Can a required senior design project increase college engineering students’ interest in advancing the gospel? At Cedarville University, senior engineering students and faculty collaborated with SonSet Solutions engineers to design a more efficient power controller for the Solar Ministry Toolkit (SMT), a device that helps missionaries and pastors use solar power for projection, lighting, cell phone charging, Wi-Fi connection, and other ministry needs.
The project gave students a chance to do more than meet graduation requirements. By learning how the SMT supports evangelism and discipleship in the field, the team saw their technical work as meaningful kingdom service. According to Noah Karg, a past SonSet Solutions intern, “The project helped me realize engineering is not just about solving technical problems but helping missionaries and pastors serve more effectively.”
Other students shared similar reactions. Ben Panneck said the experience showed him that his passion for power solutions and off-grid power can practically be used to share the gospel and love others. Joshua Wassei thought that the project increased his awareness of the significant need for technical support on the mission field. Working with SonSet Solutions allowed him to use his degree to enable missionaries to better serve God’s people, and he now has a strong interest in working with a missions-based organization to continue advancing the kingdom of God. Korbin Welker reflected that it helped him see a tangible way engineering can advance the gospel and sparked a greater interest in firsthand kingdom impact.
The collaboration also benefited SonSet Solutions. A more efficient charge controller improves reliability and lowers cost, strengthening the tool for international ministry use. Cedarville University and SonSet Solutions plan to continue building on this work, helping future engineering teams apply classroom knowledge to real-world ministry challenges.
By Sandra Shortt, May 2026