CCO Campus Ministry

Jonny Cagwin: Arm of the local church

This article first appeared in the fall 2010 issue of On Campus magazine.

“Less than a third of the students that I know attend church,” says Jonny Cagwin. “I encourage all the students that I work with to connect with a church. Even ifÂ Ascension is not the best fit for them, I help them find other local churches and encourage them to get involved.”

And for those students for whom church is a foreign concept, or something they’d prefer to leave behind, Jonny brings church to them.

Jonny reaches out to students at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh in partnership with Church of the Ascension, an Anglican congregation in walking distance of both of those campuses. “I help college students connect with other students and into the larger church community,” Jonny says. What Jonny hopes is that students will have a dynamic experience of church involvement during their student years that will continue after they graduate.

But while he is committed to the students who attend Ascension, Jonny spends most of his time on campus, meeting those who would otherwise never set foot in a church building—like the students who are involved in Pitt’s Habitat for Humanity chapter. Jonny serves as advisor to this group, which was initiated years ago by another CCO staff member, BJ Woodworth, and which has grown to become one of the most popular and well-respected organizations on campus.

It was on a community service trip to New Orleans over Christmas break that one student, Frank, made some important discoveries. “Frank traveled with us to help serve in some post-Hurricane Katrina initiatives,” Jonny says. “He came back with a completely new desire and passion to serve other people and to learn more about the Bible. Frank’s faith in God and desire to live out that faith became vibrant this year as he studied the Bible and attended the Jubilee conference.”

Frank also accepted Jonny’s invitation to attend Church of the Ascension. While he had grown up going to church, it had not been a priority in his life when he started college.

“Jonny helped me grown in my relationship with Jesus by example,” Frank says. “By committing to Jesus himself, Jonny empowered me to pursue my own relationship with Jesus.” Frank graduated in May, and begins a new job at First Energy this fall. He will continue to live in Pittsburgh and worship at Ascension.

The vision of church-based outreach is what motivates Jonny every day. “I love when I hear from students that they are encouraged to come back to church or visit church for the first time because a CCO campus staff person like me took the time to care for them, enter into their lives, and show them a tangible version of the love of Christ.”

how it works
The CCO partners with the Church of the Ascension to bring Jonny Cagwin to the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University.

what our partner says
Ascension is delighted to partner with the CCO here in Oakland. Surrounded as we are by thousands of college students, it is great to know that we have the support and expertise of such a great organization as together we seek to share the transforming love of Christ with many of those who will be shaping this and other nations in the future. Jonny Cagwin, our CCO staff worker, is a much valued member of our staff team and he and his wife, Emily, are a great asset to us in our efforts to reach college students. —The Rev. Jonathan Millard, Rector of Church of the Ascension, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

what students say
Jonny has taught me the importance of living my life with integrity. I believe his outstanding character is what makes him such a great leader, and it is something I hope to develop in my own life. —Will Saadeh, University of Pittsburgh, Class of 2010

Jonny Cagwin leads in the most unique and effective way I have ever experienced. He is an integral tool in our Habitat for Humanity organization, but at the same time, his humbleness results in him being the last person to admit this true fact of his importance. —Colleen Garvin, University of Pittsburgh, Class of 2010

Over time, Jonny has become a mentor. The last six months of my college career were largely defined by my growth through Christ. This spiritual growth spurt was catalyzed and cultivated through Jonny’s invitation to participate in Jubilee and his willingness to have weekly one-on-one discussions that centered on growing in faith. —Nick Corsi, University of Pittsburgh, Class of 2009

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