Bluffton is a campus full of student leaders—hall directors, Student Senate members and club presidents. For Campus Ministries, these student leaders are the pastoral assistants, more commonly known as PAs.
Seniors Hannah Stephens, Lindsay Horn and Jayden Groppi currently hold PA positions, but will pass on their responsibilities to Alexis Cash, Courtney Davis and Michael Short, all currently serving as a ministry assistants, for the 2019-20 academic year.
PAs work closely with campus pastor Stephen “Tig” Intagliata, oversee and support the MAs and assist in various forms of leadership and planning for campus ministries.
Alexis Cash
Alexis Cash is a junior speech-language pathology and audiology major with a Bible and theology minor from Gains, Mich. Aside from her duties with the ministry team, Cash is also on the cross country and track teams.
“I wanted to be a pastoral assistant, because I really want to build relationships with people,” said Cash. “I like the idea of having my own small group of ministry assistants to look over and help give advice to.”
Cash said her main goal is, “to create an environment where we can just get to know each other and be open about things.”
Cash also hopes to “grow the ministry life on campus.”
“I really want to reach out to those who may be skeptical of religion, aren’t religious or might need some guidance,” said Cash.
Courtney Davis
Courtney Davis is a junior psychology major from Richmond, Mich.
“I felt that I had a really good experience as a ministry assistant, and I had a really good experience with my pastoral assistants this past year,” said Davis. “I just thought being a pastoral assistant would be a great opportunity to grow in my leadership, and just give me a better opportunity to grow my faith and come alongside others and share my experiences with them.”
The biggest goal Davis has for her role as a PA is seeing her peers continue to grow in their faith while growing in hers.
“I really just want to be a good mentor to whoever I get to mentor of the MAs,” said Davis.
“To be able to live their struggles with them, and to be able to come alongside them in their ministry and their faith walk. To help campus ministries grow as a whole.”
Michael Short
Michael Short is from Archbold, Ohio. He is in his first semester as a junior, majoring in information technology with a business administration minor.
“I’m really all about relations, I think,” said Short. “Just making those connections with people and getting to know them.”
Short has two main goals for the upcoming school year: supporting his group of MAs and having a more significant role with chapel planning.
“I have expectations for the guys that I am going to be working with especially,” said Short. “Each PA meets with a group of MAs. I would like to set up a meeting once every two months at least one-on-one with each of my MAs, so I can check in with them to make sure they are well.”
