has blessed me and given me so many opportunities. Some days I just want to give up, but Jesus keeps me going.” He stands, picks up the chair and faces the rest of the MO crew. “Alright, team!” he shouts. “Let’s get it done!” Smiling big and carrying the chair with ease, Joseph heads into the warehouse.

because . . . “The Word says, ‘We love because He first loved us.’ All the people we get to serve, we do it because we love them. We get an opportunity to put ourselves to the side and put others first, to influence their lives for a change. Praise the Lord.”

DOMINICK JOSEPH, ’19

The food drive was a success. Kentucky Harvest Southeast heard of it and contacted a number of colleges, encouraging them to participate the next year, suggesting that the food drive involve a friendly competition among the schools to boost participation. University of the Cumberlands rose to the challenge, and since 2011, Cumberlands and Union donated tens of thousands of pounds of food to local foodbanks, to provide meals for families and to win the Golden Can. In the past two years alone, Cumberlands collected more than 47,000 pounds of food, all of which were distributed to families in need. “We are very appreciative of the donations from Cumberlands,” said Norma Dunston, who runs the food pantry at First Baptist Church (FBC) in Williamsburg, Kentucky. “Last time, they stocked up our pantry for a full year, which is great. We’re only now running out of things.”

University of the Cumberlands and Union College partnered with Kentucky Harvest Southeast again this holiday season to raise food for local foodbanks. Each year, the colleges see who can donate the most food to local pantries before the holidays, which are typically the months with heaviest need for foodbanks. The contest, called The Pursuit of the Golden Can, initially began as a food drive on Union’s campus. The college’s departmental buildings competed against

each other to see who could raise the most food, and whichever building won earned an upcycled coffee can spray-painted gold and filled with candies wrapped in golden foil. “The original purpose was just to have a food drive to help out local foodbanks so families could have what they needed during the holidays,” said Gabrielle Mellendorf, who created the Pursuit of the Golden Can while she was an employee at Union. “We wanted to show that we as a college have the spirit to overcome hunger.”

The FBC food pantry services anywhere from 50 to 100 families each month and is one of several foodbanks to which Cumberlands makes donations. In 2017, the school gave so much food to FBC that the pantry was able to share the donations with Mount Pisgah Baptist Church that has no other foodbanks nearby. This year, Cumberlands revised how they campaign the food drive to their students, faculty and staff. “It’s easy to get caught up in the competitive spirit of things, and if more food is donated because of that, that’s great,” said Dr. Emily Coleman, Vice President for Student Services at Cumberlands. “We want to focus on the needs that people in the area have and how we can help meet those needs.”

So this year, Cumberlands is rebranding their campaign to “Plates for a Purpose.” The name stems from the plate-shaped diagram the USDA has created to portray what a healthy diet should include. (Visit ChooseMyPlate.gov for more information.) It also reflects the original purpose of the food drive: to provide high-quality meals for families. To accommodate this shift in focus, Cumberlands has reset their model for calculating the donations they collect, tallying it in terms of how many metaphorical plates the donations make. For example, a “single plate” of food consists of one fruit or veggie item, one grain item, one dairy item and one protein item. So, say one can of peaches, a box of rice, a cup of mac-and-cheese and a can of chicken is donated. When those items are added together, they create a single plate of food – one complete meal for someone – according to Cumberlands’ new system. Cumberlands will still track the pounds of food the school raises and report that statistic to Kentucky Harvest Southeast for the Pursuit of the Golden Can. But when reporting to the Cumberlands campus, in order to keep the school focused on providing quality meals to local families, the school will report the number of the plates made possible by Cumberlands’ donations. “I am so looking forward to this year,” said Dunston. “It’s thrilling to have students so excited to do this.” She smiled and added, “Students are welcome to come to the pantry any time. We always have jobs for them!”

Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Abby Carter (Lebanon, Ohio) has always enjoyed children, so it was no surprise to her when she fell in love with the work Appalachian Ministries (AM) does, sharing the Gospel and showering love on local kids. “I’ve been a role model for my two younger sisters my whole life,” Carter said. “I like to help kids out and be like their big sister. I’m going to be a teacher; it’s something I just need to do. Kids in the schools need someone to come talk to, and I’d like to be that person.” In truth, Carter already is that person. She just graduated from UC and is heading into her first semester of student-teaching. She volunteered with AM for two years and was on the AM team this summer. For two months, Carter’s been busy planning and leading activities (during which she used her “teacher voice,” like any good education major), driving children to and from day camps, playing water games with kids and seeking out any quieter, more reserved children so she can talk with them one-on-one.

because . . .

“God has given each of us individual talents and gifts, and when we put those into action, great things can happen for Him.”

Some college students focus solely on schoolwork, sports and friendships during their college career, all of which are incredible pursuits. But, ministries like AM push students to focus on causes beyond their social circles by traveling to communities in Appalachia and mentoring groups of children every week. The kids aren’t

the only ones impacted through AM, however. She continued, “Appalachian Ministries has changed my life. I think everyone should do something like AM at some point. It opens your eyes to the issues around you. You realize how intentional you need to be with the kids.” Like any ministry, it takes a lot to make AM’s summer program possible. Without gas money to drive the buses that transport the kids to camps, or finances to provide paychecks for fulltime AM staff, or enough money for AM to purchase food for their weekly summer cookouts with the children and their families, summertime with AM would not exist. “Everything that’s donated, whatever is given to the program, it’s all going to the kids,” explained Carter. “The things we’re able to do for them are just wonderful. It’s because of the donors that we’re able to do this. Without them, it wouldn’t be possible. If I could, I’d want to tell all our donors thank you.” Poverty is often a cycle. Appalachian Ministries’ mission is to break it. Through students like Carter, whose goal in life is to be a positive role model for children everywhere, reminding them that they’re loved and that they can become anything they dream of, that poverty-stricken cycle is gradually crumbling.

ABBY CARTER, ’19 5

Appalachian Ministries: Vacation Bible School In Action

10 500+ 20 100+ 8

CUMBERLANDS STUDENTS VOLUNTEERED THEIR SUMMERTIME TO SERVE CHILDREN IMPACTED ACROSS KENTUCKY AND NORTHERN TENNESSEE CHILDREN COMMITTED OR RECOMMITTED THEIR LIVES TO CHRIST VOLUNTEERS HELPED WITH APPALACHIAN MINISTRIES ACTIVITIES LOCATIONS HOSTED VACATION BIBLE SCHOOLS OR DAY CAMPS

“When I think about this summer, I think of Ephesians 3:20-21, which says, ‘Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.’” JASMINE NEWPORT Director of Appalachian Ministries 6

AM leads Vacation Bible School (VBS) sessions for at-risk children in the Appalachian region each summer. Each day is spent busing children to VBS in the mornings, guiding activities, driving the children home, then preparing for the next day. Once, Garvin kept more than 30 children occupied for hours by leading them in football games. After playing, Garvin used the opportunity to speak with a few boys about their relationship with Jesus.

A Free Soul Robbie Garvin grew up in Springfield, Georgia, a town he describes as a trap.

“We have a lot of talent, but people don’t make it out,” Garvin said. “Guys that could’ve been in the NFL walk the streets, do drugs and sell drugs. Or music artists – there was this one guy who was really great at rap. He was on his way, you know? But then he got killed. That stuff happens all the time down there.” In addition to the lurking presence of drugs and violence, Garvin’s family was burdened by financial stress. His father was absent and his mom worked multiple jobs to provide for Robbie and his three younger siblings. Since his mom was gone all day, Garvin had to help shoulder the responsibilities of running a household, even though he was still a child. By age ten, Garvin was regularly watching over his siblings, cooking, doing laundry and taking out the trash.

“Robbie is fantastic,” said Jasmine Newport, Director of AM. “When he’s working with the kids, you can see the passion God has placed inside him. He is definitely a role model for the kids.”

“It was tough,” Garvin said, “but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It helps you be a leader and handle responsibility. It was stressful, but on the other hand, it was a blessing.”

Garvin was contacted by coaches from several colleges, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was supposed to come to UC. He trusted his gut and enrolled at Cumberlands.

There is one great thing about Springfield, though, according to Garvin.

He’s now a junior at UC, studying psychology, with plans to become a counselor. He’s played football and wrestled for Cumberlands, and has been involved in a number of ministries on campus. For the past two summers, Garvin has volunteered with Appalachian Ministries (AM).

“Georgia in general is weird like this,” Garvin said. “If you’re a good athlete, soon enough that whole side of the state knows about you. That’s what happened with me.” Garvin is a five-foot-ten, 285-pound machine. Wrestling and football are his sports, and he is good at them. So, he has always received encouragement from family and neighbors. “It’s really cool,” he said, “knowing there’s a whole town behind you. A lot of people don’t get that kind of support.”

Garvin gives the Lord credit for transforming his heart so he can be a positive influence on the children he meets “This summer, God’s chipped away at stuff,” Garvin said. “He’s teaching me patience, teamwork, when to speak, when to listen and how to be more selfless.” The pressures in Garvin’s hometown entrap some people. But if his heart for God and for the children he impacts through Appalachian Ministries shows anything, it’s this: Robbie Garvin is a free soul.

because . . .

“I act because we are called to act, to serve and to minister according to the Great Commission. It would be hard for me to keep to myself the amazing things that Jesus has done for me.”

ROBBIE GARVIN, ’19 7

HOW CAN YOU ACT? PUT YOUR FAITH INTO ACTION.

MOUNTAIN OUTREACH

BAPTIST CAMPUS MINISTRIES

FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN ATHLETES

APPALACHIAN MINISTRIES

CONTACT: Marc Hensley 606.539.4143

CONTACT: Chad Everhart 606.539.3565

CONTACT: Jasmine Newport 606.539.4173