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The Social Network came out on DVD last month, and it stands to receive some accolades on Feb. 27th at the Academy Awards; it’s been nominated for Best Picture and in seven other categories. It has already won all kinds of film awards, including 4 Golden Globes, as you can see at the movie’s official site. (That site, by the way, is pretty incredible all on its own.)
So there’s no better time to let this stoke the fires of your own ministry work. If you haven’t seen The Social Network, I highly encourage it. And I hope you’ll let it invigorate… even exhilarate you in this incredible work to which we’ve been called. (If the early scenes moving across the Harvard campus don’t fire up your missionary heart, something may be wrong.)
(Note: As always, movies mean we need discernment. This film is certainly PG-13 for a reason.)
I’ve written about Social Network several times, and I hope my thoughts are helpful for pondering how the film connects with College Ministry and ministry to Millennials in general. And as I’ve linked several times, the Christianity Today review offers an incredible summary of why this movie matters.
- The Social Network shows us college ministry is awesome. Read three reasons why here.
- The Social Network connects to all sorts of Millennial themes. We serve Millennials, so noticing these things is exercise for good campus ministry. Thoughts on this start here; the second part is here.
- Thoughts on looking for Millennial themes in the movies can be found here – with links to several other “millennial reviews” of movies, too.
- I saw The Social Network in theaters twice; my immediate reflections from the first time can be found here.
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How can college ministers impact the stars of Super Bowl XLV?
Go back in time.
That’s how.
Think about the opportunities we had:
Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers QB, went to Miami University in Ohio. Roethlisberger’s win in Super Bowl XL made Miami only the fourth college to produce a Super Bowl winning quarterback and an American President (another Ben, in fact).
The Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, played at Berkeley – after a stint at Butte Community College further north. (And we need great college ministry at both the brainy schools and the two-year schools, right?) He regularly throws to wide receiver James Jones, who went to school not so far away at San Jose State.
Steelers Strong Safety Troy Polamalu and his luxurious locks went to USC – Southern California, not South Carolina. That SoCal USC was also the home of Clay Matthews, one of Green Bay’s linebackers.
Steelers teammates James Farrior and Heath Miller share an alma mater in UVA, while Hines Ward (with a phenomenal first name) is from UGA. The initials continue with Packer B.J. Raji – formerly of BC.
Their coach, Mike Tomlin, went to William & Mary. The coach on the opposite sideline, Mike McCarthy, attended Baker University, a United Methodist school in Kansas.
Michigan was the campus tribe of Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley – and Charles Woodson of the Packers was a Wolverine, too. His teammate Cullen Jenkins was a Central Michigan man, while Western Michigan was the home of Packer Greg Jennings.
Florida schools, meanwhile, produced such Steelers as Lawrence Timmons (FSU) and Maurkice Pouncey (Florida). Packer Nick Collins came out of Florida, too, after attending Bethune-Cookman, a Historically Black College. His teammate, wide receiver Donald Driver, attended an HBC too – Alcorn State.
I could go on and on, obviously. Enormous schools like Ohio State are represented (with Green Bay’s A.J. Hawk, for instance), but so are places like Shippenburg U (John Kuhn) and Louisiana Tech (Tramon Williams).
The point is, college ministries might have / could have impacted guys who are now truly on a world stage – and who deal, day-in and day-out, with a unique set of challenges… and unique opportunities, too. But the college ministry experiences of all these guys are now done. Anything we might have done by us has already been accomplished.
And not only in their lives but in their thousands of classmates. Kinda adds to our urgency.
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You are part of a mighty throng of college ministers.
(I know they’re out there. I’ve seen them.)
The school year is upon us. (Well, most of us.) Plans are in place – and no, they’re not perfect. Decisions are made. You may have very little chance to adjust, to enhance, to breathe for the next several weeks.
But what you tell your supporters…
…your prayer warriors…
…your family…
…your friends…
…yourself, on occasion…
is true: This is a world-changing endeavor. Believe it (or else you’ve been lying!).
Since you will minister to college students for the next 9 months,
the world will change.
The dots are generally unconnectable. The freshman girl who considered doing anything for a date (now that’s she’s finally in college) may not ever tell you that was her original plan. You may lose track of the nerdy guy long before he becomes a Jesus-follower disguised as a prominent consultant. That foursome that grew closer to each other – and Jesus – because of your ministry won’t think to write a thank-you note after they’ve borne much fruit through a church plant.
But you’ll see glimpses of impact now.
Don’t let the glimpses go unnoticed. Don’t discount them. Don’t “get used to them.” Let the glimpses encourage you.
We need encouragement. We’re college ministers.
And the truth is, in all likelihood, you’ll actually change the world this year;
you’re a college minister.
I got to hang out with my sister and her hubby-to-be this week, and I got to hear some of their “big story” firsthand. I get excited about couples’ stories – at least when it’s clear they’re neat, happy, God-written stories (like theirs).
So that got me thinking about how we assess our ministries. One question worth asking is if I’m seeing God write a lot of great stories among the students in my campus ministry!
Is it common for my ministry to see really good
- conversion stories?
- job stories?
- educational stories?
- friendship stories?
- romantic stories?
- restoration stories?
- reconciliation stories?
- creativity stories?
- great party stories?
- great road trip stories?
- service stories?
- realization stories?
- stories that will be long remembered?
By good, I don’t mean “successful” or even “positive” (at least in our own understanding). But I mean good. I mean glorifying.
Are there lots of students we can point to who are dating well, who are studying “Christianly,” who have been converted, who are seeing friends throw off sins that were deeply embedded? Are we seeing prayers answered and families rejuvenated and baby Christians discipled? Do we have something FANTASTIC to talk about when testimony time comes calling?
Not all of our evaluation needs to be anecdotal – we need to ask quantifiable questions about how many students are attending Bible studies weekly, what percentage of the campus feels we’re an asset to the school, how many students are plugged into church after they graduate. In fact, I’d guess that we rely too much on “I know a few students who have been impacted” to satisfy us that our ministries are fully what they need to be.
But at some point, I think it’s worth counting stories. For one thing, that makes us measure how close we’ve stayed to the action. It clarifies whether or not we really know our individual sheep or whether we’ve begun simply to see the flock.
Then, it makes us question whether ours is actually a college ministry with life to it, a soil-patch indeed teeming with energy and life and growth like soil-patches are meant to.
Finally, it makes us celebrate. Because maybe there are stories there, but we forgot to keep repeating them.
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My visits to CU and OU notwithstanding, this short road trip has afforded more great opportunities to visit some cool campuses that aren’t of that “household name” variety.
One of the things I’ve been pondering recently* is college ministry’s attention toward the millions of collegians** who aren’t attending Duke, Texas A&M, or UCLA.
This is one area in which I (and you) can’t judge any individual calling for a particular ministry or a particular person to reach a “name-brand campus.” Certainly, God does and will call some of us to the better-known mission fields – even fields with a dozen or more present campus ministries.
But as I (and we) observe the sum total of campus missions efforts, I don’t think it’s presumptuous simply to question whether every national ministry is predestined to establish a beachhead at Wake Forest… whether every local church is called to reach the University of Texas rather than Austin Community College… or whether every brand-new college minister is meant to serve a school with a real possibility of producing either a future U.S. President or a Super Bowl-winning quarterback.***
Perhaps we in the field of College Ministry can pray for Macdeonian calls, that some blessed adventurers might be called to reach Front Range Community College, Oklahoma City University, University of Northern Iowa, or the countless other schools that are highly unlikely to beat Kansas in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. If I had dream-invasion skills****, I might just have to use them.
There are millions of students at campuses you’ve never heard of (and that’s just in our country). What are the chances that at least some of us are called to labor for Christ on the less-reached fields, to build works in places where few or no works exist (of any kind)? (Such an ambition would be oh so Pauline, sayeth Romans 15:20!)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
*All this traveling (and my brain) tune me to pondering new ideas all the time. Feel free to ask.
**Collegian = noun. Collegiate = adjective. Always.
***There are four that have produced both.
****Not an implied tie-in to the new Nightmare on Elm Street remake. Rather, an implied tie-in to Acts 16.
Road Trip 14 recap, Day 14 (see all explorations here)
new campuses: Southwestern College (#18), Oklahoma Christian University (#19), University of Central Oklahoma (#20), University of Oklahoma (#21)
new states: Oklahoma (#5)
yesterday: finished up in KS, then made my way to the OKC area
today: continued exploring in the Oklahoma City and Norman areas
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I wasn’t sure I should blog about Tuesday’s afternoon exploration. I’m cognizant of the fact that on any given day, it could be someone’s first day here at the blog… and this may be an interesting first impression.
But my attempts to learn the field of college ministry mean that sometimes it’s right and good for me to observe the darkness on our world’s campuses. That darkness is not the only or even the main reason for college ministry (and plenty of Christians need to realize that). But it is ONE reason for missions to the campus tribes.
Early on my yearlong road trip, I learned about a particularly pungent campus celebration of debauchery, Brown University’s “Sex. Power. God.” on-campus semi-orgy (that links to my post about it). Blue Like Jazz filled the world in on another, Reed College’s Renn Fayre (that links to Wikipedia). And yesterday, I saw another: CU Boulder’s 4/20 pro-marijuana gathering.
And lest there be any doubt: I did not partake.
the crowd on the outskirts of the field near where I was standing
As you may know, “420″ is code within the Pot Culture for marijuana. So the ideal of smoking pot each year on 4/20 at 4:20pm is a sort of liturgy, you might say, for devotees. At the University of Colorado, a tradition has grown of doing just that, and many thousands gather to participate. Though the Buffalo tribe isn’t the only location to hold such an event (and get away with it), it seems to be one of the better-known pro-marijuana gatherings, which are (perhaps rather loosely) connected to the drive to legalize marijuana.
Please understand: I am in no way celebrating this crazy event. But since I can be your eyes and ears among the campus tribes, I’m glad to share what I experienced Tuesday (in brief; you can ask questions if you want to know more).
While I had assumed the gathering at CU would mostly organize around the 4:20pm moment, people were already gathering at the site by 2pm (and perhaps much earlier). That site is Norlin Quad, the largest “green space” at CU. (It does provide a great “center of campus” spot; I really appreciate such spaces in my campus visits.)
I had heard – but perhaps I misunderstood – that police line the edges of the field, but that certainly wasn’t the case. What appeared to be a mixed force of several dozen police and hired Event Staff instead dotted the campus. Mostly they were concentrated around the field, but I saw others at different locations – including some seeming to sweep a building near the field, perhaps making sure that the pot smoking was limited to external areas.
I forgot to note that as I drove to campus, I met my only obstacle. A staffperson was dialoguing with each of us as we drove onto campus. However, I was only asked for the purpose of my visit to campus; when I replied that I was visiting campus, that seemed to suffice. (It’s possible they were there simply to emphasize that “someone is watching” – potentially quite psychologically effective as people descended on campus. It might also provide some sort of legal defense.)
I expected a similar consultation on the way out, since driving under the influence would be hazardous to both CU’s students and their legal fund. But no such luck.
my view at 4:20pm
The gathering was certainly not only collegiate. Many of the participants appeared to be high school age. Many others… have probably been smoking marijuana longer than the CU students have been alive. Another segment of the rally population that’s important to mention are the countless bystanders, who seemed (like me) simply there to observe. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if for many locals and students this is the one day of the year in which they do partake in the drug. There was much sharing; the adult cameraman next to me certainly offered me some product.
That leads me to an interesting turn in my observations. My cameraman buddy made an interesting comment while we were observing from the edge of the field. He reflected that the environment before us was wonderfully “chill,” that “this is the way it should be.” He clearly saw in this event a reflection of the peace, fun, fellowship, relaxation, and unity that he envisions in a “perfect world.”
I saw plenty of creativity, too, which is notable and important even when directed toward darkness.
What do I occasionally hear from people wiser than me? That sin is fulfilling legitimate desires in illegitimate ways? I don’t think it’s unwise for us to notice the capability, the genius, the hopes, and the passion of the campus tribes – even when we have to observe those things through the haze (figuratively or literally).
In any case, I certainly learned more in those few hours about Pot Culture (and pot odor) than this sheltered fellow had ever learned before. And I prayed. I cringed. I watched. I hoped. I wondered how we reach into this version of the darkness.
And then I Febrezed, scrubbed, shampooed, and stuck my poor Dartmouth T-shirt in an ice chest.
Road Trip 14 recap, Days 6 & 7 (click here to see all explorations so far)
new campuses: Front Range Community College – Westminster Campus (#9)
last 2 days: including the weird exploration described in this post, Tuesday was one of the “largest” days I’ve had in my many explorations – with a phenomenal time with the Cru Regional Team and experiencing The Annex church-based ministry. Wednesday was finally a day for some (very much needed) rest, as well as a couple of more cool encounters.
today: Chapel at Colorado Christian University, and more!
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From the very beginning of the video, with dancers and band, bulldog and Bearkat, try watching this like a Missions Recruitment video. But instead of India or Uruguay, we’re being recruited for the Campus Tribes:
How can we not but turn the world on its ear, as we labor among these amazing tribes?
I recognize that some are panning this year’s version of “One Shining Moment” – good thing we have twenty-something years’ worth to watch, should the mood strike us. As I annually watch this amazing montage (which is somehow wrapped up within about 15 minutes after the final game), I can’t help but:
- Tear up. Really. Every time.
- Ask, as I tweeted last night, “Who are we, that we have been chosen to minister in a field with this kind of energy, passion… & a billion one shining moments?”
- Hope that our drive and focus and excitement and creativity and brilliance as college ministers might one day rise to match the amazing field to which we’re called.
We should be thankful we get to labor here, and help call others to this noble (but awesome) task!
(You can look at the whole Tourney through the eyes of a college minister, in this year’s version of my short “Sixty-four” essay. And if you know somebody who needs to love what we do, point them there – or for a bigger view, to Reaching the Campus Tribes. Both free, of course.)
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For the last three years, I’ve posted an essay connecting what we see in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament with the glories of college ministry. Below, you’ll find the update for 2010. Hopefully it will encourage you – and perhaps you can use it to help potential college ministers, your supporters, local Christian leaders, or others understand the value and wonders of serving college students! (An easy link for sharing is http://bit.ly/64tribes).
Each year in March, a famous basketball tournament serves as a highly publicized window into a magnificent mission field – the college campuses scattered throughout our nation. The college ministers who labor among these “campus tribes” are often surprised that American Christians don’t get more excited about impacting college students. Fortunately, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is our chance to take a unique “vision trip,” observing this particular people-group and picturing what mission work among them can accomplish.
Imagine you’re a missionary having just arrived in your country of service. Near your village, eight different tribes from across the nation meet in their great annual contest – while seven other locations around the nation are hosting similar gatherings. Each region has selected champions to compete, and other tribes are invited to join the contests because of their warriors’ widely recognized abilities. Thousands of other tribe members will watch these contests.
So of course, you choose to observe the contests; it’s a phenomenal chance to start exploring the culture and qualities of this highly unreached people-group you have been called to serve.
As the weekend begins, you first notice that each tribe promotes its own identity with great fervor – and even the unique tribal names make it clear this is no normal mission field. At your site, for instance, two tribes are named after animals known for their ferocity, but another has adopted a much less menacing animal. Yet another tribe centers its loyalty around a tenacious insect. Three others have chosen names that honor heroes from various global cultures, while another has simply appropriated a locally grown nut believed to bring good luck.
The urban setting of the Golden Gophers tribe illustrates many of the contextual differences that can affect mission work among the campus tribes.
At these contests, dancers are prevalent, as are costumes, musical instruments, food, drink, wagers, merchants, and religious invocations. The chiefs of the tribes are here, often found cheering next to some of the youngest from their villages. Healers stand by, though actual bloodshed in these contests is minimal. Impartial judges are assigned to regulate the contests, but they will face much taunting through the length of the weekend.
As you continue to watch the contests, you begin to notice traits beyond the extensive festivity, pageantry, and revelry here. Certainly the character qualities required for these contests – prudence, discipline, justice, courage, unity, chivalry – are admirable. But you are also unable to deny the deep passion here, among warriors and watchers alike. Some fighters win, and the crowd’s elation is profound. Some lose, and the contestants and tribes weep together – with an unbridled bitterness that would be shocking if not for the fervent zeal you have seen displayed all throughout these contests. You view transcendent, singular shining moments when Davids take down Goliaths, when boys become men for a few crucial minutes, when weakness is turned to strength so opposing armies might be put to flight.
And through it all, you begin to notice the clear opportunity in reaching these passionate people for Christ right now:
- The enthusiasm in these tribes has yet to be tamed. There is a grit here, a rowdiness, a messiness, a wild youthfulness in everyone: the warriors, the dancers, the battle-leaders, the musicians, and the crowds.
- The bonds brought about by community spirit are not frivolous. The natural connections and unity within these tribes will help God’s work to spread between their members.
- Creativity abounds within these tribes. Channeled for the Kingdom of God, this same ingenuity could serve to impact not only the natives’ nation but the entire world.
- This people-group is not short on energy, either – another opportunity to maximize fruit for Christ. If God allows you to touch even a segment of these vibrant people, their impact on others could be quick and profound.
The bicycles that swarm the many campus bike paths are one unique aspect of the Gaucho tribe of UC Santa Barbara.
So as the contests come to a close, you find yourself a little humbled. This is an amazing people you do not deserve to spend even the next year with, let alone a longer stint. No, this will not be an easy mission (as though any missionary activity is ever easy!); these are distracted people at times, and the blessings they possess may stand in their way of recognizing a need for Christ. Surely you will find other roadblocks to your mission, as well. But though there will certainly be the sorrows and hardships that come with any missionary activity, the field to which you have been called is a unique adventure and a blessing indeed.
All the “madness,” the virtue, the passion, and the valor found here simply reflect the tribes from which these crowds have come. This time, the tribes are Panthers, Golden Grizzlies, and Golden Gophers; Yellow Jackets, Gauchos, Cowboys, and Musketeers; and, of course, Buckeyes. And that’s just in Milwaukee; there are seven other cities hosting many other amazing campus tribes.
This is the beautiful mission field available through college ministry, and there are far more than sixty-four tribes to reach.
So far, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to visit 45 of the schools in this year’s Tournament (including 7 of the 8 tribes mentioned here), along with at least a couple of hundred more campuses in the last few years.
God is doing amazing things throughout the campus tribes! For more on what’s taking place (and some great pictures from dozens of campuses), see my free ebook, Reaching the Campus Tribes.
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You might know that I’ve been exploring the campus ministry scene in the great town of Fort Worth; as I began preparing this post, I was still there. Then a birthday dinner with my sister and her buddies, and then I finally made it back across the Metroplex to home.
It was a good few days, though! I’ll probably blog sometime soon on how valuable a 3-day excursion could be for you, too – lots of learning, lots of observing, and lots of collaborating are easily available to you in this incredible way.
For now, however, there are other great ways to learn, observe, and collaborate – namely, plenty of cool online discussions that relate to college ministry! Eat up, and enjoy (and don’t miss all the great college ministry methods people have been describing – they’re at the bottom!).
vocational theology & transitions: Mike Hickerson of InterVarsity’s Emerging Scholars Network interviews Derek Melleby of the CCO and Center for Parent / Youth Understanding – about Derek’s book (The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness) and his work on the Transition to College that’s such a struggle for so many Christian kids. A lengthy interview – in a good way. For more on one of those topics, Tim Ehrhardt posts some great thoughts on helping students consider their education and vocation theologically.
why college ministry matters: A great profile of one college minister’s work way up at Syracuse University could be really helpful for sharing the value of College Ministry – and presenting College Ministry as missions. All the more helpful for getting the attention of outsiders, it’s from the major Christian news service Baptist Press.
thinking theologically about the iPhone: The Washington Post looks engagingly at information-obsession, smartphones, and public connection with others. A lot has been written along these lines, but this is better than much of what I’ve seen – in large part because it asks questions more than it offers answers. It could be a really good, basic piece for waking up your students to this important discussion. (HT: Rhett Smith)
weeding out students?: Brian Barela continues his helpful posts on Starting a College Ministry, this time looking at creating purposeful ministry aspects that work to weed out students who aren’t really aligned with the ministry. A tricky topic, and one that I don’t have completely settled in my own mind – but a good read, and definitely worth pondering.
lifechange opens up ministry opportunity: Tim Ehrhardt provides a cool evaluation of our opportunity to minister to students because of – not just in spite of – all the transitions taking place in their lives.
you can help…: …Chad Logan develop a brochure for explaining the basics of Christianity to international students. …Tom Grosh develop a bibliography of resources for understanding the various Generations and how to minister to them!
learning from others: Justin Wallace posts a phenomenal apologia for exploring other college ministries – complete with results from a couple of recent visits he’s gotten to make. A great post, and very worth reading. (And if you could use even more basic motivations for collaboration, Russ Martin provides one.)
two famous new presidents: Christianity Today has posted a couple of interviews with the two new (famous) presidents of two major Evangelical schools: Wheaton College (Philip Ryken) and Baylor University (Ken Starr – yep, that one).
a new college ministry partner to consider: Guy Chmieleski had several helpful posts this week – including reflecting on his NYC mission trip from this week. Perhaps the post with the most heuristic value discussed ministry partnership with alumni – an endeavor that could certainly be worth putting some energy toward in the coming months. (But you should check out the others while you’re there.)
How-tos, Methods, and Under-the-Hoods
- …for starting in a new college ministry position: Lance Crowell has been writing a series on how college ministers (particularly church-based ones) should get going in a new college ministry. Solid stuff, with five brief parts so far. You can find the first post here, and then two, three, four, and five.
- …for engaging students in play: Wes Woodell gives detailed instructions for playing “Humans vs. Zombies” – an interesting way to draw people to your group and have a good time, campus-wide
- …for engaging students in discussion: Mike Hurt provides a really solid look at using discussion groups (instead of “lectures”)
- …for engaging students in spiritual conversation: Mike Mattson of a secular recruitment consulting organization describes his interaction with a Christian campus ministry’s great discussion-starting table at USC. Great chance to see an outsider’s take on a method that has become pretty popular within college ministry.
- …for raising up college ministers: Steve Lutz has been posting his content from a talk he recently did on discerning the call to college ministry – and preparing for the call. Definitely worth giving your students who are (or should be) considering a campus ministry vocation. Start here; 4 posts so far.
- …for getting support for college ministry: Jerry Beavers notes an effort within one denomination to re-emphasize collegiate ministry. While the example applies specifically to their group, it’s a really helpful example for others, who need to consider doing the same within their own denominations or networks! Work the system!
- …for evangelism: Tom Greentree takes a look at one simple evangelistic presentation that’s growing in popularity – and even links to a book that helps go further on this tool and its theology.
- …for celebrating Passover with your students in a few weeks: Derek Leman goes all-out on the instructions and other helps. (HT: Scot McKnight)
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Several times recently I’ve been asked about my calling. Usually I say something along the lines of, “I’m called to help develop the field of college ministry.” This has been my call since right before I took my yearlong road trip to see our work in action, and it remains my call today.
After describing that interesting vocation, however, I often feel the need to make sure I haven’t been misunderstood. Because I can imagine someone hearing that the field of college ministry is underdeveloped and assume that the work of college ministry is something less than fruitful or needs to be “overhauled.” But the only reason I want to develop our field as a field – increasing collaboration, for instance – is because I think SO much great stuff is happening that we’d be even stronger if our “profession” become more cohesive and collaborative.
There is much fruitful college ministry taking place all over the nation (and, as far as I know, the world). My particular portion in life has involved getting to watch a small part of that impact in real time, at locations throughout the States. But there are decades’ worth of testimonies of God’s great work in college ministry – on campuses, in churches, through men, through women, through students themselves.
Nor is college ministry’s outstanding fruitfulness a new fact; it’s been fruitful for decades. And despite some real (and often acknowledged) difficulties helping well-impacted collegians transition to being well-assimilated church members, there are still countless adult individuals presently walking with God who can trace their spiritual heritage to a campus ministry experience.
Yes, there are lots of ways we can grow stronger. But these seem to be largely areas of pruning and grafting, not razing or uprooting. And though we certainly need to evaluate and adjust, several of the paths of improvement I identified in Reaching have more to do with helping outsiders better understand the work – instead of simply dispensing with the present foliage.
R&D, even!
Not only is college ministry bearing fruit with those it serves directly, but college ministry is very profitable “Research & Development” for the Church at large. Its success and growth over the past decades have built an armory of wisdom that’s available to anyone who will make use of it.
Whether the Church wants to know more about “missional” or evangelism or small groups or leadership development…
…or encountering skeptics or ministry funding or missions mobilization or disciplemaking…
…or regular teaching or reaching the next generation (each time there is one) or unity or diversity…
…or contextualization (in the good way) but also abundant counter-culturality…
…or coming secular trends or coming Christian trends or developing community or zeal or fun, your average, semi-experienced college minister would already have much to share. This is the basic stuff of much college ministry work, of this realm inhabited by radical missionaries serving at the cutting edge of culture, education, and each new generation’s release into the wild. (Seriously, read back through that list – it’s not hyperbole. Each of those 19 items is found regularly within college ministries.)
so anyway
So anyway, thanks for letting me vent in praise of what you do. If I get to be nothing else but a voice in appreciation of the good God does through college ministry work, so be it. That would be a blessed portion indeed.
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