In regard to The Power of Your Story, which was last week’s post, I want to showcase a special individual who has not only heard the call of Jesus Christ but has committed her time and efforts to make sure others hear his voice as well.  Brianna Brusco, a former student of mine, has an amazing story to tell.  A faithful follower of the Lord, she is engaging the culture around her head on as a missionary with a specific calling.  She recently answered a few questions I had for her and I would like to share the message she has to tell.

Tell me a little bit about yourself, what you do, and how you ended up where you are.  Describe your position and how you help the college outreach.  Why did you decide to become what you are?

I am a domestic missionary with Chi Alpha Campus Ministries (XA). We’re on over three hundred college campuses in the nation with the singular goal of reconciling students to Christ. By transforming the university, we plan to transform the marketplace and the world.

By my junior year in high school, I had planned out the next seven years of my life—which college to attend, what majors to pick, and where I wanted to get a job. I wanted to teach high school art, but I figured I would get a degree in secondary English education as well just for job security.

I grew up in the church, and I loved the Lord. I knew the statistics that over 80% of youth who are raised in the church fall away from their faith during their time in college, and I was arrogant enough to think I could withstand that by myself. I left home for my freshman year at Edinboro University, made friends (only outside my faith), and stopped going to church. Since my upbringing made my faith easy, I didn’t really know how to pursue it myself. For two years, the Lord graciously let my life fall apart so that I would see my need for Him. After broken relationships, hurtful friendships, and a skewed self-image had all taken their toll, my desperation led me back to God, and He led me to the Chi Alpha on my campus. 

The Christ-centered relationships I built at Chi Alpha, showed me what a relationship with Christ was supposed to look like. There, I had the room and the guidance to fall in Love with Jesus again.

As my faith grew, I began to ask for the Lord’s direction on my life, not just His blessing on my plans. If He still wanted me to be a teacher, I would do that gladly, but slowly He redirected my attention to ministry. 

My prayer during that time was that the Lord would break my heart for a people group. He answered that prayer during the first Chi Alpha service of my last semester in school. Nearly thirty freshmen attended, and as I watched them worship from the back of the room, the Lord gave me a vision of their potential and the works He wanted to do in, not only their lives, but the entirety of the campus. He broke my heart for college students.

Almost four years later, I’m still on staff with our branch of XA. I disciple students and student leaders, I assist in planning our weekly and monthly events, I lead mission trips, and I direct our internship.

What are some of the biggest issues that college age students face?

Our students tend to have great passion! Their hearts are pure and gentle, so they catch on to “the cause” quickly, no matter what that cause is. We see this in students’ eagerness to pursue “spirituality.” They like the comfort of being connected to a higher power. They might go so far as to learn about [Jesus], and attend worship nights, but there is a sense of vulnerability that comes with commitment, and I believe that scares them off. It’s one thing to raise your hands during the song in a group of friends who are doing the same. It’s another thing for a college student to give up sleep so they can get up early enough to allow God into the intimate recesses of their heart before their day starts. It’s one thing to change some actions and say the right things around your Christian friends. It’s another thing to care about your portrayal of God and actively try to represent Him.

What causes these commitment issues?

I wish I had a solid answer for this. We’ve spent hours discussing this very question in our staff meetings, and our solutions vary from the Gen-Z generation gap, to the microwave culture (everything comes instantly), to a misunderstanding of the vision, to easy lives that prevent them from feeling the actual weight of issues, to the general distraction of being in school.

What inspires you to do your work?

The Holy Spirit is in the business of changing lives. He always has been. He always will be. His will is that none should perish, but that all should come to repentance. I want that too.

I want young people to know that they have value and worth because they bear the image of God. I want them to experience the purpose that comes with living a life to glorify the One who created them. I want them to find freedom from the expectations of the world. I want them to be healed from their loneliness, brokenness, confusion, physical and mental illness, and hopelessness just like I was. I want them to know Jesus because He can do all of that and more.

What is needed in the college campus these days?

Honestly, we need workers. The harvest is great, but the workers are few (Matthew 9:37). Whether that means students who can jump all in for the four years they’re at school, or adults who are willing to step away from a job in the marketplace to devote their time to students, we need laborers. We need people who know that there is nothing more worthwhile, nothing with more purpose, nothing with more eternal weight than ministering to others in the name of Jesus. We need people who are committed beyond the ease and fun of an initial attraction, and we need people who are committed through discouragement and the troubles that are promised to us (John 16:33) because eternity hangs in the balance. We need workers who are ready to deal with life and death every day. People who are ready to stand at the frontlines.

Charles Spurgeon said, “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees…If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.” College students are eager to find purpose and they crave a real identity. We need people who are willing to fight for them.

How can the needs be met?

Go. Give. Pray. Welcome. This is our “Chi Alpha-ism” when it comes to missions. 

Our need is more workers on the mission field full of college students, and it can be met with the following: 

1) Go to the campus. Work with the missionaries or as a missionary. There are systems set up to start XAs (Chi Alpha groups) and work with XAs in many different ways. 

2) Give to someone who is going. Support them in any way you can. 

3) Pray for the campus and the workers who are there. 

4) Welcome college students into your life. Intentionally build a relationship with someone in that stage of life, and mentor them—disciple them—and send them back to the campus more prepared to minister to their peers. 

I know that when I went to college at Penn State, the XA group that I attended was a lifeline for me.  Not only was I fed spiritually, but it was some of the best worship that I have ever experienced, and a great place to have social interaction with positive people who believed the same as I did.  I will never forget that group.  The leaders that taught me made a huge impact on my life, one more building block of who I am today.

            Brianna Brusco is just one example of someone who knows the power of her story.  She isn’t afraid to tell it.  She isn’t afraid to Jump All In.  

            This reminds me of an important part of scriptiure.

When John saw the revelation of Jesus Christ on the Isle of Patmos, he was given specific words to the seven churches.  

Revelation 3:14-22

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

            Jesus wants us to Jump All In.  Our lives were never meant to be lived straddling a fence. Whether you are at a middle or high school, college campus, or workplace, it makes no difference.  People should be able to tell a difference when they watch your life.  We are meant to shine as lights to a dark world.

            I want to challenge you today to live in that way. Now, more than ever, there is a need in the world today for people to shine.  Hate, violence, persecution, confusion, and poverty are plagues we are forced to live in and around.  Hurting people are searching for answers- answers to the questions like “why our world is seemingly falling apart?”  You and I hold the answer they are looking for.  His name is Jesus.

            Jump all in, answer the call, and shine bright for Jesus today.

Written by Brianna Brusco and Chuck Carr

Brianna Brusco can be reached at: bribrusco@gmail.com