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Which one are you?
After applying for LP, the Project director will review your application. When approved, an email will be sent to you confirming your acceptance and containing a link to the commitment form. To secure your spot, you must commit through that form and pay the $100 deposit (which will count towards the total cost).
April 8 - Application deadline
April 15 - Commitment deadline
by May 6 - Full payment due
May 11 - LP begins! - *Wofford students arrive May 18th
May 31 - LP ends :(
LP is for college students in various stages of faith who desire to grow in following Jesus. Whether you are exploring Christianity for the first time or have been walking with Jesus for a while, there is something for you at LP.
The cost covers lodging, materials for LP and 3 provided meals a week. Grocery, travel and laundromat costs are not included.
There are several ways to pay for your LP experience. You may pay personally or with the help of your parents. If you need financial assistance, there is an option to raise funds by developing a team of financial partners*.
All payments will be collected through PayPal. At commitment, you have an option to pay the full amount or pay the $100 deposit. If you pay the $100 deposit, you will receive a PayPal Invoice with the remaining balance. Use the PayPal link to pay for your LP OR share this with your parents or financial partners if they want to help you out.
*Disclaimer: all payments to LP are considered payments and not donations. So any financial partners assisting you with the cost of your LP attendance will not be tax deductible. If you have further questions, please contact us at columbia@campusoutreach.org
Fundraising training is available through a CO staff member at each campus. Fundraising (or support raising) is a process of asking individuals you know to parter with you in your spiritual growth via a financial gift.*
If you choose to raise funds, here are ways people can partner with you:
- Pay a partial amount of your PayPal Invoice,
- Send you funds through Venmo or cash that you would then use to pay for your PayPal invoice yourself,
- Connect you with others who may be interested in giving a financial gift,
- Last but not the least, by praying for you and your summer.
That's an overview. The Fundraising Training will teach you more about the whys and practical hows.
*Disclaimer: all payments to LP are considered payments and not donations. So any financial partner assisting you with the cost of your LP attendance will not be tax deductible. If you have further questions, please contact us at columbia@campusoutreach.org
We have rented a privately owned and gated motel that is a street away from the beach. Students from Benedict, Clemson, Presbyterian College, USC, WCU, and Wofford will live in assigned rooms at the motel. Staff will also stay at the motel.
Each room has access to a kitchenette, bathroom and closet space. Rooms are a mix of either 2 queen beds (bunked) or 4 twin beds (bunked). On the property, you can enjoy a private pool, covered deck community space and outdoor games. Walking distance from the property are basketball courts, volleyball courts and our meeting space. Only LP participants and LP guests will be allowed on the LP grounds.
Garden City boasts of it’s close proximity to the beach, quiet atmosphere without many distractions, and it’s convinience to fun places!
We want to respect your time for the summer! Three weeks brings enough time and opportunity to learn and produce new spiritual habits as well as allow much time back home to be with family, friends, and pursue professional opportunities (jobs, internships, etc).
Students can drive, carpool, or be dropped off at the LP. There is a designated free parking lot across from our hotel for the duration of the LP. Students can also fly into Myrtle Beach. If you need help arranging your transportation please let someone on your campus staff team know. Transportation costs are not covered in the cost of the LP.
Check out this schedule from a previous LP. The schedule is a mix of mandatory meeting times and free times throughout the day.
During the LP, you will learn the whys and hows of spiritual disciplines such as prayer, evangelism, daily bible reading, and more. The LP environment and length also provides space and time to practice walking out these disciplines in the aim of helping you develop lifelong patterns. By engaging in this experience alongside peers, you will be challenged and encouraged to walk with God and love others well. The LP is also designed as a space where you can spend time with God, learn more of who He is, and learn yourself better in the process. We believe all of this leads to heart and character change that will aid in your leadership in whatever sphere of life God has you in.
Your free time is open to whatever you want to do as long as you abide by the LP rules and policies on and off project. You can play sports, go shopping, head to the beach, take a nap and rest, etc.
We want you to graduate on time or obtain an internship while not passing on this unique summer opportunity! While we might answer your questions below, each scenario is different. Therefore, we think it would be helpful for you to connect with your campus staff about your situation and discern the best step for you.
Summer classes: you may work on your online courses during the free time slots. Let us know if you're taking summer classes so we can provide you the WiFi password.
Below are some scenarios with internships:
- Ask if you can start your internship right after the end of LP.
- If not, can you do online work while at LP? Depending on your employer, you may be able to negotiate based on your situation.
We believe that LP is not only beneficial for your faith but also your future professional career! As you communicate this, let them know that you will be gaining soft skills in character and leadership development which are beneficial for your professional endeavors.
All LP out of town trips and events need to be approved by our project director. If you need to miss time for an event during LP please reach out to Kiersten Harpe at kiersten.harpe@campusoutreach.org to request permission.
Please feel free to ask any staff person at your campus or email us at columbia@campusoutreach.org
The Leadership Project (LP) is living, learning, and leading with other college students for three weeks in Garden City, SC. Each student participates in Bible studies, discipleship groups, ministry training, evangelistic outreaches, and other activities throughout the week. This challenging schedule creates an environment for students to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ as well as develop ministry skills and leadership qualities.
Find out more by watching this LP Overview video.
Staff and students from three Campus Outreach regions (CO Atlanta, CO Central Florida, and CO Columbia) will join together this year for the LP. All three regions will be together for trainings, worship, provided meals, and social events. Each region will live in their own housing arrangements.
Staff and students of the Campus Outreach Columbia region will be staying in a privately owned and gated motel in Garden City Beach that is a street away from the beach and a 2 minute walk from our meeting space. This includes all Benedict, Clemson, Presbyterian College, USC, WCU, and Wofford staff and students. Staff and students will live in separate rooms. Student rooms will be pre-assigned and divided into men's rooms and women's rooms. Each room has access to a kitchenette, bathroom and closet space. Rooms are a mix of either 2 queen beds (bunked) or 4 twin beds (bunked).
In our experience, a student can grow outside of a program like LP, but it can be difficult. LP allows students to get away for 3 weeks to a place where they are in an environment that is a greenhouse for growth. Students will grow personally in their relationship with God while also gaining soft skills and experience that will aid them professionally.
The person each student lists as their guardian contact on their commitment form will be emailed all the important info prior to the start of LP. It will include a letter from the director, emergency contact number, and address of the event.
You will receive communications catered to you as a parent with relevant information about LP prior to the event with details such as the location, schedule, and thoughts on the content. Additionally you will receive three updates at the start, middle, and end of LP. These updates will include student testimonials and thoughts about what they are learning with updates on how the project is running.
Our staff take the safety of your child seriously, so we've implemented several safety policies including a nightly curfew, a gated premises, and passcode locked room doors.
We would love for parents to come and visit their children, but we also want the students to have the full experience of LP in our short 3 weeks together. If it's possible, we ask that you only come and visit your child for a short duration during the free times (especially on the weekends).
*If your child plans to stay overnight with you, please have your child request permission from the Project Director (kiersten.harpe@campusoutreach.org) first.
Students are not required to fundraise. Each student is free to pay for LP however he/she wishes. However, we do allow students to fundraise and encourage them to do so via asking personal contacts to give them a financial donation. This is our strategy for several reasons:
- Many students would not be able to attend LP if they could not raise the finances to attend. When multiple students come together to each raise their funds for the LP they are mutually encouraged and helped.
- Many people have a heart for college students but obviously cannot personally be there to impact students' lives. When someone gives financial support, it allows him/her to invest in what God is doing on the college campus. Hundreds of investors (donors who give to an LP attendee) have commented on how much growth they observed in the attendee when they got back from LP, and what a joy it was to play a vital role in the process.
- It is Biblical for a person to receive support from others while doing God's work (The Jews gave to the Levites- Numbers 18:24; Jesus received support so he could devote himself full time to his ministry- Luke 8:2,3; Paul stopped tent-making to preach full time while covering costs via the generosity of others- Acts 18:4,5). Part of God's work is personal spiritual growth and development.
During the spring, we offer participants training in raising support. We do not want potential supporters to feel guilted into giving to a student going to LP. Our experience is that if a student communicates the purpose and content of the LP summer experience in a clear manner, the supporter will often jump at the chance to give.
Most importantly, you can pray for them.
- That they would
- For a sincere love for Christ (Ephesians 3:14-19, Philippians 1:9-11)
- That they would grow as Christ’s disciple and shine as a light in the world (Romans 12:2, 1 John 2:15-16)
- That they would grow in Christ’s likeness in love, faith, and good works (John 13:34-35, Romans 4:20-21)
Please email the staff member closest to your student, or contact a Campus Outreach staff at the school they attend. If you have an urgent question for our office, call (803) 265-2895 or email us at columbia@campusoutreach.org.