There is a desire in our Family of churches to reach college students with the gospel. Not only does this burden reflect our mission to multiply disciples and churches, but it also reflects a biblical commandment to teach God’s truth and hope in Jesus Christ to the next generation (Psalm 145; 78). Trent Marshall, college ministry director at Citylight South Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, has had this burden since graduating college. Having heard and then saved by the gospel through Salt Company at the University of Nebraska, he knows first-hand the unique timing and therefore opportunity of the four years in college.
“My sophomore year everything totally changed,” Trent shared. “I was actively rebelling, and God was working on my heart. It was through the Salt Company (college ministry) at Citylight Lincoln and conversations with my dad. I had a radical turnaround from the fraternity party scene to surrendering my life to Jesus.”
Over the next two years in college, Trent completely immersed himself with Salt and at Citylight Lincoln. He also felt a slow nudge towards ministry and considered college ministry. After a conversation with one of his professors who was an elder at Citylight South Lincoln, he began a ministry residency in 2023. However, Trent never forgot college ministry. When an opportunity came up last year, Trent jumped into the middle of the conversation.
“I always wanted to do college ministry, but I put it to rest,” Trent confessed. “I thought it wasn’t God’s desire. At the same time, Citylight South has felt a burden for Doane University. Practically we didn’t know of any churches at the time who were pursuing that college campus. We knew there were some para church ministries, but we also care, and it’s been a distinctive of our family. We believe college ministry should also take place in the context of a local church. Also, we are in South Lincoln and Doane is southwest of Lincoln so there’s some proximity. It’s only a half hour drive. One bigger reason was with our co lead pastor Alex. He’s a Doane alumni and it’s been on his heart for a long time. He did college ministry with CRU on Doane’s campus. God called him away from Doane. He always hoped he’d have an opportunity to reach that campus again someday … When I was coming to the end of my Phase 1 of my residency, my wife and I and the elders prayed about what my Phase 2 would look like.”
With these convictions and a lot of prayer Citylight South, with Trent leading, began a college ministry a year ago. What was their first step? Reaching out to their one contact on campus.
“Alex had a connection from his days on the Doane track team,” Trent explained. “Alex connected me to Zach and it all started with him. We drove to Crete and met with Zach and told him our burden and dream. We told him the need and Zach reaffirmed it and expressed the need for real discipleship. We casted vision to Zach and prompted Zach to believe that he was in a 5th year for a purpose- to build a foundation that outlives his years there. We left excited and encouraged. I didn’t know this, but those two weeks after we left, he looked around and talked to some guys on campus who wanted to meet. The next few weeks was spent meeting with these guys. I casted the vision to them and told them we want lost students to come to Jesus. We told them that we cared about them and wanted to see Jesus do something. Six guys put their yes’s on the table and in the end, we had nine guys in two D Groups (discipleship groups) that fall.”
Trent and the guys studied 2 Timothy 3:16-17. He taught them how to SOAP (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer), the context of the Bible and then went through the book of Matthew. After every group meet up, they prayed together.
“I also taught them vulnerability and confession in the context of community,” Trent admitted. “Christian community is meant for your personal benefit. We want to fight sin, together, and we are so much better at it together. Every time we prayed, someone would confess. We memorized Romans 8:1. God breathed on it!”
By the end of the semester, the D Group guys were growing. The guys wanted this kind of discipleship community for other people on campus. They asked Trent to start a bible study. Trent had a better idea.
“What if we made this a City Group?” Trent asked. “That way it’s under the umbrella of Citylight South and has access to their resources and support. This also gives us the ability to multiply and impact Doane for years to come. Students who are now in high school will come to Jesus on this campus. I took that idea to our church right before everyone went home for winter break.”
Over break, Trent organized curriculum and content from his days at Salt Company to build out an onboarding process, a ministry mission, a name, and application forms. When students came back, they were able to apply for leadership and training for the new Citylight U ministry team. Eight students became leaders for the second semester including 4 female students who started the first City Group for women on campus. Looking back at last year’s fruit, Trent is excited for year two. Already he is seeing fruit from their labor and God seeking and saving.
“One major fact I must celebrate is Crete Berean,” Trent exclaimed with gratefulness and joy. “Truly so much of what’s happening with us is because of Crete Berean’s willingness to partner with us. We meet in their space for CLU nights, they provide volunteers for those nights, they let us use their table… They’ve been a true blessing.”
The day before Citylight U Doane’s first event, Trent witnessed the Holy Spirit moving in students.
“A day before our first event the freshman at Doane do a community walk through,” Trent described. “Citylight U had a booth there. Every freshman has to attend. The deadline to reserve a spot was in late July. I emailed the event coordinator two days before the event in early August. It was a total shot in the dark and I didn’t think it would happen. The afternoon before the event, they got back to me and gave me the thumbs up with instructions to bring a table. By this time we had formed a partnership with Crete Berean and so they let us borrow a table. We were so thankful! We got to meet every student. So cool.”
“One freshman we met was a kid from Omaha who got saved his senior year in high school. High school was a hard experience for him with medical issues. Because of this, he struggled with friendships. When he got to Doane, he was already looking for a ministry. He was afraid that his college experience would be a repeat of his high school experience with loneliness and suffering and doing it all alone and far away from home. His sister is at Salt Company in Lincoln. He called his sister the night before the walk through distraught. His sister told him that God would provide and that he needed to trust the Holy Spirit inside of him. That next day, he knew Citylight’s name through his sister and came to our booth. We were the last booth on the walk. When he saw our poster with our name, he said he felt God say “Logan, I have provided for you.” Before the event, we bought a mega pack of popsicles and I didn’t put them in the freezer on time and I was upset. We only had half frozen popsicles for our event. And here, God was like saying to me I can use your half frozen popsicles. I can use your last minute, bad plan, borrowed table,poor communication, to meet students where they are at and continue doing what I do. Some of us feel like we are limping, but I think it’s a gift. If not, you might feel like you are more able than you are. God wants to use something like that for a student like that. That is only God. Only God. God is much more motivated to use our efforts to meet students than we are.”
This new school year Citylight U is taking one step at a time and developing good programming and strong discipleship. They are looking at monthly college nights with the hope to increase those to weekly. They know the kids don’t need another big thing to attend … They want rest for their souls. The gospel is refreshing. Jesus is a place and a person where you find rest and overrides performance.
Citylight Family … Would you pray for this team and these students?
- Pray that students would experience real gospel community.
- Pray that they would fight sin, grow in the Bible, and to know and learn how to read their Bible and a better way to live and love Jesus.
- And please pray for students to step into leadership and reach the campus more and more.
Trent concluded, “It’s been a sweet thing to step back into college ministry. You know the first City Group I joined after I got saved was with guys who are also now leading college ministries. Brayden is at CSU and Chaten is at UNK. Back then, none of us were called to ministry nor leading college ministries. Four years ago, there were three future college ministry directors in that City Group. Only God!”
Trent Marshall, trent@citylightsouth.church
Citylight U Doane, @citylight.u