Once going nowhere fast: Now alive in Christ

I want to serve Jesus Christ in every step I take, breath I breathe, and word I say. Ministry is a full-time job, whether you are working in a factory or in a church.

Growing up, I kind of believed in God, but I never had a firm relationship with Jesus Christ until I came to college. When my older brother, Ken, became a Christian in high school, we started drifting apart. I thought he was missing out by not drinking and partying like I was. I claimed to be a Christian, I went to church and I got baptized. I thought doing those things would mean my teachers, my coaches, and my brother would think more highly of me. 

I wasn’t planning on going to college at all, but eventually decided to go to Indiana University of Pennsylvania because that’s where Ken was. I threw myself into the CCO ministry at IUP because I was seeking a relationship with my brother, who was a CCO student leader. I did not have a relationship with Jesus. Mostly I only wanted one with my brother. 

Ken invited me to the Jubilee conference, and it was there that I finally realized that the only approval I need would come from Christ.

That’s when I realized that my life could be more than it was and that the church and God were about more than I thought.

After Jubilee, I began meeting with CCO staff member Ivan Strong Moore in a small-group Bible study. I started to really understand God’s story through the Bible, and I learned how to write and lead Bible studies. Now as a senior, I’m leading a study with first-year students, and I continue to meet with Ivan to plan the studies and to talk about bigger life issues.

On Thursday nights, a friend and I lead a group of students to hand out water to party-goers to keep them hydrated and safe. I remember being where they were, and I take this opportunity to invite them to our group meetings, Bible studies, and church.

I am majoring in Safety, Health, and Environmental Sciences. I hope to serve Christ through my work by keeping people safe as they risk their lives by doing dangerous kinds of work. Injuries and deaths of workers are not just statistics. These people are children of the Creator. I want to show these men and women the love of Christ through how I interact with them and how I keep them safe. 

I’m excited to be a different kind of safety professional.

I want to serve Jesus Christ in every step I take, breath I breathe, and word I say. Ministry is a full-time job, whether you are working in a factory or in a church. 

—Tyler Campbell, Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017, Safety, Health, and Environmental Sciences major