Carin Cochran, Christian Challenge Director, Ft. Hays State University, Hays, Kansas
By Eva Wilson
In mid-August, several thousand students will descend on Fort Hays State University in the west-central Kansas community of Hays.
Like their peers around the world, these students are facing life-impacting decisions, such as choosing a vocation and finding a spouse.
Christian Challenge, the Southern Baptist ministry at FHSU, wants to help students learn how to base their lives on Christ.
“Our heart is to make disciples out of college students,” says Carin Cochran. She is beginning her 15th year as Christian Challenge director.
The ministry’s key components are:
- Large-group gatherings on Tuesday night
- Community groups, or small groups
- Missions
As she looks back on the past 14 years, Cochran cites “the growth of our staff team” as one of the highlights. In fact, most of the staff members are “home-grown”—they are FHSU alumni who came up through Christian Challenge. Each staff member has an area of concentration and works with the students who lead these ministries. Working with Cochran are:
- Associate director Micah Sanderson and his wife, Noél. Sanderson is starting his ninth year with Christian Challenge. He leads the worship ministry and is in charge of the large-group gatherings on Tuesday nights. Micah is from Brewster in far western Kansas, and Noél is from Basehor in the Kansas City area.
- Associate director Porfirio Ramirez, a graduate of Southwestern Oklahoma State University. He is in charge of community groups for freshmen and transfer students. Many transfer students at FHSU come from community colleges in the area.
- Cassie Wolf, from Hutchinson, Kan. She is in charge of community groups for upper-class women.
- Michael Blumhorst, from Paola, Kan., who leads community groups for upper-class men.
- Nicki Brack, from Great Bend, Kan., who leads the international student ministry.
A broad smile lights up Cochran’s face as she talks about the Christian Challenge team. “We have an incredible team. They are amazing to work with.”
In fact, the team members all are bivocational. They raise their own support and work at outside jobs.
As Cochran looks back on the past 14 years, she sees a more receptive spiritual climate in Hays. When Christian Challenge began in the mid-1990s, there were few religious groups on campus. Christian Challenge served as a catalyst to start such groups as Campus Crusade for Christ and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
“We have seen a lot of fruit the past few years.” Students are coming to Christ on campus and overseas through the efforts of mission teams.
In summary, Cochran says, “It really is exciting to be a part of college ministry.” At times she feels “overwhelmed” when she observes God’s awesome work.
“A lot of faithful students that are walking with Christ are coming out of our ministry. It’s been quite a ride.”