Campus High Impact Program (CHIP)

When did you become a disciple of Jesus? When did the gospel interrupt your life, turn it upside-down and give you an entirely new perspective and purpose?

For many members of our church, those early interactions happened while they were college students. College is a time when so many people are primed to hear the good news. College is a confluence of deep questions, free time, reinvention and seeking purpose. And for those reasons, it is one of the most important mission fields for spreading the gospel. The college ministry is at the heart of our church. Young students are full of zeal for God and eager to use their unique gifts and time to do amazing work for Him.

Despite the presence of a harvest, there has been a steady decline in youth involvement in churches across America. What once was the solitary pinnacle of evangelism is now confronted by a sharp rise in secularism and self-reliant pseudo-spirituality. There are many reasons for this decline, such as isolation in the COVID-19 pandemic, increase in struggles with mental health and the amplified voices of non-truths on social media.

Instead of being discouraged by this shift, the Chicago Church has doubled-down on this challenge and leveraged it into an opportunity for a college ministry intern program to increase the focus on young spiritual leadership.

An Opportunity for Immense Impact

The driving force behind this initiative is the belief that young spiritual leaders will change the world. This is not new — it happened in the Gospels in the time of Jesus, it happened in the Book of Acts with the first-century Christians and it happened years ago in our own fellowship. The opposition from the world is obvious, but the need is greater. And God’s people are not willing to back down from our commission. Currently, there are 15 college interns involved in CHIP across the college ministries in the Chicago Church. These young people are eager to change the world.

“I know that being a part of this program is so much bigger than me. It’s about bringing God‘s Kingdom here on Earth!” says Daniela Pretorius, a CHIP intern serving in the Midpoint Ministry Center. “I know there have been so many great disciples who have gone before me and paved the way, and now I want to do my part and carry the torch.”

The Midpoint Ministry Center currently has 18 college students, and Daniela is serving there as a campus minister. She is enthusiastic about learning from the staff and older disciples, serving the congregation and community and growing in her confidence with evangelism. She hopes to have an impact on both the city and the church “by letting my joy in Christ overflow as I learn how to better love and serve others.”

Tatiana Reinbrecht is serving as an intern in DeKalb, where she became a disciple of Jesus in January of 2018 while a student at Northern Illinois University (NIU). She notes that the ministry there is a “sending” ministry, with many people staying in the area for only a season of their lives before moving on. Her focus is to build up the young people there so they can go on to be leaders who continue God’s work wherever they go.

“I hope to be an impactful big sister to the women and men in our ministry,” she says. “It’s about having godly expectations and a wonderful culture, so whenever (if ever) they move out of our humble abode, they will bring their DeKalb home with them.” Tatiana’s hope is that young disciples will learn to serve, study the Bible with others and remain humble to God’s Word and calling in their lives.

The CHIP interns are already making an impact on their college ministries. There have been several baptisms, many Bible studies and a surge of evangelism as many universities are beginning to open back up to in-person classes. Their impact on this program is evident in the way that all of the college students in the church are sharing their faith more actively, and there is a renewed vigor for spreading the good news and living together in community. The biggest request of these interns is for your prayers. As Daniela says, “We are young and bound to make mistakes, but we have hearts that want to see the world turned upside down for God!”

Please continue to pray that these interns and all the college students in the Chicago Church will be able to live bright and purpose-filled lives during these special years on their campuses.