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A week ago, I wrote about a recent theme in my college ministry research – and, I suspect, a trend within college ministry right now. That trend is Vocational Discipleship, helping students think about what it means to live out their workplace callings in light of the Lord.
As a follow-up, at least a few resources that look like they could be helpful for these things; I learned about each of these through my investigations and connections on the latest road trip, so I wanted to put them on your radar, too!
The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness: A Guide for Students by Donald Opitz and Derek Melleby and the companion blog.
As I meet with college ministers, this is one of the few books I hear about frequently. It was GREAT connecting with one of the authors, Derek Melleby, on the recent trip. He gave me a copy of the book, which I look forward to finally reading sometime, and the blog is impressive! (Plus, for further exploration, see the links along the side of the blog.)
God in the Marketplace by Henry Blackaby and the companion site (which has, among other things, monthly devos).
…while those in the marketplace may have excellent educations and access to world-class leadership seminars, they often feel inadequate in matters of spiritual influence. God in the Marketplace will help them better understand what the Bible says about integrating their Christian faith with their work lives and provide biblical answers to the common yet difficult questions that are often raised for Christians at work.
If you check out the books above on Amazon, you might scan through the “related books,” too.
Christianity & Vocation talk – Matt Perman.
I found this audio when I was preparing to meet with a guy from Campus on a Hill, a college ministry at Cornell. I haven’t gotten to listen yet, but the speaker is the Senior Director of Strategy with Desiring God. (The message and Q&A links are in the bottom right corner of that page.)
Revisions magazine from Manna Christian Fellowship.
This Ivy League college ministry puts out a magazine that touches on these issues. (Does your campus ministry publish a magazine?)
Anything you want to add to this measly little list? Let us know the resources you’ve found!
As I look at the various “themes” God seems to have brought up on the recent 6-week trip, probably the most obvious was the theme of Vocational Discipleship. It was interesting that time and time again, college ministers spoke with me about this issue: Training students to live out their vocation in light of God, His calling, and His reign. It’s worship through our work, sanctifying the “secular,” living as Christians disguised as dentists, teachers, politicians, baseball umpires.
I had a wonderful college ministry experience during my time at Texas A&M. It prepared me for life and ministry in ways I continue to remember fondly – and miss. But I don’t remember once hearing anyone suggest anything about connecting my “school life” with my spiritual life in non-obvious ways. I certainly could be forgetting, but it wasn’t prevalent, that’s for sure.
My mentors and peers weren’t anti-education. I’m sure we encouraged each other to “do our best,” and even if that command is cliché it’s also very Christian. But I have occasionally wondered – during that time and since – why no one ever offered discipleship on living that out in the particulars. As with anyone, my “educational profile” was complex; in my case, I was a Psychology major, strong academically, studying in the Liberal Arts college, thinking about going into Business… or Psychology… or Ministry, taking Honors classes, taking 18 hours (some semesters), taking far less (some semesters)… and so on. Any of those aspects of my “educational identity” could have been approached as “calling” – but what did I know?
Like I said, my experience was fantastic. But this is an area I would say was probably missing.
Fortunately, the prevalence of this lack within college ministry may be changing. Or maybe I just ran into it a lot because I was in the Northeast, where education, academia, and “the public sphere” hold a particular esteem. (Who better to lead us in this?) Either way, it seems like something that should be on our radar. Not only does it ready students for the Transition Out, but it helps them comprehend what it means to be a disciple within that 50+ hours a week they’re going to be devoting to calling.
We have plenty of other discipleship areas on our collegiate radars, too; we fit each piece as /when God leads. But I imagine that helping our students connect their (future and present) profession to their spiritual lives may just be one of those “great in the basics” ideas that should top our priority lists.
Later this week, some resources on this and thoughts on doing this in your ministry!
For more:
It’s always interesting to watch as my various road trips take on particular “themes.” Sometimes these are ministry topics that keep popping up over and over, sometimes they’re college ministry trends that become noticeable through repetition, and other times they’re more “random,” but redundant, events.
The recent 6-week road trip had its fair share of themes, to be sure! So with the expectation that God brings up many of these things for my – and our – benefit, I’ll be examining those themes occasionally over the next few weeks.
One of the most prominent – and surprising – themes was the continuous value of social media for ministry connections.
Clearly, the idea of using social networks for, well, networking is neither new nor surprising. But in all my past road trips, I hadn’t had the chance to see its value so extensively. And through that, I’ve been realizing some of the ways these networks can help us even more than they have been.
Twitter was the most dramatic of aids, in large part because of the immediacy of results – and the unexpectedness of some of those results. For example, when I stepped onto campus at Belmont University, I wasn’t planning to do much more than observe the campus – and I tweeted to that effect. But within a minute or so, Guy Chmieleski, University Minister, tweeted me right back – and we ended up having a great conversation on campus that afternoon. My first-ever “Tweet-up”!
But that wasn’t the end of it, for sure. Some notable Twitter-enabled (or -enhanced) activity:
- After I tweeted about some of the University Ministries staff from North Park University attending the Princeton conference, the official “NPU Twitterer” wrote me back, encouraging me to tell them hi. That meant a perfect opening for a reconnect with the NPU UM staff, and we all ended up eating lunch together the next day.
- Several times I was able to announce my itinerary publicly – a campus I was visiting later that day, for instance – and get responses back about people I should meet, things to do, etc.
- I also had the chance to report immediately on my campus visits, my meetings with college ministers, and the other adventures of my trip. With pictures! It’s been lonely enjoying the “little things” of the last two years almost entirely by myself. So sharing the fun in 140-characters-or-less made the whole thing more enjoyable for me – and hopefully for others!
- Twitter also served the purpose of directly connecting me with fellow college ministers I hadn’t met before. Like Facebook and blogging, Twitter provides the opportunity to discover people involved in college ministry – and the Twitter crowd tends to be particularly interested in making connections like that. In at least one case, I ended up getting to stay with a minister I’d only Twitter-met! Providence, tweeted my way.
I noticed similar results with Facebook – and sometimes to an even greater degree – as I began using my Status and the Exploring College Ministry Facebook group to keep people updated on the major activities of my trip. While Facebook seems better suited to a little less frequent updating than Twitter, when I did send an update, I tended to get some really helpful responses – even from some surprising sources!
Soon, what I’m learning about applying this directly to our college ministry work.
Last week, I posted the outline from my recent seminar for Christian high school guidance counselors. The last part of that talk looked at three ways to help high school graduates find good college ministries and succeed spiritually in that world.
We all know that the Transition to college is not going well for bunches of Christian youth. These points are applicable for anyone “sending” high school graduates into college – youth ministers, parents, high school counselors, pastors, and others who want our youth to succeed spiritually. So feel free to share them!
THREE WAYS TO “PASS THE BATON” WELL
1. Prepare students directly
Help high school seniors and recent graduates know the importance of finding strong college ministry and church communities – and finding them quickly.
In fact, encourage students to begin working on this early, before they go to college.
Classmates and other friends attending the same school should work on this together, even if they end up in different ministries eventually. Students should also talk about potential communities with people who are already attending the school.
2. Clue others in to the importance of a good transition
If you’re someone who is spending time thinking about helping students transition well, it’s pretty important to realize that you’re in the MINORITY. Isn’t that a bummer?
So one of the things we all need to do is help others see this great need. This includes pastors, parents, youth pastors, high school counselors, and so on.
Very few people in Christian high schoolers’ lives are thinking about helping them transition well to college in relevant, concrete ways. We have to work to change that! This should be something everyone focuses on!
3. Bring others in to help prepare students
Use groups like CPYU’s College Transition Initiative to explain the scene, the needs, and the ways to prepare.
Give college-transition or staying-strong-in-college books to students (and to those who love them).
Bring in college ministers to share their wisdom with students. (If you’re a college minister, look for these kinds of opportunities, locally or otherwise.)
I arrived home last night from the biggest road trip since the yearlong road trip:
43 days, 43 campuses, 20 states, and 6,435 miles. Over 75 significant discussions with college ministers.
You can see all the explorations here; you can read all related blog posts here; you can read all the Tweets here.
Or here’s the recap:
Road Trip 11 started with two opportunities on the calendar and a unique geographical take on the world. And by the time it was over, there was far too much to report (as there always is). Here are some examples of the grace.
I met in Tennessee with a bunch of Baptists from Missouri; I met in Ohio with a bunch of Methodists from Kentucky. I spent time in New Jersey with college ministry professors from Illinois and Kentucky. I hung out in Boston with a mission trip group from Amarillo, Texas, and in New York City with a mission trip group from Miami, Florida.
I had the incredible chance to meet with regional leaders of Campus Crusade, the Navigators, Coalition for Christian Outreach, and Baptist Collegiate Ministry – and with national leaders of Chi Alpha.
Several of this trip’s connections were technology-aided: Tweet-ups, Facebook connections, blog contacts. Twitter proved an outstanding help during the trip – and it was so fun sharing the ins-and-outs of this adventure in a new way.
Surprising skews: met with a large number of church plantin’ types, Coalition for Christian Outreach types, and college ministers with unique ministry models.
Surprising spots: on top of a New York City building, on the campus of a (semi-)boarding high school, at a Boston Memorial Day parade, on two subway systems, at all eight Ivy League schools, amidst two college commencement ceremony crowds, amidst a whole bunch of college admissions people, at a bell concert in Cornell’s bell tower, at two going away parties, at a hip-hop church, and at a hip-hop concert.
I attended 18 church services, including seeing Tim Keller, Alistair Begg, Philip Ryken, and Jon Tyson preach in their home churches … attending church in a classroom at Drexel University, in a hotel in Boston, and in Times Square. Three sermons came via video. Seven services took place in non-permanent buildings or non-primary multi-site venues.
I spoke to the leaders of various Southern Baptist college ministries about some “big ideas” and spoke to high school counselors about the national scene of college ministry. I also got to “speak” through the Center for Parent / Youth Understanding’s blog. All three opportunities were thrilling and humbling.
Reconnecting with (and occasionally staying with) a large number of old buddies – both longtime and those I first met on the Yearlong Trip – was one of the biggest joys of the trip. On the other hand, staying with a few new friends I had never met until this trip was a unique blessing, too.
Speaking of staying: I lay my head in several guest rooms, a dorm room, a few motels, a bunker, a church attic… And not once in the Pathfinder Motel (this time around).
The hospitality was enormous (thank you) and the favor was undeserved (thank you). The countryside was so often breathtaking, and the road-tripping was safety-filled (thank You).
And thank you, friends, for praying, for reading, for contacting, and for connecting me to those I needed to meet. What is left undone, the ministries and people I “missed” this time around, will hopefully be encountered someday (maybe Road Trip #14?).
Road Trip Number 11 was, like every trip, chock-full of amazing surprises as well as some expected excellencies. Hopefully I encouraged and taught and helped; I know I was personally encouraged and taught and helped all throughout these weeks. It was, at times, a little overwhelming; I still don’t have “life balance” down to a science, and wear-and-tear starts to show after six weeks. But it was good, so good.
Besides all these other things, I can now report that I’ve been to campuses in 45 states over the last two years. Our field is wide, and I hope my experiences can offer a sense of what’s really going on among the collegiate missionaries who, as I often say, are my heroes.
In days to come, I’ll report on themes and trends that rose to the top this time around, as well as discussing next steps for me (which look to be pretty interesting). To get the most important updates (and to get them first!), join the Facebook group: Exploring College Ministry with Benson!
Next new post on Friday. Thanks in advance for a one-day break!
Road Trip 11 has come to an end! As you know if you’ve been following along, the trip was a fantastic and quite full excursion to the Northeast, throughout the Northeast, and back – via Nashville on the way up and Ohio / Illinois on the way back!
As I Twittered late last night,
After 43 days, 43 campuses, 6435 miles, and 20 states… Home. :) And it’s 81 degrees @ 11:35 in the PM :( Full blog recap tomorrow by noon
So be watching for a recap-post by 12pm (Central) today. It should be a fun look back at this giant road trip.
And in case you’re wondering… Yesterday’s T-shirt represented the Bear tribe of Brown University.
Written from Warsaw, Texas
My talk at the NACCAP conference last week covered two basic, important topics that every college minister should be prepared to chat about with anyone “sending” students into the college world: parents, youth pastors, pastors, or – in this case – high school counselors.
Those topics?
- What college ministry looks like nationally
- What they can do to prepare students for spiritual success in college
I neglected to share with you faithful blog readers about how my seminar went Friday – sorry about that! It seems to have gonereally well, and I heard some great feedback. I was also happy with the PowerPoint I was able to create, using several pictures from my trips to illustrate my points. Fun stuff.
Here’s the outline from my talk. If you want more explanation, just ask! Also, if I can help you OR local “senders” (youth pastors, high school counselors, parents, pastors) think about this stuff, contact me!
“NOTES FROM A YEARLONG ROAD TRIP” · NACCAP 2009
FOUR ASPECTS OF THE NATIONAL SCENE OF COLLEGE MINISTRY
1. The right college ministry can be life world-changing
- There are a bunch of great college ministries out there.
2. There is an enormous Collegiate Attention Gap (among Christians)
- For more on this, check out chapter 3 of my book.
3. Colleges don’t have moving walkways (and neither do college ministries)
- Transition into college is going poorly, and assimilation into strong Christian community is far from automatic.
4. Church seems a long way off.
- Local churches AND students’ home churches often do not have strong College Student Plans, and campus-based ministries and Christian colleges don’t always do a good job of helping students connect significantly to local churches.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PASS THE BATON WELL
(applicable for anyone “sending” high school graduates into college)
1. Prepare students directly
2. Clue others in to the importance of a good transition
3. Use others’ wisdom to help prepare students
(I fleshed out those three ideas in a post the following week – click here for that.)
Written from Motel 6, Springfield, MO
Road Trip #11 update (Day 43)
yesterday’s T-shirt: the Cardinal tribe of University of Louisville
new campus yesterday: Saint Louis University
mileage so far: 5,958
(click here to see all the explorations from Road Trip #11)
One of my greatest joys from all this traveling and connecting has been the chance to point college ministers and their ministries to resources, people, and other ministries that will provide some sort of benefit.
It’s a little overwhelming to realize that I have connected personally with probably 400+ college ministers in the last two years. And they come from many regions, many circles, and all three branches of college ministry – the kind of breadth I have felt is needed to get a handle on what’s truly going on in this profession.
But the chance to suggest profitable connections has been popping up more and more, whether with outside groups needing to get their heads wrapped around the world of college ministry, or with local college ministers who just might benefit from some like-minded collaboration. It’s something I can offer from my weird set of circumstances!
Need to work on training your students in living out their vocation Christianly? “Talk to the local CCO minister, since that’s a pillar of what they do,” I might say. (I did say this twice recently.)
Wondering how college ministry is supposed to look with multiple campuses? My response might be, “I know some college ministries in D.C. you should look at,” for example. (I said that on this trip, too.)
Need some academic resources to help grow your understanding of this mighty task before us? “Talk to my seminary professor-friends,” I might encourage – or, “There are some Christian college chaplains you should meet.”
Want a campus that’s similar-but-different from your own for your students to serve on their next mission trip? Or a campus that’s quite different? I can help there, too. I might even have some contacts.
And so on. And so on. And so on.
One of the best things I get to do these days is help people find what they need in the wide, wide world of college ministry. I don’t know everything; I certainly haven’t explored every area or exegeted every possible context. Some connections will be secondhand or “I think I heard” or “Let me get back to you.” And I won’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.”
But if I can help in this way (or any other!), let me help you. That’s why I take these trips!
Written from the Duncan house, Champaign, IL
Road Trip #11 update (Day 42)
yesterday’s T-shirt: the Norse tribe of Northern Kentucky University
plans: headed into Springfield, Missouri, today, via St. Louis. We’ll see if God wants to throw in any fun wrinkles.
(click here to see all the explorations from Road Trip #11)
High school counselors are not the only group of unlikely allies I ran into this week.
College admissions people are another.
This week, a campus minister told me that the admissions office at his secular school asked for the low-down on campus religious opportunities. When recruiters talk to high school students, they want to know what’s available for future collegians in this important area!
Who else in the whole world spends all their time thinking about helping high school kids transition into your college? So these are people on the front lines of connecting with future collegians, and they’re all about hyping the opportunities available on campus. And these admissions folks seem to walk pretty hand-in-hand with some students, even all the way to the finish line of actually arriving at school.
What could you do to help them do that better? Tips on what’s available from the spiritual community would be one way. And don’t just mention the ministries, but specifics: free lunches, worship services, rides to church, international student activities, Greek activities, fellowship events…
What about publishing (even with some other ministries) a “New Student Guide for the Spiritual Freshman”? Or offering to talk personally to any Christian student who’s thinking about attending your school – but isn’t sure? Or preparing student-centric campus maps that admissions people can get to the incomings?
The truth is, even getting admissions people to mention the possibility of connecting with a ministry and/or church plants a seed in students’ mind – perhaps even a year or more before we have access to those future freshmen. That’s a huge step all by itself. And building even better bridges with your admissions staff may lead to seeing those students primed and ready to plug in once they arrive.
Written from the Duncan house, Champaign, IL
Road Trip #11 update (Day 41)
yesterday’s T-shirt: the Lion tribe of Columbia University
new states the past 2 days: Indiana (#17), Illinois (#18)
new campuses the past 2 days: Miami University (of Ohio – #40), University of Illinois (#41)
(click here to see all the explorations from Road Trip #11)
After spending a week with ladies and gentlemen at the NACCAP conference, something I’m realizing:
Who may be the only adult in many students’ lives strategically and specifically thinking about collegiate success?
Their high school guidance counselor.
Think about it – parents and youth pastors may express concern, but how often is it truly concrete? Or knowledgeable? Instead, nebulous: “Be sure to find a church!” or “Don’t forget where you come from!”
Of course, this situation needs to change; we need parents and youth pastors to know and to teach. But in the short-term, we already have some allies in the To-College Transition! (You know, the situation that’s going absolutely terribly right now?)
Not all high school counselors will be interested in adding spiritual success to their preparation-quiver. But some will – and possibly not just those who believe as we do.
They have students’ ears. (Even in the summer.)
They have parents’ ears.
And they know the need for collegiate preparation.
Written from Motel 6, Speedway, Indiana
Road Trip #11 update (Day 40)
yesterday’s T-shirt: the Nittany Lion tribe of Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)
total mileage so far: 5,400 miles
update: I’ll be in Champaign / Urbana this weekend!
(click here to see all the explorations from Road Trip #11)
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