Campus Ministry assists North Carolina communities rebuilding after Hurricane Helene.
For many college students, spring break means rest or travel. This year, a group of Concordia University Wisconsin students spent the week helping families still rebuilding after Hurricane Helene damaged communities across the Appalachian region in September 2024.
Twenty members of the Concordia community — 17 students and three staff members — traveled to Avery County, N.C., near Linville and Newland. The team partnered with the Lutheran Early Response Team, or LERT, a ministry connected to the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Office of National Mission. Their home base for the week was Camp Linn Haven, an LCMS summer camp that shares its campus with Mountainside Lutheran Church in Linville.
Serving a community in recovery
Each day brought hands-on work across the region. Students assisted with river cleanup, yard restoration, grading and landscaping, and clearing fallen trees left behind by the storm. Though the work was demanding, the team approached each task with care and determination.
Student coordinator Quinn Miller helped organize the trip and guide the group throughout the week.
“Coordinating this trip went very well because we received strong support from our synod in St. Louis through LERT,” Miller said. “Through the experience, we saw how important mission work is in extending the church’s hand to communities in need — offering support during hardship and welcoming people into a family, the Church.”
Training for disaster response
The group’s first full day in North Carolina began in worship. Students attended Sunday morning Divine Service at Mountainside Lutheran Church, where the Rev. Bryan Chestnutt and the congregation welcomed them. That afternoon, the Rev. Michael Meyer, assistant director of LCMS Disaster Response, led the team through LERT training.
The training covered safety practices for disaster recovery work and ways to care for people who have experienced loss. Students learned how to listen well, share brief devotions when appropriate and connect residents with local congregations that could provide ongoing pastoral care.
Team members also discussed how to care for themselves while serving others and how to turn to the Lord for strength when the work becomes emotionally heavy. As Galatians 6:9 reminds believers, “Let us not grow weary of doing good.”
Meeting neighbors and hearing their stories
Throughout the week, students met residents eager to share their experiences of the storm and the long process of rebuilding. In those conversations, the Concordia team encountered gratitude, resilience and hospitality.
Two community members were so moved by the students’ presence that they prepared dinner for the entire group on separate evenings. The meals were generous, but the welcome meant even more.
Miller said hearing residents’ stories strengthened the group’s faith.
“These people came together and placed their hope in God,” he said. “We were humbled by the community’s boldness to hold fast to their faith during a season of suffering.”
Helping where it was needed most
One project held special meaning for the team. Students assisted the widow of an LCMS pastor who died shortly after the storm. Floodwaters had washed part of a roadway into her yard, leaving asphalt, gravel and tree debris behind and creating drainage problems that threatened her home.
The group cleared debris, removed damaged material and worked to redirect water flow away from the property. The project required teamwork and persistence, along with time spent listening to the homeowner’s story.
Faith shaping the week
Worship framed the team’s daily rhythm. Each morning began with Matins. Evenings often ended around a campfire with devotions, singing and reflection.
These moments allowed students to reflect on the day’s work while growing closer as a team.
“One can have faith that moves mountains, but without love they are nothing,” Miller said. “Our team grew in faith through actively loving our neighbors and receiving Christ’s love through his forgiveness. Beginning and ending each day in prayer with Pastor Bakker, along with student-led devotions, helped center our work in Christ, who became the suffering servant for us.”
For the Concordia students who traveled to North Carolina, spring break became an opportunity to live out their faith through service. For the people of Avery County, their presence served as a reminder that they are not facing recovery alone.
“Christ unites his people, and worship prepares us for service and love toward our neighbors as we receive the gifts of Christ,” Miller said.
Campus Ministry Leadership Team information night
Join us Monday night March 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the Lakeshore Room — if you are interested in learning more about CMLT and getting involved, this is a wonderful opportunity. Ice cream sandwiches will be available.
Want in?
Concordia University Wisconsin is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world. 2026-27 Campus Ministry Leadership Team Applications are available!
Interested in a leadership role serving others in Campus Ministry? Please take a look at the attached application for service! If you have questions, please contact Pastor Bakker or someone else you know who is already in Campus Ministry. Please note the new deadline for these applications: March 20.