“What’s changed at Purdue and at Campus House?”
In conversations with alumni, it’s not uncommon for this question to come up. In some ways, the answer is “not much.” Purdue students are still hungry for the hope, meaning, and mission that come from life with Jesus and His people, whether they know it yet or not. As it always has, our longing for each student to know His love animates our work. But in other ways, the answer is “a lot.” While the Gospel is the same, students are navigating unique challenges compared to 50, 30, 15, or even five years ago. In a digitally-saturated, post-pandemic world, they’re experiencing increased isolation, anxiety, and spiritual lostness—all in the midst of an increasingly competitive campus environment. Between online classes, more students living off campus, and heightened pressure on performance, Purdue students are longing for—needing—spiritual family in new ways.
What an opportunity for those of us who belong to the family of Jesus.
Campus House is, and always has been, a Christ-centered community where Purdue students are invited to encounter Jesus, be formed in His ways, and live on mission for His Kingdom—but what that looks like in the day-to-day is ever-changing, ever-growing. The New Testament writers used various metaphors to describe what a Jesus-centered community is like: the Body of Christ, living stones being built together, a priesthood of all believers, branches attached to the Vine. What is true about all of these descriptions is that they are rather organic. Whereas an organization has an emphasis on predictability, productivity, and preservation, an organism—though obviously structured, integrated, and intricate in its design—is continually responding, adapting, and growing as its environment changes. It needs less of a template, more of a trellis.
While change is a constant in every Christian community, one might argue that when your community is in the heart of a college campus, change is accelerated. In May, I completed my 70th semester at Campus House, and each of them has been different as we seek to listen and respond to where God is leading. Over the past few years, in particular, He’s been graciously revealing His heart for Campus House to become a fuller expression of His Body, incrementally gathering a core group of about 120 year-round, non-student community members into our midst. Some of them—young professionals, families, empty nesters—simply found Campus House as they searched for a Jesus-centered community in which to belong. Others are recent Purdue graduates who have chosen to live and work locally to continue to participate in the missional momentum they experienced as students. Still others are Purdue faculty or Campus House alums from decades past with a shared heart for campus.
As we’ve recognized our students’ need for a fuller expression of Christ-centered family in the midst of changing cultural challenges, God has answered our prayers through these people. It has been a gift to see so many of the hundreds of undergraduates who call Campus House home flourish in new ways alongside those in different life stages. What used to primarily be the domain of the staff—from conversations and prayer after services to one-on-one mentoring and discipleship—is now shared with others in the Body. And our students, in turn, have opportunities to serve their church community in new ways, from loving and pouring into kids in Sunday school each week to spurring on those of us with gray hair with their hearts for Christ’s Kingdom. Students are tasting the life that comes from participating in this sense of family. We cannot wait to see the ways in which they take the gifts and perspectives they’ve developed at Campus House into churches, families, and communities across the country and around the world.
This opportunity for relationship and shared mission across generations of Jesus-followers has been life-giving for all of us. And it has also challenged us to grow. Several months ago, our staff engaged in a 40-day time of prayer and discernment. In light of the new ways God is calling us to grow and serve as a ministry, it became clear to me personally, and to our team collectively, that He was inviting me into a new season—not away from Campus House leadership, but into a different role that is more congruent with both the needs of our ministry and the stewardship of my gifts, making space for me to continue to teach, write, and disciple students while also ministering more collaboratively with Lea in her role of pastoral care. It also became evident that Shane Good, a valued member of our ministry team, is the best choice to lead Campus House as we grow deeper into our calling to be Jesus-centered family for this generation of Purdue students.
Shane is a trusted member of our team who, alongside his wife Erin, has been an integral part of our community and staff the last several years. As Purdue alumni, the Goods have prayed diligently for two decades for Purdue’s campus, and they moved here eight years ago to be positioned to reach students for Jesus. Shane is a pastoral visionary who has both pastored a local church in northern Indiana and led within a global church network. He’s gifted in leading teams and raising up leaders of all ages, but especially youth and young adults, to live on mission for Christ’s Kingdom—work he has already begun in our midst as our Greyhouse Chaplain. Our whole team—Lea and myself, Ken, Dave, the rest of our staff, the Greyhouse team, and our Board of Directors—love and trust Shane and Erin immensely. We are truly excited to see and participate in what God will do through Shane’s leadership.
In terms of timing for this transition, Shane and I, alongside the rest of our team, are already working closely together to discern how we can best serve within our giftings as we move into a new season. On Sunday, September 8, I will officially hand the proverbial baton of organizational leadership, vision, and trajectory to Shane and step into a new role, continuing to love and serve our Body and Purdue’s campus under his leadership. It’s an immense gift to be a part of a leadership transition marked by mutual honor and a deep sense of God’s grace and provision. Shane and I have filmed a conversation about the coming season, which we invite you to watch at the end of this letter. If you have questions, we would love to connect and share more with you about where God’s leading us—feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] and [email protected].
This transition is about far more than just Shane and me. It’s about positioning each member of our staff team, each student, and each member of the Campus House community to use our unique gifts to love and serve our campus, our city, and the world. It’s about listening and responding to Christ’s call to be a place and people where Purdue students experience life that is truly life, and a trellis upon which they can grow in Him. It’s about equipping all of us, individually and collectively, to live as a family on mission for His Kingdom.
In this season, we need your prayers on our behalf. We’re excited about where God’s leading us—and at the same time, changes always come with challenges as we navigate shifting roles, responsibilities, and relational dynamics. Will you pray for Shane and me, that we will have grace for each other and ourselves as we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus? Will you pray for our staff team, that we will navigate shifting responsibilities with care and wisdom while continuing to shepherd our students and community well? Will you pray with and for our Body, that through the Holy Spirit and the Campus House community, more Purdue students will come to know Jesus, His family, and what it means to live into His Kingdom calling on their lives?
God’s steadfast love is the impetus for our stepping into change and saying “yes” to ongoing transformation, both individually and collectively. He has been beyond faithful to Campus House over the years, providing exactly what we need for each season in the life of our ministry. Each of you are a part of that—through your prayers, presence, encouragement, and financial support, you make Campus House a community where the Gospel can flourish. Thank you for pursuing Him with us.
In Christ,
Rob Schrumpf, Lead Pastor
On Behalf of the Campus House Staff
