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(These are thoughts from Day 2 of Jubilee; for thoughts from Day 1, click here.)
I speak today at 9am Eastern. Really excited about this.
But yesterday, Day 2 of CCO’s Jubilee Conference, was the only FULL day of this thing – and it was plenty good explorin’.
Some various notes on things you might find helpful or interesting:
- I won’t re-write much of what I tweeted, so if you want to see THOSE (rather sleepy) adventures (including songwriter Sarah Masen, a poetry seminar that was mostly way over my head, and a death threat from the main stage, you can see them here (in backwards chronological order, of course).
- One of the seminaries who has college ministry courses (and a great professor, Chris Kiesling) is Asbury Theological Seminary. They’ve got a booth here, so I wanted to give them a shout-out for supporting our field in that way!
- I enjoyed Steve Lutz’s seminar for college students about discerning whether they might be called to campus ministry. I don’t know if he’ll blog it or not, but in case he does (or has any other wrap-ups of Jubilee), I highly encourage you to watch his blog for the next few days. (And then for the next few years after that, of course, ’cause he writes great stuff.)
- Meanwhile, Steve also participated in a seminar yesterday afternoon that’s a little surprising for a Christian college ministry conference: A dialogue with atheists! If you’re unfamiliar with Jonathan Weyer, he has built quite an interaction with skeptics at Ohio State and, from that, even nationally. So he hosted a couple of famous ones here at CCO. Don’t know if he (or Steve) will blog it, but I bet somebody does – you can be watching Jonathan’s blog here.
- I think I’ve finally gotten in the habit of spelling Pittsburgh correctly. That “H” really throws me.
Byron Borger’s second and third rounds of suggested resources. Sorry my notes are a little rugged, but you can Google ‘em, right?
- Deep Church by Belcher
- The Gospel according to Lost by Seay
- The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness by Opitz & Melleby (yep, again)
- Engaging God’s World by Plantinga
- The Fabric of Faithfulness by Garber
- Culture Making by Crouch
- Make the Impossible Possible by Strickland
- The Poor Will Be Glad by Greer & Smith
- Angry Conversations with God by Isaacs
- Amena Brown spoken word CDs
- Justin McRoberts’s album of cover songs
- Through the Eye of a Needle (about Haiti)
- Here I Am by Schultze
- Don’t Waste Your Life by Piper – with a special shout-out to the “Serving God from 9 to 5″ chapter
- The Call by Guinness
- Reordered Loves, Reordered Lives by Naugle – about vocation and passion?
- The True Story of the Whole World – introduction to Bible study
- The Well summer Bible study (around Pittsburgh with the CCO)
- Ruth: The Story of God’s Unending Redemption by Wauzzinski (released 2 days ago)
- Jesus & Jigga (theological study of Jay Z)
- A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Don Miller
(These are thoughts from Day 2 of Jubilee; for thoughts from Day 1, click here.)
Written from the Jubilee Conference, David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, PA
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(These are the thoughts from Day 1 of the Jubilee Conference; for my thoughts from Day 2, click here!)
Yesterday was one of the crazier days in my recent explorations, as I took a flight from Dallas to Pittsburgh (via Charlotte). There was a crazy bagel-thing and a haircut in there, too.
Some other high points, followed by some of the best discoveries and rediscoveries for college ministries at Day 1 of the Coalition for Christian Outreach’s Jubilee Conference.
4 Things:
1. It was weird to realize that I’ve taken 3 flights in about 3 months… after taking 3 flights in the 3 years before that. I tend to be more of a “ground guy,” as you know. But flying is nice for a change.
2. Upon landing in Pittsburgh, I helped Deahna Calgaro (of the CCO) and David Kinnaman (yes, that Dave Kinnaman) circle the airport in a minivan. Until we picked up Jim Belcher (yes, that Jim Belcher). Then Jim B. and I wandered the airport for awhile looking for David Naugle, but it turns out he had taken a taxi to the hotel. But we then picked up David Greusel, the lead architect of Minute Maid Park (yes, that Minute Maid Park) and PNC Park (yes, that PNC Park).
It was a bit surreal. Fun conversations on the way into downtown.
3. I’m tweeting the conference, of course. It’s not exactly “live-tweeting,” if that means sending 10 quotes for every talk. Instead, I’m writing some highlights and anything I think you might particularly enjoy. Read those at www.twitter.com/bensonhines. Or, you can see everybody’s thoughts using the #j2010 hashtag.
4. If you think about it, could you be praying for me between now and Sunday morning? I’ll be speaking at 9am Eastern Time, and I’d like to continue honing that talk throughout today. I’m speaking to college students (and maybe some leaders) about the wide, wide, wonderful world of campus ministry!
Of course, you can also pray that I’d spend this conference observing, exploring, learning, and connecting in ways that help our field!
Key (Re)discoveries:
- Gift Card Giver: Amazing charity that it would be so easy for your college ministry to connect to, and they work to make it even easier for campuses
- COMMENT Magazine: I had a great chat with what appeared to be most of their leadership team. The magazine seeks to present fresh Christian intellect for impactful consumption by other thinkers, opinion leaders, and culture shapers. I knew about ‘em before, but the conversation made me want to revisit what they’re doing.
- Don’t forget: RTS Charlotte now has an Institute for Reformed Campus Ministry.
- Two projects your students could consider for their after-graduation sojourn: Teach for America, Mission Year.
the books Byron Borger promoted
You might have seen me mention Byron Borger and Hearts & Minds Books on here before. He’s a real hero among certain college ministers, well-regarded as a bookseller who knows his craft and does it with excellence. His regular “book selections” at Jubilee are quite popular, too.
Here are his from tonight (sorry for those that are incomplete; I’ll try to update soon)
- Halos and Avatars
- some green book about Revolution
- The Fight
- Rouault
- Let Justice Roll Down
- Follow Me to Freedom
- Creation Regained
- Heaven is a Place on Earth
- After World View
- The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness
(These are the thoughts from Day 1 of the Jubilee Conference; for my thoughts from Day 2, click here!)
Even if this idea doesn’t fit you, I encourage you to read and pass on this exciting news for our field!
This weekly “Fridea” space is usually reserved for cool methods you might apply within your college ministry – although on occasion, I throw out something that might help in other ways. Today’s Fridea is definitely in the latter category!
But since I just received word about this (and it’s very time-sensitive), here’s this week’s Fridea… for the academically inclined: Consider the new PhD in North American Missiology. Or at least spread the word!
(You can see all the other Frideas right here.)
Several months ago, Ed Stetzer, guru of all things “missional,” mentioned a cool new project on his blog: a PhD in North American Missiology offered by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. (Technically, the degree is a Ph.D. in Applied Theology concentrating in Missions – North American Missiology track. But that’s nearly 90 characters right there.)
Doesn’t that sound like a perfect degree for college ministers? It wouldn’t even require relocation to the seminary; instead, a cohort of about a dozen students would study together at the seminary once or twice a year. Other projects could be completed at home.
But sadly, it sounded like college ministers were not included in the desired applicant pool. Stetzer stated that “each participant will be a church planter, pastor, or leader who is actively working in church planting or renewal in a North American context.” (Bruce Ashford’s Between the Times blog post gave perhaps a bit more hope for us: “The degree is available to those persons with some experience in church planting, church renewal, or some other facet of North American missiology.”)
Still, I’ve been describing this degree as an example of the type of PhD I might pursue someday – and that might fit others laboring in the great missiological endeavor called “college ministry,” too. And this week, I finally got to discuss the degree with some SEBTS folks.
I’m not only excited by their answers to my questions, but also by how they answered. Here’s the response from the administrative assistant who helped sort this out, Debbie Blaylock:
The answer [to whether college ministers can participate] came quicker than I had expected and involved the thoughts of several professors on our campus who were involved in the initial stages of formulating this degree and are currently actively promoting this degree. Their response was, and I quote, that they “would unequivocally say that we would want people doing collegiate ministry in the program. The theological foundations and strategic considerations are of the same sort that are taken up in church planting and missiological contexts.” … I would encourage you to highlight the degree program as a possibility for missiological-minded college ministers. You have our blessing! Hopefully, in the next few years we will receive some applicants from those involved in Collegiate Ministry. [emphasis added]
So there you go. Apparently we have some sympathizers in the world of higher academia!
Some key facts, as best I understand things (be sure to confirm any details that are important to you!):
- The application deadline for this first cohort is March 1st, but they hope for another round in 2 years.
- The basic educational requirement is an MDiv or equivalent, but there are other stipulations, as well.
- Southeastern is located in the North Carolina Triangle area, one of the coolest collegiate (and college ministry) environments in America. (I spent two weeks there – “Chapter 7” of my yearlong research trip – and it was a blast.)
- Reportedly, you will study with people like Ed Stetzer, Thom Rainer, J. D. Greear, and Andreas Kostenberger.
- Remember, this is a Ph.D. Not for the faint of heart.
(For more, check out those posts by Stetzer and Ashford. Then use the contact info I include at the bottom to get the full info packet sent as a PDF.)
I do understand that those who are academically inclined might still not be ready to apply for a PhD this month. As for me, it’s probably not an expenditure I can make right now. But we have the chance to let SEBTS know we’re interested and that we appreciate their help in what we do. Remember, this opportunity will (hopefully) come back around two years from now.
But I am also praying that some college minister might even join this first cohort. It would not only be valuable for that minister, but it could be very valuable for our field – since other Christian leaders involved in this program would get to see the missiological approach (and missiological importance!) of college ministry.
For more info about the PhD in North American Missiology (either for this cohort or the next one), you should check out the very helpful information / application packet. To receive that or to ask questions, contact either of these people. Be sure to introduce yourself, so they know college ministers are interested!
- Jake Pratt, Assistant to the Director of Ph.D. Studies: jpratt <at> sebts.edu or 919-761-2491
- Debbie Blaylock, Administrative Assistant to the Director of Ph.D. Studies: dblaylock <at> sebts.edu
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All week, I’ve been posting quick ideas for the upcoming months, the “dark half” of the school year. It’s a time when things aren’t necessarily wildly different, but there’s a difference just the same.
So here’s a question as you ponder your activities in the weeks ahead, followed by today’s spring-specific idea.
Will you be a better college minister during the next school year than you are now?
…which leads to today’s Spring Idea: Purposefully participate in some form of “continuing education.”
It’s a really sad fact that we, as college ministers, aren’t widely known as learners. I don’t think that’s wise or even right – the importance of what we’re doing, the direction to listen to “many counselors,” and the field in which we serve all plead with us to grow in our calling.
Of course, if you’re reading this blog, you’re probably one of the college ministers who does purposely learn more about our field. I applaud you and encourage you to encourage your brethren to be learners.
And I encourage all of us – me included – to “excel still more.”
Some ways you could do that this semester or quarter:
1. Find a seminary class
If there’s a nearby seminary, it’s possible they have a college ministry course this semester or summer. But it’s likely that a local seminary or the very campus you serve has SEVERAL courses that could build your skills in college ministry, even if “Campus Ministry” isn’t in the title.
Could you sit in? Or even attend for credit? Besides checking stuff out for this semester, May-Term classes can be phenomenal for college ministers.
For a list of seminaries and grad schools I’ve discovered that at least seem to offer college ministry courses on occasion, click here. But for ideas on other classes (both spiritual and secular) that can benefit us for our work, start here.
2. Read
The same idea I discussed in #1 fits here, too: While there are few college ministry books (and even fewer to recommend), there are lots of books that connect to our field in helpful ways.
The trick is to read books through college ministry lenses. It’s important that we not forget our calling… If you and I are called to college ministry, then much of God’s work on us will be meant to grow us as college ministers. (More on making use of that idea can be found here.)
(I’m working on a project that may help us along these lines… Stay tuned…)
I do encourage you, as well, to check out blogs – perhaps the only place where some new college ministry thought seems to be churning. To see a recent list of the college ministry blogs I tune into, click here. (And if you know of some that should be on that list, let us know in the comments!)
3. Collaborate
I am, as you probably know, a fan of collaboration. There is no better way to quickly strengthen your abilities than by sitting down with another (different-from-you) college minister. Ask them real questions about methods and philosophy and purposes. Find out where you differ… and then be willing to struggle on your own with the tensions and questions that arise in your own mind.
It doesn’t make any sense for us not to avail ourselves of the counsel of other college ministers.
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I often think about key signposts I suppose could indicate that college ministry is developing as a field of ministry. These include basic accomplishments like:
- More books discussing college ministry, including both broad and specific themes
- More focus on college ministry in seminaries
- A journal or magazine devoted to college ministry
- A greater number of college ministry blogs
- A number of solid, well-attended college ministry conferences
- Through these and other means, much more collaboration between varied groups and types of college ministries
Occasionally I even have the chance to encourage these things to happen – like meeting today with a seminary professor to discuss potential college ministry training at his school.
But as I ponder these things and discuss these things, the same caveat pops up in my mind (and, because I want to be honest in my discussions, sometimes this caveat pops out of my mouth, too):
We college ministers haven’t proven to be learners, by and large.
We (rightly) complain about the lack of learning resources. It’s a shame that publishers haven’t seen fit to publish much on college ministry. It’s really disappointing that seminaries can focus so much on Youth Ministry but often give College Ministry nary a glance. And so on.
But if they did – and if a publisher put out an academic journal… or a known, respected entity set up an awesome conference… or lifelong college ministers made themselves available for collaboration – how many of us would participate? How many of us would buy (and read) the books? Or read the blogs? Or take the classes? Or make the very most of the conferences?
Right now, we don’t seem to be doing any of that to a large extent. So with all this learning-apathy, how likely is it that resource-producers will invest in providing us with more?
Yes, sometimes the availability of resources reminds us that there is learning to do, creating a tension that pushes us to learn more. And it’s also important to recognize that some present resources / opportunities haven’t been as useful as they could have been – so it’s no wonder we don’t dive into those.
But there should be, even with a gap in the resources, a much bigger learning-yearning among us than there is. Of all ministers, we serve in a setting that should train us to learn – not only because it is itself a learning environment, but also because it is hard, and we aren’t making the progress we should, and the stakes are so high, and the potential glory is so amazing.
College ministers, let’s be learners. (And tell your friends. Because many who most need this encouragement probably aren’t reading this blog post, either.)
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I want to call your attention to some major activity in our field! These are good days to be in the field of College Ministry; I really do believe that slowly but surely, our work is gaining attention in the greater Christian world. These are some examples of that very thing.
“Building Church Leaders” adds a college ministry focus
You may be familiar with Building Church Leaders, a site in the Christianity Today family. Lo and behold, they’ve decided to provide a Collegiate Ministry resource! From what I can gather, it will be a packet of several articles available for (paid) download at their site. I have contributed three articles to this and am really excited to see all the rest; most of all, I’m excited for college ministry to be getting this sort of exposure.
The last target publication date I heard from the editor was August 20th, so look for this really soon!
Further, I got to write about some things that churches desperately need to hear – particularly the idea of developing a solid College Student Plan. As you know if you’ve read this blog for long, I believe adopting this missiological principle is vital for seeing greater success in church-based college ministry and increasing its fruitful coexistence with other forms of college ministry. (I also discuss it in the final “Road Map Forward” chapter of my book.)
Jesus Creed highlighting college ministry
Scot McKnight’s blog Jesus Creed, hosted at BeliefNet, is dedicating some blog space these days to some really powerful college ministry discussion. A regular contributer to McKnight’s blog, a college professor known as “RJS,” reengaged the topic of college ministry earlier this week, highlighting some of my friend Steve Lutz‘s work to discuss what missional campus ministry could and should look like.
RJS noted that other posts will soon cover my book, Reaching the Campus Tribes, as well as Chuck Bomar’s book, College Ministry 101. Whatever the case, it’s exciting that a major Christian blog out there is talking about college ministry – so pastors and other church leaders are getting a major dose of college ministry advocacy. That’s huge.
Institute for Reformed Campus Ministry opens at RTS
This fall, Reformed Theological Seminary Charlotte is starting an Institute for Reformed Campus Ministry! Apparently RTS has already been partnering with Campus Crusade, but now they’re adding an “institute” and an MDiv with a collegiate ministry emphasis. Here’s the Press Release. (Big thanks to my Pennsylvania Campus Crusade buddy Brad Daubenspeck for this info.)
It’s always huge when a seminary decides even to add a course on college ministry – but an entire program at a well-known institution is even more exciting.
Exciting days, friends. Exciting days!
For more on seminary training… I’ve written a good bit about this, especially when I got the chance to visit college ministry courses at three seminaries last January – and even got to teach a lecture. My 15-or-so posts about collegiate ministry courses are here; the posts from only that trip are here. Further, here’s a list of all seminaries I’ve found that have any college ministry training at all.
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One of the real thrills of the recent trip involved hanging out with the head of CPYU, Walt Mueller. Dr. Mueller is a longtime author and leader in the field of youth ministry. As head of the Center for Parent / Youth Understanding, he also ultimately oversees the Collegiate Transition Initiative directed by Derek Melleby.
As we chatted, it was clear that Walt is quite excited about a new project he’s working on, helping mentor a new D.Min track at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary studying “Ministry to Emerging Generations.” You can read all about the MtEG D.Min at that link, but you might want to start with Walt’s (quicker) reflection at his blog. Those sources can give you all the facts, so the rest of this post contains my thoughts on the degree.
I’m always excited about any academic program that connects to our field. I get even more excited when a seminary offers a doctorate, which is pretty rare for anything that comes close to touching on collegiate ministry. (…even though we happen to build missions within university environments. But that’s another post for another day.)
In this case, it looks like the Gordon-Conwell degree will offer a great breadth of learning about both the present, changing cultural context AND adolescent development from childhood to young adulthood.
Clearly the current culture and context are important for us to learn about, since we as college ministers serve on the cutting edge. But developmental issues are important, too. Anytime college ministers study this broad topic, we’re receiving three opportunities to learn about the audience we shepherd:
- We learn about the development issues our students have faced (in general) through their childhood and teenage years
- We learn about the developmental concerns and stage(s) experienced in the years immediately following high school
- We learn where our students are headed developmentally in their young adult years following college
My one concern about the Ministry to Emerging Generations degree is that “young adults” seems to be used as a blanket idea for anyone 18+, including college students. It seems pretty clear to me (and to most, it seems, who have worked with these individuals) that the sociology of college is quite different from that of young-adult-land.
BUT, I believe this distinction matters less when discussing personal development than it does when discussing ministry approach. Further, because this is a D.Min, individual projects and assignments can be tailored to one’s individual ministry areas. And the book list included on the info page certainly includes books very pertinent to college ministry.
Finally, as Walt mentioned when we met, college ministers participating in this cohort will have the opportunity to help the other attendees – whether they serve in children’s, youth, or young adult ministry – to understand just how unique our station is.
We need advocates like that. And we need college ministers with doctorates. So if you’re at all inclined to pursue further education, I encourage you to check out this program ASAP; you might improve both your own ministry abilities and our field at large.
This is already shaping up as a really phenomenal college ministry exploration trip, and I’m still not halfway into it! I should have a little more time in the coming days to post about what I’m learning, but at least I can keep you updated on what I’ve been experiencing – with some links to learn more about those things.
Yesterday’s main event was a visit to Fuller Seminary to sit down with Dr. Kara Powell, Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute (and Fuller faculty member).
I encourage you to check out that page, and I’ll try to write more about FYI tomorrow.
But that’s not all! While I was at Fuller, I also got to attend All-Seminary Chapel (their first of the Quarter) and tracked down the syllabus for the one college ministry course they have in their catalog. (Click here to see one of those syllabi.) Sadly, it doesn’t look like that course has been taught in a few years. (The seminary does have a course or two for only InterVarsity staff, out at their Colorado campus.)
That was part of my never-ending quest to find seminaries that teach college ministry. Click here to see my post of the ones I’ve found so far.
And in the extra adventures category…
The other big event yesterday was getting to see the Tonight Show taping, out-of-the-blue. In fact, if I hadn’t been in Pasadena (visiting Fuller) already, I wouldn’t have been able to make it to Burbank in time. Those kinds of cool provisions remind me of the many blessings that happened during the big trip! It was very cool to see Jay Leno in the last couple of months of his Tonight Show reign – plus Michael Caine, Dennis Rodman, and the Spinal Tap guys.
Oh, and I babysat last night for a half-year-old.
Like I said, this is shaping up to be quite a trip…
Written from Pacific Palisades, California
Before moving on from my most recent Exploring College Ministry road trip, I wanted to finish recounting some of the main things I learned! (Click here for Part 1.)
Gatherings of our future.
I love collaboration (as you know), and the four college ministry seminary classes I visited were certainly collaborative. But the value of collaboration is magnified because seminary students are the future of our field. Many of the students in these classes were in the early days of their college ministry experiences; others weren’t involved in college ministry yet but plan to be.
For anyone headed for a lifetime of college ministry (whether they realize it or not), all the mutual wisdom-sharing here at the front end has the maximum value possible. It was great for me to have the chance to be a small part of that collaboration, and hopefully I’ll have other chances to sit in on such classes in the future.
The joys of Jan-Term.
While I’ll always be excited about semester-long Collegiate Ministry classes, I can see great value in January-Term, May-Term, and other short-length, high-intensity courses on this subject. More than most ministry areas, ours is certainly seasonal, and January, May, or summertime can be down times for many college ministers.
So if you’re interested in learning more, look around – there’s a chance a seminary near you will offer a brief, powerful opportunity to better your ministry.
Enrollment matters.
I hadn’t mentioned this, but my original trip plan involved one more school visit – to Wheaton College Graduate School, where their semester-long college ministry course (taught by Dr. David Setran) was set to begin on the 12th of January. Alas, the class didn’t have enough students enrolled to “make” this time around.
And that points to a clear need for us. We can complain about the lack of opportunities to grow (through seminary courses, books, blogs, or anything else). But one big question is, Do we use what we’ve got?
Further, what are we going to do to get more people interested in becoming college ministers?
Chances for your education.
For those already attending or contemplating graduate school, I picked up one other important piece of info during all this investigating. Your seminary might just provide you with options.
Think there’s only a Youth Ministry track at your school? You might ask about substituting college ministry courses (even from other schools) for some of those classes. (I know that’s allowed at Dallas Theological Seminary, for example.) I also just found out about someone whose seminary is letting her work out a PhD in Collegiate Ministry, in conjunction with a local secular school.
Those are two examples; you might just find options for YOU if you do a little asking. And every time you ask about such things, you’re helping your seminary understand the need to invest in Collegiate Ministry. So keep it up!
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I’m excited about what I’ve learned the last few weeks… and it’s one key piece in getting to know “the national scene.” I know that seminary training isn’t required for everyone to excell at college ministry. But I do think that the education offers much for practitioners and for the field as a whole!
Road Trip #9 turned out phenomenally! Here’s the run-down of the best things I learned from my seminary-themed trip. (Part 2 tomorrow; to see all the various posts from this trip, start here.)
More potential profs than I thought.
Do you wanna teach college ministry?
In the courses I attended, some of the teachers were true “academic experts.” But others included wise long-term college ministers, ministers from non-collegiate areas, and even one guy who took a big road trip. They didn’t all have the academic qualifications needed for full professorship, but they could still offer their valuable insights.
What I didn’t recognize fully before the trip was that graduate school courses may only need a “professor of record” to facilitate the course. While that person may need a doctorate and/or a lifetime of experience, he or she can make use of practitioners to teach portions – or even the entirety – of a class.
(So, for example, seminaries could add a college ministry course fairly easily by allowing a present Youth Ministry professor to oversee other, collegiate-focused lecturers. Just an idea.)
Very different class options.
I’ve mentioned this before, but the four courses I attended had three distinct styles. At Beeson, I heard an academic approach that allowed for plenty of other collaborative and practical discussion. At Asbury, I got to see a “special topic” weekend seminar. And at Midwestern, we were privy to the wisdom of “lifers” who offered practical insights and stories to answer a wide variety of planned (and student-generated) questions.
In other words, there is a variety of approaches seminary education in Collegiate Ministry can take.
(For more details, I discussed the four courses here, here, here, and here.)
The role seminaries can play.
Through observations and conversations in the last two weeks, I am now all the more convinced that seminaries and professors devoted to Collegiate Ministry can help shape the future of our field. Of course, having classes in college ministry is a great start. But beyond that, these people could produce books, blogs, think tanks, forums, networks, articles, academic journals, and more.
And from what I can tell, some of these things may come sooner rather than later!
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