Julia Bretz is one of the newest campus missionaries that some of you partnered to send to Duke University. She graduated from the 2018 class of the School of Campus Ministry, and was nominated by her fellow missionaries as student of the year. Here’s her first-hand story of how God called her to ministry and how she’s already moving forward in that call as a new campus missionary at Duke!
Life-Turn at Duke University
My life is a testimony of the value of campus ministry. I had experiences with God at a young age, but didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus at all. I went to Duke University to study political science and was a rower on their team. Rowing was really my entire future and identity. But then during my sophomore year I got injured and wasn’t able to row anymore. That sent me into a spiral. I was uncertain of what my future would look like and constantly questioning what my purpose was in life.
A young man who was a student leader in Every Nation would lead these athlete Bible studies and would always invite me. After my injury, I finally ended up going to one of the meetings. An Every Nation Campus missionary happened to be there prophesying over students. That prophecy over me included things about my life and who I was. I had a strong moment realizing, ‘Oh my gosh, God is real!’ I had to know more about this Jesus. After that, I went to an ENC conference, got baptized, and fully dedicated myself to Christ a couple months later my junior year.
That same school year, I attended a prophetic conference and this is where I said, ‘Wow, I feel called.’ I just felt strongly that this is what God was calling me to do.
Launch to Full-time Campus Ministry
Since graduating from the School of Campus Ministry, I’ve been getting acclimated with students I knew back as a student leader in our ENC chapter. God showed me how he could move at any time to change a student’s life, even just before they graduate.
While I was on campus visiting a student, I ran into this young lady named Jordan. My friend had actually shown me a picture of her a couple months before. I started a conversation, asked her about her plans after graduation, and after that I just asked her if she’s open to meet with me to talk about the gospel. We met up, went through a chapter of One 2 One (discipleship guidebook for new believers) which was about salvation, and she decided to give her life to the Lord right there! We kept meeting for a couple weeks before she graduated, studying the Scriptures and going through what it means to walk in relationship with Christ.
This is my goal: to engage students, equip them, establish them, and empower them. When I look at my campus, I just see that there will be leaders on this campus. There’s a high level of excellence I can see transferring to their pursuit of God’s kingdom in their workplaces. That’s what excites me about this campus. Wherever I go, I will share the gospel. I praise God that he called me to himself at Duke and he sent me back to Duke.