Churches Ministering on College Campuses
Campus Outreach leaders have always believed that staying small is the most effective way to grow big. What began in 1978 as the dream of a local church pastor in Birmingham, AL, has grown into a network of more than 30 “ministry franchises.” Each location partners with a local church that shares the same vision, values, and strategic commitment to building laborers. By sending new teams to new churches to reach new campuses, each franchise stays relatively small while the overall movement of Campus Outreach grows. This creates more leadership opportunities and builds more laborers. The work has multiplied into a network of churches worldwide and serves students on over 100 campuses in 10+ countries
On the surface, Campus Outreach is a campus ministry that shares many similarities with the legacy campus ministries nationwide. But once you look closer, you realize how much Campus Outreach differs! We are a network of like-minded churches committed to partnering together. Churches are partnering with other churches to take the gospel to nations through university students. These churches are committed to working together to build laborers for the lost world.
Most campus ministries focus on reaching students to send them to the nations, ultimately to help the church. Campus Outreach flips the order and aims for churches to work together to reach the nations through the university campus. By functioning in partnership with and under the authority of local churches, we prepare the next generation of leaders for a lifetime of service through the body of Christ.
In early April, pastors and representatives from 26 hub churches worldwide gathered for the seventh annual CO Church Council meeting. During the meeting, these church leaders focused on building relationships across the global movement of Campus Outreach and envisioning what God might do in the next season. Campus leaders encouraged the men attending and shared how God is moving on campuses here in the States and abroad. Each church was challenged to consider college students leaving campus who still need development. Smaller groups discussed to determine specific needs and next steps for the continued growth of their local ministries and the CO movement. This gathering illustrates that Campus Outreach is a global network of like-minded churches committed to working together to see the gospel impact the world through university students.