Pacific Union College students have traveled the globe with world missions. They’ve gone to Chuuk, Thailand, Ghana and Peru, but opportunities to minister exist right here in our backyard. This concept motivated PUC students to embark on a new ministry program aptly named Reach Ministries.

Reach is the innovation of Cody Bullock, junior psychology major, Jon Thornton, senior religion major, and Darren Hagen, PUC enrollment counselor. They all wanted college students to take a more active role in the surrounding communities. “We have great campus ministries here at PUC,” said Hagen, “but we wanted something that allowed students to get off campus and participate at local churches, retreats and Bible conferences.”

Fourteen PUC students did just that, as they took over Leoni Meadows from February 4-8 during the Northern California Conference Junior/Senior Bible Retreat. The students participated in drama, led out in worships, gave audiovisual presentations, and helped train students like Zack Kampf, a junior from Sacramento Adventist Academy, to become leaders for the Bible retreat. “The college students made a big impact,” said Kampf. “They really helped us get ready to minister to our peers.”

Steve Case, president of Piece of the Pie Ministries, coordinated the weekend and attributed much of its success to the PUC Reach team. “From the very beginning, the Reach team set the tone,” he said. “They were energetic and really focused on ministering to the students.”

Hagen couldn’t have been more pleased with the response. “We are looking for that kind of response to our program,” he said. “We hope to use Reach as an avenue for PUC students to get a taste of what happens when they use your talents for God.”

So far this year, Reach has sent teams to a Bible conference, the NCC Women’s Retreat, church programs at Rio Lindo and Placerville, and the Modesto Academy Basketball Tournament/Youth Rally. Reach participants have future plans to send teams to the Sunnyvale Church, the Roseville Church and a rally at Loma Linda and Pine Springs Ranch in Southern California.

Summer Randall, junior theology major, schedules and coordinates the Reach programs. Although the planning takes up considerable time and energy, Randall says the blessings far outweigh the challenges. “It has been amazing watching God work through this ministry,” she says. “Almost every time something comes up that makes it appear as if the program won’t work, God comes through and plans the program anyway, and miracles happen.”

If you would like Reach to provide programming at your church or for your youth group, call 707-965-6001 or e-mail reach@puc.edu.