HALIFAX, Pa., (BRN) – College students from eight different campuses across Pennsylvania were called to consider what it means to “amplify God’s voice” in their lives, on campus and around the world during the 2025 Amplify BRN Next Gen Fall Retreat, Oct. 31-Nov. 2, at Camp Hebron in Halifax, Pennsylvania.
This was the second year of the retreat falling under the new banner, “Amplify,” but has served as a timeless tradition for many of the students attending and the collegiate missionaries who bring students back year after year.
Though a standing tradition, this year’s Amplify was unique in many ways.
God’s voice amplified
Merely hours before the kick-off of the retreat, a family emergency prevented the keynote speaker from making the trip to Amplify. Expecting close to 60 students in attendance, the collegiate missionaries quickly pivoted from their original plan and distributed keynote session responsibilities.
Brian Musser, BRN Next Gen consultant and director of Baptist Campus Ministries at Drexel University, drew the first two sessions, while Associate Pastor of Campus Ministry at Big Woods Bible Church Robbie Mays committed to teaching the final session.
Musser started off the weekend by exhorting students to amplify God’s voice in their lives. He pointed students to examples of human heroes and those depicted in movies, explaining that often Hollywood is in the business of convincing us that we can save ourselves, whereas the Word of God tells us elsewise.
Pulling from Romans 7, Musser clarified to students that there is only One true hero, saying, “the battle for good and evil is happening within us, and that is one of the reasons we cannot save ourselves…we have to be saved from ourselves…Christ’s victory over death leads to our salvation over evil.”
Musser’s second session built upon his first by challenging students to not only amplify God’s voice with their lives, but where they are at: campus.
Noting humanity’s tendency to naturally sort and divide one another based on differences, Musser encouraged students through Revelation 7 to embrace and seek unity for the sake of the Gospel.
“Who do you need to be Jesus for,” challenged Musser. He discussed tearing down pride and not letting self be the dividing factor when it comes to sharing Jesus with their peers.
“How you treat them, how you love them, how you talk to them and how you share the story of the hero of Jesus with them…there are people on your campus that you are the perfect person designed by God to communicate the Gospel to them,” said Musser.
Rounding out the weekend with the third and final session, Lock Haven University Campus Pastor Robbie Mays spoke to students about amplifying God’s voice around the world.
Walking students through the book of Acts, Mays focused on Christ’s command to go to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. He connected this command to where the students find themselves now – campus, their county and the greater region around them – and to where they may find themselves in the future.
He also exhorted students to not fear judgement or persecution that may come in sharing the Good News of Jesus.
“We don’t’ have to be scared what people might think of us because the God who created the heavens and the earth reigns…we get to tell the entire world that Jesus Christ came to save sinners…we get to amplify God’s voice,” said Mays.
A ‘powerful’ time to connect
In addition to the three main sessions, students gleaned from breakout sessions led by other collegiate missionaries and enjoyed worship provided by King’s Fellowship Church. Those in attendance also had time to rest, hike, play games, fellowship and pray with one another.
Third year returner Liz Traugott, a junior from PennWest – Clarion, shared why she keeps coming back to Amplify each year.
“I keep coming back because it’s a weekend where I can get outside of my normal routine and the hustle and bustle of being in college and I can listen to God more clearly without distraction,” said Traugott.
First year attender, Christopher Pickens from Montgomery County Community College echoed Traugott’s sentiment, saying, “I found this a very powerful time to connect with other brothers and sisters in Christ.”
Due to the generosity of several churches and individual sponsors, the BRN Next Gen team was able to offer four full scholarships to students, seven partial scholarships to students and completely cover the cost for their staff to attend.
The weekend for Amplify 2026 will be announced in the near future. Any BRN churches who would like to sponsor students for next year’s retreat or would like to learn more about Amplify are encourage to reach out to Brian Musser at [email protected].
Watch replays of Amplify main sessions here or view the Amplify photo gallery here.
