Kathy Kinzer, a junior M.Div. student at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, not only spends her time digging into theology, but also into the lives of college students. Kathy is a campus minister who works for the Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO), where she ministers to students at Duquesne University. As part of a summer opportunities program offered through the CCO, she was part of a team of four that led six students in the wilderness of Ontario, Canada. for 30 days. The program called Leadership and Discipleship in the Wilderness (LDW) is used to help develop leaders of the outdoors, leaders in their faith, and leaders on campus who are growing closer toward Jesus.
“It was a life changing experience,” says Kathy who had never spent more than seven days in the wilderness herself. The group of 10 kayaked on the Georgian Bay paddling approximately 180 miles, while living on different islands each night, and only having access to what they carried in their boats.
“What an extraordinary opportunity to literally watch the sun rise and set on the water every day, live in the beauty of God’s creation, live in community with others, and experience a profound intimacy with the Lord. Not only did I see the lives of the students change over the course of those four weeks, I saw my life change.”
Kathy loves mentoring and discipling young women, something she had the opportunity to do while on the waters of the Georgian Bay. She hopes that her time in seminary will continue to prepare her as she bridges the Word of God and the world of hurting and broken women.
Written April 2011