CCO Campus Ministry

Our CCO workers are a vital link from our congregation to the university community surrounding our building. The CCO workers are not merely our “representatives to the university,” but they encourage and equip our congregation to join with them in their campus ministry role. Through our congregation’s CCO partnership, we have been able to maintain a constant, high-profile presence on the Gannon University campus. The University trusts the quality and integrity of the workers that the CCO provides. It is this constant emphasis by the CCO to have workers be always-growing and maturing that makes our CCO partnership so attractive. No church staff member could afford the same mentorship time and energy that the CCO invests in its workers. We are assured of having campus ministers who are current on ministry trends, campus culture and growth accountability.

Joseph “Seph” Kumer
Director of Youth and Family Ministries, First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant
Erie, Pennsylvania

One of the core values of our community of faith is partnership and having Katherine Sikma as a member of our ministry team reflects that value in real time. Katherine is not only serving the students at Point Park University but even more importantly, she is engaging our community of faith in mission with students. Through the creation of worship, learning and serving environments we see our partnership with the CCO as a win for the Point Park University students, a win for our community of faith and most importantly, a win for the kingdom of God in our region.

Terry R. Timm
Lead Pastor, Christ Community Church of the South Hills
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Bellefield is rich in God’s grace as it just keeps flowing and pouring through our four CCOers. This sharing arrangement gifts us with an abundance of staff in a needed area for transforming students for the future of Christ’s glory in the USA and beyond. They work hard; they work steadily; they have fun; they laugh. We’re just grateful as all get out to have Chris, Bobbi, Andy and Greg on staff. What wealth! What energy! Would to God we could all keep up with them! We bless God for them. I bless God for the Coalition for Christian Outreach taking such hold in my hometown of Pittsburgh—and way beyond, too.

Geoff Brown
Pastor of Bellefield Presbyterian Church
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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We love that the CCO is church-based. We love to see students get a vision of what Jesus calls the church to be and do, and then we love to see students jump in!
Steve Huber
Pastor of liberti:fishtown
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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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 have 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
Westerville, Ohio

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Elliott Simko’s service here has spawned new ministries, enlivened traditional practices, and challenged us in leadership towards levels of excellence in media outreach and communication. I cannot overemphasize the strength and impact CCO’s presence has brought to our church.
Brown Caldwell
Pastor of Manoa Presbyterian Church
Havertown, Pennsylvania

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We have seen our youth and college ministry increase significantly since bringing on a CCO staff person. Sean has started a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) on the campus, and that has yielded results for the local church as well. In the church, Sean made an immediate impression. He started a new Sunday school class for college-aged students, something this church hadn’t seen before. He also brought some much-needed biblical foundation to our youth ministry. Students have become involved in the ministry of worship by leading singing, playing instruments, and sharing in community prayer.

Sean has been a real blessing to the body of Christ at First Baptist Church of Marietta, and we would certainly recommend that anyone interested in pursuing ministry with the CCO strongly consider it!

Pastor David Bilyeu
First Baptist Church
Marietta, Ohio

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Although our partnership with the CCO is still relatively young, we have already seen great benefits in it. The CCO has worked with us in placing two staff people in our church and has helped fund those positions. I appreciate the resources that the CCO provides for these staff people: initial and ongoing training, interaction and collaboration with others in campus ministry, networking and support. The CCO’s Area Director meets monthly with the staff in our church to offer support and evaluation. He and I communicate regularly to ensure that we are “on the same page” in our supervision of staff and the direction of the ministry. We are enthusiastic about this arrangement.

The Rev. Troy Jackson
Pastor, University Christian Church
Cincinnati, Ohio

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With Elmira College right across the street, our church knew that the campus should be a part of the mission. But our people were frustrated with not knowing how to begin to do campus ministry. They wanted relationships with students and opportunities to follow up. There was no time for me to do it and no time to train the congregation how because of more pressing needs. The CCO helped us develop a relationship with the college. What our CCO staff worker did would have taken us years, because he was trained and coached and he had the time. He became the concrete embodiment of our vague vision.

Gary Chorpenning
Pastor, North Presbyterian Church
Elmira, New York

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We’ve seen our church begin to turn itself over from predominantly aging Baby Boomers to more young families and singles. Having a CCO staff worker here in leadership I think has helped that. It’s been a big help to me.
Mike Hollenbach
Associate Pastor, New Life Church
Dresher, Pennsylvania

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Vienna Presbyterian Church does a good job of reaching middle and high school students. When our high school students graduate and move on to college, they tend to fall away from the church until they reach adulthood and find their way back to the church. Kayla Gray is the first college minister we have hired at VPC, and she is doing a great job of reaching a lost age.

There are 28,000 students at George Mason University, literally on our doorstep, who need the good news of Jesus Christ. Studies indicate that most people make meaningful commitments during their teen years and early twenties. We want to reach students during these critical years. Kayla is doing a superb job ministering to college students.

I don’t understand why more churches don’t utilize the CCO. It’s a vital way to partner with a ministry that is more effective than we are in the church at reaching college students for Jesus Christ. The CCO’s specialty is college students—why wouldn’t we partner with them? Not only is the CCO equipped to reach out to college students, but joining them in ministry doesn’t require the expense of full-time staff. The spiritual dividends far outweigh the cost.

Rev. Peter James
Pastor, Vienna Presbyterian Church
Vienna, Virginia

Begin a Partnership