CSU Students Gain Practical Ministry Experience in Berlin, Germany

Published June 13, 2017

From May 18–31, 2017, a team of Clarks Summit University students visited Berlin, Germany and served alongside alumna, Kristi Walker (’00). Kristi is a missionary and serves as Director of Student Ministries at CrossWay Church in Berlin.

The team was comprised of Ryan Buchanan, Nathan Bundy, Abigale Lamberton, Helen Moore, Anna Frey, Kayla Weber and Elizabeth Abbott. Also on the team was CSU alum Caleb Curtis (’17). Curtis was on the Berlin team in 2016, completed a 3-month youth internship with CrossWay this past fall and returned to help Walker with this year’s team as well as the youth retreat. Curtis plans to return to Berlin for two years beginning in the spring of 2018.

These CSU students experienced culture and ministry like they never have before. Their experiences included visiting Wittenberg on the 500^th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church and sharing the gospel with those who have never heard the good news before.

Missional Service and A Cultural Experience

While in Berlin, the students served in many capacities with Walker, CrossWay Church and Cru, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. Their outreach included tasks such as custodial work at Mittelpunkt, which is a Cru ministry center, preparing and running a youth retreat and evangelism on Berlin’s Freie University campus.

Walker admitted that “this trip exposes students to a primarily English-speaking international ministry in which they can use their gifts and abilities without a language barrier.”

While in Berlin, the team visited places such as Potsdam, the Castle Church in Wittenberg and nearby concentration camp Sachsenhausen. “This trip is certainly about outreach and discipleship, but also about history and personal spiritual growth! Many of the students who come end up pursuing short-term missions and internships in Berlin,” continued Walker.

Lasting Impact

The two weeks that the CSU student team spent in Berlin produced an impact that will last long after they return to the other side of the pond. Team member Elizabeth Abbott shares that the highlight from her time in Berlin was when she had the opportunity to share the gospel with a young woman who was seeking answers to spiritual questions. Abbott said that she was able to “explain salvation and baptism and other important things to her.” She is now keeping up a long-distance discipleship relationship with her over email.

Team member Ryan Buchanan learned about the importance of evangelism and about the importance of being a servant leader. He believes that every student needs to “experience the gospel and God in another culture­—it will help them understand sovereignty and the character of God better.”

Berlin By The Numbers

The day that the team spent on the campus of Freie University proved to be eternally profitable. Cru shared the following statistics regarding the team’s day of campus outreach:

• Invitations to Cru outreach distributed: 40
• Conversations with students: 22
• Gospel presentations: 13
• Countries represented by those reached: France, Luxembourg, Singapore, Georgia, Denmark, Poland, Italy, England and Germany.

Almost unanimously, the day spent sharing the gospel with the Freie Universty students was the highlight of the missions trip for Team Berlin 2017.

Personal Growth

The trip not only opened up opportunities for the team to minister to others, but the individual members themselves were ministered to and taught many lessons. The lessons they learned did not only pertain to missions, but to who they are in Christ as well.

Abbott said, “This trip taught me a lot about myself, relationships, cultures and how God can work through me and others in ministry. It was a great experience and provided hands-on training and missions skills.”

Team member Kayla Weber marveled at the work of God in her own heart, saying, “I saw how God can use past experiences for His glory and how he has a perfect plan for everything that happens in life. I didn’t know how God could use my past, but in Berlin, He showed me exactly how, and I’m so thankful He’s in control of my life.”

-Jessica Eddy, junior in the Communications-Writing program