“Do you realize what kind of opportunity you have here? Some of the best and brightest minds from around the world, many of whom would never set foot in a church building, coming here to receive a meal and then encountering Jesus through His people! Do you know how awesome this is?”
Ritshi, a PhD student from India and follower of Jesus, had caught me after our annual Welcome Dinner for international students new to campus and put our heart behind hosting the dinner into words. And I agreed with him: it was “awesome.”
On Sunday morning the “awesomeness” continued as hundreds gathered for worship, and many responded to the invitation to “say ‘yes’ to the One who has already said ‘yes’ to [them].” Sunday afternoon was spent pouring into and hearing from our student leaders. Sunday evening was our monthly dinner equipping the growing collection of non-undergrads who have a heart for God
to transform this campus. And this was all before classes began
on Monday!
As we mark the one-year anniversary of the new Campus House, we are filled with gratitude and wonder for the beauty and functionality of the space. Even more, we are grateful for the multi-faceted ministry within these walls that continues to spill over and ripple throughout the campus, city, and (quite literally) around the world. In many ways, this last year felt like we were starting over, reestablishing a shared culture and context for discipleship and mission. That journey continues with our theme for this year: Time to Build Together. In Ephesians, Paul writes, “In [Christ Jesus] you are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the spirit” (Eph. 2:22). The past few years have been a process of reframing the House into the kind of “dwelling place” that we feel God is calling us to be in our unique context. Part of this is, essentially, to plant a Jesus-centered community of local, multigenerational, multi-ethnic, and multiplicative believers within our campus ministry. We believe this trajectory gives a fuller picture of the Body of Christ and enables greater impact, both within the campus community and as a sending base for mission and ministry.
Please pray that we will continue to have a kind of bi-focal lens: that we would faithfully reach, equip, and send those who are in the four-year whirlwind of college life and that we would continue becoming a fuller expression of missional church community that students can experience and replicate. Most of all, pray that we will always keep our eyes fixed on the One who brought us to this place.
We continue to be reminded of the fact that, whatever God calls His people to do, He equips and provides what is needed.
Thank you for your partnership in this good work!
In Christ,
Rob Schrumpf, on behalf of
the Campus House Staff Family