Erin and JaLynn O'Brien

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With an audience of a quarter of a million college students in South Texas, our desire is to build spiritual movements all over South Texas so that every student will know someone that truly follows Jesus Christ.

My staff team is based in San Marcos, TX, but we believe that God has already raised up the resources within 5 miles of every campus to effectively reach students. Therefore, our primary strategy is to team up with local churches and volunteers all over South Texas so we can be within arm's reach of every student. We train, equip, and resource local people to mentor and assist student leaders.

I became a Christ-follower in 1988 when someone with Campus Crusade shared the good news of Jesus Christ with me. After we taught school for two years, my wife, JaLynn, and I joined with Campus Crusade in 1995. In 2000 I became the Campus Director at Texas State University. In 2005 I began working on campuses throughout South Texas and one year later I graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary. My team and I are trusting God to plant spirtual movements on many more campuses. However, some of the campuses we are currently on include Texas State University, UT-San Antonio, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, UT-Pan American (McAllen), Texas A&M-San Anontio, and Alamo Community CollegesSan Atonio College.

Ultimately, we do all of this to see lives changed! Students are looking for hope.
- 44% of students experience symptoms of depression.
- 1 in 5 college students contemplate suicide every year.
(Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among college students.)
- Students don't believe there will be a job for them post-college.
- Many students come from broken homes.
- 1 in 4 women will be sexually assaulted during education career.
- Students tend to view truth as relative and unattainable.
- Less than 4% of the Y Generation attend church.
(Compare that to 15% of Gen X, and 35% of Boomers, 65% Builders)

However, even in the midst of depair, Jesus Christ is changing lives everyday on campuses everywhere. We want to be the first to greet students as they leave home and transition into the adult world, where they will make critical decisions on their own that will impact the rest of their lives. At the center of all these important decisions is the their decision about God.

JaLynn and I have six wonderful children: Will, Ty, Claire, Jake, Grace, and Kate.

Because college students are worth it.
Erin O'Brien

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