2022/2023 Campus Outreach Annual Report

PAUL BILLINGS & FAMILY

NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR

Dear Supporters,

Seeds are magnificent things. Perhaps this is why Jesus often used them as an example in teaching on God’s Kingdom. In Mark 4, He put it this way:

“The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.”

God’s power looks like a tiny seed, imperceptibly growing. The longer I’ve had the privilege of leading Campus Outreach DC, the more this simple image resonates with me. No farmer expects quick results from sowing seeds. The growth of the seed is invisible for a good while. Then, almost surprisingly, something appears! Ministry on college campuses in Washington, DC requires this kind of perspective. We know growth is happening, even when we can’t measure all of it. But sometimes God allows us to see His power in a startling way. In another place in Mark 4, Jesus says some seeds return 30, 60, and even 100 fold.

This year on campus we’ve remained committed to sowing the seed of the gospel everywhere we can. We’ve worked to create new contexts for students to be exposed to God’s Word in fraternities, club sports teams, and freshmen dorms. We’ve sown seeds of the gospel through weekly meetings, retreats, and small group Bible studies. Only God knows what all is happening “beneath the soil” from this past year. We can only pray, wait, and trust.

And yet, we’ve also seen unexpected growth. Seeds sown years ago in students on our campuses have resulted in plans for a new ministry to start on another campus in our region and a growing number of students and staff compelled to go overseas to share Christ and make disciples. Looking ahead, this upcoming year will represent the largest our staff team has ever been.

I pray this annual report encourages you to reflect on the power of the seed of the gospel. We can only give our full time effort to this work because of your financial support and prayers. Thank you!

Sincerely,

PAUL BILLINGS Executive Director | Washington, DC

WHO IS CAMPUS OUTREACH DC

Campus Outreach began in 1978 as the dream of a local church pastor and two recent graduates to reach college students at smaller campuses traditionally underserved by campus ministries. 45 years later, this vision of reaching and discipling students has grown into a movement on over 100 campuses in the U.S. and around the world. Campus Outreach DC began in 2010 under the supervision of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC. Since then, we have grown to have thriving ministries at four universities in the District of Columbia. On each campus, our hope is to see maturing disciples of Jesus who will leave the campus mobilized to provide leadership in their families, churches, politics, and the marketplace, in the United States and around the world.

While we share much in common with other campus ministries, our distinctives matter. Each ministry operates under the authority, oversight,

and care of a local church. In this we seek to bring the campus and local church together for a greater impact. We are passionately committed to persistent and relational evangelism, as our staff seek to embed themselves into the life and culture of the university in order to share the gospel and model Christian living to students. We focus on equipping Christian students to become workers in God’s harvest field and to learn how to lead others to Christ and disciple them towards maturity.

We believe that the college campus in Washington, DC, with its wide-ranging reach and influence, is an extremely strategic place for investing in gospel work. It is our privilege to train college students on these campuses, and with the help and prayers of our churches and supporters, to leverage these strategic years for God’s glory.

CAMPUS OUTREACH DC STAFF TEAM

UNMEASURED IMPACT

FROM HOWARD TO ZAMBIA…

Last April, my wife, Brittany and I, along with our Missions Pastor Dennis and his wife Tarsha, were given the opportunity to go on a vision trip to Lusaka for ten days to explore if Zambia could be a potential Cross-cultural Project destination for the DC region. While we were there, both Brittany and I sensed that the Lord was calling us to uproot our lives here in DC and commit to seeing lives changed by the power of the gospel there in Zambia. We both saw a need and wanted to do something about that need. Not only that, but we were bought into the vision of seeing Zambian college students make Christ known throughout the entire

continent of Africa. We truly believe that Lusaka could be a catalyst for such an incredible gospel movement!

So, after 10 years of being both a student and CO staff at Howard University, I’m excited to announce that Brittany and I will be joining the Campus Outreach Lusaka team later on this year! CO DC has done a tremendous job with both growing me as Christian and as a laborer. So much so, that my family and I are committing to help the CO Lusaka team mobilize Zambian college students to reach the entire continent of Africa with the gospel. And the ultimate goal is to see this same continent reach the lost world!

–ALEX WOODS

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND

THIS FALL CAMPUS OUTREACH IS EXPANDING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.

Our aim is to set up an outpost for Christ at UMD where the gospel is heard to the ends of the campus. To do that, we want to disciple and equip students to come alongside us to do the same. That is the work happening on all of our campuses and is at the heart of our mission statement: Glorifying God by building laborers on the campus for the lost world.

After serving for the last 3 years at American University, Matt Kohlhepp is moving to nearby College Park to lead the expansion team. Matt will be joined by 3 recent graduates who have chosen to follow the Lord’s leading to a new campus: UMD. So, why are we launching this team to UMD?

First, because Jesus says “the harvest is plentiful.” The University of Maryland has around 40,000 students, roughly the size of all of our current campuses combined. While there are other ministries on campus, there are many corners of the campus that have little active and ongoing Christian witness.

Second, because we’re confident the Lord will bless a new work as He has others in the past. Just 13 years ago, a similar sized team began work at George Washington University. The seeds sown on that campus eventually grew up to become what our team looks like now: over 20 staff on 5 different campuses.

OVER 40K STUDENTS FEWER THAN 10 MILES FROM OUR OFFICE

STUDENTS FROM 49 STATES AND 114 COUNTRIES

UMD TEAM (FROM LEFT): ELLIE, JEFF, MATT, AND ANGIE

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

Despite staff transitions, we were enabled to continue the work that has marked our 6 year ministry at American University. We witnessed the continuation of the same steady work of developing life-long leaders. American University is a very difficult place to be a Christian, and yet, God has continued to work on a dark campus to radically change the lives of a few students. That work can seem humble and small, but we trust it will bear eternal fruit. We’ve seen young believers take steps to share their faith on campus and upperclassmen sacrificing extra time to disciple younger believers. God used these few but mighty sowers to scatter

the seed of His gospel across AU. Over the school year, the good news of Jesus has gone through students and staff to classmates and friends. We have engaged men in fraternities, international students, and students on the club Ultimate Frisbee team relationally and through events. God has especially blessed evangelistic efforts such as our Easter event to expose students to Christ who have never heard the gospel. It is normal to have students come to a Christian event or church for the first time through CO.

STUDENT TESTIMONY: JULIANNE

LEADERSHIP IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Being a part of CO has given me opportunities to learn more about the character of God and deepen my faith. Specifically, the CO New Years Conference allowed me to see that there is a community of believers who are also seeking to glorify God on other campuses. Witnessing this motivated me to do the same by making it a habit to be involved in the lives of other women on my campus in order to encourage one another and cherish Christ more. Winter Retreat also grew my love for the Lord and community and from that, a desire to regularly meet with a CO staff woman to study the Word. Lastly, seeing the faithful leadership of CO staff has helped me see that there is no one size fits all definition for leadership in the Kingdom of God. All He asks of us is a willing heart that He can use for His glory to share the gospel with others.

JULIANNE “

All He asks of us is a willing heart that He can use for His glory to share the gospel with others. “

MULTIPLE EVANGELISTIC RELATIONSHIPS

Over 10% of American University students are involved in Greek Life. This slice of campus can be a spiritually dark place, but it also includes the leaders and influencers on campus. For years we have made a concerted effort to engage this corner of AU. The main way we do this is by facilitating “manhood” discussions. This involves a 45-minute guided conversation with a fraternity chapter or pledge class where we consider questions like “what does it mean to be a good man in the 21st century?” This year we ran these discussions for 3 different fraternities. From these conversations, we have seen multiple evangelistic relationships form and even been able to bring some of these men to evangelistic events. We also are thankful to be positioned as a faculty advisor for the largest fraternity on campus. Pray God would turn this spiritually dark area of campus into a source of spiritual leaders influencing the rest of campus!

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

On a Thursday night, at the start of the spring semester, our staff team and a few of our student leaders were hanging out in a freshmen dorm talking to a Muslim and an atheist. At the same time, on the other end of campus, a student leader was guiding three first year men with nonChristian backgrounds through the Gospels. And at a house off-campus, two other student leaders were challenging a group of upperclassmen men with the piercing text of 1 John.

At the start of fall semester, our staff team charged towards a very specific goal: to develop and deploy evangelistic spiritual leaders. We gathered our leaders around Isaiah 6 and prayed that we would respond with an eager, “Here I am, send me!” (Isaiah 6:8). We held biweekly leaders’ meetings, met with our leaders to work through heart struggles, and equipped them to lead their own Bible studies on campus. The Lord blessed these efforts! Our ministry is growing, and it’s not primarily because of the staff. The students have truly become inviters, Bible study leaders, disciplers, teachers, and leaders. They are sharing the gospel alongside us. And all along, we have watched the Lord refine their faith and push them onward to maturity in Christ.

STUDENT TESTIMONY: TIM

FAITH BORE FRUIT

Coming to Georgetown, I was on a mission of professional self-actualization, which led only to constant discontentment, restlessness, and anxiety. But, by His mercy, God placed me in a local church – and in Campus Outreach. As I observed the lives of Nick and my friends in CO, I began to realize that my vain ambition paled in comparison to their joy in serving Christ. In just a few semesters, Christ turned the truth I knew into truth I felt. I came to see vividly the extent of my sin and His forgiveness. Faith bore fruit, and God worked that I would meet Henry, a freshman, and invite him to CO. God worked that I would lead him in studying Mark and Galatians. God worked that he would profess faith and pursue baptism at our church. And God worked that Henry would eagerly volunteer to go and share his faith this summer in Thailand alongside other CO students on Alpha+. God truly is great!

“

In just a few semesters, Christ turned the truth I knew into truth I felt. ”

STUDENT TESTIMONY: EMILY

GROWING IN BOTH EVANGELISM AND DISCIPLESHIP

Entering college, I was excited about growing in my faith but often dreaded the thought of evangelism, viewing it as a burden rather than a privilege. However, in being discipled by bold and winsome evangelists in CO, I witnessed their love for God and for people, which led to a personal increased desire to share God’s love on campus. This past year, by God’s grace, I began a Lord of the Rings book club with women from diverse religious backgrounds, which gave opportunity to share the gospel frequently and help integrate the women into CO. God also gave me the opportunity to disciple a first year student, meeting weekly to study Ephesians. By growing in both evangelism and discipleship, I feel so much better prepared to be a faithful laborer in the next season of my life in a secular workplace.

GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

The Lord has done so much this year on GW’s campus. We have seen students come to faith, grow in their love for God and His people, and develop strong convictions that have influenced the way they live. Throughout a very transitional year with different staff on and off the campus, we’ve seen God work powerfully even in our weakness. From a fall semester with 500 new contacts, to four different investigative Bible studies, to events like New Years Conference, God has allowed us to see real hunger for the Word of God on a very secular campus. At the semester break, we started an evangelistic series of philosophical discussions, which drew in many skeptics who were willing to engage in spiritual questions for the first time.

One mark of this past year was seeing our student leaders grow in their love for the lost. Their deep trust in the powerful Word of God has allowed them to faithfully live out their faith in front of others and winsomely display the joy of the Christian life. There have been countless examples of leaders inviting friends to events, Bible studies, bringing them to church, and sharing the gospel with them. Praise God for all that He has done!

STUDENT TESTIMONY: LYDIA

CHRIST’S COMPELLING POWER

I could not be more grateful for the CO staff pouring into me. At CO’s Alpha Project last year, I was gripped for the first time by the reality that we share the gospel with others because Christ’s love compels us to. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 says “For the love of Christ controls us because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” This year, the Lord has stirred up new convictions in me to authentically live for Christ and not myself. CO staff have come alongside me and equipped me to do this well. Through learning tools like the bridge diagram and gaining confidence in my identity in Christ I was able to share the gospel on campus with friends for the first time. I have been freed from feeling ashamed of the gospel, and have seen the power of God at work in my friends’ lives in remarkable ways.

LYDIA “

At CO’s Alpha Project last year, I was gripped for the first time by the reality that we share the gospel with others because Christ’s love compels us to. ”

STUDENT TESTIMONY: ALVIN

GROWING THROUGH CHRIST AND COMMUNITY

God used CO this year to powerfully bring about transformation and renewal in my life. During my first year of college, my spiritual life was lagging: I was isolated, unmotivated, lacking the regular encouragement of being around other believers. I see now how I was more focused on prioritizing academics than honoring God. All of that changed once I got connected to CO. I’ve made strides in prioritizing God above everything else. My walk with God is in such a different place today: I’m eager to meet with the Lord in Word and prayer, I joined a local church in DC, and I’m in close fellowship with my Christian friends at GW. Our men’s discipleship group, led by Austin Keisling has had a huge impact on my spiritual walk with Christ. We’ve explored the book of James, confessed our sins to each other, and learned practical ways to advance the kingdom of God on GW’s campus. I’m truly thankful for how God is equipping me to labor in His harvest field at GW.

HOWARD UNIVERSITY

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” This past school year we identified Hebrews 13:8 as our theme verse for our student leaders. The author of Hebrews reminds believers to remain firm in the truth that Jesus Christ never changes. Jesus Christ, and the presence of His grace, remains the same no matter our circumstances. This theme verse propelled our student leaders to multiply their lives into others through evangelism, service, discipleship, Bible studies, fun social events, and prayer. We have witnessed many students come to know Jesus, love Jesus, and choose Jesus over the idols of the college campus. There have been many Wednesday night Bible studies on campus that have been “standing room only” as students have heard about the ministry through social media or word of mouth and come to see what God is doing. CO has developed quite a reputation on campus as a group of believers deeply gripped by the truth of God’s Word and eager to share it with others. The One who never changes has continued to do awesome things at Howard!

STUDENT TESTIMONY: JOSIAH

THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF LIFE-ON-LIFE MINISTRY “

JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY AND TODAY AND FOREVER ”

HEBREWS 13:8

Through Campus Outreach I’ve come to understand the critical importance of life-on-life ministry. I came to college as a young believer, battling with sin and isolation. I knew I needed fellowship. When I got connected to CO as a freshman I realized the Christian walk wasn’t just supposed to involve others at a distance.

As Jesus truly lived with and alongside his disciples, so should I. Last summer I was able to join the Alpha+ team in Khon Kaen, Thailand. More than anything else, I was struck by how the Thai staff ministered to others.

They truly came alongside unbelievers to walk with them: board games, volleyball, eating, you name it - they were doing life with those they wanted to know Jesus. I’ve been doing the same ever since, even as an Resident Assistant in my dorm at Howard.

ENYA

“

My life was changed drastically because of Kayla’s commitment to discipling me, and I want to continue teaching and serving future generations of Howard women in the same way ”

STUDENT TESTIMONY:

THE HOPE OF THE GOSPEL

Being involved in Campus Outreach has been such a blessing to me these past four years, and part of that blessing is in seeing how my ministry has blessed and grown my peers. This semester, God used the women’s Bible study to grow me in leadership and teaching skills, discipling younger women, and studying His word more deeply. Over the past 4 years, Kayla and other CO staff and students have invested greatly into my spiritual life, and it has been so humbling to be able to pour into the younger women during my senior year. I decided I wanted to come on staff at Howard because there are so many students who are yearning for the hope of the gospel but have no one committed to walking alongside them spiritually. My life was changed drastically because of Kayla’s commitment to discipling me, and I want to continue teaching and serving future generations of Howard women in the same way.

ENYA

ALPHA PROJECT: “I AM”

The tag-line to the Alpha Project is “start your summer well.” It’s a three week, life-giving intensive designed to put students into a spiritual greenhouse where they can learn, fellowship, and grow. Ending before most internships begin, Alpha offers a low-barrier way for us to equip students to walk with God over their summers. This year, our theme was “I AM” as we focused on God’s glory and transcendence, hoping to inspire students towards a greater fear and love of the Lord. Almost 50 of our students joined us this year, and we witnessed God work in incredible ways.

ALPHA+

For the students who desired a more intentional ministry opportunity for the entire summer, we offered two separate international trips in partnership with Campus Outreach organizations in Khon Kaen Thailand and Dunedin New Zealand. These build on the disciplines and evangelistic focus of the Alpha Project by placing students in an environment where they had opportunities to regularly build relationships and share the gospel with students across cultural barriers. Over the years we’ve seen returning students invigorated in their faith, filled with a desire to evangelize, and matured in leadership abilities. We’re hopeful that the Lord will do the same this year with the teams that went to Khon Kaen and Dunedin!

KHON KAEN, THAILAND

DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND

2022-2023

TOTAL BUDGET: $1,420,423

CAMPUS OUTREACH DC’S RESOURCE CENTER

In many ways, CO DC’s resource center flourishes with the “measurables.” We receive and process your gifts, find housing and meals for students at catalytic events, think for the salaries and benefits that keep staff going, and do countless other things that might find themselves at home on a spreadsheet. Yet in all this, we aim to set our eyes just as firmly on the things that can’t be measured. Your gifts turn into Bible studies and discipleship groups that, Lord willing, multiply for years to come. Rooms and meals at events facilitate life-long friendships and help build a gathering place for compelling Christian community. And stable, wellcared for staff become life-long ambassadors for Christ on the campus.

The resource office is the bridge between the measurable and the immeasurable, and, more than that, we so often get to be one of the bridges between your practical support of Campus Outreach DC and “the fruit that increases to your credit” (Philippians 4:17) on the campus.

“From the moment we planted Cheverly Baptist Church one of our great prayers was that God would open a door to effective ministry on the campus of the University of Maryland. Our upcoming partnership with Campus Outreach is an answer to those prayers. We are excited to see how God uses Matt Kohlhepp and the rest of the CO team to bring UMD students to faith in Jesus Christ. Likewise, our congregation is eager to partner in this work through evangelism, discipling, hospitality, and welcoming students into our lives. We are honored to be a part of this work and are thrilled to be partnering with CO to see Jesus’s name glorified on the campus of UMD.”

– John Joseph, Senior Pastor of Cheverly Baptist Church

CHURCH PARTNERSHIP: CHEVERLY BAPTIST CHURCH

GLORIFYING GOD BY BUILDING LABORERS ON THE CAMPUS FOR THE LOST WORLD.

codc@campusoutreach.org

www.campusoutreachdc.org (202) 543-6111

Washington, DC 20002