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Campus Focus
College Ministries
Trading Sorrows for Joy
When a team of eleven from Campus Focus went to Haiti at the end of March, they stayed in tents. For them, this was a temporary situation. But for the estimated 50,000–100,000 Haitians who have no home to return to, this may be their reality for years to come. Kim Conrad, who led the team, said, “I feel like I could live in this environment [in tents] a few months, but then I’d want my couch. For so many in Haiti, this is a long-term situation. Some had nice tents (that were clearly donated); others were just makeshift, tarps and bed sheets. While it’s not cold there, it won’t keep out the rain. We can come and go. I wanted to be there and invest and help, but then I got to go back to my cushy life. They don’t have that option. This is their reality.”
Kim Conrad, Emily Colton, Haley Rohaley, Melissa Stout, Stephanie Kline, Zach Romanin,
Vinny Romanin, Ethan Schenck, Ben Keenan, Seth Haney, and Caleb Kuzman spent around ten
days serving with Mission of Hope, doing a number of projects. Construction, hanging out with kids at the orphanage, leading worship at church. Kim relates how immediately as you’d step off the bus, four or five children would attach to you right away. She said, “They long to be loved. If you have a camera, you are instantly popular. They love to just be with you. Basically you just become a human jungle gym. But we fell in love with those kids.”
One of the fondest memories was during one of the worship times. Picture the church: tiny benches on piles of rubble where there is no longer a building, under a tarp, and one bare lightbulb. The Haitian worshippers especially loved the song, “Trading My Sorrows.” It is absolutely so poignant in this time following the devasation many of them have faced. Consider the lyrics: I’m trading my sorrow/I’m trading my shame/I’m laying it down for the joy of the Lord/I’m pressed but not crushed, persecuted
not abandoned/Struck down, but not destroyed/I’m blessed beyond the curse for His promise will endure/And His joy’s gonna be my strength/Though the sorrow may last for the night/His joy comes with the morning. The whole team went up front and ended the worship time with this loud, jump-around kind of song. Kim recounts that the energy was phenomenal, some singing in Creole, some singing in English, everyone dancing and jumping. Ben, one of the team members, leaned over and said, “This is just like a mosh pit of joy.”
In the midst of darkness, under a tarp, it was a pure form of joy. In the middle of devastation and destruction—that joy could only come from the Lord.
LAX Recap
Chapel Intern, Jen Vrooman, relates stories and reflections from the recent LAX trip with Campus Focus. LA stands for Latitude Adjustment (South to Florida) and X stands for 2010! The thought behind Latitude Adjustment is that Jesus often got away (went UP to a mountain) to pray to his Father, and their firm belief is that if the scenery changes (DOWN to Florida sunshine), it makes it more refreshing to meet with God and learn about him.
The winter Florida trip is meant to be a trip where students can reflect on their relationship with God: whether or not they have one, what needs to change in their life, what changes have already been made and celebrating those, etc. It's a trip that challenges students' minds in relation to what they believe about God. Many students come home from this trip changed for life. What college student do you know who intentionally gets away for a whole week with the desire to learn about God's Word and to communally discuss what they're learning? These college students did--and it was incredible to see.
Of course, we had fun times at West Palm Beach, rode motor scooters around South Beach, Miami and enjoyed the nature of the Boy Scout Camp we stayed at in Jupiter, Florida.
The entire week was centered around the book of Colossians. We had five main sessions with speakers and music, breakout sessions, small-group discussions and alone time where they could engage in what God has revealed about himself and Jesus. The focus of the week was based on Pastor Zac Derr's opening session where he talked about two different Kingdoms in the world: one, ruled by Satan where we are the focus and the other, ruled by Christ where Christ is the focus. Colossians is centered around a focus on Jesus: the one who keeps us from being carried away by deceptive ways of the world.
I specifically had many talks with students throughout the week. I can give you two stories: 
One student was angry that his life was being confronted by the truth of Scripture. He saw Jesus' teachings as hard truths to except. Sounds familiar. The disciples thought the same thing. He didn't come to any kind of decision about his relationship with God, but he is definitely on the journey to knowing the Lord. It's amazing to know that God is pursuing this young man's heart--this is what this week is about. This guy came just "for fun," not for anything spiritual, but God knocked on the door of his heart and he wasn't expecting it.
Another student was seeking to make changes in her life and was tired of never being able to do it successfully. After a long conversation about her relationship with Jesus and the freedom in Christ she had to learn about him and allow him to change her life, she finally understood why Jesus' burdens were light. For the first time, she recognized that transformation was impossible on her own. She needed Jesus. She also needed a different community. The friends she found herself hanging around were discouragements to her. They said mean things to her and about her. She saw in Campus Focus a group of people who genuinely cared and desired to encourage one another with the truth of God's Word. She is experiencing her "new life in Christ."
At the end of the week, several students came forward to ask to be baptized. They wanted to
publicly proclaim they wanted Jesus to be leader of their life. Not just Savior, but Lord: leading the way to TRUE LIFE! The pool water was freezing (darn Florida cold weather)! But, taking a look around the pool and in the pool, it was an awesome reminder that God is alive and working in the hearts of each student. That was enough to forget about the cold for just a moment. After the baptisms, all the students sang Audience of One. The chorus goes like this:
To my Audience of One,
You are Father and you are Son.
As the Spirit flows free, let it find with me a heart that beats to praise you!
And now just to know you Lord, has become my great reward.
May your Kingdom come, and your will be done...
I only desire to be yours, Lord!
Incredible. Isn't it?
A Bit about Campus Focus
Campus Focus is church done with college students in mind. We understand that when many young people think of church, they might think of hymns and pews, old people dressed in their Sunday suits, and messages that honestly are not all that relevant to life.
We find that many students come to college with that kind of background and want nothing to do with God or the church anymore. And we don't blame you. We
think that sounds about as boring as you do.
Our goal at Campus Focus is to help people discover how amazing life with God really is! We think that God has an adventure for you that is just waiting to be discovered. We think that college-aged students are not just the leaders of the future, but that they can be leaders right now! Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
It is our goal to help you recover, or maybe discover, that kind of faith! The kind of faith that sets your heart on fire and gets you pumped about waking up in the morning and leaving your mark in a broken world.
If that sounds appealing to you, then come and check us out:
The Gathering
This is our main meeting. It includes relevant teaching and worship designed with college students in mind. It happens every Thursday at 7:30 pm in the Auditorium (Akron Campus).
Small Groups
We strongly believe that you were not designed to follow God alone. We think that everyone needs a safe place where they can ask questions and wrestle through the things of this life—a community they can call home. Groups are predominantly student led and meet at various times and locations. Check out our meetings page.
Still a bit skeptical? Check out our website to watch some videos, listen to a sample talk, and see for yourself if we are for real.
Contact Brian Kunkler, College Pastor, 330.315.5495.
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