Emma DeCaro is an alumnae of The University of Texas at Austin, who graduated in 2015 with a bachelors in Public Relations and Environmental Sustainability. During her four years at UT, Emma was heavily involved in Ignite, a camp to welcome freshmen into college and connect them with campus ministries, and Campus Renewal.
Emma says that being involved in these ministries “kept [her] grounded in [her] faith” during college and taught her that “people have a desire for community”. She developed a heart for bringing others into community on campus, where they could develop a relationship with Jesus.
Upon graduation, Emma moved to Dallas and felt as though she was “starting back from ground zero”, leaving her college community behind and transitioning into the working world. Through God’s grace though, Emma began to see a need to provide what she had experienced in college at her workplace.
Emma works at The Richards Group, a “diverse, fast paced [advertising] agency that never has a dull moment.” After meeting with other believers at work to cast vision, and receiving approval from agency leadership, Emma started “Grouper Gathering”, a place where, every Thursday during lunch, employees of The Richards Group can find rest and community.
Grouper Gathering is a bible study with a mission to encourage co-workers by sharing praises about who God is, studying God’s word, and offering prayer for one another. Through this gathering, Emma has begun to build deep relationships with her co-workers by “both loving them and working with them.”
Emma has seen God bring her co-workers at The Richards Group together through friendships built on trust, even though they all come from a variety of different backgrounds. By meeting with each other on a weekly basis, God has brought them closer together, removing barriers and breaking down walls.
Emma hopes that God will continue to use Grouper Gathering as a way to reach her co-workers with the Gospel. She wants everyone involved to display the love of Jesus by finding ways to bless others in the agency through small acts of kindness.
Through serving in ministry during college, Emma learned how to practically unite others around Christ and how to love those far from Him. This equipped her to share God’s love no matter where He places her, knowing that “you can be most effective where you live and work.”
Emma wants other college graduates to continue to grow in their love for the Lord and for others. She believes that anyone can begin to spark conversations among their peers and co-workers in the workplace. She wants to encourage others with her story, so that they can be a light to this world.
Jennifer is a student in the Texas Creative Sequence at The University of Texas at Austin. She is a Young Life leader and is actively involved in CRU and The Austin Stone Kids Ministry. Jennifer hopes to one day be a copywriter and use writing as a tool to spread the gospel.
