Lost Without Community

Rebecca Elrod’s Story

Rebecca was determined not to fall into the trap of the transition from high school to college.

In High School, she had friends and role models every week at NewSpring who were showing her how to live in relationship with Jesus, and she didn’t want to miss a beat moving to college.

But she discovered that Clemson was a place you could get really lost without her close friends, who had scattered all over the state.

Rebecca wished NewSpring were closer to campus. She tried events and organizations on campus to maintain a sense of Christian community, but they all fell short of what a church could offer.

That’s why she was so thankful NewSpring eventually reached out to her. Week after week, she began to meet with a mentor who helped her talk through the struggles of campus life.

She also helped Rebecca pinpoint long-buried insecurity, and find the encouragement to overcome it.

Through the relationship, Rebecca slowly began to see a new path for her life — one she wouldn’t have chosen for herself.

God was calling her to lead KidSpring children’s ministry at a house campus in Clemson.

“It’s crazy that there’s a God who loves me so much that he would give me these gifts and abilities to further His kingdom,” she says.