For almost 70 years, God has used Lutheran Campus Ministries to engage with and transform the lives of students at Georgia Tech. Starting in 1955, Lutheran Church of Redeemer began connecting with students at Georgia Tech. In 1980, Lutheran Campus Ministry at Georgia Tech called it’s first Pastor, Rev. Al Daly. In 1981, we moved into our current location at 182 5th St NW. In 2024, hundreds of students pass through Grace House every week looking for everything from spiritual guidance and wise counsel to food, a safe space and sometimes even coffee.
Our Mission
Lutheran Campus Ministry’s Grace House equips students to make a transformative impact in the world by embodying and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom. We believe that simply making an impact is not enough; it must be an impact that bears good fruit and leads to lasting transformation.
Our Purpose
We emphasize that when students experience the transformative power of Jesus’ love, their impact on the world becomes not only greater but also qualitatively distinct. Grace House operates with a commitment to holistic care, addressing students’ spiritual, emotional, and physical needs through programs marked by radical love, safe inquiry, and inclusive justice.
Our core practices include serving free coffee, facilitating small groups for Scripture study, organizing weekly dinners and worship services, offering one-on-one meetings for theological and life discussions, and maintaining a pantry stocked with free food and toiletries on-site. Additionally, we collaborate with Georgia Tech to address broader student needs, such as providing crisis support and pastoral care in times of hardship.
Ultimately, we aim to create spaces where students can be transformed by God’s love, empowering them to become agents of positive change in their communities and beyond.
This past year has been nothing short of extraordinary, marked by the vibrant energy of our Passion Collective Ministry Interns and the remarkable contributions of our student leaders. Together, we’ve cultivated a robust community that transcends disciplines, Greek life, and campus boundaries. We fostered growth and connection among our students. Our programming has flourished, evolving in response to the dynamic engagement of our community.
I’m continually inspired by students’ unwavering commitment to challenge us to live authentically and deepen our faith journey together. One of the highlights of this year was undoubtedly our Easter worship, where students shared profound reflections on the Resurrection. Each offered a unique perspective with vulnerability and sincerity. Ezrah, class of 2025, reflected “Sometimes I just wish we could see the pain that’s on the inside on the outside, and the scars that come from healing that pain, the way Jesus showed it and the way that people responded to it… It’s so hard to remember when you live in a world where you can only see from your eyes, the people around you, because there is so much beyond people than just their bodies.” The spirit of the Good News was palpable, culminating in a truly transformative experience that encapsulated the essence of our collective journey.
Entering into campus ministry, I was forewarned of the perpetual turnover in student populations—a carousel of graduations, new arrivals, and study abroad adventures. While this flux indeed presents its own set of challenges, I’ve found it to be an invigorating aspect of my role. However, what I hadn’t fully anticipated was the emotional weight of bidding farewell to graduating students as they embark on their next chapter. It’s a delicate balance of celebrating their achievements, eagerly anticipating their futures, grappling with their absence in the coming semester, and questioning whether we’ve equipped them sufficiently for life beyond graduation.
Though I have every confidence in their resilience and potential, the act of releasing them and entrusting their spiritual journey to the guidance of the Holy Spirit remains a profound challenge. Yet, it’s a testament to the depth of our connection and the impact of our ministry that such farewells are imbued with both sadness and hope, reflecting the rich tapestry of relationships we’ve woven together.
A Student’s Perspective on the Culture of Grace House
At the beginning of spring semester, Ali Lumpkin asked if she could study Grace House for one of her classes:
“While I was conducting my study, I started to look forward to Thursday coffee events just like their regular coffee-goers because while I observed interactions, I experienced first-hand their kindness as I was greeted by name each week when I stopped by and encouraged to hang out in the living room or on the back porch. By the end of this study, I had gotten to know each member well and developed friendships. While this study is over, I will continue to go to Grace House’s coffee events because of their welcoming, friendly, and accepting culture.”
Pastor Andrew Rickel
Campus Pastor & Executive Director
Rev. Andrew Fritz Rickel (he/him) is a Lutheran Campus Pastor called to Grace House, the Episcopal/Lutheran Campus Ministry in Atlanta.
He mostly grew up in Baltimore Maryland before spending time at Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory, N.C. when it was still a College. After undergrad he spent four summers as the Associate Director of Mar-Lu-Ridge, a Lutheran Outdoor Ministry site outside Frederick, Maryland. Andrew officially graduated with his Master of Divinity from The Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, but his education spanned Gettysburg, the Washington D.C. Theological Consortium, George Fox Divinity School in Portland, Oregon and Luther Seminary. He was ordained in 2016 and served Holy Trinity Lutheran in Portland, Oregon before taking the call to Grace House.
The real stars in Andrew’s life are his family, an incredible partner in Colleen and two darling kids Elijah and Nari. When Andrew’s not on campus or with his family you can find him watching basketball or listening to hip-hop.
Pastor Matt Pritchard
Director of Partnerships & Kingdom Experiments Campus Pastor
Matt (he/him) has over 20 years of campus ministry experience and is an expert in theological contextualization. Passionate extending peace and justice in the world, Matt has extensive experience in anti-racist, inter-cultural and cross-cultural development. Matt brings practical skills in organizational formation, community decision-making and legal/technical/financial systems to his work.
In addition to being our Director of Partnerships, Matt serves as a Campus Pastor with Grace House funded through individuals and organizations giving to Village Church’s Kingdom Experiments.
Matt is ordained in Mennonite Church USA and, when not working with Grace House, serves as Associate Conference Minister for Emerging Communities of Faith in Central District Conference of Mennonite Church USA.
Matt is a member of the Association for Christian Fundraising, formerly The Association of Lutheran Development Executives.
Passion Collective
Michael Williams
Passion Collective Intern 2023 / 2024
Michael (he/him) is 26 years old and has a lot of experience in ministry! He was a part of Clemson Lutheran Campus Ministry for three years. He was a part of Lutheridge and Luther Springs summer staff working as a counselor for five years and senior staff for one year. He also did Young Adult in Global Mission, YAGM, through the ELCA, during August 2019-March 2020 doing youth work in the U.K. Some of his skills are being an excellent listener and being a comfortable person to talk to. He’s been told he can be a great leader and guide at times as well as giving people a place to grow and show themselves and their true colors!
Sammi Watson
Passion Collective Intern 2023 / 2024
Sammi (she/her) is a recent graduate from Montana State University-Northern, where she studied Business Administration. While in college, she attended Messiah Lutheran Church, an Evangelical Lutheran Church in Havre, Montana. Her time there led to opportunities to serve on the Montana Synod’s Racial Justice Task Force, working on bridging gaps in local communities. Sammi brings skills of organization, communication, and a listening ear to her work.
When not busy with work or school, Sammi enjoys reading, baking, music, and spending time in community with others.
Eric Strickland
Passion Collective Intern 2023 / 2024
Eric (he/him) is a GT alum (‘16) from Palm City, FL. He was raised in The Episcopal Church but was heavily involved in CCF while at Tech and interned there in 2017-18. He then went to seminary in Johnson City, TN and rediscovered his Episcopal roots during his time there. Eric is passionate about cross-cultural ministry particularly in Latin American contexts. He spent two semesters working in campus ministry in Latin America – in Santiago, Chile in 2015 and in Montevideo, Uruguay in 2017.
Eric will be entering the discernment process for ordination to the priesthood with the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta and will use his time at Grace House to help discern this call.
Board of Directors
Rev. Matthew O’Rear Rev. Steve Fazenbaker Dan Lizdas Allison Lizdas Michael McCoy Imran Siddiqui Rev. Ashton Roberts
2023-2024 Student Leadership
Sophia Alexander Ellie Baker Vicky Celedon Katherine Mittleider El Pimentell Claire Pukhaber Ezrah Spivey
Grace House exists to equip students to make that kind of an impact – the kind of impact that goes beyond just making a mark and instead seeks lasting transformation.
Learn how your support transforms the lives of students, the campus and the world through the love of Jesus.