Our Campaign
Let’s help our faith last.
OSUKirk wants to stabilize Presbyterian campus ministry and build a future where that ministry, including a full-time campus minister, is sustainably funded. You can help now and sustain this ministry into the future.
Our Goal
Our campaign goal is to raise a $3 million dollar sustainability fund that will permanently fund our OSU campus ministry.
Why a campaign? The purpose of the Sustainability Fund Campaign is to keep gifted pastors in full time ministry 100% of the time with our students who need that care and attention, without having to spend a significant portion of their time & energy fundraising like the majority of other campus ministers.
Most Campus Ministers spend at least 50% of their time fundraising for their position. We see this as time not spent in relational ministry with students. OSUKirk’s vision is for our campus minister to freely devote 100% of their time and energy to serving our students. We need your help now.
Will you join us?
Presbyterian campus ministries have historically lacked a coordinated network to support and fund ministry staff and programs. In a state with 14 public, and 71 private colleges and universities, this has led to isolated and under-resourced presbyterian ministries. This is especially true at The Ohio State University, home to 60,000+ students at main campus its 5 branch campuses.
Meanwhile, well-funded evangelical campus ministries with large staff, expansive budgets, and theology have dominated the landscape.
Without strategic investment, Ohio’s students risk losing access to the kind of complex, inclusive, and theologically rich faith that Presbyterian-led campus ministries offer..
Building the Church’s Future
A Church Without Campus Ministry Has No Future.
Campus ministry equips disciples for the future of the church,
raising a new generation of highly committed church members and leaders.
Why should we care?
College is a critical time of transition, growth, and discovery for young people. It is during these formative years that students are exploring new ideas, grappling with their identity, and seeking a sense of belonging. They’re deciding what they believe and why.
48% of Gen Z have no religious affiliation. More than half of those who were raised in a church, leave religion behind around age 18. Meanwhile, 73% of Gen Z report feeling lonely and craving a sense of belonging.
These statistics are more than just numbers; they represent real students’ lives on campuses across the country. Each one is a person in need of God’s radically inclusive love.
These are the students we are reaching.
Only 4% of college students are reached by a campus ministry. Those who are involved during their college years are 3x more likely to stay in the church after college.
Our campus ministry at Ohio State University provides a safe and welcoming space for students to explore their faith, ask difficult questions, and find community. It’s place where students feel heard, valued, and empowered to live out their faith in meaningful ways.
Presbyterian campus ministry nurtures the spiritual lives of students & equips them to become leaders
Only 4% of college students are reached by a campus ministry. Those who are involved during their college years are three times more likely to stay in the Church after college. By supporting our campus ministry, you are investing in the spiritual formation of the next generation of leaders—those who will carry the church into the future with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love.
Campus ministry is one of the most effective ways to build the future of the church
By investing in young people, we are investing in the future leaders, pastors and members of our congregations and our wider church community. This fund will help us engage students in a way that inspires them to remain connected to the church beyond their college years, cultivating a new generation of faithful and committed Presbyterians.
We are called to invest in the future of our church, to nurture the faith of young people, and to create communities of belonging where all are welcome
By supporting this campaign, you are building a sustainable foundation for campus ministry in Ohio—one that will impact lives, shape leaders, and build the future of our church for generations to come.
A gift to OSUkirk supports:
A sustainable, long-term pastoral presence on OSU’s campus
Relational ministry and spiritual formation
The growth of future PC(USA) leaders
This is our moment to act—for the next generation and the Church they will lead.
Individuals and Churches are encouraged to partner with us by making a contribution to the OSUKirk Sustainability Fund at various tiers:
Partner Level ($500 - $1999)
Sustainer Level ($2000-$4,999)
Covenant Level ($5,000-$9,999)
Buckeye Level ($10,000+)
“Dot The I” Level ($100,000+)
You or your church’s funds can ensure the future of the church!
Kelsey Sorge - OSU Alumnus and Pastor at Liberty Barn Church
“OSUKirk breaks the mold of campus ministry. Students are looking for a place that simultaneously accepts them as they are and also challenges them to grow through diversity in worship and community.”
Katie Patterson - OSU Alumnus and Ministry Team Director at Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago
“When I graduated from high school, I wasn’t sure I could be a Christian. I had Sunday School teachers who said I had to believe the Bible literally and couldn’t believe the science I was taught in school. When I got to OSU, everything changed. I found a Presbyterian campus ministry that welcomed questions and different perspectives. During my time there, I also discovered my leadership gifts and had the opportunity to serve as president of the campus ministry. That experience led me to become a Young Adult Volunteer, spending a year as a missionary in South Korea. Campus ministry at OSU didn’t just help me reclaim my faith—it also helped shape me into a leader in the church.”
