A Summer Invite

A couple weeks ago, I arrived late to a Wednesday night gathering and met a student on crutches I hadn't seen before.

Our CCO summer programming doesn't emphasize invitations — we're just trying to offer a space for students around campus to experience community, pray, eat, and study the Bible. However, students doing summer research have found an avenue for outreach by inviting their labmates.

I later found out that the student on crutches, Luke, was a labmate of one of our own students, Caleb. Caleb, who had invited him, served him food and made introductions. It didn't take long for Luke to feel at home and welcome — he even jumped right into Bible study and shared his own observations and insights on the text.

The next day, I received this message from him:

“Thanks so much for having me last night. I felt the love of God in other people in a way I haven’t been able to access in just one night of knowing y’all. You don’t know how powerful last night was for me — basically with the first word of the Bible, I almost broke down sobbing. Thank you, Tee.”

I had coffee with Luke soon after and heard more about why coming to CCO was so moving for him. Coming off a challenging first year at UR, he was desperately searching for purpose and belonging. In just one encounter with God and His people, he felt like he’d found what he had been looking for.

This is the power of Christ’s work through the ministry of CCO! Please be in prayer for Audrey, Will, and myself as we prepare for the year ahead. And if you’re interested in serving Richmond’s college students alongside us, please reach out to either Audrey Cisco or Will Clark.

The Rev. Tee Feyrer
CCO Campus Director: Metro Richmond