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Michael Baird

baird_michael.jpg“I came to college as a Christian and I am sure I would have left college an agnostic if it wasn’t for the CCO’s ministry at Kenyon,” says Michael Baird. “Some of the experiences I had and friends I made early on in college kicked the foundation out from under my spiritual journey up to that point in my life. Without individuals like [CCO staff worker] Chris White, I would have lost my footing completely.”

Michael was first introduced to the CCO’s ministry at Kenyon College through a freshmen Bible study. “I was a little flaky the first two years of college but became much more involved in the ministry my junior year,” he says. “I was an athlete at Kenyon and most of my close relationships were tied to the team I was a part of. My senior year, Chris kicked my butt in gear and got me involved in a much broader level of commitment in my faith.”

When Michael attended the Jubilee conference, he was introduced to Christian resources he’d never dreamed of before. “What impacted me most at Jubilee was the exposure Byron Borger’s book table gave me to Christian literature. I had no idea what resources were out there prior to meeting Byron. The books he introduced me to at Jubilee and the books he continues to connect me with have changed my life in a radical way.”

After graduating from Kenyon in 2003, Michael joined CCO staff himself to reach out to student athletes at Carnegie Mellon University. Today, he and his wife, Colleen, live in Bass Lake, California, where Michael serves as Director of Operations at a summer camp.

“Most of the opportunities I have to share my faith are within this framework of community,” Michael says. “I lead a small group, take college students out on wilderness treks, and disciple those I supervise. I hope to create here the type of community I was first exposed to in college, where individuals can live alongside each other in genuine relationships.

“It is hard to say where I would be right now without the impact of the CCO’s ministry.  Every major decision I’ve made since my sophomore year can be traced directly back to the influence the CCO had on my life in college. The CCO exposed me to a new way of thinking about the world—a way radically transformed by Jesus. I learned that every choice I make can either bring me closer to God or pull me further away, from the car I drive and what food I eat to the way I interact with my wife and friends.

“From the CCO’s ministry, I learned that people are the most significant place we can invest in our lives. This translated this last year to me taking a pay cut in order to bring two more people into our community. I learned that more isn’t always better. When my wife and I moved to California, we sold one of our cars because we knew it would be possible to get by on less. And I learned that all things belong to God. This has shaped the way I interact with those in need. I now take time to hear the plight of the homeless when I pass them on the street, give more to those who are in need, and have grown a greater compassion for those who hurt.”