Philip Linkous and Globalscope: ‘We see God changing our students’ futures!’

Philip Linkous describes his experience at Christian Campus Fellowship while a student at Georgia Tech as “coming back to Jesus, growing in my faith and wanting to give back.” The mechanical engineering graduate was recruited to serve with Globalscope’s campus ministry in Santiago, Chile, and joined the team in 2010.

On furlough/sabbatical in the U.S. this summer, Philip and his wife Elizabeth, a Chilean and El Oasis alumni he met through mutual friends, visited the CMF home office to touch base and share some of their ministry experiences.

What’s the focus of your individual ministries at El Oasis?

Philip: My role is to keep the team united around our goals and mission to accept students into a relationship with Jesus. So, I provide organization and focus while bringing the team’s ideas, energy and creativity into developing a strategy to reach students.

Elizabeth: I’m a psychologist and work in private practice, all online now. I work with the broader ministries of CMF as a resource for all missionaries, but especially the Spanish speakers. I also lead a counseling ministry at our church.

What are some accomplishments you’re most proud of this past term?

Philip: What excited me the most are the connections we have with the other Globalscope ministries in Mexico and Uruguay through Latinscope and shared retreats. Also, some former members from the Santiago team planted a new Globalscope in Viña del Mar, Chile. God is using this new plant to multiply El Oasis in a different city. I’m excited to see what we can do together!

How did the pandemic affect your ministry?

Philip: We’ve had no normal weeks of ministry since October 2019. First, there was public unrest throughout the country, and then Covid shut everything down in March 2020 just as a new school year was getting started. So, we had to put a new focus on small groups, because our students live all over the city. Zoom did allow more time for in-depth discussions and gave us a new entry into the lives of the students in their homes. I think the students felt community even though they haven’t been in the campus house.

What are you looking forward to when you return from sabbatical in March 2022?

Philip: I look forward to bringing new interns onto the team and, of course, a return to in-person activities. Students are lonely and want that in-person connection. We will have a slow process of re-building. I also can’t wait for the return of our annual retreats next year! Retreats are a powerful impetus for growth in our community with a lot of spiritual highlights.

What do you want folks to know about international campus ministry?

Philip: University is a pivotal time in a student’s life. Students are searching for purpose and discovering their gifts and talents. When they encounter Christians, and we connect them to what God is doing around the world, that will go with them as they grow up and have an impact on their families. Our ministry doesn’t stop with just four years; we see God changing these students’ futures!

Top photo: Philip Linkous, at left, is the leader of the Globalscope team in Santiago, Chile. His teammates are, from left, Kata Moya, Allison Rocke, and Belén Martínez and Ignacio Ferrada.