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!

Trading Laziness for Mission

Last Wednesday was a very special night for me. Around 40 or 50 students gathered in the Coffee House of Craige dorm to reflect on and celebrate the lives of our graduating seniors and the work that God has done in them and through them over the course of their college careers. It was special for me because it gave me a chance to publicly communicate how thankful I am to God for each of them and how encouraged and enriched I've been by their friendships. I had the privilege of leading three out of the four men we honored to Christ when they were freshmen and I discipled all four throughout there time in college. I gave my life to these four men and being able to stand up and honor them in front of so many people was something I'll never forget. The amazing thing is none of these guys were Christians when they stepped foot on Chapel Hill's campus. A few thought they were and one was a self proclaimed atheist but through relational deposits and exposure to God's word I watch them, one by one,  surrender their lives to Jesus. I watched them trade the approval of man for the glory of God. I watched them trade laziness for mission. I watched them trade being influenced to influencing others. I watched them make self sacrificing, God honoring decisions day by day. All four of them lived in a freshman dorm throughout college..unheard of! They labored there with the goal and prayer of reproducing their lives and making disciples. All four gave up their summer plans to be trained and equipped for kingdom work. Last summer I had the privilege to lead our Cross Cultural Project and I wanted my men with me. All four of these guys labored by me as we tried to advance the gospel in a foreign land. I'll never forget those two months and how he used that time to turn those guys from boys to men. With graduation on the horizon my time with these guys is coming to an end. Brooks is moving to Denver to plug in with a church plant. Adam is doing the same in Greensboro. Drew is coming on staff with us at Duke. And Will is working a job in Durham. It will never look the same. But last Wednesday as I looked around the room all I could see was the legacy they were leaving behind. They multiplied. They are leaving but their fruit is still here. How great is our God! He can take atheist boys and make them into godly men that will labor for the rest of their lives to bless others. Not to us O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory.

Blog Post By: Erik McKee

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

Ready, Break!

March is a wonderful time of year, not only because winter is coming to an end (sorry I’m a summer guy), but also because college students in Raleigh are going on Spring Break.  NC State, UNC, Duke and Campbell have the same week off in March (2^nd-9^th).  This is a very important time for the staff and students to rest from a season of meeting students and sharing the Gospel with them.  Student leaders are encouraged to use their spring break wisely. For example, some students are using the break to continue to build relationships lost people or some who have become Christians throughout the year. Also, many seniors are using the time to prepare for life after college by looking for jobs or beginning to raise support to go into full-time ministry. 

As a region, we begin to shift our focus to the summer training projects that we provide.   This summer, Campus Outreach is holding four projects over the summer; one stateside (Summer Orlando Project) and three abroad (Cross Cultural Projects). The rest of March and April will be important for recruitment and preparation for these projects.

Pray that our staff team will rest over Spring Break and our student leaders will continue to pursue God while at home or away.

Blog Post By: Craig Golden

Big Things Happening in the Spring!

This year we saw God bring more students than we’ve ever had on our spring semester retreat! More than 290 students packed up and headed to Asheville, North Carolina for the weekend of February 24-26^th. Our regional director, Bowe Butler, talked to us about Jesus’ calling for each of us to be disciples and what that means.  He emphasized the importance of spending time learning from God’s Word and having older Christians in your life to help you do so. There was plenty of free time on Saturday for students to ski, hike or learn to shag dance. I went skiing with a bunch of girls from UNC, and I have never laughed so hard in my life!

Many students came out of the weekend wanting to get involved with bible  studies and learn more about Jesus and the Bible! The UNC campus started 6 new Bible Studies this week coming off of the retreat for any students who were interested; more than 40 students are now attending these studies!  Please keep our students in your prayers as they learn this semester what it means to be a disciple of Christ and study His word. 

Blog Post By: Kate Freeman