YOUR STORY MATTERS HERE: Mason Hicks

Mason Hicks is wrapping up his sophomore year at Penn State Behrend from home this year, like so many other students. The computer science major will move to the main campus at University Park this fall, having left an inspiring mark on the community at Behrend.

Hicks got involved with Cru—Campus Crusade for Christ International, an organization that aims to help people find a relationship with Jesus—early in his college career.

“Alcohol was a big part of the campus culture,” Hicks said. Luckily, Cru also had an active presence at Behrend, hosting events even during the first weeks of the academic year. Hicks attended some of them and quickly became involved with a Bible study group for first-year students.

Hicks was part of Cru’s fall retreat, which he enjoyed, and started to forge friendships among the other young men in his Bible study. Cru’s winter conference was a turning point for Hicks.

Held in Baltimore, Maryland, the winter conference is a chance for students to learn about summer mission trip opportunities. One such opportunity was in Ocean City, Maryland, and Hicks was intrigued but not sure whether he wanted to commit.

“I had been praying for a sign about whether I should do this mission trip,” Hicks explained. He received signs, in abundance, at the conference—one of which involved a Dutilh connection.

“I went to this event and met a guy who was talking about the Ocean City mission,” Hicks said. “It turned out he was from Pennsylvania—and Cranberry Township—and had attended Dutilh Church!” The gentleman in question was Brian Barnett, the son of longtime Dutilh members Gary and Barb Barnett. Hicks said he also saw signs—literally—featuring Ocean City, all over the place, as he was discerning whether the mission trip was right for him.

Hicks took the signs to heart and was off to Ocean City for the summer of 2019. There, his mission work was two-fold. He and his 30+ housemates joined the local workforce, where they were expected to share their own faith stories and help their coworkers learn about Christ. The second task involved approaching vacationing strangers on the beach to evangelize.

“It was very intimidating to just walk up to people at first,” Hicks said, “but we got to have a bunch of cool conversations and lots of people would be very open.”

“It was actually harder to share with our coworkers because in that role, I was trying to be a reflection of Christ for them,” Hicks explained. “It was difficult, but Cru helped us train to share our faith in the workplace and also gave us tools to share our faith on the beach.”

Hicks and his fellow missionaries in Ocean City connected with more than 3,500 people through events and one-on-one evangelization over the course of the summer. In the end, Hicks found the experience incredibly valuable.

“We emphasize a relationship with Jesus, not with a particular church or religious tradition,” Hicks explained. “That difference was a lightbulb moment for lots of people we talked to, who might have had a bad experience growing up and had walked away from the church.”

Evangelizing, living in Christian community, and taking on a leadership role within his Cru mission team last summer combined to affect Hicks dramatically.

“I grew in ways I couldn’t have imagined beforehand, when I was considering the trip in the spring,” Hicks said. He has fond memories of his ministry, and said the large-group prayer among his housemates was one of the highlights of his experience. Since returning to college last fall, Hicks has led a discipleship group and also brought some of his friends at Behrend who were not involved with Cru to the group’s “Ask Anything” panel this past winter.

“Seeing a lot of my friends come and check it out and get their questions answered was memorable. They didn’t necessarily become Christians on the spot, but a seed was planted. It’s God’s job to water that seed; it’s our job to plant it,” Hicks said.

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Hicks is a lifelong part of the Dutilh Church family. His parents, Tom and Deneen, have attended Dutilh for more than 20 years. His siblings, Colin (16), Corinne (14), and Parker (11) are also part of the Dutilh community. Hicks said his favorite thing about the church is, “It’s very welcoming. It has always felt like a second home. The people there are consistent in my life.”

Hicks said being involved with Dutilh’s camping ministry was a particularly big influence on his spiritual growth.

“My family went to Jumonville every summer. That experience helped me to develop a servant’s heart and it also helped me grow and learn the Gospel,” Hicks said.

It was a fellow counselor at Jumonville during the summer before Hicks entered college who first suggested Hicks check out Cru once he got to school.

As he prepares to transfer to a new campus and begins to look ahead to potential careers, Hicks said that his faith continues to influence his choices.

“I was always raised to have a humble mindset, to put Jesus first—to do things not for self-gain, but to have a heart for others,” Hicks said. “That approach will influence my career choices because ultimately it’s about working and serving God in whatever I do.”

If you or someone you know in the Dutilh family has an interesting story or profession, send us your ideas! We would love to help tell the story. Email: communications@dutilhumc.org.