Ministry Archives - Page 3 of 3 -

Posted on May 10, 2017May 10, 2017 by Robbie Davis — Leave a comment

The Suitist Challenge: Going Without for Those Without

Every year, a group of seven gentlemen dress-up in three-piece suits and don’t shower. These men also have a formally-written constitution, arrange a photo shoot, and advocate for missions work in Africa. While this may seem like a strange list of attributes, they all describe the gentlemen that call themselves the Suitists.

Every year, this group wears their suits (without taking them off) to raise money for Project Okello and the ministries that Okello is supporting at that time. Throughout the week, the Suitists hold Bible studies and often grab meals together, to promote the unsanitized solidarity that keeps their Suits on and smiles beaming.

The hope of the challenge is that by foregoing bathing and a daily change of clothes, as well as donning a classy outfit (albeit for an entire week), that their efforts will garner questions about why they’re doing what they’re doing. This in turn receives an explanation of the cause being supported and the mentality behind wearing Suits for an entire week. Ideally, the explanation results in the donation of a few dollars from the inquisitive individual.

Not living in an ideal world, this is not always the case. In all honesty, that can sometimes be discouraging, especially when you’ve slept and lived in the same suit for the last three days, share about the importance of what you’re doing, and then get flat out rejected. It’s a disheartening experience.

But by the middle of the week, a few of us recognized this, and decided to discuss how we were feeling and why that was. What we came to realize was that it was not because of our failure but because of our focus on ourselves. It was not about the Suits or the Suitists, but rather what God was doing through us.

After we had this revelation, it was far easier to move forward with our week. It was by no means easy, as not showering does come with many downsides, but it was still far more fulfilling and tolerable. We quickly came to realize that it was by no means the thing we were doing that was the most important aspect, even though it was important. It was far more important to remember the God who we were serving by serving others.

And so the Suitist Challenge will continue. What started as a mess was made to be beautiful through God’s faithfulness. Be it a gentlemen’s fundraiser or a local ministry, Grove City College students are committed to serving the least of these, foregoing their own comfort for the benefit of those around them.

Posted on April 28, 2017 by Krista Heckman — Leave a comment

Grove City College Partners with Love Your Melon

Grove City College is following the footsteps of many other universities and supporting the battle of children fighting cancer by promoting and endorsing the non-profit organization, Love Your Melon. The non-profit partners work in the field of pediatric oncology, fund cancer research initiatives, and provide immediate support for families of children battling cancer. Fifty percent of the profits from the sale of all Love Your Melon products is given to non-profit partners such as Make-A-Wish Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Love Your Melon became active on campus during the fall of 2016. There is an executive board for Love Your Melon on campus that is led by a Captain – Emily Breen – who is in charge of the other members affectionately called the “crew.” Under Emily’s leadership, lots of hard work and effort has been underway since GCC became partners with the non-profit. The crew on GCC campus is comprised of three other members. Vice Captain Amber Coryell is in charge of making sure they are obtaining enough credits. Public relations is handled by Tabitha Walker, who is in charge of all the social media sites. The final crew member is Secretary Anna Reed, who is in charge of making sure people know about meetings and events on campus. Despite the huge amount of time and effort that has been required to get Love Your Melon off the ground at GCC, it is all worth it when the crew and captain see the positive impact their efforts have in the lives of children fighting cancer.

“You have to remember no matter what they are going through they are still kids. They will insult you, pick on you, and plain and simple, have fun with you. That’s the best part of allowing the kid to still be a kid.”

– Emily Breen

A year may not sound like a long time to make an impact, but Love Your Melon has made quite an impression to the GCC students. In one year they have been able to fund-raise for Luke Blanock, an 18 year old that wanted to marry his high school sweetheart, but was sadly diagnosed with terminal cancer. The crew partnered with other schools to make and sell t-shirts, hold bake sales on campus, and also manned tables in Breen Student Union for promotional events. Through their work they were able to bless Luke and his sweetheart Natalie with $3,500 dollars. Emily Breen shares that her favorite moment was seeing how much Luke and Natalie appreciated their gift.

Although universities all over the United States are establishing “crews” on their campus to support the mission of Love Your Melon, it is faith that makes GCC’s crew stand apart from the rest. The seriousness that comes with the fight against cancer can weigh heavy on the individuals involved, but at the end of the day the only thing that will combat that weight is clinging to God’s promises. Emily shares that there have been many times when they have received the unfortunate news that one of their “superheroes” – the name they give to the kids they visit – has taken a turn for the worse or passed away. However, it is in those trying times when they support each other, recognize that control is out of their hands, and testify that they can only share the joy that the Lord has given them through this time of faith.

In order to share the joy that the Lord gives freely, the crew looks to Proverbs 17:22, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” This verse is applied to various outreaches, especially when they go and visit a superhero. They cannot go into the visit with sadness about the circumstance, because that only brings those people involved down even more and steals what is left of their joy. Therefore, the crew relies on the joy that comes from the One who is the filler, which means their cups will never run dry. Every visit with a child encourages the members to make their hearts cheerful.

The Love Your Melon crew is doing wonderful work both on and off campus in an effort to keep filling hearts the hearts of the superheroes with joy. So keep your eyes open for their upcoming “Melon Mania Day” which is a day to raise awareness about Pediatric Cancer.

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Krista Heckman — Leave a comment

An Inside Look at Red Box Missions

Each fall, the Religious Activities Committee selects up to eight Grove City College students to participate in a summer-long foreign missions trip. Each student that has applied for the trip is provided with funds through the Red Box Missions program, a program supported entirely through donations from alumni and friends. This past year there were various students that participated in the Grove City College Red Box Missions trip. One of those students was senior accounting major Lauren Bimber.

Lauren learned about Red Box Missions her freshman year while sitting in chapel and her interest only grew and prompted her to take action. She is passionate about the Muslim lifestyle and understanding the Islam culture in the United Kingdom. Lauren was inspired by the chance to see how Christian churches that are developed in the Western context can be evangelizing and reaching out to the Muslim neighborhoods in the simplest forms of service. Lauren used that inspiration to connect with an organization that focuses on sharing the gospel with Muslims and also looks to building bridges between Christians and Muslims.

Prior to her nine-week trip, Lauren had expectations that she was going to be investing her time in academics and studying the historical background of the Islamic culture, their religious beliefs, and rooted traditions. She thought she would be more behind the scenes at the churches and the events the organization hosted rather than participating in them. However, that was not the case once she arrived in the UK. Lauren did get to study Islam, but not as she had expected to. She was more hands-on during her trip and was going out to different cultures, helping with their outreaches, and being an active participant in their prayer groups, rather than just reading books. This allowed her to immerse herself within the community and meet a lot of people that are living in the neighborhood.

Certain roles that Lauren found herself helping with was simply being an extra pair of hands during the outreaches that she would go to during the weekdays. Each day was a different task for her such as teaching English, attending prayer groups, helping at a women’s center, and helping with a coloring club for girls. The coloring club impacted Lauren’s time there just as she impacted the girls that attended the club.

“It was created by a woman who noticed that young girls on her street were hanging outside on Saturday afternoons without much to do. Every week she read a Bible story and the girls color pictures relating to the story…Spending my Saturdays with them was one of my favorite things.”

Adapting to the culture challenges required Lauren to have patience during the first couple of weeks into her trip. She learned very quickly that in the UK the climate change was much hotter than it is back in the U.S. and required her to stay hydrated and dress accordingly while she participated in the outreaches. Another culture difference that caught her off-guard was their physical touch and personal space proximity. It was a bit unusual when women would hug and kiss her when they came in to say hello or when they were leaving an event. Through her time in the UK she adjusted to the differences and became accustomed to them.

Lauren gained a lot of insight and knowledge on Islam during her stay in the UK that allowed her to form her own opinion that had been skewed by the media influence. How the Muslims are portrayed on the news or in articles that you read in the newspaper leads you to believe that you know the person before even meeting them. Lauren realized after her trip that this certainly was not true and it is by asking the people group and listening to them and their personal life stories that you learn who they are. Serving them by actions such as speaking English, offering to assist them, or just being a listening ear can open the door to many opportunities to get involved with their lives – it just takes the willingness to go a step forward.

Posted on April 10, 2017 by Abby Cunningham — Leave a comment

Team Up India Part 2

Last summer GCC senior Lindsey Reichert traveled to India on a Red Box Missions scholarship. During her time overseas, Lindsey worked with the missions organization Harvest Bridge doing photojournalism and blogging. She had the opportunity to work in schools, serve local churches, and assist at medical clinics. To learn more about Lindsey’s time in India read the blog titled “Team Up India Part 1.”

Lindsey’s experience with India didn’t end when she stepped foot back on American soil. She allowed her time overseas and the lessons learned to drastically shape her senior year at Grove City in a unique way. Here’s how:

What impacted you most during your trip to India?

When people ask me what I loved most about India, it’s the people. A lot of my time was spent with the kids. My heart was broken for them when I saw that a lot of what was holding them back had to do with education.

When did you realize that this was a problem you could potentially fix?

Last fall I was taking a Social Entrepreneurship class and for one of our projects we had to participate in the elevator pitch competition on campus. This is when I realized I could integrate my experience over the summer with what I was learning in class. I knew I wanted to do something with India that addressed an aspect of their education.

What was your idea for the elevator pitch?

The pitch was basically for a sports program that would teach kids about good nutrition in India.

Why sports?

My very first idea was that I wanted to start a school. But there are already a lot of schools and successful Christian schools. So then I started to think about what the schools don’t have and what I can add to them. I was passionate about the education over there. I saw it as a great model for missions because the kids are there for 10 years and are hearing about the gospel. I was super passionate about the education system.

So then the question was, what can I add to the schools?

I thought back to Jaigaon (an area of India I spent time in) and the school we were in. When I was there, we asked the children what they love to do and all of the kids talked about sports. The original idea was to do a sports program for the school since they don’t have organized sports.

Why nutrition?

It goes back to the school. While we were at the schools in India, we were teaching about American culture, leading songs, and sometimes we would give a Bible message. One day we were asked to teach a health class. We gathered the girls in 7th to 10th grade and taught them a class on basic health and nutrition. A lot of these girls came from poor families and they didn’t know anything about health and nutrition. The class was about an hour long. Our time teaching was eye opening. The girls were asking questions about things that we take for granted, such as how many fruits and vegetable to eat in a day.

Their diets are high in carbs. They eat a lot of chicken, everything has curry and there are a lot of vegetables. But what I observed first hand and what I have been finding in my own research is that the kids have poor eating habits. They are eating a lot of rice and noodles and their snacks in school consist of chips, cookies and juices. Even when their teachers would encourage them to bring in fruit and water, the kids would decide to do otherwise.

Aren’t many of their eating habits cultural?

We are focused not just on changing the food they eat but on teaching them the “why” behind it. Yes, it is a cultural thing, but the kids need to know why they should change their habits. This is where the sports come in. A sports program will show the kids how what they eat affects their bodies. We’ll help them to see what they can add to their diet so they can get the nutrients that they are lacking.

How exactly will sports play into teaching them good nutrition?

We needed to find something that would get kids excited about eating healthy and motivate them to change. When it comes to sports, you have to eat better to perform better. That’s how I got interested in nutrition. For me, it started with sports. I wanted to perform better so I started eating healthy.

This program will give them the head knowledge and help them to see physical effects as well.

What did it look like getting into Venture Lab?

I competed in the elevator pitch competition and made it to the top 10. I couldn’t go to the top 10 round because of a scheduling conflict but I kept wondering what would have happened if I had done it.

I emailed Dr. English and gave her my idea asking her where to go from there. She told me about the Venture Lab info meeting. I went to the meeting and talked to her about it afterward. She was excited.

The next step was the application for Venture Lab. I went to Dr. Mech and he suggested looking for other team members. Kelsey Patton knew about the project because we had talked about it as friends. She told me she was interested so we collaborated and sent in the application.

Over Christmas break we found out that we were accepted into Venture Lab.

What is Venture Lab and how will it help you make this a reality?

Venture Lab is an idea incubator that is run through the Center for Entrepreneurship. Teams come together and propose an idea for a business. The idea goes to a board of professors. They review the idea and decide who they will fund and invest money into. They pretty much tell you if this is a viable idea or not. If you’re accepted, it’s a semester long project that you can take for credit. At the beginning, you get assigned a professor who acts as your advisor for the project. You work with the advisor during the semester to see if this is a viable business option. You are basically testing assumptions and working toward a “green light.”

Venture Lab provides you with a variety of resources to help with your endeavor. This semester they are bringing in speakers every few weeks to talk about specific topics within the business plan process. One week it was about branding.

We are also in partnership with a design class. We are working with a student who will help us with branding, logo design, social media, etc.

Lastly, you are paired with an advisor (our advisor is Dr. Mech) who is able to connect you with other entrepreneurs, some of which are alumni.

What’s the name of your project?

Team Up India.

Where are you right now? What have you completed?

Right now we are fundraising.

We are working on an extensive grant proposal to a pharmaceutical company. Dr. Howley works very closely with them. They have locations in India and they sell healthcare products. Although we won’t be selling their products, we believe our mission can align with and support their mission. In addition, we have been approaching rotaries with grant proposal and seeking support from local churches.

We have also established support for our program in India. We are in contact with the principal of a school in West Bengal. He wants us to start the program in his school. There are four teachers there who want to see this project happen.

We are in the process of developing the program. We have been working with expert coaches and sports program professionals to develop a sports program. In addition, we have been working with a graduate student who is pursuing nutrition to develop a health class curriculum.

Our online presence has also been coming along. We recently started working with social media as well as a blog and website.

What is your timeline moving forward?

We are looking to be fully funded by the end of the semester. Our hope is to pilot the project for five weeks in India this summer. The results will allow us to create a turnkey system or a packaged product that we can turn over to other schools in the future. At this point, our hope is go over to India June 10 to July 15. We will be there at the start of their school year.

Our program would take place five days a week. It would be an hour of in-class learning. During this time we would teach about health and nutrition using presentations, power points, handouts and quizzes.

Then we would move outside, for a one-hour training session. The training session would start with a warm up and transition game, then the main focus for the day and end with a discussion about what the kids learned and how this connects with what they learned in the classroom.

Any last words?

We’re very excited about it. This journey has definitely been about us following God. He keeps making it evident that he is opening doors that have allowed for opportunities. It’s about trusting Him. His hand is clearly on the project as we take it one step at a time.

Posted on April 5, 2017April 5, 2017 by Abby Cunningham — Leave a comment

Team Up India Part 1

Each year Grove City College selects up to eight students to spend their summer in another country doing missions work. At the beginning of the fall semester, students apply to the Red Box Missions program. Students selected by the program are given money to fund their summer abroad on missions. The program is funded by alumni and generous donors.

This past summer Lindsey Reichert ’17 traveled to India. Continue reading to learn more about Lindsey’s summer abroad.

What got you interested in Red Box?

It goes back two summers ago. I was living in Washington, DC doing an internship and was planning on studying abroad the following year. I was looking into study abroad options and began the planning process. However, all of the study abroad planning became stressful and I felt like this wasn’t something I was supposed to do. I wanted to go abroad but I wanted to do it with purpose and to serve the Lord.

I started considering missions organizations in Europe which is why Red Box caught my attention. When I got an email about doing Red Box and heard it announced in chapel I decided to apply.

Why did you choose India?

When you get accepted to Red Box they provide the funding and you find the missions organization. You get to plan what you want to do for the summer. I was thinking Europe so I started looking at organizations over there that I could work for. A lot of doors were being shut on those opportunities. I did get an offer for an opportunity in Ireland but felt that it wasn’t the right place for me. I was out of options.

At one point Dr. Keehlwetter said that Dr. Mech runs a missions organization called Harvest Bridge. I decided to look into the possibility and went to his office to talk about my Red Box opportunity. I told Dr. Mech that I wanted to use this opportunity as a chance to do photojournalism and writing. Dr. Mech said that his organization needed that in India. The opportunity with Harvest Bridge about seemed like a fit.

Initially I didn’t want to go to India. It was out of my comfort zone. I started talking to people who worked for Harvest Bridge and prayed about the opportunity.

After praying about it one day I remembered that I had to read a book about a missionary as part of my Red Box requirement. I went to the library looking for a book that I had in mind. The lady at the desk didn’t have the one I wanted but got me a book about a missionary who goes to India. I knew this wasn’t a coincidence and that the Lord wanted me in India over the summer.

What is Harvest Bridge?

Harvest Bridge is a mission’s organization that supports missionaries in East Asia. They provide financial support, pastoral training, education, and support for women. Their main focus is to provide help for native missionaries.

How did you prepare to go overseas?

I did a lot of research. We had a project for Red Box where we had to research and answer questions about the culture. I had to read books. I dove right in.

I also prepared spiritually as I prayed a lot over my trip. I was nervous about some things and prayer grew my relationship with God

More practically speaking, I had to fill out a lot of paperwork for my visa and passport.

What were your first impressions of India in the first two weeks?

My first impression of India was the heat. It is overwhelmingly hot. You feel like you just walked into a wall. A cultural wall as well.

I was homesick the first night as I was accepting the reality of being thousands of miles from home. Those first few days we saw a lot of things. It was a lot of just trying to take everything in. I took thousands of pictures in the first few days.

What exactly did you do?

I spent the summer in four main locations alongside Blake Bear ’18 and Zach Pitcher ’17.

Chennai

In Chennai I helped Blake at the medical clinic in the Gypsy camps. I assisted in unpacking supplies and helping him organize. I also did a lot of photojournalism work and interviews in Chennai. I spent time with Prahba, a woman who does work with a women’s ministry in the Gypsy camp. I would sit with her and some of the women. These women would talk about their lives and I would record their testimonies.

Delhi

We were in Delhi for only two days. During this time I helped some more with the medical clinic.

Patna

In Patna one day, we helped with a children’s ministry. It was kind of like a youth group. We led worship and ran games. Blake gave a bible lesson. We had a full house of kids ages three to 14 years old.

We also continued running medical camps in Patna.

At the end of one of our weeks in Patna we ran a Bible school. Throughout the week we prepared for Bible school by prepping crafts, practicing songs and preparing Bible lessons. Between 100 to 200 kids came to the Bible school.

On night in Patna we helped out with a young adult ministry for college students. We sang songs and Zach gave the Bible lesson that night.

Jaigaon

In Jaigaon we taught in the school every day. Pastor John (a local pastor) started the Christian school that a number of non-Christian kids attend. A lot of nationalities and religions are represented because so many countries surround the border of the town where the school is located. It was neat because no matter the child, they were all taught about Christianity.

During our time there, we would lead the morning assembly, lead worship songs and act as guest speakers in their classrooms, talking about American culture, running games, or singing songs.

How is Christianity received in India?

The government is not very open to the Gospel in India and Christians can be persecuted in different areas but there is a small and growing presence of Christianity. Because it’s growing people are more open to it.

What was the hardest part of your summer?

Some parts of the culture were very hard to understand.

I also struggled with figuring out why the Lord sent me to India. It wasn’t revealed over the summer but I had to trust that the Lord was doing things with a greater purpose.

What was the biggest lesson learned?

In India they say “India Time,” which means that time is flexible and will happen when it happens. I think in life this happens but we need to call it “God’s time.” We live in a culture that is very time sensitive. We want things to happen at certain times. But on God’s time, he is flexible and will act when he wants and how he wants.

What piece of advice do you have for people considering Red Box?

If you think you might want to apply, you should apply. God puts desires on your heart for a reason.

What piece of advice do you have for people who are set on applying for Red Box?

Go into it with an open mind. Be open to wherever God will place you. You have to be flexible and willing to see how the Lord will change your plans.

What impacted you the most?

When people ask me what I loved most about India, it’s the people. A lot of my time was spent with the kids. My heart was broken for them when I saw that a lot of what was holding them back in life had to do with education.

Look for Part 2 of this post to see how Lindsey is combining her passion for Entrepreneurship and love of India to make a difference in the lives of the people she met last summer.

Posted on March 31, 2017 by Abby Cunningham — Leave a comment

How To Get Involved on Campus

There is no shortage of clubs, organizations, and ministries to get involved with on Grove City College’s campus. Whether it is Greek life, sports, theater, or ministry, there are dozens of organizations to fill your time with. As a senior I have had the privilege of being involved with a variety of organizations on campus. They have all shaped my time at Grove City in different ways and have each given me memories that I will always hold dear. With so many things to get involved with, how are incoming freshmen suppose to choose just a few? It can be overwhelming narrowing down your options and figuring out what is the best fit for you. When deciding what you will get involved with, I believe it is helpful to ask yourself two questions. First, are you passionate about it? Second, are you willing to invest time in it? My sophomore year I got involved with an organization that I was not only extremely passionate about but that I was willing to invest time in. That organization was Young Life.

Young Life is an national organization whose mission is to introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith. The organization recruits volunteer leaders to go to high school and middle schools to meet teenagers and to invest in their lives both in and outside the walls of the schools.

When deciding where you want to get involved on campus look for something that you are passionate about. When I went to an info meeting about Young Life my sophomore year and heard the ministry’s mission, I knew I was passionate about it. The mission was one that excited me and motivated me. It was a mission that aligned with my values and something that I could get behind. Young Life was fun and fulfilling because it was something that allowed me to use my abilities for God’s glory and to do so along other people that were just as passionate as I was.

If you love sports, play intramurals or try out for a varsity team. If you are passionate about music, find people that love music. If you are passionate about social justice, get involved with International Justice Mission. Find people who share your passions, motivations, and desires. Find people who will spur you on to bigger and greater things within your passions.

Another question to ask yourself when choosing where to get involved is, am I willing to invest my time?

Being a part of Young Life has required me to invest time. I spend time during the week meeting with my team to plan events and pray. I also spend hours each week hanging out with the middle schoolers that I know through the ministry. Because I am willing to invest time in this ministry I have built an amazing community of friends and have had an impact in the work that I am doing.

It can be easy to participate in clubs and organizations half-heartedly. As school gets busy and social engagements compete for your time, attending organization meetings and activities can lose priority. My suggestion is to make investment a priority. It sounds cliche, but you will only get out what you put in. Reserve time in your schedule for investing in the club or activity you’ve chosen to be a part of. When you invest, you show other members that you care about the success of the group. You also give yourself the chance to form a strong community and lifelong memories.

When you arrive at Grove City College, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the many ways you can get involved. It will be tempting to commit yourself to four or five organizations. However, you will quickly find that adding this much activity into a full course load and growing social life can be difficult, stressful, and even unhealthy. Perhaps choose one or two organizations to get involved with. Find something that your are passionate about and willing to invest time in. If you do this, then at the end of your four years, you will be able to look back at the impact you had, the lessons you learned, and the community you made.

Posted on November 19, 2016 by comptoncm1 — Leave a comment

Inside Look at the Young Life Leaders at Grove City College

One of the greatest experiences that I have had at Grove City is the opportunity to be a leader in Young Life. Young Life is a Christian mentorship ministry whose mission is “introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith.” Young Life is an international organization that reaches 600,000 kids in 99 countries throughout the world.

At Grove City, we minister to high schoolers, middle schoolers, and adolescents with special needs in four school districts throughout Mercer County: Grove City, Mercer, Hermitage, and Sharon. Experience in Young Life in high school is not required to be a leader! I hadn’t even heard of it before I came to Grove City. But, of course, if you do have experience in high school, this is a great way to continue in Young Life and step up as a leader!

The defining quality about Young Life is that it is a relational ministry. We go where kids are. We visit them in the morning at school, coach track and field, go to football games, and are actively involved in their lives. These actions tell kids that we are interested in them and want to be involved in their lives. Our hope is that they’ll see the love of Christ through us and will want to enter into that relationship! While all of this does demand a lot of sacrifice, the process of laying down your life draws you closer to Christ and deepens your relationship with him.

I am a Wyldlife leader in Mercer Middle School. This past summer, I had the opportunity to take a middle school girl to camp at Northbay in Northeast, Maryland. The goal of camp is to give kids an excellent experience in order to reflect the excellent love and nature of our God. There were four zip lines, bubble soccer, water tubing, kayaking, and a giant swing. My new friend had never been to church prior to this trip, and it was so great to see her light up throughout the week and listen and understand the gospel talks each night. At the end of the week, she gave her life to Christ! The unique thing about Young Life is that I still see her and get to disciple her through her new walk with Jesus!

The community of Young Life at Grove City is extremely rich. There are 50 leaders that are divided into 10 teams. Each of the teams is assigned to one specific middle or high school and they average around five college students. The relationships that you build with your team members and other members of Young Life is so unique because they’re built around a common love for Christ and a desire to lead kids to Him!