Passing of the Baton

There is just something about April on Chapel Hill’s campus that brings about a new life and a new momentum, where you can literally see a change in the students’ lives. The upper and lower quads at UNC are full of students laying out, doing last minute readings for their classes, and throwing the Frisbee to one another. Countdowns have begun until the famous LDOC (last day of class), which is 2 weeks and counting and graduation pictures have initiated next to the famous Old Well.

While the end of the school year is full of excitement and built up momentum, one of the most bittersweet moments that we face as a staff team is saying goodbye to the seniors in Campus Outreach. Every year, we host a Senior Night for the seniors in our ministry, giving the younger student leaders the opportunity to thank and encourage the seniors who have had an impact on their lives through discipleship and ministry. With drinks and desserts, students and seniors receive the opportunity to offer advice to one another and reflect on the power of Christ in their relationships and on the campus. Senior Night is similar to the hand-off of a baton, with seniors handing off their wisdom and responsibility to the younger students, giving them ownership and tools to do ministry the following year. 

From UNC alone, we have a total of 10 seniors who are graduating this spring and are choosing to do a Go Now commitment for two years with the Summit Church and Campus Outreach. These commitments range from overseas missions in Malaysia, church planting in Baltimore with the Summit Church, going on staff with CO Raleigh, and doing missions in the local Durham neighborhoods.

Please pray for our seniors as they come to an end with their college career and begin the transition to living outside of a college ministry. Pray that they would value seeking community and discipleship in the context they are in. Pray for their support as some of the seniors begin raising support to go overseas or on staff with Campus Outreach. And lastly, pray that they would see the power of the Holy Spirit move through the people they are reaching out to and see lives change as a result of the gospel. 

Blog Post By: Stefanie Watts

RE-LAX BRO!

Lacrosse isn't just for the men, and one of our newest staff members set out to prove that by winning a National Championship.  Alexis Thieme, who will be working at Duke, was on the winning team at the Womens Club Lacrosse DII title last month held in Colorodo Springs, CO.  She had two goals for Carolina in the championship game and was also the captain of the team this year.  We are excited to have Alexis join our staff team this year as she makes the transition from UNC to Duke.

Here is a link to the article on their recent victory!

Topsail Beach...It's a Shore Thing

Last weekend, two of our campuses hosted a beach weekend in Topsail Island called “It’s a Shore Thing.” This spring beach weekend was my absolute favorite event when I was a college student involved in Campus Outreach, and it continues to be my favorite as a staff person.

                  Don’t get me wrong; I love our fall and winter retreats, Christmas Conference, Summer Orlando Project, and many of the other events we host for students. They are all incredibly instrumental to building a foundation on Christ, the Rock. At these events I learned how to study God’s Word, what it looks like to depend on Him through prayer, how to love and serve others, how to value the mornings, how to be a good steward of my time and resources, among many other invaluable applications.

                  I think the reason I love the spring beach weekend the most, though, is because of the relationships. The weekend isn’t structured like a retreat- we don’t have a speaker, or a schedule, or a worship band, or a booklet to take notes in. All we do is rent a few beach houses and get as many people as possible to come down to the beach and hang out for the weekend.

                  As a new believer, it was really cool the first time I went on this beach weekend, to see how much fun Christians have together, how they are not just a bunch of fuddy-duddies, but just normal people who happen to love God more than anything else. This past weekend, 100 total students came down to stay in 4 big houses that we rented. We watched a ton of March Madness, played basketball and volleyball at a park near the house, went kayaking, and had a huge meal together with the guys and girls houses on Saturday night. And of course there was shag dancing on the beach after our meal! On both Saturday and Sunday morning, we got up and cooked breakfast at the house, and then looked at the Bible together for an hour. On Saturday we explored the parable of the Sower, and on Sunday we observed Jesus’ teaching on the wise and foolish builders. In the midst of all this informal, fun activity, we were also able to look at God’s Word together. I think everybody who came really enjoyed those times in the mornings.

                  I made some new friends over the weekend, and I think everybody who went can say the same. There is no testimony more attractive than believers loving one another. In John 13 Jesus says, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, by the love you have for one another.”

Blog Post By: Grant Miller

Building Laborers:Interview with Drew Kidwell

Q: What did you find life in before you became a Christian?

A: I thought I had it all in high school.  I played sports, I had a cheerleader girlfriend, and I got good grades.  I also went to church pretty consistently, but I definitely viewed God as a God of "No."  I treated Christianity like a tally list; as long as I avoided the things God says "No" to and did the things God says "Yes" to, I was convinced God would be pleased with me. So that was pretty much my understanding of what it meant to be a Christian before I got to college.

Q:  You mentioned that you thought you had it all; what happened when you got to college?

A: I get to college and made that transition. All the things that made me who I was were all of a sudden stripped from me.  I no longer played organized sports, I broke up with my girlfriend, and good grades were a lot harder to come by.  Some fundamental questions started surfacing and I started to ask what my purpose in life was, whether or not there was even a God, questions like this.  Around this same time, I got asked to go to fall retreat. I ended up going, and I remember sitting in the back and thinking that the whole retreat was kind of weird. I can't tell you particulars from the talk, but I do remember seeing people worship. The way they praised Jesus was unlike anything I had ever seen. It became obvious that they had something that I did not have and I wanted it.  I got back to Chapel Hill and a week later in Starbucks off of Franklin Street I acknowledged that I was a sinner and I made the decision to surrender my life to Christ.

Q: So what changed in your life after that over the last 3 years? Was there a verse that really speaks to the transformation that took place in your life?

A:  I remember John 10:10 from when I first became a Christian. It says, "The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I [Jesus] have come that you might have life and have it abundantly."  At that point, the God of "No" became a resounding God of "Yes."  But being a Christian wasn't easy by any means.  I have to continually tell myself not to treat God like a God of "No."  I have to constantly tear up my tally list. I had to remember that I was saved by grace through faith--- not by works.

Q: I know that you've decided to go to Kenya after you graduate. Why are you going to Kenya?

A: I just want to take what my life has been about here for the past 3 years, which is desiring for people to experience the abundant life in Jesus that I've had the joy of experiencing, and apply it to a different context in Kenya.  I know that there are people who have yet to hear and respond to the Gospel, and I want to give them an opportunity to respond.  God has been laying a foundation through His Word these past 3 years that has crafted my desires and my passions, which have led me to this decision.  He's given me so many opportunities to step out in faith and trust Him.  He's done nothing but bless those decisions and say "Yes."  And another thing that has really been a source of encouragement throughout this whole process have been my friends, who are making similar decisions.  It is so evident that their allegiance is to Jesus; not to what Jesus can give them or anything else. Their allegiance is to Jesus. Any one of them could tell a story about how God has interrupted their lives and radically transformed them to make decisions to go to Malaysia, to Kenya, to Greensboro, to go on staff, to enter into the secular workforce and be a witness to people in the secular world. So I just exhort each one of you to seek Jesus first in your life and to find the abundant life in him in whatever you do.

I’ve had the privilege of being a spiritual influence in Drew’s life for two years and he is living reminder to me that God is with us and that he wants to make his name famous at UNC and throughout the world!

Drew is pictured below with Sam (a guy from Palestine that he befriended on the CCP).

Blog Post By: Erik McKee

UNC Road Trip Summary

We're back from our Fall Retreat and couldn't be more amazed at how God is working! The Lord extended his grace to us in so many ways during our time there. Not only did everything go smoothly with traveling and accommodations, but our emcee's and speaker (our very own Bowe Butler) did an outstanding job. We as a staff team are blown away at what Christ did throughout the weekend, and in the hearts of our students. 

During the retreat, we saw six students from UNC surrender their lives to Christ for the first time! Its amazing to see the way Jesus worked through so many friendships and relationships that have been built so far this year. Each one of the students that gave their lives to Christ shared that they have never felt as loved by anyone else before, and that their relationships with our student leaders are so different than the rest of their friendships. Its such a clear testimony to God's process and grace in growing our leader's hearts as they are walking with Jesus, and loving the people around them. 


As thankful that we are to see this many students become Christians, our true passion is to see them become disciples who love God passionately and follow Him whole-heartedly. Please pray with us as we ask Jesus to work in the hearts of these students, to exalt Christ on UNC's campus!

- Katie Conger (UNC Staff)