What began as a hopeful idea last year flowered into a fruitful reality on Point Loma Nazarene University’s campus earlier this month. Partnering with over 10 campus organizations and a group of social media influencers from the United Kingdom, PLNU student leaders planned and executed the Bridge Conference, a first-time campus event featuring chapel panels, worship nights, personal testimonies and evangelism.
From March 2-5, the Associated Student Body (ASB) hosted a series of events, including a worship night in the Family Life Center in partnership with Grace Wisenor from Kamp Love Worship, a chapel panel on evangelism featuring Jesse Fellingham, Xenia James and Emily Beaney — Christian social media influencers from the UK — as well as Bible scrapbooking, songwriting workshops and street evangelism in Ocean Beach.
Spearheaded by AJ Ellerington, a third-year media communication major and ASB director of spiritual life, the idea for the Bridge Conference emerged in May 2025 following her election. In her role, Ellerington was tasked with organizing a spring semester project, and after discovering Jesse Fellingham and Xenia James on social media, she decided to partner with them for the event. She reached out through a speaker request form and they accepted the invitation in October 2025.
As a UK native, Ellerington found it easier to connect with Fellingham and James, making the collaboration both smoother and more meaningful. With the money allotted to Ellerington as director of spiritual life, they troubleshot ideas, organized travel and finalized plans through WhatsApp and Zoom sessions.
“Hearing their stories and getting a glimpse into the streets of my home country fuels me as I get to hear … what God is doing and how he’s showing up on his timing,” Ellerington said.
Fellingham, a 21-year-old content creator and podcaster from London, England, said it was a privilege to be welcomed at PLNU, meet other young Christians and witness God’s work.
“Getting to see God impact the students’ lives in positive ways and seeing people step out in faith in ways that they’ve never done before is one of the most cool experiences,” Fellingham said.
On March 4, Fellingham and Charlie Hicok, a third-year accounting major and ASB vice president, led dozens of students to Ocean Beach to street evangelize. With large signs and Bibles to give away — provided by PLNU’s Center for Pastoral Leadership — students shared the gospel with strangers.
“It was honestly the coolest thing I think I’ve ever been a part of in my entire life,” Hicok said. “Whether you are reading this and you are 100 percent sold out for the Lord or you think that it’s a hoax, you can’t deny the fact that there’s a spiritual presence in Ocean Beach, especially on a Wednesday night.”
Micah Parks, a third-year accounting major, attended both the worship service and street evangelism events.
“It was just evident that the Spirit was moving, and the Spirit was moving with everybody,” Parks said. “There were so many examples of people talking to people and hearts being opened, hearts being softened by the gospel, hearts being softened by the Holy Spirit and it was just a great space for that.”
Parks said the Bridge Conference showed him how the Holy Spirit is working both in San Diego and across the world, specifically in the UK.
“Especially through things like street evangelism, you need to rely on the Holy Spirit for the right things to say — for the confidence to go into something as scary as going up to a random person and talking to them, and it was so evident that the Holy Spirit was at work,” Parks said.
Fellingham said he talked to a PLNU student who was passionate about faith and God, but had never street-evangelized until that Wednesday night. That encouraged Fellingham’s own faith.
“It just filled me with loads of joy, and it kind of solidified my own message,” Fellingham said. “Anyone can do it, and really anyone can see change, even if it is your first time.”
Ellerington said groups from all around campus joined to make the Bridge Conference happen, notably Student Senate, the chapel team, leaders from Tuesday night worship in the Fermanian garage and Kamp Love.
“It has been an absolute privilege to build those literal bridges of ministries across campus and seek unity as one family centered on knowing Christ and having him be known,” Ellerington said.
Hicok said he hopes the Bridge Conference encouraged students to take their faith more seriously and share the good news with people they meet.
“The Bridge Conference was … creating a space of full, true, authentic worship and realness with the Father and walking out in a variety of different ways of boldness and different forms of evangelism,” Hicok said.
Fellingham encouraged students in the Christian faith. He said it takes a lifetime of faithfulness to God, but noted that God is always looking after his followers.
“When I think of Point Loma [Nazarene] University, I think, ‘Oh man, they’re so bold, they’re courageous. They’re such a great community going after Jesus, and that is awesome,’” Fellingham said.
In reflecting on the Bridge Conference, Ellerington became emotional.
“It makes me want to cry. … My hope is that people would feel intentionally poured into and sought out … that people would connect with one another, that they would connect with God,” Ellerington said. “At the end of the day, we get to provide the opportunity for God to move, but he is in the business of showing up, showing off, and transforming hearts. I’ve seen that happen in the small and in the big this week.”
Personal Reflection
On March 4, I went to Ocean Beach with Jesse Fellingham and dozens of PLNU friends to evangelize on the streets. One of my friends and I were very nervous since we’d never done anything like this before.
For one hour, we planned to evangelize to strangers, but after walking around for 45 minutes, I hadn’t spoken to anybody. I was petrified because I had no clue how to begin conversations with strangers about Jesus — until I was handed a sign by one of my friends that said “Free Identity Readings.” I was completely reluctant to take it because I didn’t know what I’d say to people if they asked about my sign. Still, I grabbed it but walked quickly, trying to hide it from those walking by, until I began to feel emboldened by the Holy Spirit to hold out the sign more confidently before me.
As we were walking back to the bus, I encountered three people whom I had the privilege of sharing God’s love and hope with. The more I spoke, the more I began to fall in love with telling people about Jesus — even if no one was saved because of our conversations. God had opened up my mouth and freed my tongue to speak. I felt completely unlocked by the Spirit, and I had a great fire in my heart. I wanted to keep talking to people.
After we arrived back at Point Loma, my friend and I went to In-N-Out for dinner and we decided to eat inside the restaurant. We ended up sitting next to a man who was alone, and out of nowhere, he started asking us about our night. Feeling once again emboldened by the Spirit, I told him we had just come from evangelizing about Jesus in Ocean Beach. For 30 minutes, my friend and I spoke to this man about his life, his work, community and even his belief in God. I got to share my testimony with him as well.
As the man got up to leave, we asked if we could pray for him. We quickly threw away our unfinished burgers and walked with him to his car as he allowed us to pray over him — for his work life, health and his faith in God. He was humble, teachable and open to listening to us, and I’ll never forget it. I almost cried that night because my experiences in Ocean Beach and In-N-Out proved that God was guiding us. I pray my heart would always remain that tender and passionate about Jesus because those encounters changed my life. May I never forget that night and may God save all those whom I met and spoke with.
Olivia Roberts 
Ava Bailey-Klugh