Bringing campus, church, and community together as we invest in the lives of students who will go forth and lead the world.

When I was offered a leadership position in Presbyterian Campus Ministry (PCM) at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), I initially was really excited, eager even. In high school, I had a leadership position in almost everything I participated in. New in devotion to my faith, I was eager to finally be in a position where God could outwardly use me. I was excited to have a platform, somewhere to make use of the zeal I possessed.

My involvement with PCM NCCU has been preparation. God used this experience to stretch me. Beyond the surface, God used my involvement with PCM to deal directly with matters of my heart. During my first PCM retreat, while spending a week in a house with total strangers, I learned a valuable lesson about tolerance and compassion. Also during that retreat, I was able to have a very intimate moment with God, where He expressed His love for me during a moment of frustration. I found myself returning from that retreat knowing that my God speaks. And that He is not limited in His communication.

PCM NCCU has given me an opportunity to lead in teaching God’s word. I was pushed to study and pull out the relevancy of His word to the lives of college-age students. In my studies, God revealed to me His character. I learned the simplicity of God in the midst of the complexity of our lives. I was able to testify and speak from places where God had given me an encounter. The word of God suddenly became more active in my life. n myI leading, I was taught to practice what I preached. I had to learn to become comfortable with speaking in front of others. Oddly, teaching Bible study helped me overcome the weird anxieties I have while doing things such as ordering food, going to the grocery store alone, and speaking in class. My comfort zone expanded beyond my imagining.

Being involved with this ministry also made me accountable. I didn’t want to struggle with sin in private. These were heart matters that I had to be vulnerable with my Creator to begin to address. My involvement with PCM NCCU not only helped me to be vulnerable with God but also with others. I learned that it is okay to lead and still admit that I don’t have it all together. Acknowledging that God sees value and use for me in my brokenness. This has become a large part of my testimony.

This experience has been nothing short of an entire blast. I’m grateful for the connections that I’ve made. More importantly, I’m grateful for God’s hand. I’m grateful that He placed this opportunity in front of me. I’ve seen His goodness in it. I’ve found purpose in it. And I’ve grown so much in it. Through it all, the experience has been pure bliss.

Alyah Yardan

from Rocky Mount, NC, is the standing president of Presbyterian Campus Ministry of North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina. She is a sophomore student, double majoring in Art and Middle-Grade Education. Contact her at alyahyardan2302@gmail.com.