A Bridge from Church to Campus
Serena arrived at UNC Charlotte last fall with a car full of belongings and was greeted by a Campus Outreach volunteer who helped her move into her dorm. The volunteer invited her to lunch the next day. Hesitantly Serena accepted, and this decision changed her college trajectory.
A pre-nursing sophomore from Greensboro, Serena grew up believing in God but rarely attended church. Her mom, a single parent, depended on Serena for practically full care for her two younger sisters while she taught school. This—combined with some rocky times at home—heaped adult responsibilities on her at a very young age and she struggled with friendships in school. God was distant and she had a vague understanding of him.
The student volunteer invited her to CO activities, then a Sunday at StoneBridge. She was overwhelmed by the love and warmth she received and her understanding of faith broadened. She never knew that being a Christian involved community, as God was very singular to her, private, and personal. God moved sovereignly in her life, placing her in a small group that included Tia Griggs, a longtime member of StoneBridge. Serena decided to give her life to Christ and be baptized, living for and trusting in him for salvation.
Camille, a junior business major, grew up in Charlotte and attended Northside Christian Academy. Despite a curriculum steeped in scripture memory and a Christian worldview, her heart was far from the Lord. It was just school to her—void of any relational depth to God. She called herself a Christian but drifted through her middle and high school years with no desire for faith.
Towards the end of high school, she began dating the “new guy” to school. Quickly, she began idolizing him, allowing him to be her only influence. She withdrew from friends and family and compromised herself, doing things to only please him. She was empty inside.
Camille felt the Holy Spirit calling to her heart. She felt different and pieces of her Bible training began to hold truth. She dedicated her life to Christ and experienced the presence of God. She gave her boyfriend an ultimatum to accept her in this new way, as she didn’t want to lose him. With a burden on her heart and a pull from the Holy Spirit, she began sharing the Gospel with him.
Tragically, he died two months later. Even though she had tasted who God was, Camille ran back to her sinful habits to ease the pain of grief and destructive patterns resurfaced.
During her sophomore year in 2022, Camille saw an Instagram post about CO. She went to some welcome events and met Maria, a staff member, and this relationship led her to rededicate her life to Christ. With a new direction, Camille began watching some online sermons. Maria encouraged her to come to StoneBridge to give her more community, and she did. Camille says, “It’s been incredible and such a blessing to have a local church, a family, and to hear the Gospel preached every Sunday. God has been so gracious and kind to me.”
Still dealing with the unresolved pain of losing her boyfriend, she made the bold decision to attend Grief Share. Past counselors had left her feeling misunderstood, but through this ministry, she was able to share her pain and begin to heal from the heavy burden she carried. Her profession of faith through baptism and growing relationship with God has given her new hope and purpose. She has committed to go to South Africa with CO this summer.
Campus Outreach is made up of an area director, staff, and students from UNC Charlotte, Davidson, and Wingate. Their mission is to “glorify God by building laborers on the campus for the lost world”. One of the most important aspects of this ministry is that they desire to be tied to the local church. Area director Tennant Brastow and his wife, Candi, want to be a bridge from the church to the campus. Tennant describes this concept vividly, saying “a bridge has movement in both directions, one being students getting involved at StoneBridge, but also having church members engage with and become involved with the students and their spiritual growth”. They believe it is crucial for students to not only attend CO campus activities but see the importance of being part of a local church. Tennant commented on how inviting StoneBridge is to these young coeds. One student expressed how comfortable and at ease he felt walking up to the outside coffee area saying, “It was so cool to see people just hanging out outside drinking coffee and so relaxed!” StoneBridge has the benefit of close proximity to area universities.
Currently, around twelve to fifteen students regularly attend on a Sunday, and this number is growing. In December, StoneBridge had the joy of witnessing Serena and Camille, as they made their public profession of faith in Jesus Christ.
As one of our 10 New Local and Global Works, StoneBridge is now partnering with Campus Outreach Charlotte as an investment toward the next generation on our college campuses. We are excited to support them in their vision and mission to grow students in their faith.
The powerful testimonies of these two ladies are just a taste of how God is working in the hearts of college students involved in CO. We have the opportunity to invest in these young hearts, be part of their growing faith, and engage in their lives. In turn, we will be blessed.
What can we do as we partner with this ministry?
Pray for Tennant and Candi and their young family,
Pray for the CO staff and students.
Invite students to your homes.
Give students a ride to church, as many don’t have cars.
Open yourselves to God’s call on how you can be Placed for a Purpose in these eager young lives!
For information on Campus Outreach CLICK HERE
For more information on how you can support the staff or students EMAIL HERE
