Crosstalk: January 8, 2016

​After high school, many young people leave home for college or university studies. While most attend to further their education in order to enter their chosen vocation, these young people are confronted with numerous philosophies and influences that bring about choices and decisions that can impact them for life. With so much humanism and secularism generated on so many campuses, a person can only wonder what hope there is for young people to know God and his redemptive plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. Is there any hope? Is anyone trying to stem the tide of anti-Christian influences? One person making an impact is Steve Giegerich. Since 1990, Steve has served as a missionary with Campus Bible Fellowship International of Baptist Mid-Missions. He's ministered at Indiana University in South Bend, Indiana, and has provided outreach to students at Notre Dame, St. Mary's College, Holly Cross College, Bethel College, Davenport College, Ivy Tech and Michiana College. Steve's earlier motivation in life was to be a concert pianist. He won some significant competitions, however, the Lord had other plans. After Steve began trusting Christ during his Junior year at the university of Iowa, he became involved in Campus Bible Fellowship and it seemed that quite often they'd hear about a student putting their trust in Christ as their Savior. So just seeing the need to reach out to students at the university was what really got his attention. Campus Bible Fellowship's goal is to reach students through a local church. One of the exciting elements is the international outreach. Steve noted Notre Dame's near-1,000 population of international students. He's part of the family friendship program where they adopt an international student and look for people who are willing to be a home-away-from-home for these students. Steve has also had an impact by being able to teach ESL (English as a Second Language) classes and obtain furniture donations from local churches that are passed along to international scholars and students that need them. All of this has the end goal of introducing people to the gospel message. How do students know he's on campus? What are the discipling, counseling and hospitality ministries all about? How important is the local church to what he's doing? These and other questions are answered and Jim also presents a selection of Steve's music. You'll hear it all when you review this edition of Crosstalk.