Our neighbors just discovered that their roof had been leaking for about a decade, completely rotting the interior framework in the front of their house. Under the surface of nicely painted drywall was chaos, and they had no idea. They literally have to go back to the foundation and reframe the walls.

Similarly, discipleship is a process of both deconstruction and reconstruction. It isn’t just about learning new things; it’s also about “unlearning” or dismantling our presumptions, experiences, and expectations that have been shaped by something other than the Gospel and then being “reconstructed,” built up into Christ Jesus, who is the true foundation. Discipleship is becoming like Jesus by being with Jesus; an experiential, relational knowing. It is being spiritually formed by the Word in the dailyness of life and within authentic, grace-infused community. It is sharing His heart for the lost, the poor, and the broken in tangible, life-giving ways. It is being equipped and sent out to live for the glory of Christ and His Kingdom.

The invitation Jesus gives to “come and follow” is a lifelong process of “reframing,” but the college years are especially significant. The following pages offer a snapshot of what God has been building in and through the lives of students at Campus House over the last year.

Throughout the report, you’ll read stories of God’s transformative work in current students and alums living out discipleship in the context of everyday life. The reframing process of discipleship has run in tandem with the preparation to literally “reframe” the brick and mortar building, and we included part of that story here, as well.

REACH

We are called to announce the Good News that God’s Kingdom is here and now. We seek to encourage Purdue students to place their confidence in Jesus, invite them into Gospel-centered community, and engage culture for the flourishing of Purdue and Greater Lafayette.

I can remember my first time at Greyhouse in February of 2018. I had recently given my life to Jesus, and a friend invited me to meet over coffee at Greyhouse. That first meeting evolved into a string of regular meetings that transformed our friendship into my first ever experience of Christian discipleship. It became routine to spend two or three hours on Monday evenings discussing the ways that the Lord was teaching me about my identity as a son, showing me how to pursue righteous excellence rather than self-serving perfectionism, and establishing my new membership in the greater Christian body at Purdue.

In August of 2018, I was hired as a barista at Greyhouse and had begun to attend the Campus House Sunday services more regularly. In the year and a half since then, I have walked through numerous life changes, including the divorce of my parents and a change of major from electrical engineering to kinesiology. Despite these changes, Greyhouse has remained constant. When I walk through its doors, I am warmly welcomed by my coworkers and the countless customers that I have grown to cherish and enjoy. Greyhouse has played a substantial role in my testimony, and I’m grateful for the opportunities it gives me to share my God-given joy with everyone who walks through its doors.

This past January, Campus House also provided me with the opportunity to partner with them on a week-long Vision Trip to Ecuador. On the trip, God opened up new doors to connections stretching from Purdue all the way to Camp Bellavista in Urcuqui, Ecuador.

“Greyhouse has played a substantial role in my testimony, and I’m grateful for the opportunities it gives me to share my God-given joy with everyone who walks through
its doors.”

Biblically-Sound Teaching Series

The Book of Amos

Understanding and seeking God’s justice and righteousness

Reframing Church

Studying the identity and function of “Church” through Ephesians

The Emmaus Road

Walking toward Easter through the narrative in Luke 24

Backstory

Exploring specific psalms in their Old Testament contexts

The Book of Acts

Examining the purposes and practices of the early Church

“There is a shared mission across denominational lines and backgrounds as we honor the Kingdom work each other is doing at Purdue. This is what has been so encouraging about the Slayter worship nights that have inaugurated the last two years: dozens of ministries and churches and hundreds of worshippers gathering together to celebrate the goodness of our shared life in Christ.”
– Ralph McCoy, Worship Pastor

EQUIP

We are called to be disciples, personally and corporately growing into the likeness of Christ. We aim to help Purdue students become attentive to His presence, live under His Lordship, and pursue spiritual maturity together.

When I first came to Purdue, my roommate and I began to look for a church that we might enjoy going to on campus, and relatively quickly into our search, we discovered Campus House. During my sophomore year, I felt the Lord pushing me to get more involved, so I joined one of the Community Groups. At this point, I really began to see God’s love through Campus House, as I was able to learn and grow from the strong, biblically based teachings on Sunday and the deep community involvement through our small groups. It has been a common theme that the more I am involved in Campus House, the more I see God’s love not only for myself, but for and through all those around me.

Toward the end of my junior year, I was encouraged to consider leading a group the following year. I have always been confident with one-on-one discussions, and even in front of a very large crowd, but I knew that facilitating a discussion amongst a smaller group was not my strong suit. After a lot of prayer and discussion with those around me, I felt the Lord wanted to use me as a leader of a small group, and that I needed to be flexible and step outside of my comfort zone. Besides, how else do people grow except by going beyond their own comfort? Since then, my experience as a Community Group leader has drastically grown me in my faith (and prayerfully those around me, as well).

This past summer, especially, God had been teaching and showing me peace. Through school, an internship, travel, and more, He really took the time to bring me peace amidst some rather stressful situations. This year, I feel He has truly been showing me His love.

The people around me have shown me God’s love during my struggles. He has taken the time to show me His love in little things throughout the day, as well as in broader things like community. Whatever it may be, I feel that despite myself and my many flaws, He has constantly been drawing me closer to Him.

“I began to see God’s love through Campus House, as I was able to learn and grow from the strong, biblically-based teachings on Sunday and the deep community involvement through our small groups.”

“I found myself feeling alone during my first year, and I would constantly be at Joshua House to retreat and regenerate in a safe place for a few hours a week. I felt like I was a little glimpse of light trying to penetrate the constant darkness, but if I wasn’t careful, I would be snuffed out. Joshua House was a place where I could go to rekindle the flame that was so fragile. Living in Joshua House, my situation has completely flipped. I no longer feel alone in my effort to show God’s light to the world, but I now instead have an entire house of men that have the combined effort toward the same cause.”
– Nate Shumaker, J-House Resident

Servant

Servant Council loves and supports the Campus House community by carrying out the logistics of weekly gatherings and acting as a conduit between the ministry and the Purdue community.

MOBILIZE

We are called to join God’s work of restoration in the world. We desire to commission Purdue students to live under Jesus’ authority and for His Kingdom in all areas of life.

I knew about Campus House before I even stepped onto Purdue’s campus. A mentor of mine was active at Campus House and loved her experience there, so I thought it could be a home for me, as well. I’d been active in my faith since early high school, so I really knew that having a strong church community was important to me, and it was something I was actively looking for. I went to a worship night during freshman orientation and immediately felt at home.

Approaching my senior year, everything felt like a giant question mark. I really had no plan, and as a bit of a perfectionist, I didn’t like that there was no plan. The summer before senior year, I had a “dream” internship, but I learned that it wasn’t what I wanted to do long-term, and my plan fell apart. In all honesty, I was nervous to jump into the next stage because I loved the life I had at Purdue and what God blessed me with during my time at school. A question that I faced was, “Will post-grad life be a disappointment?”

For me, one of the most beneficial things about Senior EXIT was that it was practical in nature. It was refreshing to not just hear what felt like, “Trust God; good luck.” Senior EXIT really equips you with the resources on what it looks like to build a post-grad life following God’s lead. I really liked the lesson on decision making and how to rely on mentors to provide wisdom for decisions. I also really liked the lessons about friendships and community. Outside of college, maintaining friends takes work, and building new friendships takes work, but it’s so worth it! Senior EXIT, as a whole, taught me how to partner with God in post-grad life.

As my career starts, God is continuing to teach me the balance of fully utilizing the gifts He gave me without leaning into perfectionism. How do I give work my all, but not put my entire identity in it? I am slowly, fully learning in my heart that work is worship, not performative, which is something that I need to remind myself of every day. Also, God is teaching me what it truly means to trust Him. In school, if you put in the correct input, you get the desired output most of the time. In reality, you can do everything “right,” and it might not work out. The promotion, the positive affirmation from a supervisor, or whatever else you desire is not always going to happen. God is continuing to show me how to trust His timing in all things.

“I am slowly, fully learning in my heart that work is worship, not performative, which is something that I need to remind myself of every day.”

BUILDING CAMPAIGN

More Than Just a New Building

Explore the Vision for a New House

The last few years, we’ve explored the possibility of a new home for Campus House: a place that would bless future generations of Boilermakers, as well as the Purdue community and the city. Through months of prayer, discussion, and exploration, we felt God kept bringing us back to this: building a new facility–on the same footprint– is our best option to effectively minister to students for years to come.

Our Staff Family

 Working toward familial love and effectiveness.