Through Campus Ministries United, Students Connect and Serve Others

Opportunities Include Bible Studies and Mission Trips

By Isabella Brown, ’24, Intern for University Communications

Campus Ministries United (CMU) gives students the opportunity to worship, serve, disciple, pray and fellowship together. The shared vision of its various ministry groups is to promote a passionate and enduring devotion to Christ among the students of Gardner-Webb.

Senior youth discipleship major and men’s Bible study leader, Trevor Wester, promises students that getting involved in campus ministry is sure to leave a positive, lasting impact on their lives. Upon graduation in May, Wester plans to begin taking seminary classes in hopes of becoming a preacher. “Being plugged into CMU here on campus can encourage you, challenge you, and ultimately push you to grow in your Christian faith,” he assured. “If you simply let it, the word of God can and will change your life forever.”

Charity Rosenhauer, women’s ministry leader and junior biology major, shares that when she stepped onto Gardner-Webb’s campus, she was hesitant to give campus ministries a try. After she decided to join a Bible study group, she began to feel God change her heart. “My leader was willing to be vulnerable, and it opened my eyes to Christian community,” she expressed. “I fell in love with the women’s ministry.”

Rosenhauer went from timid freshman to leader and coordinator of all the women’s ministry Bible studies. “Sometimes things come full circle,” she said with a smile. “Take that step of faith and get involved. I’m confident if you give it a try, God will work through that.”

Community is something we are made for, believes Ethan Gephardt, senior business management major and another Bible study leader. “We were created to be social creatures. From the beginning of time, God saw that we needed other people in our lives, and this is just as true today,” voiced Gephardt. “Campus ministries allow everyone the opportunity to be among amazing people to serve a perfect God.”

Wester, Rosenhauer, and Gephardt have been uniquely impacted by campus ministries. They invite anyone who is looking for a community to give campus ministries a try. “You are always welcome,” affirmed Gephardt.

Along with small groups, CMU provides various opportunities for students who have a passion for serving others through local and international missions. In the past, the North American Mission Board recognized Gardner-Webb as one of the nation’s top ten schools for mobilizing student missionaries.

Neal Payne, associate minister for Student Ministries, finds that students who give their time to serve others in need often experience greater joy and thankfulness along with developing a better understand of what a blessing it is to help others. “I have served with students in Ecuador, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Honduras, Romania, Louisiana, Florida, and Kentucky over the years,” Payne noted. “All of these trips have been unique. We’ve partnered with IMB missionaries, Compassion International, N.C. Baptists, and Samaritan’s Purse. Students have been impacted in so many ways from these trips.”

He continued, “Many students grow in their faith when they are around believers in other countries and sense the same Spirit and know that God is real. Others have felt a call to missions or full-time ministry as a result of participating in a trip.”

Payne encourages students to take a leap of faith and get involved in CMU whether through one of the Bible studies, mission opportunities, or any of the other ministry groups. “I would say just give it a chance,” Payne assured. “There are all kinds of students from different walks of life coming together with the common desire to know Christ more.”   

Community Prayer Gathering for Mission Groups

March 7 –  9:30 a.m., Tucker Student Center Chapel. Commissioning service for the University’s spring and summer mission teams. Robbie Gaines, associate minister to the University for Community Engagement & Athletic Ministries, will deliver the devotion and offer the prayer for the teams.

Want to get involved?

Visit here: Gardner-Webb CMU to sign up for bible studies, international missions trips, FOCUS ministry, Delight ministry, outreach events, FCA, on-campus service opportunities, gain access to weekly student devotionals, and so much more!

If you’d like to get involved in a bible study group, contact Charity Rosenhauer or Emily Bartlett for women’s bible study or Nicholas Cobble or Justin Tolleson for men’s bible study.

Men’s Small Group Bible Studies:

• Sunday, 8 p.m. – Proverbs with Noah Siep and Ethan Gephardt
• Monday, 6:30 p.m. – James with Garry Hobbs and AJ Hogan
• Thursday, 8:15 a.m. – John with Carter Rains
• Thursday, 7 p.m. – Acts with Corbin Dion and Beau Martin
• Thursday, 7 p.m. – Timothy with Mason Furches and Trevor Westor

Women’s Small Group Bible Studies:

• Monday, 5 p.m. – Genealogy of Jesus with Lauren McIntyre and Ella Brown
• Monday, 6 p.m. – Fruits of the Spirit with Mollie Fuller and Madison Peek
• Tuesday, 5:20 p.m. – Gifts of the Holy Spirit with Annagrace Earwood and Sydney Hudson
• Wednesday, 3 p.m. – Laying our Life Down for Christ in 2 Peter with Anna Sample and Stacy Simmons
• Wednesday, 5:45 p.m. – Mental Health and Our Walk with the Lord with Anna-Grayson and Emma Beam
• Wednesday, 8 p.m. – Study Through the Psalms with Alethia McDowell and Kiley Burnetter

Writer Isabella Brown is a senior English major.

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu