With all the work that goes into our conference season, one might wonder why we put on so many conferences during the school year. Is it that students don’t have enough to do? We know that is certainly not the case.
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So, why does Campus Crusade for Christ put on multiple conferences during the year? It is because, although God is not limited to, He chooses to work in the hearts of students through these weekends away from the stressful, hectic college environment. It was at a Christmas Conference that I felt God tug my heart towards investigating what He might have for me within this ministry called Campus Crusade for Christ. It was during the next summer project that the Lord called me into full time ministry, to use the skills and abilities that He has given me.
One of the joys I have each year is to share my story and give students with similar abilities to mine a taste of what it looks like to use those skills in ministry. During the past few Christmas Conferences, I have directed a team of video students during the production of each meeting. One student this year was Ty. He is a Junior at Ohio University who is interested in seeing how he could use his video production skills in ministry.
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I met with Ty and Jacob (also a video production major) at Christmas Conference and was able to share how I see my skills used for the Lord everyday on staff with Crusade. I told them about our internship possibilities and about Crossroads, our summer project in the Great Lakes regional office focused on giving students with operational abilities and skills an opportunity to use them in ministry. Ty told me… “That is exactly what I needed to hear. I didn’t even know that Crossroads existed.” I was excited to invite him to join me this summer.
Another conference that we put on every other year is for Juniors and Seniors, with a focus on eternal perspective and Christian Worldview, in hopes that students will really wrestle with where the Lord is leading them in their lives after college. Bacho, one of the speakers the first night, challenged the students with this: “Don’t be comfortable with what is easy. Are you trusting the Lord? Are you willing to let go of your future? Step out into what the Lord really wants for you instead of holding on so tightly to it.” Ty told me later that night that his plan was to get a job on campus to make money and realized that it was the safe thing to do and he really wasn’t trusting the Lord with his life. Ty has dropped his summer plans and has decided to join me this summer on Crossroads SP.
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These experiences remind me that we are not in the business of conferences, but we are in the business of changed lives. I know the Lord has already been working in Ty’s life. I hope that Ty is able to grow closer to the Lord and continue to become a man of God this summer, with an added benefit of being able to use his skills to expand the reach of the Gospel. I pray that all the students I get an opportunity to work with and influence this summer will walk away realizing that they are not Designers, Writers, Accountants, Web Developers and Video Producers who happen to be Christians, but that they are Christians who happen to be Designers, Writers, Accountants, Web Developers and Video Producers.
Please Pray
> That students would take a step of faith and trust God for what He would have for them this summer. That those going on SP would trust the Lord and see their support raised during the spring
> As we prepare for our summer project this summer. Ryan will be leading the Crossroads project in Indianapolis again.