CU Outreach: Wright State University Ministry

by Anna Harman

Throughout the newfound movement of student-led evangelism on Cedarville’s campus, CU Outreach has been a ministry that many of these students have gotten involved in. 

CU Outreach seeks to share the Gospel at Wright State University and train Cedarville University students in conversational evangelism. CU Outreach was student-initiated, chiefly by Christopher Nunan, who graduated from Cedarville University in 2015. By 2012, the ministry was a well-established campus evangelism outreach called “Project 28:18,” and by 2013 it was referred to simply as p28. The mission of CU Outreach is “to use moments of conversation to plant seeds for the Gospel,” based on Romans 1:16, Matthew 9:35-38, and Philippians 1:3-6.

Students that are involved in this ministry go to Wright State University twice every other week, on Mondays and Thursdays at 5 pm. On their weeks off, they will have community and training nights. When they go to Wright State, Cedarville students pair off and seek to engage with students in conversations where they can hopefully fully present the Gospel. 

Several things go into making this ministry happen. First, the support of Global Outreach enables them to carry out their ministry. Global Outreach provides their ministry with gospel tracts, Bibles, and vans that allow them to go and share the gospel at Wright State.

They also work closely with Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU). Each month, Mike Slagle, a leader for CRU, leads a training on topics including worldviews and evangelism methods or tools. They spend time in prayer for students they have talked with and ask God to water the gospel seeds that were planted in their conversations. 

Junior business major, Carah Hoffman, is one of the leaders of this ministry. She said, “Overall when our approach is to learn about what the students believe and simply have a conversation, not “preaching at” them, students are receptive and will sit and talk with us for a while.” 

“CU Outreach has been such a blessing to me as it reminds me of the lostness of the world and my purpose as a believer,” Hoffman said. “Being in a Christian environment such as Cedarville is wonderful but it can become easy to forget the mission that Christ has called us to. It is important to steward the knowledge we have of the Gospel by going out and sharing it with unbelievers or “popping the bubble,” so to speak.”

Junior Business Management major, Lauren Clark, is another leader of CU Outreach. She firmly believes that they cannot do the work they do alone; it is only by God’s power that they are strengthened to go and share the gospel with students at Wright State. 

Clark says, “This ministry is important to me because sharing the gospel is so important to me. I believe that God calls every believer to be intentional in sharing their faith and to have a lifestyle of evangelism. When I first joined CU Outreach 3 years ago, I was very intimidated and nervous about sharing my faith and starting gospel conversations, but I have truly seen God work so much in my own life and in the lives of students I talk to at Wright State.”

Her hope through this ministry is two-fold: first, that more and more students at Cedarville catch a vision and passion for sharing the gospel, and second that many students at Wright State will hear and believe the gospel.

At Cedarville, students have Bible classes, chapel, d-groups, and many more ways to grow their faith that are available to them. Cedarville students are being poured into constantly by faculty and staff. In light of this, Clark shares, “I believe it’s very important for Cedarville students to be intentional about sharing the gospel and pouring into others. We cannot live in a bubble forever; the habits we cultivate now will carry into our lives after graduation. I desire students at Cedarville to prioritize sharing their faith now because I know it will give them the skills and boldness to be a witness for Christ wherever God takes them after graduation.”

Anna Harman is a junior Biblical Studies major and also a reporter for Cedars. She appreciates writing, peppermint tea, flowers, and going to concerts.

Photo courtesy of the CU Outreach Instagram: @_cuo116_