Ministry Update – Aug 2022

Your support of our ministry continues to fund younger staff who…are not able to effectively raise their own support. While I am still on campus doing ministry, I am not receiving a salary from Campus One80. This strategy of helping jumpstart other missionaries is I believe critical to ongoing and uninterrupted ministry resulting in MORE ministry happening than ever before! 

I continue to Pastor the First Congregational Church of North Brookfield, (a conservative congregational church associated with the CCCC), as well teaching as an Adjunct Professor at Nichols college where I am also advising our Campus One80 club and ministering. This past year I was able to pray for the new President at his installation. I offered the invocation at commencement, lead a campus-wide prayer service and participated in a number of other on-campus events and Bible studies. 

Next week I will be away on a Staff Retreat in NY. Brainstorming meetings to plan the semester about to start are underway and this year there is already a lot of momentum. 

This year we have been able to strategically sponsor, Jaylyn Hill, Nora Doura, Kayla Matthews, Miranda Garino, and Nate Rybicki. Here is a brief update from each of them about our student leadership retreat called Remedy. Enjoy! 

You can read more about the staff you are enabling to be on campus on our website, www.CampusOne80.com but here are some updates as well:

Jaylyn Hill – During the year 2022, I have been managing the Brockport One80 house. (A house owned by CampusOne80 to provide christian community housing) It has been a good challenge for me as I work with many different personalities. One of the goals is to cultivate harmony and community where we are trying to grow together in Christ. Also, being an example for students in the house of what it looks like to resolve conflict. I’ve had the opportunity to lead our Remedy planning team (Remedy is a 7-day leadership retreat). Our theme for this year was abundance. I had a chance to teach about God’s grace and kick off the retreat for students. 

Nora Doura – Hi there !!   I’m just getting back from Remedy which is a Campus One80 five-day leadership training conference that is designed to equip college students and college-aged individuals in various ministry skills so they can take back what they’ve learned to their campuses. One highlight that I kept hearing from students was that they had the opportunity to connect with other people and really be in community. Many students shared that they had wrestled with anxiety, but said this retreat was life-giving. One student shared that the many teachings at remedy allowed her to know her value in God. Hearing this student share that, made me really understand 

why retreats like these are important. What was most impactful as I watched students interact was how those who were more outgoing or might have been more comfortable in these social settings reached out to those who were quieter. By the end of the retreat, those who were more quiet were laughing and enjoying themselves. 

Another highlight for me was that I was privileged to be one of the speakers. It was so wonderful to share a message I felt God really wanted people to hear. I talked about the joy of obedience to Christ. In my talk, I shared my testimony of how Jesus has helped me and still helps me overcome anxiety and fear. I also spoke about how obedience to Christ and keeping God’s commandments has brought freedom to my life in my battle of anxiety and fear. As an illustration for the talk I actually moved one of the boats by the lake into the room I was  speaking in!! I love that my team was all in with that idea! And I’m even happier I didn’t have to carry that boat on my own. Overall, I can honestly say that Remedy 2022 was amazing because there were so many opportunities for students to grow in community but also spend time with Jesus.

Kayla Matthews – t was so much fun and rejuvenating to be part of Remedy this past month! At Brockport, we were able to get 4 of our students to the five-day leadership retreat and it was amazing to see how much they enjoyed it and how much we are helping them grow. One quiet and reserved student that I had only known for a few weeks decided to join us for the retreat and found that she could trust us enough to open up! We are currently helping her trust Jesus with her life and any mistakes she might make. Lastly, it was a wonderful answer to my prayers when another student of ours told me that she wrote me down in one of the classes as a role model that inspires her because of my dedication to prayer. It brings tears of joy to my eyes to know that I can help someone trust in God that much more!

Miranda Garino – Our end of the year retreat was such a blast! I led a workshop on discipleship and we had great discussion! We talked about the importance of being active followers of God, knowing and understand scripture, why and how to disciple others, and what a discipleship relationship could look like and so much more. All the other workshops and electives were just as fruitful.  We learned about worship, sharing our faith, the dead sea

scrolls, Psalm 23, and using media in ministry to name a few! Praise the Lord, for baptism! It was a little chilly in the lake but these students were determined to publicly declare their desire to serve and follow God ! 

Nate Rybicki – Nate has just come on staff with us as an intern! Again your support was critical to enable Nate to not have to take a part-time job while raising support making support raising even more difficult. Instead he was able to  jump right in!  Nate attends the church I pastor and I had the privilege of baptizing him last summer. Here is his Bio that he wrote:  

Nate grew up in a Christian household, with his parents being active in the church. When he was 15 the church that he was going to closed. Within a year of no longer attending church he began to go down the wrong path. By the time he was 18 he wasn’t living a Christian lifestyle anymore, and had fallen into the ways of the world. As a result of this he went through years of suffering, hardship, and being spiritually lost. 

In the spring of 2019 he decided to buy a study Bible, because he thought it would help him answer questions he had about Christianity. It helped him answer some of his questions, but still left him with others. That fall while attending Quinsigamond Community College he saw a flyer for a Bible Study with Campus One80. He thought it would be a good way to have his questions answered, so he started going to the studies. 

Over time he went from a sceptic who had questions, to a believer who was now answering other student’s questions. Nate was baptized in July 2021 and started his internship with Campus One80 in June 2022. He is assisting the ministry at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, MA and Nichols College in Dudley, MA. 

Thank you for your continued support in keeping feet that carry the Good News on campus!!! 

=== JOE ===

Funding Strategy:

Sponsoring multiple staff is something I see as critical and necessary for the continuation of missionary work. In my experience here’s why:

• •Most new and younger staff are not able to raise support from their peers because there is no passion or understanding of Missions. 
• •Many new and younger staff today are not coming from Christian homes where there is potential family and home Church support.
• •Most new and younger staff have to work outside of ministry limiting their availability to be in ministry and support-raise. 
• Most new and younger staff resign due to not being able to raise their support and the support that may have been raised is lost and not reinvested back into funding future staff. Should someone we are supporting resigns funds can be immediately redirected to other staff.

New address 

Please Note our mailing address has changed – 

Campus One80 

PO Box 388 North Greece, NY 14515

Ministry in a Mask

Jan 2022

 Annie and I are just getting over having Covid and being in quarantine for most of the school winter break. I can certainly say without question I’m growing weary of the pandemic and the limitations it has placed on ministry. Over the past twenty-five years that we have been reaching students with the Gospel there have been many ups and downs, but it has never been like this…

Not being able to meet in-person has caused a huge loss in momentum and student motivation at Nichols. Seniors and Juniors who were part of the ministry before covid have graduated without being able to help bring new students into the ministry. We are truly in a rebuilding year. 

This past semester we were finally able to meet in-person with students. However with masks required at all times inside buildings, students were not super excited to hang around and attend our Bible Study or any other planned activities wearing masks. Our usual go-to strategies involving food and close proximity games and events have been stripped away from us and are currently not an option. It’s so hard to do “ministry with a mask.” 

For so long I haven’t been unable to see a students face. Unable to see them smile. Forced to use my imagination as to what someone might look like. One student in my class while adjusting his mask, momentarily pulled it down below his chin and I realized he had a mustache, something I had never imagined! Voices are muffled and hard to hear. My eyeglasses are always fogging up! How do you get to know someone when you can’t even see them? Walking across campus I don’t recognize anyone. The cafeteria still mostly in a mode of social distancing makes yet another place where I would normally connect with students taken away… and again its so hard to do “ministry with a mask.”

And then I think… Ministry has always involved masks… In fact I have seen students wearing masks for twenty-five years. Not the kind you see with your eyes, or the kind that hide mustaches and smiles… I’m talking about the many invisible masks that hide their pain, hurt, and rejection. The masks that hide stories of parents going through a bitter divorce. The masks that conceal verbal, physical and sexual abuse. The masks that cover their addictions, fears and anxieties. The masks that tell them they are not good enough. The masks of confusion, depression and crisis. The masks connected to the loss of a loved one, a broken relationship, the failing grade, the criticism attached to not meeting demands and expectations.  The masks of conflict. The masks of brokenness. And the mask… that hides their spiritual emptiness… masks that can only truly be unmasked by the power of the Gospel. Imagine faces unveiled, beholding the glory of the Lord, and being transformed !!! 

Thank you for your support and prayers as we continue to do “Ministry with a mask.” 

=== JOE ===

2 Corinthians 3:16–18 (ESV)

16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Ministry Update: 

Your support of our ministry continues to fund younger staff who are not able to effectively raise their own support. While I may be only part-time, there is now MORE ministry happening than ever before. This year we have been able to strategically sponsor, Jaylyn, Kayla, Nora and Miranda! This was critically important especially during the pandemic. As an adjunct professor, I have been able to be on campus, and this past semester Nora has been able to join me! The creativity of our younger staff and their ability to merge technology with ministry has been so important. In November we had an in-person retreat with students from MA and NY and had a virtual connection to students in OR !  Sponsoring multiple staff this way is something I see as critical and necessary for the continuation of missionary work. In my experience here’s why:

• Most new and younger staff are not able to raise support from their peers because there is no passion or understanding of Missions. 
• Many new and younger staff today are not coming from Christian homes where there is potential family and home Church support.
• Most new and younger staff have to work outside of ministry limiting their availability to be in ministry and support-raise. 
• Most new and younger staff resign due to not being able to raise their support and the support that may have been raised is lost and not reinvested back into funding future staff. As I write this Noah has already resigned and the funds from our ministry account was immediately redirected to other staff.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

 As we approach our Christmas celebration I am reminded of the difficult times Mary and Joseph must have faced. Roman oppression, the whispering of scandal concerning Mary’s pregnancy, being forced to move to Bethlehem for the census… no room at the inn… Mary about to give birth, contractions getting closer and closer together, the uncertainty, the lowliness of a stable, surrounded by an audience of farm animals… and then, in an instant… the Scripture of Isaiah is fulfilled: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Meanwhile a short distance away the heavens were ripped open, a host of angels invaded the fields announcing the good news of the incarnation, the Word becoming flesh… As I write this, the words of a familiar Christmas carol flood my mind… Too often we are only familiar with the first verses of our Christmas hymns, but take a moment right now… Can you hear the melody carrying the words… Now imagine yourself out in those fields…  the illumination of the supernatural stirring your spirit, warming your heart! Now you’re ready…  Read them with me slowly, thoughtfully, carefully… meditating on each word as the full blown symphony continues to play in your head…

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King!

Peace on earth and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled

Joyful, all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies

With angelic host proclaim:

Christ is born in Bethlehem

Hark! The herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King!

Christ by highest heav’n adored

Christ the everlasting Lord!

Late in time behold Him come

Offspring of a Virgin’s womb

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see

Hail the incarnate Deity

Pleased as man with man to dwell

Jesus, our Emmanuel

Hark! The herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King!

Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Son of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings

Ris’n with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by

Born that man no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

Hark! The herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King!

In the midst of a very difficult year we are all experiencing feelings of being disconnected, and isolated. May the words of this great hymn permeate the depths of our souls. His light still shines in the darkness and the darkness has not (and never will) overcome it (John 1:5). Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King! 

Ministry Update: 

Your support of our ministry continues to fund younger staff who are not able to effectively raise their own support. While I may be only part-time, there is now MORE ministry happening than ever before. This year we have been able to strategically sponsor Brittany, Jaylyn, Kayla, Noah, Abby and Nora! And this was critically important during the pandemic. As an adjunct professor, I have been able to be on campus, however meeting in-person with students under covid restrictions has been crippling. So we shifted almost entirely to on-line versions of ministry. The creativity of our younger staff and their ability to merge technology with ministry has been so important. In October we had our first “virtual retreat” with people logging in over the weekend from MA, NY and OR !   While ministry has been slow, we couldn’t have done it without them and now we are well posed to further post-pandemic ministry because of them. 

Sponsoring multiple staff this way is something I see as critical and necessary for the continuation of missionary work. In my experience here’s why:

• Most new and younger staff are not able to raise support from their peers because there is no passion or understanding of missions. 
• Many new and younger staff today are not coming from Christian homes where there is potential family and home Church support.
• Most new and younger staff have to work outside of ministry limiting their availability to be in ministry and support-raise. 
• Most new and younger staff resign due to not being able to raise their support and the support that may have been raised is lost and not reinvested back into funding future staff. As I write this Brittany has already resigned and the funds from our ministry account was immediately redirected to other staff unlike the traditional support raising model. 

Annie and I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for helping us continue to reach a “Generation in Need.”

Merry Christmas !  

=== Joe ===

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Please check out our website to read more about Jaylyn, Kayla, Noah, Abby and Nora www.CampusOne80.com. If this newsletter leaves you with any questions or a need for clarification, please don’t hesitate to email or call.  % of support raised – 92%