When Janelle left for college, her faith in God was nominal at best. She moved into the Campus Ambassadors Worcester House and attended the weekly worship gatherings.

But she didn’t show much interest in developing her faith or connecting with other student residents. Instead, Janelle kept to herself and spent all of her time with her boyfriend.

Then suddenly, he ended their relationship. Without other friends on campus, Janelle was devastated. Feeling alone and broken, her friendships at the Worcester house went from being nominal to vital.

Campus Ambassadors came around Janelle to comfort her in her grief and invite her to join in all of their activities. “Community has to be present for when the bottom drops out of someone’s life,” Campus Ambassador Kathleen Youngs says. “We have to be there when they don’t know who they are or what they are doing.”

Being There When the Bottom Drops Out

Janelle and Kathleen began to meet weekly to discuss Scripture, life, relationships … and what God could be doing in it all. Besides sharing advice and comfort, Kathleen also kept Janelle accountable to build her relationship with Christ.

Slowly, Janelle’s faith began to bloom. Last fall, she renewed her relationship with Christ.

“I will not have another relationship unless Christ is at the center of it. It’s that important to me,” she says.

Now Janelle reaches other students around her, helping them wrestle with how romantic relationships affect their relationship with God.

About the Worcester House

The Worcester house is at the heart of Campus Ambassadors’ mission to build authentic communities for students to be transformed by the love of Christ. “People go to college looking for meaning,” Kathleen says. “The community of a campus house offers lasting relationships and a safe place where they can explore questions about God without judgment.”

Since 2006, three house residents have come to Christ through the ministry. Other residents are new Christians seeking a community to deepen their faith.

The house also generates income for Campus Ambassadors by renting rooms to students. Those who choose to live at the house receive and support the benefit of its community. Since 2009, $90,000 in revenue has aided Campus Ambassador missionaries, ministry activities and future down payments to purchase more houses across the country.

Campus Ambassadors plans to buy the next house in Rochester, New York, this summer to reach even more students with the transforming power of Christ. Two more houses, one in Denver, Colorado, and one in Salem, Oregon, are in the works.