Oct. 2, 2014
For Immediate Release

By Joan C. McKinney, news and publications coordinator

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - Campbellsville University has begun a new Church Life Teams initiative who will be in contact with churches to meet their needs.

Dr. G. Ted Taylor, director of FIRST CLASS, church outreach and parents relations and School of Theology professor; the Rev. Ed Pavy, director of campus ministries at CU; Dr. Tony Cunha, dean of the School of Music; and Wes Carter, assistant director of church outreach are facilitators and coordinators of the life teams.

These life team leaders will be in contact with churches to meet needs for weekend ministry teams, Disciple Now teams, student and/or faculty speakers, faculty-led church ministry training events, student testimonies, athletics ministry and to continue the long-standing tradition of providing special music.

The guiding directors of the new initiative include: Dr. Michael V. Carter, president of CU; Dr. John Chowning, vice president for church and external relations and executive assistant to the president; and Benji Kelly, vice president for development.

Carter said, “CU is committed to her mission of providing a strong academic experience while maintaining a Christ-centered environment, church connectiveness and overall goal of changing the lives of the men and women who attend CU.”

The theme of the initiative is “Christ centered, church connected and changed lives.” Campbellsville University's guiding principle in this initiative is that CU “holds fast to her unchanging dedication to Jesus Christ and to the church,” Carter said.

CU Life Teams are on call to serve churches throughout Kentucky, the nation and world.

The initiative was first announced at a meeting of the Church Relations Council, an advisory board to CU.

Chowning, who chairs the CRC, said, “Campbellsville University is very thankful for the support and prayers of local churches across Kentucky and in other states. We remain closely connected to the local church as reflected by the important role of CU's Church Relations Council and the emphasis placed on the life-changing power of Jesus Christ.

“The Church Life Teams initiative represents an expansion of what we have been providing in past years.”

He said, CU is now “offering an increased number and types of teams of students, as well as faculty, staff and coaches, to come and visit in the local churches to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Please contact one of our coordinators to arrange a date for the CU Church Life Team to come to share with your congregation.”

“Over the years our ministry teams have been able to share the Gospel with, literally, thousands of youth in churches across Kentucky,” Pavy said.

“Some of those youth make professions of faith. Some recommit their lives to serving Jesus. Others experience a call into ministry or into international mission work. Some end up at CU as students as a result of one of these weekends.

“The history of sending student teams in Kentucky Baptist churches goes far back into the history of CU. Our hope is that we will continue to be able to walk alongside churches as they minister to their communities,” Pavy said.

Dr. Tony Cunha, dean of the School of Music, said the School of Music offers CU Sound, CU Singers and New Doxology musical groups for churches.

“We are still going to churches (Baptist and non-Baptist) sharing testimonies and telling the CU story,” he said.
Some members of the Church Life Teams have visited Somerset and Bardstown among other areas.

Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,500 students offering 63 undergraduate options, 17 master's degrees, five postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.