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As I’ve journeyed from Portland to, presently, Minneapolis, I’ve obviously covered a lot of country. And like so much of this trip, it’s been an opportunity to enjoy locality – the “localness” of various cool places all across the U.S.
While I’m not hanging out for long in any one place during this TRECC, there has still been some great locality to enjoy this week.
[If you're new, this is a special week on the blog. Catch up at the TRECC Itinerary.]
The accents, for instance. I just about freaked the first time I heard somebody really talk like that. You know, the Great Plains accent that we sometimes hear on movies – films about yous guys up here, don’tcha know.
The first version of this accent I got to hear belonged to a lady at the info desk at Montana Tech in Butte. I asked her where the bookstore was, but once she opened her mouth I had to force myself to pay attention to her information. I was enthralled by the accent, to say the least.
Later that day, elsewhere in town, I even got a “You betcha!”
Meanwhile, my own accent continues to betray me this week. And along with that comes the first-name problem Read the rest of this entry »
One of the most fun aspects of seeing Collegiate Ministry in action around the country is stumbling upon particularly quirky settings for what we do. Not only are these collegiate contexts interesting, but they let us put on our thinking caps and practice contextualizing our ministries.
For instance, I wrote a while back about ministering to college students under the Quarter System (rather than semesters); at the time, this was pretty new to me. Now that I’ve worked my way from San Diego to Seattle (and beyond), I’m far more acquainted with Quarter System schools – since they might even be the majority out here. (Although LA Tech’s schedule is a little different, and a little harder to manage.) Anyway, you can read about that right here if you’re interested. Be sure to read my new buddy Glen’s comment below the post, too.
This week, I get to hang out in another particularly unique setting: the College Town Duo.
Less than 10 miles from each other sit the campuses of Washington State University and University of Idaho. The smallish cities of Pullman, WA, and Moscow, ID, are both clearly “College Towns” in the classic sense. But they also serve as sister cities, I’m learning – while being part of a 10,000-square-mile area called The Palouse.
Really. I didn’t make that name up. You can even read about “The Paradise Called the Palouse” on WSU’s site.
When we’re kids, we learn about these sovereign entities called states. We learn their capitals. We hear about “Four Corners” and time zones and even learn state history. So to come here to Pullman / Moscow and see inter-state-ness as a way of life…? It’s disconcerting, disorienting…
Seriously, though, the close placement of these towns means that inhabitants (including me) make the interstate “trek” often. And this isn’t just for shopping, dining, or to go to the movies. Residents travel to “alternate states” for church sometimes, too. So much college ministry, especially of the church-based kind, needs to serve students of both campuses.
I recognize that plenty of you guys and gals minister to multiple campuses – especially in metropolitan settings, or in college towns with big state colleges and smaller, “feeder” institutions.
But here, we’ve got two big state schools in their own college towns, a 10-minute drive away from each other – and not much else. Speaking for my home state, it would be something like Texas Tech University being placed in Bryan, TX – the town adjacent to College Station, home of Texas A&M.
Weird.
I’m sure locals are more skilled at this than I, but in my case, I’ve even forgotten where I was several times. (“Are these Idaho students in this ministry, or Wazzu students?” And it can be both…) I have to recalibrate, to decide whether we’ll be chatting about Cougars or Vandals today.
So I’ll be watching how this College Town Duo college ministry works, and asking those I interview. (I may get to see some similar interactions once I’m in the Research Triangle of North Carolina.) But as an exercise, what do you think the difficulties would be? What about positives? And if God called you here to impact students, how would you navigate this funky setting?
And yes, I did use the word “funky.”
Written from Bucer’s coffee shop (on the Idaho side)
Before it’s too long past, here’s a recap of the Bay Area (and Santa Cruz), where I spent the past couple of weeks. Hopefully, these recaps provide a quick look at the “flow” of the trip and a piece of the broad view of Collegiate Ministry around the country.
(You might remember I did a similar recap a couple of weeks ago after the fantastic San Luis Obispo. That post is right here if you’re interested!)
- I had the awesome opportunity to stay with Steve and Dana Clifford for my week and a half there. Steve is the lead pastor of WestGate Church in San Jose – and is actually my first church worship leader I can remember from our little Bible church in Texas (where Chip Ingram pastored). It’s so amazing to see how God hooks things up on this trip – often through His people.
- Santa Cruz is the home of Vintage Faith Church, whose teaching pastor is Dan Kimball. He’s one of the big boys in the Emerging Church – in fact, he’s the one who apparently named the movement. In checking out Vintage Faith, my curiosity is now growing about how Collegiate Ministry will be done within these Emerging Church churches. I’ve explored Mosaic (L.A.), Vintage Faith, and now Imago Dei up here in Portland. Then, soon enough, I’ll be at Mars Hill in Seattle – plus there have been other Emerging-style churches along the way. I’m learning fascinating things, including the advantages, difficulties, and tensions these churches have in this area of outreach. More later.
- I ended up spending a large part of my time at Stanford, actually. It’s an interesting school – more conservative and less presumptuous than you might imagine. Ultra-residential, too, with almost everybody living on campus. The school isn’t closed off to Christian ministries – although there are plenty of barriers to Christianity at this brilliant, elite, ultra-”tolerant” school of future leaders, too. (A portion of my time at Stanford can be attributed to getting lost walking on campus for an hour one night, too. Just a note.)
- Meanwhile, San Jose turns out to be the 3rd-biggest city in California. Who knew? Yet like many biggo cities I’m seeing on this trip, college ministry appears to be slow in growing there. While certainly some ministries are striving to impact students, the city feels kinda “underreached” in that respect, at least from what I saw and heard. I’m finding that’s pretty common in metro areas.
- I did get to hang out a little at Cal Berkeley and San Fran. Some of that included scouring the Daily Californian newspaper archives at Berkeley for Jesus Movement stuff from 1967, as well as roaming the Haight-Ashbury district for the same reason. Another bit of time was spent listing to the present Berkeley tree-sitter plot with one of his comrades. (Read this article for a great little slice of that life from Berkeley.)
- I had a phenomenal and lengthy chat with Dr. Bob Royall, who heads up the D.Min program at Golden Gate Seminary – including a Collegiate Ministry D.Min. He’s been long-connected to collegiate ministry, esp. in the Northwest. So it was great to pick the brain of somebody who’s got that kind of view of the field, and to hear his wisdom on college ministry in California (as I was finishing there), in the Northwest (which is the next exploration), and on the national scene.
- Food has been an interesting part of this trip – I’ll try to write more about that sometime, too. But it’s worth noting that in the Bay Area, I experienced my first Afghan restaurant, as well as having a pumpkin lamb enchilada at an Indian restaurant “with a Marin Country flavor.” Wowzers. Pumpkin. And lamb. On an enchilada.
- Like all the places I’ve been, I coulda spent far, far more time in the Bay Area than I did. Still, I didn’t run into nearly as much college ministry around those parts as I had expected to (outside of the college towns of Stanford and Berkeley). As you might imagine, Northern Cal has unique cultural barriers to Jesus’ truth – and the metro setting doesn’t make collegiate ministry easy, either.
- But, like always, I got to meet some COOL people who are doin’ the work – my heroes. Great guys and gals lovin’ on college students… whether discovered in long-time famous churches like Peninsula Bible and Menlo Park Pres, in national campus-based ministries like Chi Alpha and IV, or in a neato encounter with a 78-year-old German-born former missionary to Japan who’s been ministering to international students at Stanford for 34 years. Who took me to the Faculty Club. Twice.
What a trip!
Written from Motel 6, Tigard, OR (Portland area)
A funny observation.
At this point, I’ve been in 29 states, on 75 campuses, with dozens and dozens of college ministers & ministries, and in dozens and dozens of churches. Northeast, West Coast, Midwest, Deep South, South, East Coast, and some spots in between all that. My Pathfinder, meanwhile, has seen over 16,600 miles on this trip.
One little truth this “broad view” helps me realize also makes me laugh at myself. “Unique,” this trip teaches me, can be regional.
Before this trip, I would occasionally comment about how certain things I’d seen in Christendom were soooo unique. I might mention the unique aspects of ministries, teachers, “one-of-a-kind” churches, etc. I might note that some ministry was probably the biggest of its kind, or that God was working on a particular campus “like nowhere else,” or that a single campus was uniquely fun or uniquely “dark” or uniquely secular or uniquely spirited.
In other words, I assumed that rarity within my own experience could be generalized to the whole of Christendom.
Meanwhile, in a number of interviews, I’ve heard similar comments from others. “We’re probably the only Read the rest of this entry »
· Quick-hit thoughts from San Luis Obispo, before I leave Thursday ·
- I didn’t plan on coming to San Luis Obispo before a few weeks ago. This is one of those places I only got to explore because my trip stays generally unplanned. When several Southern California college ministers urged me to check out this quaint little college town, I figured God might want it on the Itinerary. It has truly been a phenomenal stop.
- Like I said – I keep things unplanned. As it stands tonight, God hasn’t been abundantly clear (yet) on my upcoming schedule for the next few weeks. Please pray that I would go, do, and see according to His will.
- One interesting fact is that SLO (San Luis Obispo) is home to one of Campus Crusade’s biggest movements in the whole country. And it’s been good hangin’ with those guys. In fact, after attending a Cru men’s Bible study the other night, I ended up with a great free place to stay these last 2 nights with a bunch of college guys. Very cool.
- Something else I found out: SLO’s nickname among many youth ministers, etc., around California is apparently “the cheapest Christian education in the state.” For whatever reasons, a phenomenal Christian culture has taken root here. Much like Texas A&M in my home state, God has simply chosen to bless this public school (Cal Poly) and its many Jesus-loving ministries in a unique, widespread, school-saturating sort of way.
- I have so enjoyed being back in a college town. It’s been a little while – since my time in Ruston, Louisiana, I guess. I get to focus on one campus, the college town “atmosphere” is always cool, there are college students all over, it’s easier to find things (and park), and every place takes 10 minutes or less to get to. Very refreshing.
- It’s amazing how much you can learn about a place in a week, when you’re trying to get specific. This is certainly a grand adventure, encountering so much of this country in a non-touristy way. While I would certainly know SLO (or L.A., or San Diego, or Ruston, or wherever) even better if I spent a semester, it’s exciting that I have gotten a genuine – if quick – feel for these places and for some of what God is doing in each.
- Lastly, it continues to be so pretty here. California is beautiful, as many of you know, but it’s even beautiful when you’ve been here for a whole month! I look forward to tomorrow’s drive.
So count me a Cal Poly fan now. Go Mustangs.
It looks like I’m headed out in the mornin’, toward the Bay Area. So do you know the way to San Jose?
Don’t worry. My Garmin GPS will get me there.
Written from the “A-Town” house, San Luis Obispo
Yes, this is a blog about College Ministry & Sunday school, and all I’ve seen in this area during my trip so far. But even if you don’t have Sunday school at your church – or even if you don’t think you’d ever be allowed to tweak Sunday school at your church – don’t worry! You might still learn somethin’.
Note to readers in the Bible Belt: Did you know that lots and lots of churches – even big, traditional, or historic churches – don’t do the “Sunday school” thing? Really, it’s true! I know – I didn’t realize it, either! Yes, some churches do some sort of big group meeting for their youth and children Sunday mornings. But some don’t even do that. And when it comes to college ministry, most don’t, as far as I can tell. In fact, as I decide churches to visit each weekend, only one area has ever offered many “college Sunday schools” at all – the Southeast, during that Southern Blitz portion. Really. It’s true.
Note to readers outside the Bible Belt: Did you know that lots and lots of churches in the South and Southeast – especially big, traditional, or historic churches – have a very strong emphasis on Sunday school? Really, it’s true! I’ve amazed various college ministers along the way with this very piece of info. It means that in plenty of these churches, there is no possibility of a College Minister doing away with a Sunday morning Bible study time, in favor of a different “big group meeting” time. Sunday school is simply too connected to the tradition of the church, the expectations of the community, or the philosophy of the leadership. In other words, for a lot of churches, it really is best. Really. It’s true.
But in this difference, like most differences, we get the chance to learn from each other. Read the rest of this entry »
Howdy, friends! I mentioned last week that I’d gotten to see several interesting College Ministry models the last few weeks. Today, I begin the run-down, with a short review of one of these models – and the things I find interesting. I’ll do similarly for each.
Please don’t forget the disclaimer: My interest doesn’t equal unqualified support, for any ministry, church, etc.
Campus Crusade & Park Street Church, Boston
1 church impacting two dozen campuses
I got the awesome chance to sit down with Tammy McLeod, Campus Crusade for Christ Boston Metro Director, in my last days in Boston. Even before I arrived in New England, I knew I’d try to explore Cru – not only because it’s a major collegiate ministry in a major metropolitan area, but because of its unique partnership with a major Boston church. Plus, it’s always an honor to hang with a long-term pro in our field…
If you know Boston, you know Park Street Church has “held the line” of evangelicalism for their 198 years, unlike so many of the old Boston churches that are now Universalist (or whatever). Interestingly enough, Park Street sent the first Protestant missionaries to Hawaii and held the first performance of “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.” The church is right in the midst of Downtown – just look for the looming building right by Boston Common, after you take the Green Line to the Park Street stop. You know, the next time you’re in town. (Read more about Park Street and their history.)
Hopefully you also know that Campus Crusade is one of the premier campus-based collegiate ministries in the world. (Read about them and their milestones.) In Boston, Campus Crusade is known as Real Life Boston.
Apparently about 13 years ago, some rather creative, open-minded leaders Read the rest of this entry »
As a college minister, I forget how some aspects of campus life that are quite “normal” to me might not be normal to many people. Part of this normalcy is the absolute spiritual darkness that pervades many campuses. While we can go overboard in focusing on campuses being “dark places” (just like I’ve recently noted we often do with the Northeast), it helps to remember that spiritual error (and the resulting pain) is one reason why collegiate ministry matters so much.
[I cut down this whole post from a longer one I had up here - I'll repost those thoughts later.]
If you can, I encourage you to read this student newspaper account of the annual “Sex Power God” event held on campus at Brown University. (I stumbled upon this info when I was on campus Saturday; it took place later that night.) It’s a newspaper account, but the very nature of the event (and nature of the college) makes the article somewhat explicit – so don’t read it if you’d rather not see that. But I want us to understand this side of campuses, too. It’s so, so tough to know this is real.
Here’s the link. (For a little more, you can search for the event at the Brown Daily Herald – there are interesting follow-up articles printed this week.)
The event appears to be as crazy as its title suggests. Still, we’ve got to understand the stark reality of these things, because this is the field to which we are called. True, Sex Power God is an extreme example – most campuses probably don’t have an on-campus event that goes this far or indulges this freely. But there are even more ridiculous events out there, too – anyone who’s read Blue Like Jazz is familiar with Renn Fayre at Reed College, for example.
That’s all I’ve got. We’re either going to invade these campuses with a real-and-loving Jesus or we won’t.
I’ve got to hit the road – next stop, Winter Park, Florida.
Here’s a window into what my “normal” life looks like on this ridiculous Road Trip. I figure for those following me, it’s helpful to know what things are like – and maybe it helps with the prayin’, too. I do appreciate ALL your prayers!
It’s also pretty great to see God hooking up some amazing opportunities on this trip. I am so thankful for so many people who have let me get a look into their lives and ministries. Awesome people and many new friends.
So, here’s a week in the life…
I woke up last Saturday in Vermont.
In the 7 days since then, I’ve come back from Vermont, then trekked out again to Amherst, to Wenham (twice), and to New Britain, Connecticut. (I’ll be back in CT tomorrow.) Plus, navigating Boston is a trek in itself, with plenty o’ walking every day. And, you’re inside the earth a good portion of each day. How many people can say that?
I’ve been on 8 campuses this week, as best I can remember: MIT, Tufts, Gordon, BU, BC, Central Conn. State, Northeastern, and Harvard. Apparently, some of those are fairly well-known schools.
I’ve attended 4 church services in this week – in 3 states. (They were varied enough, with an 8:15am EARLY service, 4pm service, service at a church’s “second site” Sunday night, and a Thursday night house church.) I also got to attend chapel and a lecture at a Christian college, a church staff meeting at a Panera Bread, and part of a church’s missions conference.
After the 4pm church service (on the way to the “second site” church service), I ran into an old friend from Dallas days, right in Downtown Boston. Good times. In fact, God hooked up the random run-ins with lots of friends this week (mostly new, Bostonian friends, but it’s very cool that I’ve even made friends here). One day, I ran into most of the MIT students & workers I know within 30 minutes on their campus. In a big city, it’s amazing the ways paths still cross.
I’ve been in 4 states in the last week.
I’ve also had some GREAT chats / hang-outs with collegiate ministry people this week – including two Boston City Directors (of the Southern Baptist Collegiate Church Planting Community and Campus Crusade for Christ – lots of Cs in those names)… 2 senior pastors… 6 other church ministry-types… a campus minister and her students, the Dean of Chapel at Gordon College… And I also got coffee with that old pal that I ran into in Downtown Boston.
I sorta met Timothy George. I hung out with a former international baton-twirling champion. I met with the insurance guy about the break-in. I met a girl in the early chapters of of her Jesus-adventure and watched Jesus love on her through His words about His life & love, right there at church. That same night, I saw the most hideous college mascot imaginable, and that’s all I can say about that. I ran out of gas this week, and then with some restarts made it to the Mobil. Barely. I walked all over the city today – and am presently sitting right behind the Catamounts’ bench at an NU / Vermont hockey game. Crazy.
Though this week is my last week here in New England, this kind of packed schedule is fairly par for the course. Like I’ve already mentioned, my Chef picks the ingredients; sometimes lots of ingredients go into a meal, and that’s this Road Trip so far.
Don’t worry, I’m keeping a pretty good journal. I’m also working on getting a running itinerary up-and-going – but, as you can see, time is at a premium. And while I certainly can’t blog about everything or even most everything (because I would die and you wouldn’t read it), hopefully the occasional run-down like this gives you an idea that I am actually doing a few things on this trip!
I gotta watch this hockey game. We’re tied 2-2. Catch ya’ later.
I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced a portion of a worship service led in French until this weekend. I’ve heard Spanish interjected into services plenty, which to my Texan ears often makes for a fun, happy sort of sound (maybe this was ’cause this generally happened in Vacation Bible School settings).
French, on the other hand, sounds smooth, in an awesome way, like the Divine Romance is being experienced right now, in a serious-but-not-solemn discussion with Jesus. This is the kind of worship music one might, if they were so inclined, groove to. (Even within the same song, you see shoulders start swaying when the French part comes.)
I am presently (while writing most of this post) sitting in the sanctuary of Christ Memorial Church in Williston, Vermont. I find myself here this morning because it’s the site of Fusion, the Baptist Convention of New England‘s fall collegiate conference. Our worship leaders and speaker are from Quebec, so they have been occasionally inserting their local flavor.
But this “local flavor” aspect is pretty par for the course at this point in my Trip. In fact, in this respect, my time in New England has been pretty different from Chicago and elsewhere. Far more “grassroots,” it seems, with lots of house church visits and small group Bible studies and one-on-one interviews. Fewer “dramatic experiences” but instead seeing God’s awesome work more up-close, “on the ground,” in the nitty-gritty of church life and friendships and fledgling movements.
So my personal experience of this period has been different, too. It’s been more hands-on for me here. Slipping in as an unnoticed observer, for instance, isn’t going to happen in a church of 12 people. So I have to – and therefore get to – participate. I’ve had the chance to teach English class to International Students, to join in or even lead Bible study, and to “talk shop” with ministry-types who often make it clear they’re still figuring things out. I’ve also had lots more time simply to “hang out” with both students and ministry leaders. It’s been neat, for sure.
But here’s the thing: Oftentimes I truly do like being “hands on” and am refreshed by actually experiencing community in small groups with fellow believers. Other days, I wish for something different, something bigger and easier and maybe, at times, a little more anonymous. In the same way, some days I like the adventure of this Road Trip, with all its couch-sleeping, random scheduling, lack of sleep, Boston accents, and new friends every day. Other moments I miss my comfort zone of southern drawl and Dallas-life, with bed and routine and job and church and family and those friends. Wrong or not, every day has its preferences.
As we sang one of our songs in French this morning (with English subtitles), it spoke of Jesus as our “Chef” (translated “Chief” in English). After my initial excitement over the etymology issues here (“Oh! A chef is the chief of the kitchen!”), I got to thinkin’ a little deeper.
I think God has grown me to the point that I’m generally okay with Him as my “Chief.” He gets to call the shots -including calling me to take a Road Trip that will eventually cross an entire country. But maybe my version of “Chief” or “Lord” can be pretty tame: He assigns me, as His tribe-member, to accomplish some portion of His will. That’s what Chiefs do, I figure, but maybe that’s not the whole picture.
What I am less comfortable with is a “Chief” who is my “Chef” – a God who calls the shots in the Kitchen not only as dictator but also as architect. This is a God designing my life (and therefore this Road Trip), ingredient by ingredient. And His design for even the same meal – soup and salad, for instance – may be dramatically different at dinner than it was at lunch (Potato and Caesar? Chowder and Spinach?).
So today’s Road Trip isn’t yesterday’s, because the Chef’s Special changes; and yet, in both, He’s giving me my daily bread.
I want God to pick the Course; He asks to pick the Ingredients, too. Maybe my job is to entrust my soul to a faithful Chef, take whatever the waitress brings, and trust that not just the meal but its ingredients will satisfy both stomach and palate.
Bon appétit!
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