You are currently browsing the monthly archive for May 2009.
When I first decided to take this trip, it was a result of having two speaking opportunities, about 5 weeks apart, in roughly the same part of the country. (You can view my thinking process here.)
The second of those opportunities is a pretty unique one (at least to me), and it comes up this week.
I’ll be spending Monday through Friday at the national conference of the North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professionals (NACCAP). Basically, NACCAP is an organization designed for admissions people from Christian colleges to come together. And, in a smart move, they’ve included high school counselors from Christian high schools. (It makes sense that those two groups would want to buddy-up.)
My speaking gig isn’t until later in the week, but I’ll be taking the opportunity (most of the days, at least) to spend time at the conference. Why? Because college ministry learnin’ can take place even when the discussions aren’t specifically about college ministry. We can learn from books like Good to Great; we can learn from missionary biographies; we can (I hope) learn from conferences of admissions people.
But this conference may not be as far afield as it might seem, either. Its attendees certainly connect pretty closely with what we do:
- Christian College admissions people work alongside Christian College chaplains (one type of college minister)
- Christian College admissions people recruit college students – and also decide how Spiritual Life is involved in school promotions
- High school counselors send their students into our world; they, like youth ministers and parents, are passing the baton that we are charged with receiving
- High school counselors may be the only people in most youth’s lives who are thinking strategically about collegiate success
So am I excited to get to hang out with these guys and gals? To learn from them? Even to share with them about our world, our hopes, our collective college ministry wisdom?
Yeah, this should be neato.
Please pray for me as I prepare my talk – sharing with the high school counselors particularly about the “national college ministry scene.” And please pray that I will both learn and help throughout this week!
Written from Motel 6 in Canton, Ohio
Road Trip #11 update (Day 34)
yesterday’s T-shirt: the Wildcat tribe of University of Arizona
new state: Ohio
(click here to see all the explorations from Road Trip #11)
Here’s this week’s Fridea, even though it’s Saturday…
Last week in New York City, I had an idea:
What if Apple employees wandered the city, armed with iPhones to help hapless city visitors (like yours truly)? Looking up a location, Googling a point of interest, mapping a route… those may be very basic functions of the iPhone, but they’re the most-needed in that particular situation.
Of course, it wouldn’t hurt iPhone sales, either.
So then I had another idea:
What if your ministry’s students wandered the campus in the first days of school (or during student orientation), armed with campus maps and campus knowledge to help hapless freshmen?
Could your school’s administration get excited about friendly faces ready to help in this way? Especially on a big campus, wouldn’t this be a true, relevant, easy service to many students?
Of course, it wouldn’t hurt your ministry recruitment efforts, either.
Tomorrow Later this week, I’ll play with this idea a little more – “explore the edges,” as it were. [Here's that post.]
As always, you can see all previous Frideas here.
Written from Boalsburg, PA
Road Trip #11 update (Day 33)
yesterday’s T-shirt: the Tiger tribe of Grambling State
campus visit: Penn State University
total mileage for this trip: 4,380 miles
(click here to see all the explorations from Road Trip #11)
I noted yesterday three “campus-visiting milestones” I’ve had on this trip. And the truth is, I’ve probably visited something like 240 campuses in the past two years, and a good many more than that in the past six years.
But why does it matter? What good is it for me – and you – to visit college campuses and connect with ministers on those mission fields?
- We see the broad differences between contexts. If anyone believes they have “the model” for college ministry, they should spend more time on more campuses. Soon enough, we realize that these individual tribes have striking differences – whether they’re across the country from each other, across the state, or across the street. Then this exposure should bring us to our knees to beg for God’s specific brilliance for any particular tribe.
- We have the opportunity to support our fellow collegiate missionaries. By simply viewing the mission field that another brother or sister serves, I’m respecting and promoting the work they do. Further, as I talk with ministers and ask about their work, I let them know that their field is not forgotten. Stanford University matters. Richland College matters. Emporia State matters. So as the opportunity arises, we walk upon the field that others weep over, and by so doing we honor their work and their world.
- We better understand the actual needs. Until you and I have been “on location,” we have a much harder time knowing what is truly needed. Many collegiate ministry “experts” struggle because of this very point – their experience isn’t broad enough. (This problem has actually come up in several conversations on this trip, so it’s on my mind and is something I’m desperately trying to avoid.)
- Our hearts are stirred. For whatever reason, God has rigged many (or most? or all?) of us to respond to immersion. Being among the campus tribes – even many of them – does something to our hearts. Climb to the top of the bell tower and see the campus before you. Stand among the disoriented pre-freshmen at New Student Orientation. Watch the drama of a Friday night on Fraternity Row. Campus visits call us to this task more deeply than before, even as we return to our own contexts and our own students.
- Our hearts are awed. In the same way, we are hopefully reminded of the awesomeness and beauty of our task. Sometimes it takes a trip to another campus to remember just how wonderful it is to work at such amazing places.
- We get to practice. Finally, visiting campuses gives us the chance to “practice” for our own. As you observe a new campus and (if you have opportunity) connect with ministers, you’re sharpening your skills of observation and exegesis for your own campus. Further, there is no better way I know of to catalyze your own brainstorming than to learn what’s happening elsewhere. By “discovering” a new campus, you’re aiding your ability to discover your own.
Written from the Lutz house in Boalsburg, PA (near Penn State)
Road Trip #11 update (Day 32)
yesterday’s T-shirt: the Hornet tribe of Emporia State
campus visits: none, actually, which hasn’t happened in several days
plan: I’ll be in and around State College, PA, for a couple of days, then on to Ohio!
(click here to see all the explorations from Road Trip #11)
Three campus-visiting milestones achieved during this trip:
- Lifetime, I have been to all the schools that have won the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tourney for as long as I’ve been post-birth (September 1979). Among the Final Four contestants during that time, I think I’m only missing 6 schools. (See this site for the list.)
- In the last two years, I have been on campuses in 45 states. (And I’ve been to campuses in 47 states lifetime.)
- In the last month, I’ve seen all 8 Ivy League schools.
I would take the time to explain why this really matters (besides just being pretty neato), but I need my sleep after a long day of driving. Look for that tomorrow.
Written from the Motel 6 in Harrisburg, PA
Road Trip #11 update (Day 31)
yesterday’s T-shirt: the Cardinal tribe of Stanford University (and Cardinal is always singular in this case)
campus visits: Syracuse University (#33), Cornell University (#34)
notable: In my Road Trip 11 full itinerary, I accidentally left out my excellent visit to the Center for Christian Study and Splintered Light Bookstore in Charlottesville. I was able to connect with Bill Wilder and Byron Harris there, which was phenomenal. I hope to post about the Center (which houses the bookstore) sometime, because it’s an excellent example of a less-traditional (and extremely useful) ministry to college students.
(click here to see all the explorations – including those! – from Road Trip #11)
Especially in a world where college ministry is happening far less than it should be
- “less” in the sense of less often and “less” in the sense of less productively -
I personally vote for doubling up
rather than guarding our kingdoms or demanding to perform all functions of discipleship ourselves.
So I would encourage churches to minister to homegrown students away at school (even though they might have ministries on that “other end,” too). I would vote for campus-based groups staying connected with students while they’re home during the summer. I think Christian colleges perform a helpful function when they disciple their students well, even while students (hopefully) plug in to local churches. When students are interning or co-oping or taking a gap year or studying abroad, I hope they have one-or-more shepherds, nearby and far away.
This isn’t the same as ministry duplication. Duplication comes when actions and outcomes overlap too much. Multiple shepherds truly complementing each other’s impact seems productive.
And the truth is, like I wrote above, college ministry isn’t happening everywhere as well as it should be. So some of our “doubling up” will actually be the only college ministry a student might be receiving at the moment.
This is tending the flock that’s been entrusted to us
regardless of who “us” is
and regardless of where the flock is roaming today.
Written from the Motel 6 in Colchester, VT (near the University of Vermont in Burlington)
Road Trip #11 update (Day 30)
yesterday’s T-shirt: the Cavalier tribe of Cabrini College
campus visits: Dartmouth College (#31), University of Vermont (#32)
prayer request: my throat is still hurting, and now I’m getting stuffed up. Please pray that I’d get better… quickly.
(click here to see all the explorations from Road Trip #11)
I finally finished the Road Trip 11 “landing page,” with every discussion, visit, and other exploration from the Road Trip. So if you wanna know the amazing people I’ve connected with, the awesome campuses I’ve seen, and more, check it out at www.exploringcollegeministry.com/rt11.
Bonus: that page has the tentative plans for the rest of the trip, too.
As you know if you’ve followed along, this has been an action-packed road trip. Since I left Dallas on April 28th, this trip has included:
- 14 states
- 29 college campus visits
- over 4 dozen college ministry discussions
- 13 church visits
- a couple of speaking / leading opportunities
- several other explorations
Meanwhile…
- There’s a good chance I’ll get to see all 8 Ivy League schools; I’ve seen 6, but the last two could be tricky!
- The hospitality on this trip has been enormous; for example, last night was only the second night I’ve spent in a motel room
- I’ve run into two college mission trips along the way (a group from Texas in Boston, and a group from Florida in New York City)
- I have another speaking opportunity in early June – to a bunch of high school counselors!
- Twitter has turned out to be a productive way to share my adventures AND find out about new ones
- I have about two weeks to go!
Written from the Motel 6 in Portland, ME
Road Trip #11 update (Day 29)
T-shirts the last 3 days: the Wildcats tribe of Villanova University, the Flames of Liberty University, and the Corsair tribe of Santa Monica
Campus visits since Friday: Brown University (#26), Harvard University (#27), Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (#28), University of Southern Maine (#29)
Prayer requests: I’ve had a major sore throat for a few days and desperately need sleep. Hopefully both were helped here last night, but we’ll see.
(click here to learn more about Road Trip #11)
Because of Memorial Day weekend, my desperate need to get some down time, and the fact that most colleges just finished up for the school year, I’m going to take the next few days off.
New blog on Tuesday, May 26th!
If you still feel like reading about college ministry, I encourage you to…
- Read Reaching the Campus Tribes if you haven’t already. (It’s a quick read, and I think you’ll be surprised what can be done in an ebook!)
- Check out a few blog topics that interest you (in the sidebar on the left).
- Catch up on recent blogs you might have missed.
- Keep watching the Twitter feed – I’ll still be twittering this weekend!
For an update on where I’m headed, see the blue part below.
Enjoy your weekend!
Written from Stony Brook, NY
Road Trip 11 update (Day 26)
yesterday’s T-shirt: the Quaker tribe of University of Pennsylvania (Penn)
plans: tentatively, it looks like Boston area through Monday, then on to Northern New England for a couple of days, then Penn State for the second half of the week, then on to Ohio. But we’ll see!
(click here to learn more about Road Trip #11)
This week’s Fridea may seem odd, “secular,” or otherwise out of place. But it can actually be an incredible tool as part of your college ministry arsenal.
What if you looked for ways your ministry could dovetail with the school’s student life aims?
As I talked with one college minister the other day, we discussed how his major state school struggles – a lot, apparently – with student life. Though located in a true “college town,” there isn’t nearly the fun, energetic college-town “vibe” that is often found in such places.
School administrations care about things like this for several reasons; student retention is one of the big ones. So when I hear about campuses like my friend’s, I see an opportunity. This campus might need a hero… somebody whose job (as college minister) has already helped them excel in fellowship and community-building.
What if you hosted an event for students in the fall? What if your building was used for more than just worship space? What if you performed edifying, encouraging functions on campus on a semi-regular basis? What if you really got crazy and redesigned the mascot, created a popular school T-shirt, or started a school tradition or two? (What if your ministry became a school tradition?)
Aren’t we supposed to pray (and work) for the benefit of our “captors”? I believe service to the campus can be a spiritual act, indeed – not to mention the enormous ministry benefits that can come from direct engagement OR better student life at our campuses. We can gain favor, we can make solid relational connections, we can have fun, we can draw new students, and we can better integrate our ministry with the campus community. And if it works – if we really do help student life do its job better – we all win; school spirit may be a fully secular concept, but there are, without a doubt, some spiritual benefits.
What if you helped it happen?
Written from Stony Brook, NY
Road Trip #11 update (Day 25):
yesterday’s T-shirt: the Dragon tribe of Drexel (the day before was mostly an LSU Tigers polo, with a Minnesota Golden Gophers T-shirt once I got comfy)
campus visits yesterday: Columbia University (#24 and my 4th Ivy of the trip), Stony Brook University (#25)
(click here to learn more about Road Trip #11)
See if you can find the theme:
Yesterday morning, I met with Ryan McReynolds, Northeast Regional Director for Operations for Campus Crusade. Among lots of other things, we discussed Cru’s shift to using missional team models in some areas. In those cases, staff members at one developed campus will help establish and develop Crusade “movements” at other nearby campuses.
I ate lunch with Tim Hawkins, officer and past president of National Association of Christian Campus Ministries and Boston-Metro Director of Sojourn Collegiate Ministry. In Sojourn’s unique model of college ministry, they focus exclusively on small groups; a large group gathering would, he feels, simply duplicate what students are getting in church or elsewhere.
Then I sat down with Dan Cho, Executive Director of Veritas Forum. Dan and I discussed their ministry, which is clearly a complementary model. Veritas hopes to catalyze widespread campus change – but they know that they only play one piece in the overall impact of students and campuses.
This morning, I plan to meet with Michael Keller, one of the leaders of Redeemer Presbyterian Church’s City Campus Ministry in New York City. CCM is fully launching this fall and is, according to the web page, “a church-based, college student focused program.” But though CCM church-based, it’s a nontraditional model: “We are affiliated with, and supported by, local churches in New York City, including Redeemer, Emmanuel, and the Village Church . We are also closely connected to Reformed University Fellowship.” I look forward to hearing about this hybrid, multi-church model today.
Do you see a theme?
Three great ministry discussions yesterday (and hopefully one more today), largely concerned with one thing we should all be willing to consider:
Non-traditional college ministry models.
I don’t mean that we need to consider only these models. I mean we need to consider that many new models are almost certainly needed in many places. Maybe your campus is one of those places; maybe it’s not.
But there are people innovating out there, from the tried-and-true Campus Crusade folks to influential churches like Redeemer Presbyterian to strong ministries that will become better and better known – like NACCM and Veritas.
Maybe, just maybe, there’s some innovating that needs to be done where we are, too.
Last night I got to hang out with an ol’ buddy from my alma mater, Texas A&M University. Stacey is part of a church plant up here in Boston, and we last got to spend time together during the yearlong road trip; among other things, we joined the crowds at the Red Sox World Series parade and could have easily been trampled to death. Good times.
Stacey and I reminisced last night about the college experience we shared. It was a phenomenal college experience, in large part because it was phenomenally Christian. We spoke of a culture of discipleship, mutual encouragement, radical God-seeking, amazing fellow students, and even the fun that we experienced in that special community.
What memories will students have of your campus ministry? Will two classmates ever meet, in a far-off burger place, and share stories of their mutual experience late into the night? Will they speak oh so fondly of spurring and cleansing and laughter and urgency and growth and impact that took place on your watch?
At present, can you ever imagine two students from your ministry meeting – several years later – and being mutually encouraged as they remembered their impact on your campus? What would it take to get there in your ministry?
Or, even better, what would it take for you and your fellow college ministers to develop a memorably Christian culture?
Is it too much to hope that students will remember these days for the rest of their lives?
Is that too much to aim for?
Written from Hope Fellowship Church, Cambridge, MA
Road Trip #11 update (Day 23):
yesterday’s T-shirt: the Cavalier tribe of University of Virginia
campus visits two days ago: Yale University (#21 of the trip), University of Connecticut (#22)
campus visits yesterday: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, #23)
(click here to learn more about Road Trip #11)
Recent Comments