Leadership Project

"Building Laborers on the campus for the world"

Just after dinner...several had headed to D-group (discipleship groups)

Campus Outreach (CO) is committed to building laborers on the campus for the world.  While life-on-life discipleship during the school year is the norm, summers present a unique opportunity to invest in students in a "greenhouse-like" environment.

Leadership Project (LP) is a key equipping opportunity where students commit to a two month intensive time of work, community, training, and leadership development.  Students learn to study scripture, contextualize the Gospel, lead their peers on different levels, and live alongside staff authentically as everyone "does life together."

One of the great strengths of LP is that the Greenville region is all together (and this year we get the benefit of partnering with the Charleston region as well).  This means students get the benefit of interacting with students and leaders from schools like Western Carolina, Presbyterian, The Citadel, Wofford, College of Charleston, and the like.  They also get poured into by the office staff and executive teams.

While most of the staff is at LP for the first four weeks, those who are raising support (like us) get to come for less time.  Being our first time, we wanted to stay long enough to get a good feel for LP but also had a little uneasiness about how we would do living in a "less than ideal" motel room with two small children...and close quarters with 120 college students.  So we chose to spend two weeks.

It was great to see so many students have significant revelations in a short time.  Some were having to question what they really believed.  Which means some came to faith for the first time and others realized an untested faith is an unstable faith.  Others were encouraged by living "in community" for the first time.  Others were coming to the realization that the who they once were is dead and that they have a new identity...which brings both grieving and celebration.

Leaders are realizing their inadequacy to lead out of their own strength and their need of Jesus for encouragement and identity.  Many students are beginning to explore their gifting and establish a missional view for life on the campus and for life after graduation.

In the end, it was very confirming and a huge win!  Once we adjusted to the schedule and pace, everyone had a great time. Zac and Olivia hated to leave and want to go back (like tomorrow).  Steph and I are looking forward to spending the full month next summer!