“The CCO calls college students to serve Jesus Christ with their entire lives.”
The mission of the CCO is to partner with local churches to walk alongside college students in hopes of figuring out their desires. When we serve Jesus with our entire lives, everything changes; the way we treat our bodies, the way we engage our communities, the way we build relationships, EVERYTHING.
In our college group, CCO Fresno, we pose the question of what does it mean to have the Gospel impact one’s entire life? The hope is to walk alongside college students to get them to understand that they are living to join Christ in His restoration of all of creation.
I challenge the students in CCO Fresno by asking, “What are the implications within your future vocation because of the Gospel?” In order for students to understand their future vocation, they have to understand their current calling.
“Right now, your work is that of a student. You are spending your days studying the creation in preparation for a lifetime of tending to the specific field you have chosen. That work is a holy calling.” To know that God cares about your studies,your relationships with roommates, the way you treat your body, the way that you engage in our community, and EVERYTHING else is mind-blowing.
How will the world be different once we can we answer the question, “What is my salvation actually for?” Throughout the video series ‘For the Life of the World’, our students have been wrestling with the idea that their salvation is more than just getting into heaven; it extends to helping join Christ in his restoration of creation.
So, let’s take Austin Jackson, a first year student at Fresno State, studying criminology. During Austin’s time at Fresno State, he will have opportunities to learn how the justice system works. As he ties his faith into his coursework, the question Austin will get to consider is, “How does God care about justice?” He will be challenged to wonder how it will impact families, hospitality, wisdom, God’s wonder and the church. Our hope is that Austin will be an agent of reconciliation as he dreams of God’s redemptive work in the field of criminology. He will be God’s partner.
The wildest part is that it doesn’t stop there! It also affects Jonathen Marin as he studies mechanical engineering, JR Hancock with nutrition, Shannon Muzio in the field of audiology, and Kaylene Norvell in education. What would happen if each student in our college group grasps this deeper of understanding of God’s dream for their field of study? What about if all the students at Fresno area universities grasped this idea? What if we all asked the question of God’s role in our workplace and joined Him in the transformation?
This semester in CCO Fresno, students are beginning to understand their role while engaging in the work of Christ so they can see the redeeming transformation in the city of Fresno and beyond.
In Fresno as it is in Heaven,
Geraud Brumfield