Ministry Focus
University students are arguably the most strategic people to reach with the good news of Jesus. They are the future of society and at the most moldable time of their lives. However, they are also one of the hardest groups to get stable ministry traction with.
College campuses are on the cutting edge of culture, often a decade or two ahead of society in terms of ideas. What works and holds interest is constantly shifting, and we constantly need to repatch and rebuild the boat as we row.
College students are the least religious groups in America, with over 70% of high school students professing faith in Christ walking away from faith during college, and the vast majority not returning after graduation.
Only 10% of Christian college students are Resilient Disciples (disciples that makes disciples). It’s hard work to find students like this that can come alongside Kingdom work on campus, even harder to find those who will invest the time, and we constantly race against the clock as each student approaches graduation.
These are some of the greatest obstacles we face working in college campus ministry.
In light of this, our ministry team works together alongside students to develop on campus communities of evangelism and discipleship. Within these communities we aim to build strong foundations of faith in Jesus and reach out to the students around us with the hope of God’s Kingdom.
University life is a season bursting with potential to nurture spiritual growth in commitment to the ways of Jesus and a season of preparation as students graduate and become active followers of Jesus in their local communities.
View Youtube Playlist below to learn more about Stephen's ministry
Faith Story
Stephen started his personal faith journey at the age of 14 after a life changing experience that left him with a deep longing for Christian community.
Through his teen and young adult years, he found himself in a season of lacking direction leading to being in and out of college multiple times, taking a couple gap years, working part-time jobs, and attending discipleship and faith education programs, all in an attempt to find some greater and more meaningful purpose. In all this wandering it was the faithful words and presence of brothers and sisters along the way that kept him on the path and fostered his passion for discipleship and community.
He spent 2016-2020 serving overseas, through which his love for and calling to college campus ministry has deepened.
Today, Stephen and his wife Kayley share a passion for opening their hearts and home to people in need through community and hospitality.
Family
Stephen and his wife Kayley have three little girls: Alexandra, Amelia, and Anabella.
Education
Stephen has a B.A. in Linguistics, minor in Chinese Language from Gordon College and a Certificate of TESOL and Intercultural Studies from Wheaton College.
WAYS TO SUPPORT
Stephen & Kayley by making a financial donation using a Credit Card or by Direct Debit (ACH).
Learn more about where this ministry happens
In colorful communities and along scenic highways, diverse people and landscapes span coast to coast
Iconic American traditions include Thanksgiving dinner, jazz music and the Super Bowl. They meld with eclectic examples of multicultural heritage: numerous local Chinatowns, family-owned taquerias and even cowboy boots, which originated among the nomadic Huns of eastern Europe.
The nation's landscape shows just as many contrasts — sandy beaches and rocky coastlines, open plains and vast deserts, rugged mountains and winding canyons, and abundant rivers and lakes.
The ideals of life and liberty that founded the United States have made the country one of the world's most prosperous, though not without dark chapters and present troubles. Crime, discrimination and ethics violations make regular headlines, and many people live below the national poverty level.
Families view education as essential to the pursuit of happiness, if not also a path to wealth and power for the most ambitious. Yet Americans also demonstrate a charitable spirit of generosity toward neighbors and nations in need.
Freedom of religion grants opportunity for all faiths, but Christianity holds particular influence in country's history and daily life.
Your participation with Missions Door supports ministry in the United States among college students, including many international students, in collaboration local churches. It also enables social outreach, church planting and leadership development in a wide variety of communities — among Native Americans and other cultural groups, and in urban and suburban settings where growing and changing demographics create new opportunities for the Gospel.
Cultural Snapshot
Aside from the Native American, Native Hawaiian and Native Alaskan populations, nearly all Americans and their ancestors immigrated to the United States.
Faith Fact
In a 2013 survey, 56% of Americans said that religion played a "very important role in their lives” — a larger number than any other wealthy nation.
Country Profile
Population: 320 million
Major Religions: 47% Protestant, 23% unaffiliated, 21% Catholic, 6% other
Languages: 82% English, 11% Spanish, various others
Literacy: 99%
Poverty: 16%
Ministry service area:
Campus Ambassadors
Ministry location:
Massachusetts, United States