ALBANY, New York (WordNews.org) Sept. 18, 2012 – David Worcester started Connect Pointe Ministries earlier this year out of a “desire to see young people come to know Christ.”
“I have a passion to see the church change in a direction that encourages young people in their faith,” said Worcester, executive director of Connect Pointe.

Tell us about your ministry?

In the beginning, we thought God was leading us to get involved in church planting. As we studied church planting, we began to realize that the church needed to address a fundamental problem: the loss of an entire generation.

You have some figures to support this.
Fifty-nine percent of young people with a Christian background report they had or have “dropped out of attending church, after going regularly.”
Fifty-seven percent say they are less active in church today compared to when they were age 15.
This young generation has a desire to be spiritual, but is looking for something different than the way we do church today.

How did this lead to starting Connect Pointe?
We continued to pray and seek the Lord’s leading. He placed a small group of men in our path to assist us. One of these was Jeremy Story, president of Campus Renewal Ministries, an organization that focuses on changing the college campus. Here is Jeremy’s unique story:

When he was a freshman in college, his roommate, a childhood friend, died suddenly within the first few weeks of the first semester. It shook his world. Over time, he became convicted that he needed to reach his friends for Christ. His desire was to bring pastors and campus ministers together to pray for the transformation of the college campus. During college God gave him the vision to pray for and reach students with the message of Christ. After college he launched a full-time ministry across the nation to pray for the transformation of college campuses.

You have a strategy for connecting with college students.
Truly God had given us the “steps” to reach college students:
1. Establish a partnership network of pastors and campus missionaries to pray for revival on the 26 college campuses in our Capital Region [Albany, New York, area].
2. Partner with college students to pray for revival on their college campus.
3. Establish discipleship communities on college campuses, training students to lead these communities within their spheres of influence.
4. Partner with churches to establish college-focused worship services and plant new churches near college campuses.

Can you provide some details on how it is going since Connect Pointe was founded and what your goals are?
It’s going quite well. We’ve launched four local prayer groups with local pastors and campus ministers. We will be launching our first college student lead prayer group at the University at Albany. We are looking at buying our first House of Prayer building in Schenectady, New York. We are very active with our national partner in Campus Renewal Ministry and we were recently asked to be involved in discussions on church planting at a major university in New England.

What’s your testimony?
I was saved as a young child during VBS week at church. My mother had the privilege of praying with me to accept Christ. But my testimony really starts as I got older and went through the ups and downs, and losses of family members that my faith became real. I keep growing everyday.

How can people help/participate?
Prayer is always No. 1 need of our ministry. But being aware of your local college campus and how you can be involved is the most important thing you can do. If your a pastor or leader in your community join or start a college prayer group.

How can someone donate?
You can donate online at our website — connectpointeministries.com — or by mailing a check to Connect Pointe Ministries 1971 Western Ave., PMB, Albany, NY 12203.

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