CCO Campus Ministry

Getting to know CCO staff member Denny Trimmer

Reaching out to students at Kent State’s Tuscarawas campus brings Denny much joy. He can be found any given day hanging out in the student union at his “office” (a table in the cafeteria), leading a Bible study, tossing a football with students, or helping teach the univeristy’s golf class.
Click here to find out Denny’s [...]

 

Kevin Tatman’s day-in, day-out Christian lifestyle

“CCO leaders pushed us to really think about what it means to be a Christian in a day-in and day-out way,” Kevin Tatman remembers. “Growing up, it had always been about the church for me, but no one really talked about what to do after you walk out the church doors on Sunday morning. The [...]

 

WVU community encourages everyone to donate ‘oneSHIRT’ to those in need

Nicki Carpenter, CCO campus minister for WVU’s Canterbury Christian Fellowship, participated in the oneSHIRT Clothing Drive with her students this past February.
“I think it is important for people to understand that we, as Americans, have more than we need and more than most people in the world. The simple act of giving something of ourselves [...]

 

A Q & A with CCO Becky Case

Becky Case serves Geneva College through the unique medium of experiential education. From backpacking trips to ropes courses, from Bible studies to rock climbing adventures, from the classroom to personal time with students, Becky’s desire is for students to come to know Jesus Christ in deep, personal, and relevant ways.
Click here to find out Becky’s [...]

 

Kate DeVan on life after college

“Through the EXIT program, I was prepared to live out my faith in conjunction with my job,” says Kate DeVan. “Having a program like EXIT made me aware of the issues I’d face after graduation and provided me with the resources of several other students preparing to graduate, as well as a team of adults, [...]

 

Familiar traditions, completely new church

“Our goal every week is to proclaim the gospel,” says Jake Liefer, CCO staff member at Geneva College. Jake was a strategic part in reviving a fading church on College Hill, the neighborhood surrounding Geneva’s campus.
“The church that was being held in this building was in decline,” explains Jake. “There weren’t enough members to keep [...]

 

Getting to know CCO staff member Avery Danage

Avery Danage grew up in Ohio, attended college there, married his wife and raised his children there. It’s only fitting that he joined the CCO and inevitably found himself serving students at Kent State University.
Click here to find out why Avery works for the CCO, what he thinks makes a successful leader, and what he [...]

 

Jubilee 2010 pictures and perspectives

This past weekend was Jubilee 2010. The CCO invites professionals, artists, and musicians to engage with college students and young adults about faith and life.
We hear personal stories and struggles about believers learning what it looks like to live out their faith in every area of life.
Before I went to college, I compartmentalized my faith. [...]

 

Been There

This article first appeared in the fall 2008 issue of On Campus magazine.
“I know what it’s like to be a student athlete and to have your whole identity wrapped up in that world. I know what it’s like when that’s all taken away.”
Julie Manfred was a member of Slippery Rock University’s soccer team when an [...]

 

Mollie Little spurring Allegheny students to action

“Their voices can be heard loud and clear as they reverberate through the walls of Ford Chapel. Now, however, the members of Allegheny Christian Outreach (ACO) hope to be just as noisy on campus.”
Click here to read the full article of CCO staff member Mollie Little’s ministry at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA.

 

Join us for Jubilee 2010!

Jubilee 2010 kicks off Friday night, February 19! In case you’d like to drop in for some or all of the conference, we have posted a few details here.
The Friday night plenary begins at 8pm in the Westin Convention Center Ballroom, downtown Pittsburgh, and will feature brief presentations from Don Opitz, Leroy Barber, Byron Borger, [...]

 

Pittsburgh’s Best-kept Secret: Local conference attracts thousands

PITTSBURGH, February 17, 2010—The Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO) will host more than 2,500 college students at the annual Jubilee Conference during the weekend of February 19-21, 2010 at the Westin Hotel and Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh.
Jubilee is one of the largest, longest-running conventions held in the Pittsburgh area. It draws thousands of students [...]

 

Catching up with CCO Cheylan Fosmer

Cheylan Fosmer graduated from Thiel College in 2007 with a degree in business administration, and she attended her first Jubilee conference during her sophomore year. Cheylan now reaches out to students at Gannon University in partnership with First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant.
Click here to find out why Cheylan chooses to work for the CCO, [...]

 

Julie Gilpin’s Jubilee vision

“The Jubilee conference convinced me that I could serve God in everything I do, wherever that may be,” says Julie Gilpin. “I can’t tell you how many times I think back to what I heard at Jubilee as an affirmation that staying at home with my kids during this season of life is a legitimate [...]

 

Why do Randy and Lynda Hultman give to the CCO?

This article first appeared in the spring 2009 issue of On Campus magazine.
I know of few former students of the CCO’s ministry who give the CCO such enthusiastic and generous praise for preparing them to approach work, marriage, parenting, and life in general to God’s glory as do Randy and Lynda Hultman. Randy is Customer [...]

 

CCO Staff Spotlight: Kurt Ro

Kurt Ro reaches out to students at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kurt graduated from Northwestern University in 2006 with a degree in communication studies.
Click here to find out why Kurt chooses to work for the CCO, what he thinks all college students should know, and what music he’s listening to these days.

 

How the Jubilee conference shaped Ryan Heimann

“Jubilee showed me the heart of the CCO and put the rest of my college fellowship experiences in perspective,” says Ryan Heimann. “The focus on calling, occupation, and the drama of Scripture always served as a reminder that campus ministry wasn’t an end, but means by which God changed me and those around me. I [...]

 

What one summer can do: OCBP 2008

This article first appeared in the summer 2009 issue of On Campus magazine.
“I am almost exclusively a product of the CCO,” says Danny Tomblin. “One year ago, I was a declared Christian, but my faith was stagnant. Between Jubilee and the Beach Project, my life has been completely transformed.”
The Ocean City Beach Project was [...]

 

CCO alum Charles Chapman honored as Young African-American Leader

PITTSBURGH, February 4, 2010—CCO alumnus and founder of the L.I.V.I.N.G. Ministry, Charles Chapman was one of 10 young African-American leaders honored at a Black History Month tribute on Wednesday, February 3. Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Citiparks hosted the ceremony.
“The City’s 2010 Black History Month exhibit pays tribute to an extraordinary group of young individuals [...]

 

A Q & A with CCO staffer Katherine Sikma

Katherine Sikma reaches out to students at Point Park University in partnership with Christ Community Church of the South Hills. In this position, she helps students see how their stories fit into God’s story. She offers leadership to the The Body Christian Fellowship at Point Park, and creates community and growth opportunities for young adults [...]

 

Katelyn Petras: Making her faith her own

“If I wasn’t involved with campus ministry during college, I don’t know if I would have had as close of a relationship with God as I do,” says Katelyn Petras. “Going to Bible studies every week and being involved in a discipleship program made it easier to not slack off on doing devotions and having [...]

 

Mitch Marcello’s 3 a.m. Bible study

When 3 a.m. rolls around, most young adults are in bed, or at least headed there. Not at WyoTech. WyoTech Blairsville is an automotive trade school tucked away in a close-knit town of 4,000 people. Many students here attend night classes that get out at two in the morning. For CCO staff member Mitch Marcello, [...]

 

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 Dan  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 [...]

 

CCO alumni’s tenacious response to the Haiti earthquake

Doug Bradbury and Sarah VanderMolen, CCO alumni and co-founders of Haiti H2O, have been working fervently for years to raise support for the Haitian people. Since the catastrophic earthquake that took place a little over two weeks ago, Haiti H2O is assembling a team of people around Pittsburgh to assist with relief work in the [...]

 

Join us for one of our Indiana Breakfast Briefings

The CCO is expanding its ministry to the state of Indiana. Do you live in Indiana? Do you know someone who does and who might be interested in learning more about the CCO’s vision of transforming college students to transform the world?
Join us for one of our two Breakfast Briefings in February. We’ll be gathering [...]

 

Getting to know CCO staff member Wendell Witter

After earning a Master of Arts in Educational Ministries from Wheaton College in 2000, Wendell Witter returns to his undergraduate alma mater, Messiah College, to reach out to students through outdoor ministry opportunities as Director of Issachar’s Loft.
Click here to find out what Wendell thinks about the CCO’s Leadership & Discipleship in the Wilderness program, [...]

 

How Brandon Petras serves his country and shares his faith

“If I learned anything while being part of the CCO campus ministry in college, it is that being a Christian is not just a part of who I am, it must be all of who I am,” says Brandon Petras. “God does not want just sections of my life, but all of it, and I [...]

 

Jubilee 2009: Learning to be the solution

This article first appeared in the summer 2009 issue of On Campus magazine.
The thousands of college students who attended the Jubilee conference this year caught a vision of what God could do with the enormous potential available in that Pittsburgh Convention Center ballroom. Many of them left ready to make a difference in the [...]

 

CCO & Restoring Eden trip broadcast now online!

January 20, 2010
Katelyn Malongowski, intern journalist for The Allegheny Front, accompanied CCO staff member and Restoring Eden Regional Director Sarah Landini on a life-changing tour of south central West Virginia. Sarah led four excursions to show students and adults alike that mountains are being destroyed at an alarming rate to supply the country with cheap [...]

 

Catching up with CCO staffer Nicki Carpenter

After graduating from California University of Pennsylvania in 1997, Nicki Carpenter joined CCO staff to reach out to students at West Virginia University from 1998-2003. After a four-year hiatus from campus ministry, Nicki returned to WVU to resume ministry, in cooperation with Trinity Episcopal Church in Morgantown.
Click here to find out more about Nicki, including [...]

 

How Michael Baird escaped losing his faith

“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 [...]

 

People of Character

This article first appeared in the summer 2009 issue of On Campus magazine.
“As an older person, it is so encouraging for me to see the opportunities available to the next generation. When I was in college, most of these issues were not discussed. I’m very impressed with the thoughtful questions that students are asking [...]

 

Why do Barry and Diane Balliet give to the CCO?

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

Barry Balliet served on CCO staff during the 1970s, and he and his wife, Diane, have been generously contributing to our efforts for many years. They have sponsored and attended CCO events, contributed to individual staff workers, helped with ministry with athletes at [...]

 

The tradition continues: CCO receives Best Christian Places to Work for eighth year

Contact: CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach)
Vince Burens, Executive Vice President
412.363.3303 ext. 141, vburens@ccojubilee.org
(Pittsburgh) January 13, 2010 — The Best Christian Workplaces Institute (BCWI) announced for the eighth consecutive year that the Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO) is one of the 2010 Best Christian Workplaces in the US.
The CCO is an organization committed to transforming college [...]

 

CCO Staff Spotlight: Curt Wright

Curt Wright came on staff in 2007 to reach out to students at Penn State Altoona. Click here to find out his favorite things about his job, his personal heroes, and the best book he’s read recently.

 

Christy Wauzzinski’s life-changing college experience

“I think it was crucial for me to come to Christ in college—because of the way my mind works, I was very ripe for the picking for somebody,” says Christy Wauzzinksi. “I would have picked something else to commit my life to. It might have been drugs, or I might have given my life to [...]

 

Heather Strong takes photography to a new dimension

Most college campuses are full of them. The indie-film lovers, the hipsters, the free-trade coffee drinkers, the male fashionistas. These students are why Heather Strong is working for the CCO at Slippery Rock University. A photographer by hobby, Heather identifies with most things artistic. She relishes in the humanities and makes responsible environmental decisions, as [...]

 

A Q & A with CCO staff member Kelly Cooke

Kelly Cooke has been on staff with the CCO since 2001, and has worked with students at Waynesburg University and Grove City College. She now reaches out to student-athletes at the University of Pittsburgh.
Click here to find out why Kelly chooses to work with the CCO, her favorite places to hang out with students, and [...]

 

What Shay and Marilyn Dawson learned from the CCO

“The CCO modeled for us intentionality in relationships and real community, critical thinking about worldview, how to tackle tough issues, and a faith that is alive and applicable everywhere,” says Shay Dawson.”
Shay’s wife, Marilyn, agrees. “The CCO has made a significant impact on how we make decisions, raise our kids, and spend our time and [...]

 

The CCO’s ministry in Philadelphia Part Three

Part Three of Three
This article first appeared in the summer 2009 issue of On Campus magazine.
Eight years ago, there was no CCO ministry in Philadelphia. Today there are 14 CCO staff people reaching students on 14 campuses.
There are over 300,000 students at 85 colleges and universities in the Metro Philly area. Until the CCO began [...]

 

Getting to know CCO staffer Phil Schiavoni

Phil Schiavoni has been working with students at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania since he graduated from that school in 2005. Click here to find out more about Phil: what the CCO’s ministry meant to him as a college student, what he thinks are the biggest challenges that today’s students face, and his favorite place to [...]

 

The CCO’s ministry in Philadelphia Part Two

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

Eight years ago, there was no CCO ministry in Philadelphia. Today there are 14 CCO staff people reaching students on 14 campuses.
There are over 300,000 students at 85 colleges and universities in the Metro Philly area. Until the CCO began [...]

 

How Andy Halfhill serves the poor

“The lessons that I learned while involved in the CCO ministry continue to affect the way that I work today,” says Andy Halfhill says. “If there is one lesson that has stuck with me the most, it is that my faith was to be lived out in all areas of life. As my faith has [...]

 

The CCO’s ministry in Philadelphia

Part One of Three
This article first appeared in the summer 2009 issue of On Campus magazine.
Eight years ago, there was no CCO ministry in Philadelphia. Today there are 14 CCO staff people reaching students on 14 campuses.
There are over 300,000 students at 85 colleges and universities in the Metro Philly area. Until the CCO began [...]

 

Caffeine and college students: The CCO ministry of Chris Bean

It may be a fluke that Chris Bean is a self-proclaimed espresso enthusiast, but his calling to campus ministry with the CCO is anything but a coincidence. Chris moved to Cincinnati, Ohio three years ago along with his wife and his two daughters in tow. A couple of years later, his coffee shop knowhow and [...]

 

Sharon Stewart’s journey from disciple to disciple-maker

“I first learned about discipleship as a student at Westminster College as I attended and led small groups, and today, I serve as the Director of Disciplemaking and Spiritual Growth for the Pittsburgh Presbytery,” says Sharon Stewart. “I graduated from Westminster with a degree in Christian Education and a minor in psychology, and I am [...]

 

Why Indiana?

This article first appeared in the summer 2009 issue of On Campus magazine.
The CCO is on the brink of expanding our ministry presence into the state of Indiana. We are going to Indiana because the need there is great, and because God has opened a door for us to meet that need.
Indiana has 350,000 [...]

 

A Q & A with CCO staffer Tom (TR) Richards

Click here to read about CCO staff member Tom (TR) Richards’ ministry to students at La Roche College, and read a recent Q&A with him.

 

How the Jubilee conference changed Peter Chace’s life

Peter Chace attended the CCO-sponsored Jubilee conference every year, and he credits those experiences as being among the most significant of his college career. “The first two years had the biggest impact on expanding my vision for what it means to be a Christian in the world. Tony Campolo challenged my assumptions about what it [...]

 

Catching up with CCO staff worker Linda Leon

Click here to read about CCO staff member Linda Leon’s ministry to students at Malone University, and read a recent Q&A with her.

 

How the CCO taught Debbie James to love ministry

“The CCO’s ministry has made a difference in everything about my life,” says Debbie (Smiley) James. “The way I think about work, the way I think about money, relationships, marriage, church, art, parenting, the way we eat—the way I think about every single thing in my life is because of what I learned through the [...]

 

Why Rod Schoon wants to bring the CCO to Indiana

This article first appeared in the summer 2009 issue of On Campus magazine.
Happily married to his wife, Cathy, for 35 years, the father of three grown sons, and heavily involved in his church and community, Rod has always lived out his Christian faith in every area of life. But he knows that it could have [...]

 

Richard Daugherty: “I see corporate America as a mission field.”

“Because of CCO and Ted, I regularly meet with mentors at work, not to discuss work per se, but to discuss the challenges we may face in a corporate environment as Christians,” says Richard Daugherty, a Kent State University graduate who now works in marketing at Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, Indiana. “I see [...]

 

Get to know CCO staff member Jeff Bergeson

Click here to read about CCO staff member Jeff Bergeson’s ministry to students at Kenyon College, and read a recent Q&A with him.

 

Conferences & Events ventures into new media with recent hire, Chris Carson

(Pittsburgh) November 23, 3009 — The CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) welcomes its new Coordinator of Marketing & Partnerships for Conferences & Events Chris Carson. Chris joins the CCO with an affinity for new media and marketing, and a passion for implementing innovative strategies across our conferences and events department. Chris will also be focusing [...]

 

Mission Mall offers alternative to holiday shopping

“If the thought of trudging through a mall on Black Friday to buy overpriced perfume for Grandma or a video game of dubious value for your nephew sends shivers through your wallet, you could surprise them with a tagua nut carving, a tin of fair trade coffee, or a heifer under the tree. And you [...]

 

Going out of their way to reach all students at Penn State Altoona

This article first appeared in the fall 2009 issue of On Campus magazine.
“The CCO is really the only ministry on Penn State Altoona’s campus,” says Curt Wright, CCO staff member and co-leader of S.A.L.T. (Students About Living Truth). “If it were only an all-white group, that wouldn’t be good enough. There are Asian, Latino, African-American [...]

 

CCO given 4-star charity rating for third consecutive year

The nonprofit sector is garnering more momentum than ever before. With its rapid growth, donors are requiring greater fiscal transparency. For the third consecutive year, the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) earns Charity Navigator’s 4-star rating “for its ability to efficiently manage and grow its finances.”
According to Charity Navigator, the leading charity evaluator in America, [...]

 

CCO welcomes Director of Cross-Cultural Ministry

(Pittsburgh) November 11, 2009—Rodger Woodworth joins the Coalition for Christian Outreach as Director of Cross-Cultural Ministry.
Rodger will provide CCO staff with the resources, tools and vision needed to successfully reach diverse students across the 84 colleges and universities in which they serve.
Rodger is the founding pastor of New Hope Church, a church plant model of [...]

 

Chrissy Valentine’s ministry to Westminster College students

Click here to read about CCO staff member Chrissy Valentine’s ministry to students at Westminster College, and read a recent Q&A with her.

 

Creating a generation of leaders at Edinboro University

This article first appeared in the fall 2009 issue of On Campus magazine.
The best campus ministry builds leaders who develop more leaders. Just look at Sara Kann. CCO staff invested in Sara as a student at Penn State University, and now she develops student leaders at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.
During the school year, Sara lives [...]

 

How the CCO’s ministry shaped the life of a Pittsburgh physician

“The CCO’s ministry has directly influenced where we moved, where and how we chose to raise our kids, worship, and work, and where our kids choose to live, worship, and work,” says David Blandino. “It continues to inform who I am, how I prioritize, how I integrate all of God’s Word into what it means [...]

 

Kristin Goodwin: not just a “Sunday-only Christian”

“When I was in college, I went through a time when I had a lot of doubt about my faith,” remembers Kristin Goodwin. “I knew that Christianity was more than what I had been taught growing up, but I didn’t understand what was missing. If CCO staff hadn’t been there to answer tough questions, I [...]

 

Get to know CCO staff worker Jonny Cagwin

Click here to read about CCO staff member Johnny Cagwin’s ministry to Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh students, and read a recent Q&A with him.

 

Robin Ross Smith: Making a difference in Washington, DC

“I came to college with the idea that faith was a feeling and you didn’t need to engage your mind too deeply,” says Chatham University graduate Robin Ross Smith. “The CCO taught me that I didn’t have to throw away the intellectual in order to follow God.”
Click here to read Robin’s story.

 

Kristie Martel: “The CCO helped to make sense of my life beyond Sunday mornings.”

“If it were not for the ministry of the CCO and the Christian community at Kenyon, I might have walked away from Christianity,” says Kristie (Simo) Martel. “I believe that the holistic understanding of Christianity that the CCO introduced to me has helped to make sense of my life beyond Sunday mornings.”
Click here to read [...]

 

Nathan Everhart: “The CCO has made all the difference in my life.”

“When I started college, I was on a path of lascivious and aimless living,” says Nathan Everhart. “My identity revolved around playing football, and I was focused on all the wrong things. My character and behavior were deteriorating. I hate to imagine what I would have become without my encounter with Christ at Jubilee on [...]

 

Why CCO Board member Marty Roark is involved with the CCO

College age is a time of discovery and transition. Too many people navigate this time without a Christian voice alternative available. This crucial time is when our youth need an inspiring mentor and exposure to the Word to help answer some of the big questions that are confronting them. I personally got lost during this [...]

 

Alyse Portnoff: serving God as a biomedical engineer

“Jubilee was the first time I was really challenged to live my faith out in all aspects of life, and at the same time I was overwhelmed with how much I still had to learn about my faith,” says Alyse Portnoff. “I was doing well in my studies and enjoying them, but I didn’t know [...]

 

Why Darren Grove is a CCO Board member

When it comes to teaching the next generation that Christianity applies to all of life, the CCO leads the charge from the front lines. The mission to equip college students with a comprehensive biblical worldview is critical to the future of our communities and our country. The mission of the CCO is highly aligned with [...]

 

Anthony Jones joins the CCO to continue his outreach in Cincinnati

Cincinnati Christian University alumnus Anthony Jones will use his degree in Biblical Studies to minister to students at the University of Cincinnati. Anthony will continue his work with the University Christian Church, now as an associate staff member. “I want to work for the CCO because I am passionate about getting anyone and everyone to [...]

 

Michael Hayes, one of Wake Forest’s own, returns to serve students with the CCO

Michael Hayes joins the CCO as an associate staff member at his alma mater, Wake Forest University, where he recently earned a degree in psychology. He will reach out to students through Reynolda Church EPC as the Assistant Director of Wake Forest University Student Ministries. “I look forward to doing evangelism, discipleship and connecting students [...]

 

Westley Gaddis: A leader developing leaders

When Westley Gaddis arrived at Kent State in August of 2003, he hoped to find Christian fellowship opportunities. He was captain of his high school track team during his senior year of high school, and he joined Kent’s track team. He was invited by a teammate to attend the Fellowship of Christian Athletes group on [...]

 

Esperanza College Bible professor, Jay Sharfenberg, joins the CCO

Jay Sharfenberg joined the CCO in 2009 as an associate staff member serving students at Esperanza College of Eastern University as a Bible professor. Originally from Hilton Head Island, Jay graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2001 and completed his Master of Divinity degree in 2007 from the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary. “As [...]

 

Wisconsin native Annie Carlson reaches out to students in North Carolina

Wisconsin native Annie Carlson joins the CCO as an associate staff member at Montreat College, located in Montreat, North Carolina. Annie graduated from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire in 2004 with a degree in English secondary education. Annie is no stranger to the CCO, as her husband Ryan spent seven years on staff, at [...]

 

Why Paul Organ chose to join the CCO’s Board

The CCO continues to be the finest college ministry in the country. Our connection to local churches, our integration into the fabric of many colleges and universities, and our understanding of how faith in Christ is meaningful in all aspects of life combine to allow our staff to have enormous impact on individual college students [...]

 

Family First Sports Park’s first-ever CCO staff member: Tom Jensen

Tom Jensen is undertaking a new position in Erie, Pennsylvania at Family First Sports Park as a part of the CCO’s Outdoor Leadership Team. Tom attended Lone Star College in Houston, Texas, and has since moved to Pennsylvania from Montana to join the CCO. “I’m excited to combine my passion for outdoor adventure and leadership [...]

 

Texas A&M grad moves to Ohio to work with the CCO

Texas A&M University alumnus Garret White begins a new ministry at Youngstown State University this month, and he is looking forward to building relationships with many students. “I look forward, with anticipation, to connecting with students and sharing life with them,” says Garret. “I am praying for God to work in these connections and to [...]

 

Avery Danage returns to his alma mater for the students and his son

Avery Danage will return to his alma mater to reach out to students there. Avery will be ministering to many of the young men and athletes on campus, including his son, who is a Kent State University student.
Since graduating from Kent State University in 2005, Avery has served as the Campus Ministry Director at Kent [...]

 

CCO’s Jonathan Weyer surprises national atheist group

(Pittsburgh) August 20, 2009—CCO staff member and campus minister Jonathan Weyer has been reaching out to atheist students at The Ohio State University since last September.  And what’s astonishing about this dubious arrangement, they want him to.
Jonathan, with over 300 students from the SSA (Secular Student Alliance), an organization founded to educate students about the [...]

 

Recent Temple grad, Erin Nazimek, stays in Philly area to reach students with the CCO

Upon her upcoming fall 2009 graduation, Erin Nazimek will begin her part-time position as a campus minister at Montgomery County Community College, located in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. Before transferring to Temple University to study elementary education, Erin studied at Montgomery. “I believe that God will be using me in this organization to further His Kingdom [...]

 

One day, 100 holes: The CCO’s Annual Golf-‘Til-You-Drop Marathon

Monday, August 24 marks the CCO’s 14th Annual Golf-‘Til-You-Drop Marathon at Wildwood Country Club in Allison Park. PA. The golfers have polished their clubs, cleaned off their cleats and are eager to hit the course where they will play as many holes as their backswing will allow.  Each golfer finds sponsors for the day. The [...]

 

Lowell Walters: “The CCO helped me to put my faith on feet.”

The CCO, says Lowell Walters, “helped me to put my faith on feet.”  Lowell participated in the CCO’s ministry at Clarion University during his year of graduate study in Library Science.  He says that he entered Clarion with pretty good head knowledge of the Christian faith; however, he believes his undergraduate experience had been a [...]

 

New CCO staff worker, Chris Bean, comes alongside students at the University of Cincinnati

Chris Bean joins the CCO at the University of Cincinnati in partnership with Southwestern Ohio Church of the Nazarene. As an alumnus of Mount Vernon Nazarene University and Ashland Theological Seminary, Chris says, “College and university students are some of the most energetic, passionate and interesting people on the planet. I want to come alongside [...]

 

Why Board member Jim Roberge supports the CCO

The CCO is meeting the need of ministering to college students during a critical time in their lives. My wife was discipled by the CCO while she was in college which gave her the confidence to share the Gospel with me. I consider it a privilege to serve the CCO, because I’ve experienced firsthand the [...]

 

Mechanical trade students & Jesus: Dan Hayner’s new position with the CCO

Recent Gordon College graduate Dan Hayner will be the first CCO staff member to reach out to students at the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades, located in Media, Pennsylvania. As Assistant Director of Student Activities, Dan looks forward to investing in students’ lives by “walking alongside students, pointing them to Christ as the source [...]

 

Recent college grad, Stephen Bauthier, not done with dorm life…but for different reasons

Stephen Bauthier recently graduated from Geneva College with a degree in psychology and a minor in Christian ministry. He has accepted a position with the CCO as a Resident Director at Waynesburg University. “Between working as an RA and working at camp, I realized that I am fascinated with college students,” says Stephen. “I love [...]

 

Born and raised in Papua New Guinea, Daniel Wilkinson settles in the states to do campus ministry with the CCO

Daniel Wilkinson joins the CCO and its multi-faceted ministry at Penn State University Park to reach out to students in partnership with the Missio Dei ministry. As a 2006 graduate of Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, Daniel earned a degree in English and a minor in studio art. Growing up, Daniel’s parents were missionaries in [...]

 

New Penn State Harrisburg CCO staff worker: Andy Gudeman

A 2003 graduate of Messiah College, Andy Gudeman will begin ministering to students at Penn State Harrisburg through his role as Director of Young Adult and College Ministries at Wesley United Methodist Church. “The CCO is a group of people committed to reaching the same goal—sharing Christ with college students. I want to be a [...]

 

Geneva all-star football player, Dan Terracciano, joins the CCO to serve students near hometown

Geneva College graduate Dan Terracciano will begin his ministry at Brookdale Community College in cooperation with Lincroft Bible Church in Lincroft, New Jersey. While at Geneva, Dan received academic All-District honors from ESPN The Magazine and became the first Geneva College football player to be inducted into the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society. “I [...]

 

Heidi Decker approaches teaching as ministry

“The CCO influenced me to view my work not only as ministry, but as service to the Lord,” says Heidi. “So when people ask me what ministries I’m involved in, I tell them I’m a teacher. I spend many after-work hours tutoring kids, and taking them on outdoor adventure trips. Loving these kids positions me [...]

 

A sacrifice for stewardship: CCO alum, Hank and Renee Suhr

Former CCO alumni Hank (’88-’92) and Renee (Swanson ’93-‘97) Suhr were featured in the summer 2009 publication of Geneva Magazine for the intentional stewardship of their resources while restoring a home they bought in Beaver Falls, Pa.  Almost everyone involved in remodeling the home, from the contractors to carpet installers, resided within a five-mile radius [...]

 

Why CCO Board member Wayne Shafer is involved with the CCO

In today’s world, our youth face many more temptations than we Baby Boomers faced when we were in our teens and twenties. Even when parents try to raise their children with faith-based principals, when our children leave home and go away to college, the temptations of the world can be overwhelming, especially through peer pressure.
My [...]

 

Kentucy native Patrick Wallace, journeyed 600 miles to join the vision of the CCO

Patrick Wallace and his wife, Andi, moved over 600 miles in order to join the vision of the CCO. A 2008 graduate of Murray State University, Patrick majored in organizational communication. Through his upcoming work at the Commonplace Coffeehouse & Roastery, Patrick will reach out to students at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. “I want to [...]

 

Ohio State will see a familiar face this fall with new CCO staff member

Josh Rodriguez will begin ministering to students at his alma mater, The Ohio State University, as the leader of the Catalyst 2:4 Fellowship through Indianola Church of Christ. Having received his Master of Divinity degree from Ashland Seminary, Josh says, “My desire to work with college students has been influenced by my experience and growth [...]

 

Meet our new staff!

This summer, we welcomed 27 new staff members who will join us to reach out to students on 87 campuses in the mid-Atlantic region. Click here to read more about them, and please pray with us that their ministries will bear much fruit as they join in our mission of transforming college students to transform [...]

 

William Hayes joins the CCO from a campus of 18,000 to 1,800

William Hayes is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where approximately 18,000 undergraduates are enrolled.  He will use his talents to serve and connect with students at Ohio Wesleyan University (undergraduate enrollment of 1,800) as Assistant Chaplain. Among other tasks, William will organize mission trips and wilderness adventures. “My passion [...]

 

Brian Shope: building on foundations laid by the CCO’s ministry

“From the foundational conversations and relationships I had with my staff members at Cal U., through my time on staff myself, the CCO has revealed much to me about the character and heart of God,” says Brian Shope. “The CCO pushes students to look outside of themselves towards Jesus for meaning when trying to discern [...]

 

Pitt alum, Greg Burdette, returns to serve students with the CCO

Greg Burdette will be serving students from the University of Pittsburgh (his alma mater) and Carnegie Mellon University as the Director of Graduate & Young Adult Ministry at Bellefield Presbyterian Church. “I think that the college years are a springboard for the rest of a person’s life,” Greg says. “If they choose to follow Jesus [...]

 

CMU alum, Mitch Marcello, pioneers new position with the CCO

Carnegie Mellon University alumnus Mitch Marcello is pioneering a new CCO position at WyoTech, a technical school located in Blairsville, Pennsylvania. In partnership with the United Presbyterian Church of Blairsville, Mitch will enter into the lives of WyoTech students. “I believe that this is a crucial time for students to learn about Jesus Christ,” says [...]

 

What Board member James Rimmel says about the CCO

It is an honor to serve the CCO. Their mission, transforming college students to transform the world, is clearly important to all of us who realize that college students will be the leaders of tomorrow. The leadership and staff of the CCO dedicate themselves to this mission and execute their call with enthusiasm and professionalism.
Simply [...]

 

Introduced to the CCO in college, Emily Jensen just couldn’t say goodbye

As a Resident Director, Emily Jensen will be serving students at Waynesburg University. Her experiences with the CCO as a student at Geneva College have led her to join staff.
“All of these growth and leadership opportunities, coupled with my love for community and people, especially college students, has made me realize that campus ministry is [...]

 

From one side of PA to the other, Matt Talladay joins the CCO

Matt Talladay has joined the CCO to reach out to Geneva College students through the school’s outdoor education experience, the Pisgah Program. “I love the opportunity to minister to college students by using adventure education and intentional discipleship,” Matt says. He received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Philadelphia Biblical University. Matt and his [...]

 

Matt Howell brings 18 years of Higher Ed experience to a new CCO position

Matt Howell has joined the CCO as the Coordinator of Leadership Development for the Campus Ministry Resources Department. In this new position, Matt will develop leadership skills in the CCO’s executive staff while offering continual education to campus staff.
With degrees from the University of Akron and The Heinz College of Carnegie Mellon University, Matt brings [...]

 

Dave Bindewald’s counter-cultural feat

“CMU is an intense, busy and competitive place to be,” says CCO staff worker Dave Bindewald.  Carnegie Mellon University offers programs ranked among some of the best in the world. Its alumni have won illustrious awards and work anywhere from Google to NASA to Hollywood.
Dave is a regular presence in the lives of these real-life [...]

 

Amanda Ansorge: From Chicago to the CCO

Amanda Ansorge grew up in the north side of Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from Allegheny College this past May, she jumped on board with the CCO. Amanda will be working at Westminster College as the co-coordinator of Titan Triverse, an outdoor experiential education program.
“I want to provide experiences that will positively shape students, challenge them, [...]

 

Hannah Ingram’s continued commitment to college ministry

“The people in the fellowship group ended up being my family during college,” says Hannah Ingram. “It was hard to find that anywhere else.”
Hannah Ingram graduated from Penn State University in 2003 and she currently serves the university as a Research Technician, working in cooperation with the geography department to do research pertaining to wetlands. [...]

 

Why James Hall chose to join the CCO’s Board

I think that the CCO is a wonderful Christian organization for college students who need to know how to live their lives in a Christian manner. The CCO has wonderful leadership.
—Dr. James D. Hall is a retired D.D.S.

 

Rashad Clemons featured in local Pittsburgh paper

CCO staff worker Rashad Clemons discusses what drew him from big-city Los Angeles to Pittsburgh and some of the incredible things he’s doing in partnership with Laurel Mountain Christian Camp. Laurel Mountain camp directors and CCO associate staff workers George and Lisa Foose are also highlighted. 
Click here to read the full story in the [...]

 

NEW videos from LDW Wyoming!

LDW (Leadership & Discipleship in the Wilderness) took a group of students to Wyoming for 40 days full of adventure, as they learn how to lead, love and serve the people around them while in the wilderness.
LDW shapes students to become leaders by challenging them in uniquely intense environments.
They just sent us some video from [...]

 

Erica Reitz receives Higher Ed scholarship award

Geneva College awarded CCO staff member Erica Reitz the Master of Arts in Higher Education Scholarship Award for her graduate research in “The Senior Year Transition: The Role of Senior Year Programs in Students’ Preparedness for Life After Graduation.”
Erica works for the CCO at Penn State University Park where she partners with Calvary Baptist Church [...]

 

Jeff VanderMolen: “The CCO provided an alternative vision, even at a Christian college.”

“The CCO introduced me to the theme of ‘all of life redeemed,’ and that changed my life,” says Jeff VanderMolen. “There are people who take their Christian faith seriously. It is not just a Sunday thing for them. Being a part of the CCO’s ministry, as a student and afterwards, has kept me in touch [...]

 

What Board member Lori Stuckey says about the CCO

I think the CCO is the best Christian ministry to college students today, because of their approach on emphasizing discipleship along with vocation, their integration instead of competition with other Christian ministries on the same campus, their emphasis of connecting students to churches and Christian networks within their communities, and their relational approach.
I first became [...]

 

Distinguished Member of NSCS: Randon Willard

The National Society of Collegiate Scholars named CCO staff member Randon Willard as its Distinguished Member for his work on Robert Morris University’s campus through service, leadership and integrity.
Randon was invited to be the keynote speaker at NSCS’s induction ceremony last fall.
NSCS is an honor society comprised of high-achieving freshmen and sophomores. It provides scholarships [...]

 

A Special Message from CCO President Dan Dupee

 

Comment Magazine’s worldview coursepack highlights CCO’s Bob Robinson

Comment Magazine, a journal that prepares tomorrow’s leaders to “think Christianly” in every sphere of human activity, compiled a volume with some of the best pieces from its recent archive of articles. CCO staff member Bob Robinson’s “Who Am I? Rooting your identity in the image of God” is among the selected literature.
Bob writes, “College [...]

 

Leeann Younger: “The CCO’s ministry helped define my entire approach to life.”

“The relationships and experiences that I had with CCO campus workers and the programs they sponsored really created a space for me to see God’s call to build his Kingdom very, very clearly,” says Leeann Younger. “Because of that, I have been in pursuit of that goal ever since.” Today, Leeann pursues that goal through [...]

 

CCO’s Yvonne Valenza featured in Lancaster art exhibition this summer

CCO staff worker and artist Yvonne Valenza will be featured in an art exhibition this summer at the Heitmann Atelier & Gallery in Lancaster, PA from June 5-July 25, 2009.
The invitation reads:
Heitmann Atelier & Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of a new group exhibition opening next Friday, June 5. After a substantial [...]

 

Why Bob Bishop is a CCO Board member

I view the CCO from the view point of being an alumnus. The CCO focuses its resources on building staff who can be Christian leaders on campus and in the future. The goal of the staff is to build students into Christian leaders. So this is an organization that is people and leadership focused.
My wife [...]

 

Reflections of a recent college grad: “Over time, Jonny became a mentor.”

Nick Corsi graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in April 2009. This is his account of the CCO ministry’s influence on his college years, particularly through the work of staff member Jonny Cagwin.
Through the University of Pittsburgh’s Habitat for Humanity Chapter, dozens of students get to experience what it is like to actively take part [...]

 

Bill Slease: Bringing his Christian faith to the video gaming industry

“The CCO inspired me to live out my Christian faith in every area of life through education and example,” says Bill Slease, a Carnegie Mellon University graduate who now works as Technical Director for FireSky, a company that publishes online video games. “Dan went out of his way to find Christian thinkers and doers in [...]

 

Why Board member Hank Suhr supports the CCO

The CCO has absolutely changed my life. I serve on the Board because I know first-hand how important and formative this ministry is, and I want to play whatever small part I can in making that available for as many different generations of college students as we can reach.
I think that the CCO does something [...]

 

Hannah Jantsch wins Outstanding Advisor Award at Point Park University

(Pittsburgh) May 14, 2009 – CCO staff member Hannah Jantsch is the recipient of the Outstanding Advisor Award at Point Park University.
Hannah was nominated because she is a role model for the students and is an integral part to the success of their student organization by providing continuous support and contributing to the growth and [...]

 

Laurie Truschel: “My relationship with Christ would have lacked depth and scope without the CCO.”

“John and I definitely have tried to pass on the CCO’s perspective to our kids from an early age,” says Laurie Truschel. “Because I learned as a college student that all of life belongs to Christ—all of it—our lives and the lives of our kids have been directed toward vocational ministry, not just a ‘me [...]

 

Caffeine and conversation at PSU Altoona

Eat N’ Park’s jingle as a place for smiles rings true for Penn State Altoona students and CCO staff worker Rachel Foose, as they’ve claimed it as their Thursday-night hang out spot. Rachel and her co-worker, Curt Wright, lead a student fellowship called SALT (Students About Living Truth). Afterwards, instead of joining fellow [...]

 

Why CCO Board member Hunter Weimer is involved with the CCO

Campus ministry coupled with a local church made the love of God real to me when I was searching. I love that CCO bridges the divide between church and academy with passion and creativity to introduce students to the life changing message of Jesus Christ. Colleges bring together the culture-shapers of tomorrow, making university ministry [...]

 

CCO’s Jonathan Weyer wins multicultural award for OSU event

(Pittsburgh) May 11, 2009 – CCO staff member Jonathan Weyer’s I Sold My Soul on eBay program is the recipient of the Multicultural Center Staff Intercultural Award from The Ohio State University.
The event was created as a discussion forum between atheists and Christians. Jay Gameline, pastor of Jacob’s Porch, and Hemant Mehta, author of I [...]

 

Lauren Sable: “I would not be who I am today without the CCO.”

“The CCO’s ministry had a profound affect on my life on many levels and I would not be who I am today without it,” says Lauren Sable. “It truly did lay a foundation in my life on which God continues to build.” Today, Lauren lives in Washington, DC, where she serves as a team leader [...]

 

Why Joe Diggins chose to join the CCO’s Board

College is a real crossroads. You make a lot of life-changing decisions when you get that newfound freedom. God clearly used the CCO to shape and mature my faith as a student at Westminster College. The CCO gave me an intellectual foundation to my faith and role models, staff people I could talk to who [...]

 

WVU students’ lives changed by a hotdog

It’s late Friday night and hundreds of students from West Virginia University are staggering back to their dorm rooms after hitting up some local bars and nightclubs. Rounding the corner, they find fellow classmates handing out free hotdogs, at 2:00 a.m., in a church parking lot adjacent to the school.
“It’s our Late Night Feed,” [...]

 

Randy Hultman: “I can’t think of a better organization to associate with than the CCO.”

“The CCO’s ministry was the dominant means whereby the Holy Spirit took a raw, just-saved 18-year-old through to a fully-committed Christian in a mere three years,” says Randy Hultman. “The realization that all Christians are in full-time Christian service, not just those who choose ministry as a vocation, has stuck with me to this day. [...]

 

What Board member Michael Heintzman says about the CCO

The CCO is one of the most effective college ministries, because it challenges students to engage their faith with their education and all of life. It constantly asks them to wrestle with how their Christian faith relates to the world.
I chose to be involved in the CCO because it gave me the privilege to encourage [...]

 

Michael Juliano: “The CCO may have saved my academic life!”

“My conversations with Tom and Ben centered a lot around what does it mean for Jesus to be Lord of your life and not just your savior, as well as what does it mean for Jesus to hold reign over all things,” says Mike Juliano. “That was big for me, because I thought for me [...]

 

Why Wade Close is a CCO Board member

Anyone who has attended a CCO Jubilee event can fully appreciate why we so eagerly support the CCO organization and several of their wonderful staff members. The Jubilee conference is an inspiring experience, clearly confirming the value that this ministry brings to literally hundreds of college students each year. We have watched young people praise [...]

 

Karen Bryant: lessons in leadership

“If it weren’t for the CCO, I probably wouldn’t have been discipled and mentored,” says Karen Bryant. “The leadership skills I gained because of the time my campus minister spent with me had a huge impact on my confidence level coming out of college. I had such a clearer sense of who I was and [...]

 

Why Board member John Rosso supports the CCO

I choose to be involved with the CCO because I see and hear about the gap in many students’ lives—a gap that can only be filled by faith in Jesus Christ. As a parent of four, I am convinced that these young adults who are in college need to have access to a positive influence. [...]

 

She didn’t know that Jesus was a real person.

“I have a stupid question: Does the Bible bash Jews?”
This was the lead-in from a student named Rachel. Rach is an athletic trainer and student at the University of Pittsburgh. Her mom is Jewish and her grandmother a Holocaust survivor. Something was on her mind.
Rach had been coming regularly to our weekly student athlete gathering. [...]

 

Alternative Spring Break: Why students chose service over partying at the beach

“This year’s trip was probably the greatest experience in my collegiate career and possibly even my life so far. The interaction I had with those affected by the storm and the friendships I’ve made amount to something that is hard to explain. I now have this feeling that I can always do more and [...]

 

Why CCO Board member Nancy Chalfant-Walker is involved with the CCO

I have been involved with the CCO for more than 30 years, first as a student, then as a staff member and now as a board member. I think reaching college students with God’s love and challenging them to following Jesus is crucial work. Students are at a crossroads in their lives. The CCO, as [...]

 

Phyllis Terwilliger: “The CCO gave me tools to live a full Christian life.”

“I believe that Dave’s and Ginger’s teaching, examples and honesty provided a foundation for my faith,” says Phyllis Terwilliger. “It gave me tools so that when I did graduate, my faith remained, and I got involved in my local church, married a Christian, raised my children as Christians and have a quiet time to this [...]

 

Small steps toward big changes at Ohio Dominican

Khadija Garrison is an anomaly. She is in her mid twenties and putting her double degree in Psychology and Religion to use in an extraordinary way. Khadija works, eats, sleeps, and lives with college freshmen. She is a CCO staff member and resident minister in a freshmen dorm at Ohio Dominican University [...]

 

Why John Holt chose to join the CCO’s Board

The CCO was instrumental in my life in college. It provided me with a mentor that helped me develop a Christian worldview and to put my faith and knowledge into everyday practical life practice. Being on the Board allows me to continue that worldview by applying my accounting and business skills to an organization that [...]

 

Tom Pendleton: serving God as a lawyer

“Lawyers are community helpers. When we do it right, we help people solve problems and achieve their goals,” says Tom Pendleton. Tom credits the CCO has helping him to develop an understanding of what it means to be a Christian lawyer by emphasizing the service part of being a lawyer. “How do you treat your [...]

 

What Board member Kenneth Smith says about the CCO

Whether introducing a student to Christ for the first time, supporting a believer’s efforts to strengthen their walk, or just helping them to remain connected to the Church, the mission of transforming college students to transform the world is critical. I’m involved with CCO because I believe this organization is uniquely positioned to execute its [...]

 

Rosemary Rush: “Every interaction is an opportunity to share Christ.”

“Because of the investment that Karla and Bob made in my life as a student, I was able to grow in my faith in Christ and see the need in the world for others to know Him,” says Rosemary Rush. “The CCO helped me to realize that, through Christ, I am a part of the [...]

 

An inside look at La Roche students’ trip to New Orleans

Tom (TR) Richards and Wendy McConnell, along with members of North Park Church in Wexford, P.A. accompanied a group of La Roche College students to New Orleans, L.A as an extension of La Roche’s Alternative Spring Break Trips.
During the trip, students compiled a journal with numerous entries and various pictures documenting their adventures.
Click here to [...]

 

Why Richard Noftzger is a CCO Board member

The CCO remains a distinctive Christian organization that brings the fullness of the good news to college students. Targeting these future leaders, the CCO represents a tangible expression of God’s kingdom in reaching out to students in order that they might know God’s claim on their lives and the world. As an organization, the CCO [...]

 

Derek Melleby: preparing high school students for the realities of college life

Derek Melleby works with the CCO in partnership with the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding, where he is the director of CPYU’s College Transition Initiative (CTI). This initiative helps college-bound high school students and their parents successfully make the transition from high school to college. Here, Derek talks about why he is committed to helping high [...]

 

Robby Peterson repairs bicycles for needy through church ministry

Rob Peterson’s faith gave him the idea and the drive to do something good for his community. The means to do it, he believes, came from God.
For the past year, Peterson has been taking in old bikes, repairing them or stripping them down and cobbling together working rides for those lacking personal transportation. He’s [...]

 

John Truschel: Living a 24-7-365 faith

“The CCO’s focus on office, calling, and vocation has been and continues to be instrumental in our sense of where to be and what to be doing where we are,” says John Truschel, Chief Investment Officer for the Boston Company Asset Management. John points back to the CCO’s ministry as the place where he was [...]

 

Why Board member Liz Stephens supports the CCO

The CCO is the organization I wish I was a part of during my college years. An avid churchgoer during my youth, I was somewhat of a lost soul when it came to finding a church I felt I could call home during my four years on campus.
I see how Christ is working through the [...]

 

Randon Willard spurs students toward service at RMU

Spring break in most college students’ minds suggests nothing short of lounging around in 75-degree weather scorning any thoughts of school work. Some students spend time away consuming alcohol like they would water, while others simply tarry at home with a good book and family. Randon Willard’s plans deviate from the norm.
Randon works [...]

 

Jeffrey LeCrone: “I’d never heard anyone talk about what it means to be a Christian and teacher, or a Christian and a lawyer.”

“The CCO deepened my understanding of faith, even moreso than my involvement in church,” says Jeff LeCrone. “It awakened me to the depth of what a commitment to Jesus Christ is really all about—how it should affect every area of life. I’d heard it before, but the CCO is the first experience that really encouraged [...]

 

What Board member Harry Kunze says about the CCO

The CCO has been a central part of my faith development since I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior nearly 30 years ago. I have been blessed by the CCO, originally as I grew in my Christian faith, along the way through the faithful ministry of many staff members at Bellefield Church at the [...]

 

The 21st Century Samaritan: Sam Van Eman Style

“Too many of us view work as an obligation or selfish pursuit. We think Good-Samaritan behavior is an avocation for Sunday morning volunteerism, mission trips, and the occasional opportunity for heroism. It’s amazing what you can discover when you connect how your degree trained you with how Jesus calls you. The key [...]

 

CCO Staff Worker, Paul Harbison, receives WEA Instructor of the Year award

Pittsburgh, PA (March 3, 2009)— Paul Harbison, director of the Outdoor Leadership Team (OLT) for the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) received the Instructor of the Year award from the Wilderness Education Association (WEA) at the 2009 National Conference on Outdoor Leadership in Bloomington, IN.
Paul’s colleague, Jack Drury, who is a former WEA board member, [...]

 

Lynda Hultman: “We understood that we were making life decisions.”

“I am set in my faith,” Lynda says. “There is an ease in living out my daily life because so many decisions, I realize, are already made. The CCO helped me to reach those decisions early. CCO staffers affirmed what I already knew to be true about God, that He is full of grace and [...]

 

Three Pittsburgh organizations recognized as Best Christian Places to Work

(Pittsburgh) February 25, 2009 — The Best Christian Workplaces Institute (BCWI) announced that three Pittsburgh-based organizations, the Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO), Light of Life Ministries, Inc. and The Pittsburgh Project, are included in the 2009 list of certified Best Christian Workplaces in the US. This is the seventh year in a row that the [...]

 

Jonny Cagwin: influencing the influencers at Pitt and CMU

“If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulder of giants.
– Isaac Newton
Standing at six feet, three inches tall, Jonny Cagwin could not technically be considered a giant in height, but the substantial effect he has on the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University is a different [...]

 

Becky Wainwright: “If it wasn’t for the CCO, I don’t know if I would be a follower of Christ today.”

If it wasn’t for the CCO, I don’t know if I would be a follower of Christ today. After graduation, I decided to wait to pursue a master’s degree in social work in order to give back what was given to me. I took a CCO position at Penn State and worked there for three [...]

 

Why CCO Board member Martha McElhattan is involved with the CCO

I believe CCO provides a vital ministry on the college campus as it reaches out to the students wherever they are spiritually—whether they are seeking something that’s missing in their lives, or whether they already know the Lord but desire to grow closer to Him. Students are often disconnected, lonely, and struggling to find their [...]

 

Jubilee 2009…what now?

The Westin Hotel and Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh was brimming with more than 2,300 college students attending Jubilee 2009.
This year’s theme was “Every Square Inch.” Students gathered together to hear speakers, musicians, and attend workshops that required them to think about what it looks like for God to pervade every area of their [...]

 

Jubilee 2009 inspires change

We asked Jubilee participants what they plan to do differently as a result of what they experienced at Jubilee 2009. Here are just a few of the responses we received:
Jubilee helped focus my career ideas to be more about God and less about myself. It’s making me look at the call that He has for [...]

 

Teri Woodland: Building character in China

“The underlying premise that the CCO emphasized, that we are to integrate our faith in Christ into who we are and what we do—that belief that God wants to redeem all of life—had a strong influence on me,” says Teri Woodland. “It informs how I approach my work and how I live my life.”
Click here [...]

 

Why Board member Jack White is involved with the CCO

I believe that the CCO is one of the most effective college and university ministries in the US, because it combines an orthodox Christian theology with evangelism and a Christian worldview that seeks to teach students to think Christianly about academics and future vocations.
I am involved with the CCO because, in my 43 years of [...]

 

Pittsburgh Steeler speaks about faith at CCO’s Jubilee conference

(Pittsburgh) February 10, 2009 – Pittsburgh Steelers’ punter Daniel Sepulveda will be speaking at the annual Jubilee conference, sponsored by the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach).  Jubilee takes place from Friday, February 13, 2009 at 8pm through Sunday, February 15, 2009 at 1:00pm at the Westin Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh.
Jubilee is a three-day event [...]

 

What the Jubilee conference taught Tim Gebhart

Tim Gebhart’s participation in the annual Jubilee conference has helped him to develop an awareness of his role as a global citizen.  Through understanding links between the U.S. economy and workers all over the world, Tim has gained a deeper appreciation of how his choices affect people everywhere.  That understanding encourages him to be conscious [...]

 

Local Pittsburgh paper writes story on Dave McGeary and the CCO

“In his former career as a technology consultant with Giant Eagle, the biggest impact Dave McGeary had on people’s lives was helping them shop for groceries faster. Now, he measures his impact in the number of college students who remain dedicated to their faiths.”
Click here to read more of Dave’s story in the Valley [...]

 

Melissa Toomey’s ministry with CCO featured in Fayette newspaper

“Even with me thinking I knew exactly what I’m doing in my life discovered there are always chances for God to show you other areas where you could be living for him - service projects or global awareness and how you can get involved, and your occupation in general. How you can more effectively do [...]

 

Leah Farr: Making a difference in journalism

“I attended the Jubilee conference for the first time as I was finishing schooling to be a journalist,” says Leah Farr. “This was one of the first times that I had heard that it was okay to pursue a career outside of the Christian community. In fact, I learned that as a Christian, I could [...]

 

Why Bill Roemer is a CCO Board member

I believe in bringing the saving grace of Jesus Christ to the college campus, and nobody does that better than the CCO. I have been a strong advocate for the CCO since joining the Board in 1990. It was good then, and it is even better now.
—Bill Roemer is the Retired Chairman of National City [...]

 

CCO staff worker Alaina Cronkright makes her mark in Philly

Graffiti-marked buildings, neglected sidewalks and fenced-in heaps of construction debris are unlikely allurements to any city. With a population of 1.5 million and a nickname reflecting benevolent affection for visitors and natives alike, sometimes Philadelphia can seem anything but enticing. Then why has Alaina Cronkright willingly spent the past four years of her [...]

 

Nathan Wigfield: “The CCO shaped me as a student leader.”

“My involvement in the CCO constantly challenged me to question what it meant to be faithful in all spheres of life, whether it was in the classroom, the dorms, or on the baseball field,” says Nathan Wigfield. “The CCO also shaped me as a student leader.I was encouraged to embrace a leadership role among my [...]

 

What Board member LC Greenwood says about the CCO

I like the things that the CCO does with kids, because they guide them in the right direction and give them positive Christian role models.

—LC Greenwood is President of Greenwood Enterprises, Inc. He was also a member of the legendary Pittsburgh Steelers “Iron Curtain” defense of the 1970s.

 

Tiffany Caldwell finds her “Monday pulpit.”

Tiffany Caldwell, a 2004 graduate from Geneva College, describes herself as a doer. Yet, she says, CCO staff members Kim Quist Gilmore, Michael Barbato, Scott Calgaro and others challenged her to think, to be critical, and to ask questions about what she was doing, and why. She remembers spending time at “The Loft” at the [...]

 

Tim Edris: “All I needed to know about life I learned on LDW.”

“All I needed to know about life I learned on LDW,” claims Tim Edris. Tim was a participant in the CCO’s inaugural Leadership and Discipleship in the Wilderness (LDW) trip in 1995 and subsequently a leader. Those experiences, Tim says, shaped the way he lives and works and relates to people in a very profound [...]

 

Why Doug Rehberg chose to join the CCO’s Board

I believe the CCO has a well-established track record of successful, transformational ministry over thirty-plus years. The vision, the leadership, and the execution of its ministry are second to none. I continue to hear from people all over Western Pennsylvania and beyond that it was through the ministry of CCO that they came to know [...]

 

Dave McGeary shakes things up at Penn State New Kensington

“I don’t have an office. This is my office,” says Dave as he points to the black, canvas mountain sitting on the chair next to him. It’s his shoulder bag brimming with books, numerous papers, his laptop and a cell phone filled with the numbers of countless students he’s encountered the past five [...]

 

A special video message from CCO President Dan Dupee

 

CCO staff worker Lizz Heimann teams up with Charis247

“Charis247 is all about being a community that lives and eats and plays and serves together more than just on Sunday mornings,” says Lizz Heimann, CCO staff worker serving students at Robert Morris University in partnership with the Charis247 Faith Community of Coraopolis. Charis247 is a new parish of …
Click here to read more about [...]

 

Durell Comedy: from the university to off-Broadway

“If I hadn’t been involved in the CCO’s ministry, I probably would be just going through the motions and mentioning God when convenient,” says Durell Comedy. “Like the Pharisees, I would have probably separated myself so much from other people that I wouldn’t have been able to relate to anyone. I would have probably memorized [...]

 

Why Pastor Bill Glaze is a CCO Board member

I am involved with the CCO because I want to be a part of an organization that is shaping the future of our country.  I believe that the CCO is a powerful ministry to college students.  It is a ministry that is needed on college campuses, especially in light of the different worldviews represented there.  [...]

 

Peggar Dixon’s life-long calling

“I made life-long friends as a result of being a part of the CCO’s ministry, and I still carry that vision of changing the world,” says Peggar Dixon, who first came into contact with the CCO’s ministry during her student years at Alderson-Broaddus College in Phillipi, West Virginia. “I have a strong sense of my [...]

 

Leah Farr: Making a difference as a Christian journalist

“I attended the Jubilee conference for the first time as I was finishing schooling to be a journalist,” says Leah Farr. “This was one of the first times that I had heard that it was okay to pursue a career outside of the Christian community. In fact, I learned that as a Christian, I could [...]

 

Why CCO Board member John Henne is involved with the CCO

I have been personally affected by the ministry of the CCO and I have heard so many testimonies of others who have as well. I want to be involved where Christ is working in a very real way. Additionally, I was immediately impressed with the integrity by which this ministry operates. I cannot think of [...]

 

James Whitacre’s search for “something bigger”

Without the CCO’s ministry, James Whitacre thinks his faith probably would have remained superficial, not the kind of depth he believes Christ calls us to. He remembers looking at friends in high school and thinking that there had to be something bigger and better in life. When he met Scott and got to know him, [...]

 

Why Board member JT Thomas supports the CCO

Many of today’s students are graduating from college with warped core values and an anemic character. College is an environment where the force of control, molding and transformation resides in tandem with aspirations, knowledge and fear.
The CCO’s mission is to fulfill God’s purpose through the lives of college students by showing them the approach, authority [...]

 

Jeff McLaughlin passes on to his students what the CCO taught him

Jeff challenges his students on the first day of class to identify the worldviews shaping their thinking. The most important thing for students to do in college, Jeff believes, is to clarify what they believe. For Jeff McLaughlin, developing a Christian worldview through the ministry of the CCO has been “more of a powerful theme [...]

 

Heather Conley: “I am a constantly growing follower of Christ in all areas of my life.”

“One of the things I loved about the Beach Project was the central focus of relational evangelism,” says Heather Conley. “People are seeking community, love, and acceptance. I choose to share my faith by building relationships with those who need Jesus the most, and meeting their physical needs in the hope of meeting their spiritual [...]

 

Why Board member Sandy Usher is involved with the CCO

We know that college is a special time in the life of young people—a time when they are seeking direction and searching for answers. Many different philosophies and ideologies are represented on the college campus, and we long to see students reached with God’s word and the good news of Christ so that they have [...]

 

Taylor Grabowsky: “God had intention in placing CCO members in my life.”

“The Student Affairs profession is about serving people—empowering them, and challenging them to grow.” Taylor Grabowsky says that the CCO informed his passion for people. Having worked as both a Resident Assistant and Community Advisor as an undergraduate at Carnegie Mellon University, Taylor continues to serve students through his current work there as a Housefellow [...]

 

Allie Mollenkof: “I know how God can use this work to change a student’s life forever.”

“I know from first-hand experience how effective the work of a campus minister in a student’s life can be,” says Allie Mollenkof. “I know how God can use this work to change a student’s life forever.”
Today, Allie serves the CCO as Director of Recruiting. Ten years ago, she was a Gannon University student who had [...]

 

Former CCO student receives top environmental award

Karl Thomas is the Executive Director of RiverQuest, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit whose mission is “to impact people’s relationships to the world’s environment through unique river-based education and adventure experiences.” Karl graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1994, where he was actively involved in the CCO’s ministry.
On Wednesday, December 3, RiverQuest received the first-ever WorkBoat Environmental [...]

 

Why CCO Board member Lou Divers is involved with the CCO

The CCO made its first impact on me when I was attending Grove City College. John Chapko worked for CCO on my campus and provided me with a spiritual mentor at a critical stage of my faith development. I wanted to do my part to continue and expand their impact.
I believe the college years are [...]

 

Ted Martin: “Without the CCO, I think my faith would have become very shallow.”

“Honestly, if I hadn’t gotten connected to the CCO, I think my faith would have become very legalistic and shallow,” says Ted Martin. “Other influences on my life during that time convince me that my faith would have been very compartmentalized. I am grateful that the CCO was there for me during those formative years!”
Click [...]

 

LiveAbove: helping young people find faith communities away from home

LiveAbove.com is an outreach of the Youth Transition Network, a coalition of youth, college and military ministries that are working together to transition students from high school into the often confusing world of campus life. 50 ministries, including the CCO, have joined to effort to provide students a way to explore ministries and connect with [...]

 

Transitioning from high school to college: why some kids go wild

Why is it that some youth group kids go wild after graduation while others don’t? What can youth workers do to prepare students as they leave the relative safety of our youth ministries and begin to emerge into adulthood?
These are questions that the Fuller Youth Institute’s College Transition Project is currently tracking, and they are [...]

 

BJ Woodworth: “It’s that sense of calling that keeps us here, and it all ties back to the CCO.”

“I really can’t envision what life would be like, or how I would understand life, had I not been influenced by the CCO,” says BJ Woodworth. “The relationships and conversations I had all through college were formative, and the Jubilee conference was very influential in helping me discern my sense of calling.”
Click here to [...]

 

CCO student alumna Terry Noyes’ unique after-school ministry

Terry Noyes and her husband, Chris, live in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania with their four children. Chris is pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Beaver Falls, and Terry pours her life into their family and their neighbors, especially the children. Every day after school, ten children show up at her house because they like to be [...]

 

CCO student alumna Emily Kirkwood appears on NBC’s “My Name is Earl”

(Pittsburgh) November 25, 2008 – Emily Kirkwood, a CCO student alumna, performed as an extra on an episode of NBC’s My Name is Earl which aired November 20th.
Emily graduated in 2008 from Philadelphia’s University of the Arts with a BFA in musical theatre. She first connected to the CCO’s ministry during her sophomore [...]

 

Pat Roddy: “The CCO affirmed my Christian commitment and kept me from drifting away.”

“So many of my peers from high school and in college drifted away from God during the college years, some never to come back,” says Pat Roddy. “The CCO affirmed my Christian commitment and kept me from drifting away and potentially making some life-altering mistakes.  My wife and I have benefited greatly from staying on [...]

 

College students and the lockbox

College is a time during which young people choose to reinvent themselves. Many of them tuck away their personal and religious histories in a so-called “lockbox” to be opened later, if at all, according to a recent study by the Fuller Youth Institute.
This compartmentalization explains why so many youth group kids join the cultural mainstream [...]

 

Chris Thompson: “The CCO’s ministry taught me about being salt and light in any environment.”

“The CCO’s ministry taught me about being salt and light in any environment, because there is no place where God is not, nor is there anyplace or thing or person that God cannot redeem,” says Chris Thompson. “I also learned about accountability, the importance of having checks and balances in my life, and about recognizing [...]

 

Lori Burens: “The CCO’s ministry gave me a vision of how I could serve God with my whole life.”

“The CCO’s ministry gave me a vision of how I could serve God with my whole life,” says Lori. “What was important to me was seeing people actually do that, instead of people just saying and teaching that I should integrate my faith into all areas of my life. My campus ministers invited me into [...]

 

CCO student alumnus Charles Chapman named one of Pittsburgh’s 40 Under 40

(Pittsburgh) November 7, 2008 – Charles Chapman, a co-founder and community-outreach coordinator of The L.I.V.I.N.G. (Love Initiated Ventures Investing In Neglected Groups) Ministry, a nonprofit organization that serves Pittsburgh’s homeless men, was named one of Pittsburgh’s 40 Under 40.
Charles, a 2006 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, connected to the CCO’s ministry during his freshman [...]

 

Chuck Grieb: “My faith was made more real to me.”

“My college years were a significant period of growth and maturation for me in my faith and understanding of God,” says Chuck Grieb, a college professor teaching animation at California State University, Fullerton. “The foundation that was established has guided my walk through life, in career decisions, marriage, church involvement, and so on.”
Click here [...]

 

CCO staff participate in 8th annual Kayak-a-thon

(Pittsburgh) October 30, 2008 — (Pittsburgh) The Outdoor Leadership Team of the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) will be hosting its 8th Annual Fall Kayak-a-thon this Saturday, November 1, 2008.
The CCO is a ministry that partners with churches, colleges, and other organizations to develop men and women who live out their faith in every [...]

 

Chris Noyes: “The CCO has been incredibly formative for who I am in Christ, in deep, deep ways.”

“We’re involved in the community because we’re Christians,” says Chris Noyes. “We participate at whatever level we can. We know the mayor, we go to the high school games, and we try to connect the church to the community. We host a soup kitchen and youth outreach programs in the church.”
Click here to read [...]

 

Chaley Knight: “If I had not become involved in the CCO ministry, my life could have unraveled.”

Chaley Knight says that prior to becoming involved in the CCO’s ministry at Waynesburg University, Christ was not a part of her everyday life. “Today, every decision I make is in prayer, every thought and action is placed on a foundation of Christ,” she says.
Click here to read Chaley’s story.

 

Vince Burens: “The CCO ministry at Pitt was my moral and faith compass throughout my college years.”

“The message I received in college was that God cares about every aspect of my life, and how to live that practically,” says Vince Burens. “How do I interact with people from different cultures, how do I spend my money, how do I coach soccer? We want people to notice that there’s something different about [...]

 

Jennifer Wingenroth’s life changed as the result of an invitation to a church picnic.

If not for the CCO, I probably never would have gone to the Shippensburg Presbyterian Church and learned what a church family should be like,” says Jennifer Wingenroth. “The CCO has provided me for extended periods of time with some really awesome God-directed people who have taught me many lessons and guided my spiritual life.”
Click [...]

 

A Win/Win: Strengthen your sales process while strengthening the CCO

Please join nationally-acclaimed sales expert and CCO board member, John Rosso, for a full-day sales training event which is enlightening, entertaining and will give you the edge in closing the sale. In this provocative workshop, you’ll learn tools for real-world success and be energized for the road ahead.
Full-Day Sales Training Event for CEOs, Presidents, Senior [...]

 

Colby Long: Sometimes even a brief encounter with the ministry of the CCO proves to have far-reaching effects.

The CCO, Colby Long believes, is successful in encouraging students to live a holistic life in regard to Christianity—not separating the spiritual life from the secular. To Colby, faithful Christian living involves seeing God in the daily decisions he makes, whether in daily activities like taking out the trash or doing dishes, or in how [...]

 

Todd Johnson: “I have continued to look at my days in the CCO as pivotal.”

“Through the CCO community, I deepened and broadened my faith in ways I never would have imagined, and I discerned a call to ministry,” says Todd Johnson. “This call has taken me though a variety of experiences, as I have served as a police and hospital chaplain, campus minister, parish pastor and now seminary professor. [...]

 

Stephanie Wessel: “This is what it really means to be a Christian.”

“The main thing the CCO gave me was an intentional community—a framework, a context, people who spoke the same language and had the same beliefs,” says Stephanie Swaney Wessel of her experience as a student at Allegheny College.

 

Architect credits CCO with giving him a vision to serve developing countries

“The CCO taught me that I should integrate my faith into my studies, and subsequently into my professional career,” says Scott Mulrooney, who graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1988. “Twenty years later, I am still attempting that integration as a self-styled architect of the poor, humbly ministering to both their physical and spiritual needs [...]

 

Speaking about God’s glory in the university and the work world

“My entire life has been a personal faith divorced from my public life,” said Dawn. “It isn’t until I started worshipping here that I started hearing that it doesn’t have to be that way.”
On September 25, Dawn, along with more than 70 graduate students, university faculty members and young working professionals, gathered at Bellefield Presbyterian [...]

 

CCO staff reach out to students through local coffeeshop

If there is a desire to see Kingdom work happening at your coffeehouse, there is no better way to accomplish this than to partner with the CCO. It is a constant encouragement to be working with CCO staff.
We have experienced a more clearly defined relationship between coffee service and faith sharing since we started partnering [...]

 

Peace Corps volunteer credits CCO with building her character

“The CCO was a catalyst to my growth as an individual,” says Katie Willey, “The CCO’s Leadership and Discipleship in the Wilderness trip provided for me a safe place to grow and provided chances for me to gain confidence and build up a track record of successes to look back on. Without the CCO, I [...]

 

The CCO welcomes Karen Johnson

(Pittsburgh) September 24, 2008 — Karen Johnson has joined the CCO to serve as Outdoor Leadership Team Administrator.

 

Slippery Rock University football coach is grateful for CCO ministry

Most athletic programs put so much emphasis on academic support for student athletes, and physical support in terms of weight training, that sometimes you overlook the spiritual aspect. That’s what we had done for many years at Slippery Rock University.
Then Josh came along, and he has done a great job connecting with the players [...]

 

Dennis Simmons joins the CCO

(Pittsburgh) September 17, 2008 — Dennis Simmons has joined the CCO to reach out to students at Thiel College in partnership with First Baptist Church of Greenville, Pennsylvania, where he serves as Campus Ministry Director.

 

Middle school principal is grateful for the CCO’s ministry

“I knew I had a choice to make. I would either fully embrace my Christian faith, or I’d do the party thing. I’d play football and join a fraternity. But I knew I had to choose,” says Dan White of his years at Ohio Wesleyan University. “If it hadn’t been for the CCO and Sandie, [...]

 

CCO staff member weighs in on drinking age debate

Last week, a news story broke regarding a group of college presidents who have put their names to a request to the government calling for the drinking age to be lowered to 18 to help with the binge-drinking problem on campuses. CCO staff member Derek Melleby, who serves as Director of our College Transition [...]

 

The CCO welcomes Gary Villa

(Pittsburgh) August 7, 2008 — Gary Villa has joined the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) to reach out to students at Cornell University and Ithaca College through his position as a Pastoral Intern with New Life Presbyterian Church in Ithaca, New York.

 

Miles Adams joins the CCO

(Pittsburgh) August 6, 2008 — Miles Adams has joined the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) as our first staff person to reach out to students at the College of Staten Island in partnership with Crossroads Church in Staten Island, New York.

 

Jamie Donne to work with students at Washington & Jefferson College

(Pittsburgh) August 5, 2008 — Jamie Donne has joined the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) to reach out to students at Washington & Jefferson College in cooperation with Trinity Episcopal Church in Washington, Pennsylvania.

 

The CCO welcomes Justin McGeary

(Pittsburgh) August 4, 2008 — Justin McGeary has joined the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) to reach out to students at Cornell University through his position as Director of Undergraduate Programs at Chesterton House.

 

Mark Steffey joins the CCO

(Pittsburgh) August 1, 2008 — Mark Steffey has joined the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) to reach out to student athletes at the University of Pittsburgh. Mark is coming on board in August to replace Ron Coder, who is moving onto a position with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
Mark grew up in the Pittsburgh suburb [...]

 

Ericka Newell to work with Elmira College students

(Pittsburgh) June 31, 2008 — Ericka Newell has joined the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) to reach out to students at Elmira College in cooperation with North Presbyterian Church in Elmira, New York.

 

The CCO welcomes Zachary Northen

(Pittsburgh) July 30, 2008 — Zachary Northen has joined the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) to reach out to students at Waynesburg University as a Residence Hall Director.

 

Heather Strong joins the CCO

Heather Strong has joined the CCO to reach out to students at Slippery Rock University in partnership with Grace Anglican Church.

 

Jonathan and Wendy Weyer to work with Ohio State University students

Jonathan and Wendy Weyer have joined the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) to reach out to students at The Ohio State University.

 

The CCO welcomes Kelly Royer

Kelly Royer has joined the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) to serve the CCO’s Outdoor Leadership Team as Leadership & Discipleship in the Wilderness Manager.

 

Rachel Foose joins the CCO

Rachel Foose has joined the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) to reach out to students at Penn State Altoona in partnership with the Commonplace Coffeehouse & Roastery.

 

Amy Nichols to work with Philadelphia University students

Amy Nichols has joined the CCO to reach out to students at Philadelphia University in partnership with Liberti:Roxborough Church.

 

The CCO welcomes Brandon Hoover

Brandon Hoover has joined the CCO to reach out to students at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania as Director of the SALT (Serving and Learning Together) House on campus.

 

Lizz (Strasner) Heimann joins the CCO

Lizz (Strasner) Heimann has joined the CCO to reach out to students at Robert Morris University in partnership with the Charis247 Faith Community of Coraopolis.

 

Katie Zoet to work with Eastern University students

Katie Zoet has joined the CCO to reach out to students at Eastern University in cooperation with Church of the Saviour in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

 

The CCO welcomes Elliott Simko

Elliott Simko has joined the CCO to reach out to students at Haverford College and surrounding universities through his role as Young Adult Leader at Manoa Presbyterian Church.

 

Lindsay Kate Reedy joins the CCO

Lindsay Kate Reedy has joined the CCO to reach out to students at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, in cooperation with Standing Stone Coffee Company.

 

Emily Garrity to work with Marietta College students

(Pittsburgh) July 3, 2008 — Emily Garrity has joined the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) to reach out to students at Marietta College in cooperation with First Baptist Church in Marietta, Ohio, where she will serve as Director of Children’s Ministry.

 

The CCO welcomes Kurt Ro

(Pittsburgh) July 2, 2008 — Kurt Ro has joined the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) to reach out to students at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

 

Katie Black joins the CCO

Katie Black has joined the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) to reach out to students at Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

 

Matthew Ramsay to work with Juniata College students

Matthew Ramsey has joined the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) to reach out to students at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, in cooperation with Standing Stone Coffee Company.

 

The CCO welcomes Tara (Siegle) Atchison

Tara (Siegle) Atchison has joined the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) to reach out to students at Temple University through her role as Director of Campus Ministry at Liberti Church, Fishtown.

 

Michael Barnhart joins the CCO

Michael Barnhart has joined the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) to reach out to students at the University of Findlay in Ohio, in partnership with Gateway Church.

 

Four CCO staff members mark 30 years of service

Bonnie Liefer, Paul Harbison, Glenn Salo and Garnet Schulz were recently honored by the rest of their CCO colleagues for their three decades of service to the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach). Considering that the CCO itself is only 37 years old, and that almost all CCO staff are required to raise the majority—if not all—of their salary, this is quite an accomplishment.

 

Barry Luokkala

“The CCO’s ministry brought me to a growing awareness that God cares about all areas of human activity, and so should we, as followers of Christ. My vocation is in academia, specifically physics. As opportunities arise, I’m happy to tell my story, and to talk about the One whom I believe to be the way the truth and the life.”

 

CCO staff head off to Canadian wilderness

(Pittsburgh) June 3, 2008—On Wednesday, June 4, eight students and four CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) instructors will depart from Pittsburgh for a month-long coastal kayaking trip in Ontario, Canada.

 

CCO staff head to Wyoming

(Pittsburgh) June 3, 2008—On Saturday, May 31, ten students and four CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) instructors departed from Pittsburgh for a six-week adventure in Wyoming.

 

Alpha Phi Omega honors CCO staff member, Randon Willard

CCO staff member Randon Willard, who serves Robert Morris University as their Community & Volunteer Services Coordinator, was recently named Honorary Brother of the Year by the service fraternity,  Alpha Phi Omega.
“Each year, Alpha Phi Omega at RMU chooses one faculty or staff member as their honorary brother of the year,” says Randon. “The [...]

 

Communicating with Screenagers

Screenagers: n. A term that combines two words to describe “teenagers who are online” and who are “always looking at the screen.” See also: generation Y, mouse potato, today’s college student
Do you know how to best communicate with college students? Better yet, do you know how they prefer that you communicate with them? If you [...]

 

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette features CCO as “top Christian workplace”

The article by Ann Rodgers, entitled “Local campus ministry named a top Christian workplace,” first appeared on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette website on May 7, 2008:
The Pittsburgh-based campus ministry organization Coalition for Christian Outreach has been named one of America’s Best Christian Workplaces for the sixth year in a row.
“CCO is perennially on top [...]

 

Benjamin Lins

Benjamin remembers the vulnerability of being a first-year college student and is grateful to have connected with CCO staff in Messiah’s Exodus freshman orientation program. That experience right then, he believes, was, “the best springboard to the rest of my life I ever could have had.”

 

Katy Turman named Advisor of the Year

Penn State Abington named CCO staff member Katy Turman the 2008 “Advisor of the Year” for her work with Abington Christian Fellowship. Katy hosts a weekly dinner and Bible study in her home, mentors students one-on-one, and helps them organize service projects and spring break trips. She was nominated for this award by [...]

 

CCO staff person receives Community Service Award

At its annual awards banquet, Penn State Abington awarded CCO staff member Katy Turman with the Community Service Award for her initiative in starting up an “Alternative Spring Break” program. Over the past couple of years, she has taken students to Biloxi, Mississippi to do Hurricane Katrina relief work, and to the Children’s [...]

 

The CCO Presents An Evening with Timothy Keller, author of “The Reason for God”

When: Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA*
Cost: Open to the public and free of charge
*For more information about the venue and for parking options, please visit the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh website. (The Carnegie Music Hall is connected to the Museums of Art and of Natural [...]

 

CCO named Best Christian Place to Work for sixth consecutive year

Contact: CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach)
Vince Burens, Vice President of Staff Services
412.363.3303 ext. 141, vburens@ccojubilee.org
(Pittsburgh) April 23, 2008 — For the sixth year in a row, the CCO has been named one of the Best Christian Places to Work by the Best Christian Workplaces Institute. The announcement was made on April 23rd at the Christian [...]

 

“Which religion is right for you?”

This question was posed in a recent Google ad, directing readers to a quiz to help them figure out the answer. It’s a sign of our times and our American culture, suggesting that we can walk through a supermarket of possibilities and choose, much as we do a favorite brand of toothpaste or cereal.
A recent [...]

 

CCO hosts One U at Eastern University

Contact: CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach)
Becky Wainwright, Associate Director of Development, Metro Philadelphia
215-253-4047; rwainwright@ccojubilee.org
(Philadelphia) April 9, 2008 — On Saturday, April 19, 2008, the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) will host One U, a one-day event designed to encourage Philadelphia college students and young adults to live faithful Christian lives, academically, vocationally, and residentially.
Students [...]

 

Dining with the Steelers

Want to have lunch with former Steeler greats, LC Greenwood and JT Thomas? Interested in attending a Steelers, Pirates or Penguins game? Maybe you’d like to get a head start on your Christmas shopping by picking up some sports memorabilia—bid on a photograph of Troy Polamalu or a basket full of Pittsburgh Penguins paraphernalia.
Join us [...]

 

Tired of the winter blahs?

Tired of the winter blahs? You won’t want to miss the CCO’s Escape to the Islands Dinner and Auction on April 25th at 6:30 p.m. at the Westin Convention Center Hotel in Pittsburgh. Mark your calendar now and plan to join us!
You’ll have an opportunity to bid on your own escape—how about a vacation [...]

 

CCO receives Wilderness Education Association 2008 Affiliate Award

Contact: CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach)
Vince Burens, Vice President for Staff Services
412-363-3303 ext. 141, vburens@ccojubilee.org
(Pittsburgh) March 17, 2008 — The CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) has received the 2008 Affiliate Award from the Wilderness Education Association (WEA), a national outdoor education organization.
“I am pleased to report that your organization has set an example, in many [...]

 

The Washington Post reviews Jubilee conference

Michael Gerson, former top aide and speech-writer for President George W. Bush and author of the book Heroic Conservatism, recently spoke at Jubilee 2008.
Mr. Gerson is also a regular contributor to The Washington Post. On February 27, 2008, his column entitled “Faith Without a Home” appeared, complete with reflections from his experiences at Jubilee:
“I have [...]

 

Covenant Seminary professor blogs about Jubilee 2008

“I’m serious folks, I think CCO may be America’s leading college ministry. You’re not going to find students being discipled this way with a distinctively missional Creation-Fall-Redemption-Restoration theology anywhere in the country.”
Dr. Anthony Bradley, Assistant Professor of Apologetics and Systematic Theology at Covenant Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, kicked off the opening plenary session for [...]

 

Jubilee Africana & Latino 2008

The Jubilee conference gathers thousands of students every year to help them catch a vision for how their Christian faith should inform the way they study, play, work and live out every area of life. Jubilee is about developing today’s students to become tomorrow’s leaders.
One of those leaders is CCO staff member Gene Tibbs. [...]

 

Chuck Colson, Michael Gerson and Tony Dungy to address Jubilee 2008

Contact: Bonnie Liefer, Vice President for Marketing & Communications, CCO
(412) 363-3303 ext. 127 , bonnie@ccojubilee.org
(Pittsburgh) February 8, 2008 — The CCO will host more than 2,500 college students at the annual Jubilee Conference during the weekend of February 15-17, 2008 at the Westin Hotel and Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh.
Key presenters for Jubilee 2008 [...]

 

Sex on campus

“The ‘true love waits’ saying is a bunch of crap,” said one female student, after listening to author Lauren Winner discuss her book, Real Sex: The Naked Truth About Chastity, at Vienna Presbyterian Church in September. “We are a feelings-oriented culture, and waiting doesn’t feel good.”
A survey done at Michigan State University indicates that 60% [...]

 

Chuck Colson to speak at Jubilee 08

More than 30 years ago, Charles W. Colson was not thinking about reaching out to prison inmates or reforming the U.S. penal system. In fact, this aide to President Richard Nixon was “incapable of humanitarian thought,” according to the media of the mid-1970s. Chuck Colson was known as the White House “hatchet man,” a man [...]

 

Faith for Thought

Young adults are disillusioned with Christianity.
Many young adults today are more skeptical and resistant to Christianity than they were 10 years ago, according to the book Unchristian by Dave Kinneman. Only 16% of Americans between the ages of 16 and 29 said they have a favorable impression of Christianity. The most common terms they used [...]

 

Why Christians should be interested in the arts

Artist and CCO staff member Yvonne Boudreaux works with students in Philadelphia at the University of the Arts and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She was recently interviewed by LeAnne Benfield Martin for her blog, Christians in the Arts. The blog is “a discussion of why Christians should be interested in the arts [...]

 

WVU: #1 Party School

West Virginia University was named the number one party school for 2007 by The Princeton Review Annual Rankings. “The school has made the list seven times in the past 15 years, despite efforts to curb underage drinking and rowdy behavior,” writes Vicki Smith in an Associated Press report.
What the CCO is doing about it: College [...]

 

The Freshman Experience

The need to reach freshmen early
Despite strong levels of spiritual activity during their high school years, many college students are not interested in further developing their Christian faith during their young adult years, according to a 2006 study by The Barna Group. Approximately 60% of 20-somethings who were involved in a church during their teen [...]

 

Making the transition from high school to college

Only 58% of students are able to finish their bachelor’s degree within six years of enrollment, according to Eric Bierker of The College Transition Group. On average, college students graduate with over $3,000 of credit card debt. The pressure to drink and have sex can be overwhelming. Currently, the college student population has the highest [...]

 

Welcome our new staff!

More than 30 new staff members recently completed the CCO’s annual New Staff Training program, hosted this summer at Grove City College. These men and women are now heading to the campuses where they will begin their ministry to college students, including several new campuses, from the University of Charleston in West Virginia to Cumberland [...]

 

The importance of ministry to college students

“What will become of the 2007 graduates who will leave us next month college-bound?”
CCO alumnus and associate staff member, Byron Borger, asks this question in his opinion piece about the importance of ministry to college students, published in the July 15, 2007 issue of The York Daily Record.
From his article, “The yearnings of young collegians”:
“Congregations [...]

 

What happens after graduation?

Why do some college students struggle with, or even lose, their Christian faith after they graduate, while others continue to grow and thrive?
In a 2006 study, the Barna Research Group reported that “a majority of twentysomethings — 61% of today’s young adults — had been churched at one point during their teen years but they [...]

 

CCO staff and alumnus write outrageous book

Congratulations to CCO staff member Derek Melleby and CCO alumnus Don Opitz on the publication of their book, The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness: A Guide for Students!
Released by Brazos Press on Wednesday, June 6, this one-of-a-kind book has received advance praise from a number of scholars, authors and booksellers. The theme of the book [...]

 

Campus substance abuse rampant

The misuse and abuse of drugs and alcohol on college campuses has become more excessive, and “nearly one in four full-time students nationwide meets the medical threshold for substance abuse or dependence,” according to a report highlighted in the March 15, 2007 issue of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
That’s two and a half times the same rate [...]

 

CCO staff worker wins Advisor of the Year Award!

Congratulations to CCO staff member Dave McGeary! In April, he was awarded the first-ever Advisor of the Year Award from Penn State New Kensington.
“The unique part about this award is that it is chosen based on student nominations,” wrote Dan Amerman, Assistant to the Director of Student Affairs, in the email that informed Dave of [...]

 

CCO group wins Outstanding Community Service Award

More than 50 Duquesne University students involved in the student-run (and CCO-advised) Crossroads Christian Fellowship group were recently treated to a free picnic by the university in honor of their distinction of being given the Outstanding Organization for Community Service Award. Whether passing out chocolate-covered pretzels to thank the university’s janitorial staff or traveling to [...]

 

Responding to the tragedy at Virginia Tech

“When a young person dies, a universe of possibility dies as well.”
CCO Area Director Bob Robinson sums up how many of us within the CCO have experienced the heartbreaking news from Blacksburg, Virginia this past week. In the wake of the massacre of 32 individuals at Virginia Tech on Monday, students and professors, Bob writes,
As [...]

 

CCO Named Best Christian Place to Work for the Fifth Time

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Vince Burens, Vice President of Staff Services,
vburens@ccojubilee.org , 412.363.3303
Palm Springs, CA – March 15, 2007 – Yesterday, at the Christian Management Association Conference in Palm Springs, California, Best Christian Workplaces Institute announced the finalists for the 2007 Best Christian Places to Work in the United States survey. For the [...]

 

Jubilee 2007: This Will Cure Your Cynicism

Over 2,100 students gathered during the weekend of February 16-18 for Jubilee 2007! Between seminars, worship sessions and concerts, students caught a vision for how they might offer their entire lives up to serve God.
It was packed weekend, during which students were challenged to live out the Gospel message—to care for the poor, to stand [...]

 

Waves of Influence: Dr. Gideon Strauss writes about the CCO’s ministry

Dr. Gideon Strauss is the editor of Comment, the Work Research Foundation’s monthly worldview journal.

I think I first heard about the Coalition for Christian Outreach from someone who told me about the maverick itinerant philosopher of western Pennsylvania, Pete Steen, and the astonishing influence he has had on students in that part of the world [...]

 

CCO Hosts Jubilee 2007

The CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) will host nearly 2,000 college students at the annual Jubilee Conference during the weekend of February 16-18, 2007 at the Hilton Pittsburgh, downtown.

 

Where did you sleep last night?

Chris Popadich, a CCO staff member who works with Late Night Christian Fellowship at Kent State University, joined the campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity to raise awareness of the perils of homelessness. Click here to read ‘Where did you sleep last night?’ Habitat for Humanity raises awareness about homelessness.

 

CCO staff members featured in PBS documentary about Civil Rights Bus Tour

CCO staff members featured in PBS documentary about Civil Rights Bus Tour
For eight days in June, a group of Western Pennsylvanians journeyed to the sites of America’s Civil Rights struggle. The “Return to the Roots of Civil Rights Bus Tour” covered nearly 2,600 miles, traveling from Beaver Falls to the Deep South. Among the travelers [...]

 

Coalition for Christian Outreach Recognized as Best Christian Place to Work for Fourth Consecutive Year

Seattle, WA – March 16, 2006 – For the fourth consecutive year, the Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO) has taken top honors in the Best Christian Places to Work in the United States survey.

 

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