CCO Campus Ministry

The investment that pays off on a campus of 52,000

This article first appeared in the summer 2009 issue of On Campus magazine.

Over 52,000 students attend The Ohio State University, yet CCO staff members DanÂ Turis and Beth Mattes invest in students one at a time. Why?

Because those students will increase their efforts exponentially. As Dan says, “My student leaders from the last year and a half are investing primarily into120 folks, maybe more, in addition to their other ministries.” Beth’s students are also influencing at least a hundred more students.

Here are a few examples of how God has used the CCO’s ministry at OSU:

Keri was mentored by Beth after an injury forced her to resign from OSU’s lacrosse team. Now Keri is passionate about reaching other students on the team.
Lorne is an Iraqi veteran and fraternity member with whom Dan meets regularly. Lorne writes a daily devotional for his fraternity brothers. Last semester, Lorne led a fraternity brother to Christ and is currently mentoring two more.
With Beth’s support, Michelle is leading a Bible study for a dozen women. Each member of the study is reaching out to at least one other peer.
Katie uses what Beth teaches her to reach out to the 20 students in her mountaineering group.

These are just a handful of the many stories we could tell. But the real results of campus ministry go far beyond the OSU campus:

Joe was a senior when Dan mentored him. Dan introduced Joe to a freshman named Anthony. Joe invested in him, and now Anthony has become a strong leader in a local high school ministry.
After a conversation with Dan one evening, Timothy decided to follow Jesus Christ. Now he works with a church in Schenectady, New York to reach inner-city youth through a basketball ministry.
Dan’s encouragement and investment in Jamie led her to serve in the Cameroon with the Peace Corps.

People change people’s lives. The ripple effect of transformation is especially evident at The Ohio State University, where it’s easy to get lost in the crowd. Because CCO staff workers are on campus, investing in the lives of the students they meet, those students are being equipped to reach out and mentor others. One at a time, OSU students are being transformed to transform the world.

What students say
Sometimes, it wasn’t about the content that we discussed, but just the fact that we did discuss things in a very intentionally spiritual light. I learned how to incorporate Jesus into all areas of my life. To be pursued by someone who wants to talk about the things going on in my life and relate them to my faith walk was a huge blessing. —Dave Loesch, The Ohio State University Class of 2010, business major

Spending time with Beth has stretched me and made me grow in my faith in so many ways. The skills and leadership experience I gained by getting involved in the CCO will prove invaluable as I pursue campus ministry after graduation. —Keri Yourick, The Ohio State University Class of 2009, Italian major

How it works
The CCO partners with Central College Presbyterian Church to bring CCO staff worker Dan Turis to The Ohio State University campus. Dan works with CCO staff member Beth Mattes to develop student leaders there.

What our partner says
The CCO has a proven track record of not only introducing students to Christ, but enabling them to deepen their faith in a way that they are anchored to it, regardless of where their life path may go after college. We have partnered with the CCO long enough that I have personally witnessed new students mature through college and into their lives and careers. Their faith in God is so strong that they become effective witnesses for the Kingdom in their jobs, personal lives, marriages and communities. —The Rev. Kevin Heckathorn, Associate Pastor for Missions, Central College Presbyterian Church

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