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One of my big hopes for this blog is that I’m able to provide a solid view of college ministry around the U.S. – including a helpful perspective on groups that minister to your own local campus tribe. If we’re called to college ministry, we should be learners. And one thing we should learn about is what God’s doing in other circles and regions.
So today I continue my “outsider’s perspective” on Chi Alpha Campus Ministries! (Read the first part here.)
an established college ministry
In the underdeveloped field of collegiate ministry, it’s disappointing that even the most major of organizations – except perhaps Campus Crusade – are not very familiar with college ministers across the board. Here in Texas, for example, Chi Alpha is not particularly well known – unless, for instance, you happen to be at Sam Houston State. There, the Chi Alpha ministry apparently draws students in the range of many hundreds or a thousand per week – placing it among the largest campus ministries of any kind.
Other Chi Alpha groups draw several hundred students (as I’ve seen firsthand at UVA and the multi-campus Fargo/Moorhead chapter). But like all major national ministries, Chi Alpha ranges in size, with plenty of groups drawing dozens rather than hundreds. Yet with its geographical spread (nearly 300 chapters), number of students reached, and a history stretching back to 1953, Chi Alpha is certainly one of the most established college ministry (both historically and presently).
theology and sleeves
Many outsiders to the Chi Alpha world are probably surprised to learn that it’s the denominational ministry of the Assemblies of God. But from what I can tell, many members might be, too – or at least they’d be surprised if their campus pastors suddenly started wearing their specific theologies on their sleeve. Like most college ministries, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowships seem to place “great-in-the-basics” discipleship above discussion of doctrinal complexities.
Clearly, denominational college ministries are (and should be) a bit more specific in their beliefs than fully parachurch ministries. As an A of G ministry, Chi Alpha ministries and staff do hold to Charismatic doctrine and other Assemblies distinctives. Yet these show up in different ways and in different measures campus-to-campus. And as in most college ministries across the Evangelical spectrum, Christian students from different backgrounds presumably feel comfortable and find opportunities for growth in the average Chi Alpha chapter, even when the students remain in their original faith tradition.
missions. it’s missions.
I noted yesterday how intrigued I’ve been by the apprenticeship structure in Chi Alpha. But I’ve learned something else about Chi Alpha that excites me all the more: Chi Alpha Campus Ministries very explicitly considers its staff missionaries. As I note in Reaching the Campus Tribes (p. 56),
The Assemblies of God promoted a missiological understanding of college ministry by declaring Chi Alpha to be a “campus mission” and moving its oversight from the denomination’s youth department to U.S. Missions in 1986. National leaders feel the change has significantly aided Chi Alpha’s growth since that time.
I certainly can’t argue that every denomination needs to make this specific move, though it’s worth their consideration. But I can (and do) argue that American Christians will reach college students best when they approach it as a true missions effort. Chi Alpha has chosen to do that, and far more than just “on paper” – at least from what I’ve seen as a well-traveled outsider.
for more: the history of Chi Alpha, their beliefs, their locations, and their home page. Plus, an amazing video on the importance of college ministry they created.
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I’ve had a few cool opportunities recently to “dive in” in extra-special ways to various campus ministry groups – and then to return to the surface with something to share. After the Urbana conference, I got to highlight InterVarsity. After the local Campus Crusade Winter Conference, I shared the ways it reflects Cru as a whole. And after my surprise trip to a conference last August, I shared some distinctives of the campus ministries of the Independent Christian Churches. (For all the Profiles of individual ministries, check out that category.)
Hopefully those posts have been helpful, whether you’re outside of those groups (like me) or whether you’re inside (to see the viewpoint of an educated outsider)!
So that leads to today’s post, yet another Profile on a major college ministry org, Chi Alpha Campus Ministries. If you’re unfamiliar, not-super-familiar, or completely familiar with Chi Alpha, below you’ll find my take on some of their key distinctives – especially in comparison to the wider world of college ministries out there.
But make no mistake: Whether you know a Chi Alpha ministry or not, this is one of THE major college ministries in the U.S. – certainly among the 4 or 5 best-known. (More on that tomorrow.)
This past semester, I had the marvelous chance to visit 10 chapters of Chi Alpha. The innovative National Office guys actually sponsored me to visit their ministries around the country, attend their large group meetings, visit with their Campus Pastors, and write articles about what I saw. Not a bad plan for sharing their strengths with supporters and other constituents, I thought.
I had, of course, been around Chi Alpha ministries before. And those guys have actually been some of the most supportive of my exploits – including spreading my free book – of anybody out there. Now that I’ve gotten an even bigger national picture, I wanted to share some of the perspective I’ve gained. Hopefully it’s a helpful introduction…
College minister, meet Chi Alpha.
community
I recognize that a sizable portion of college ministry energy across the board is spent working to build community, so it’s not particularly interesting that XA ministries aim for that target. What does seem to be noticeable is their success in hitting it.
“Community” – or if you prefer the trendy use of Greek, koinonia – is of course fairly intangible and even more unquantifiable. But the fact that I’ve visited hundreds of college ministries in the last few years, yet notice a high level of “community-ness” in Chi Alpha ministries, has to mean something, right? I don’t mean that they’re nice to me – although they’ve been great hosts and seem to have built a cool climate of hospitality (or at least meal-reimbursement!). I mean that I observe out-of-the-ordinary camaraderie – among students and between students and leaders – in chapter-after-chapter, in a unique way.
Like all aspects, your local Chi Alpha ministry may differ. But the level of community I’ve seen in XA has been noticeable. That’s all I’m sayin’.
training
Perhaps more than any other aspect of Chi Alpha, I get excited about the way new Campus Pastors are trained. (Check that: There’s an aspect I’ll bring up tomorrow that’s even better.)
While I haven’t learned every detail of the XA system, the distinctive point to me is the standard internship year. New Campus Pastors (whether recently graduated or older) apply to various internships around the U.S.. Only a handful of Chi Alpha chapters have generally housed interns; these designated locales seem to be strong campus ministries that also have experienced Campus Pastors to oversee the internship. So the internship year is a sort of “apprenticeship” – notably, at a location where most apprentices did not go to school and where most will not remain.
I recognize that other ministries have training and internships, and maybe some do it this way, too. But here’s the huge asset for Chi Alpha: They end up with so many college ministers with multi-campus experience! I am totally devoted to the idea that having experience in multiple settings prepares college ministers in profound ways – I’ve seen the fruit time and time again, in conversations with all types of college ministers and through my own multi-campus exposure.
Think about it. If I’m doing the math right, a large percentage of Chi Alpha campus ministers have experienced two or three different campus ministry settings AND have spent at least a year under a particularly strong leader. I’m telling you, the fruit of that system becomes clear with the XA Campus Pastors I meet.
more tomorrow! Here’s the continuation of this post. And feel free to add what you’ve seen (or correct what I’ve seen) – whether you’re a Chi Alpha insider or outsider!
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Before moving on from the largest research-road-trip I’ve experienced since the yearlong road trip, I wanted to take a look back at the crazy 7 1/2 weeks of Road Trip 13! In this recap, you’ll find links, some foreshadowing of discussions I’ll present in days to come, and lots of things to rejoice with me about.
Because all these trips and the explorations within them are for us, not for me. What I learn, whom I meet, and what I share with others are all meant to further our field, helping college ministry be better valued in the eyes of American Christians, and helping us all be a little better at the amazing work we get to do!
So I happily present the glories of Road Trip 13. Thanks for riding with me these last couple of months!
the stats
53 days
25 states
36 campuses visited
9,854 miles driven
some reading
See all the blogs that reference Road Trip 13
See lists of all the “explorations” from the trip
Read a reflection after the first day
Read why this trip was odd from the beginning
an amazing provenance: Chi Alpha’s exciting assignment
You may have picked up early on that this was the first sponsored road trip I’ve taken. Chi Alpha (one of the largest college ministries in the country) commissioned this trip, though I chose to drive (instead of fly) so I could do other things between my “official” XA stops. I had the marvelous opportunity to visit several Chi Alpha chapters around the U.S. – and in the coming days, I have the opportunity to write (for them) about those experiences.
I’ll have more time to brag on those guys later, but Chi Alpha is doing great work in lots of places – and they were certainly superb hosts all along the way.
fast-moving, far-reaching
Because of the Chi Alpha assignment, this trip needed to cover a whole lot of ground in a pretty short amount of time. Remember I logged nearly 10,000 miles through 25 states in less than 8 weeks – with Texas, California, North Dakota, and Virginia all in the same trip. And then in the middle of all that, I took a short flight from Toledo to Iowa to speak at a conference… as best I can figure, I’ve only taken a mid-road-trip flight three times in the 13 big trips.
So that characteristic (maybe more than any other) will stick out to me as a defining quality of Road Trip 13. It wasn’t easy, though there certainly are some up-sides to covering a lot of ground!
a major milestone
I’m not gonna lie – I was pretty excited to make it through Nevada and South Dakota to be able to report that I had been on campus in all 48 lower states within 19 months. Pretty crazy, and a neat signpost in this God-given adventure, for sure.
themes
It’s really interesting to watch as God seems to highlight certain “themes” within my road trips. Very often themes come about through completely unplanned means - either because of the places / campuses I happen to be exploring, or through out-of-the-blue connections made during the trip. Because of the way I’m wired, these “redundancies” cause me to examine issues and groups better than I might be able to otherwise, so I’m thankful for them.
theme: InterVarsity
While I made great connections with lots of different college ministry groups, one college ministry that popped up in a special way during this trip was InterVarsity. For one thing, it was fun to hear college ministers buzzing about the upcoming Urbana conference (including those who aren’t part of IV). But I also had the fantastic chance to tour the National Headquarters (thanks to Eric Holmer of Greek IV’s communications), to sit down with Tom Grosh (of IV’s Emerging Scholars Network and Grad/Faculty work), and to attend meetings and meet staffers at several campuses.
theme: an academic flavor
Connecting with the Grad/Faculty ministry of InterVarsity at the national level wasn’t the only time a more “academic” or “scholarly” niche within collegiate ministry popped up. I had the marvelous chance to discuss that theme with two professors at the University of Michigan and a lecturer at Cornell, too, and to attend a Med School Bible study at Penn State Medical.
And I also got some great chances to further examine and learn about Christian Study Centers, a very unique and exciting model for complementary college ministry. I visited Study Center work at Cornell and UVA, as well as discussing this type of work with several people.
I haven’t had too many opportunities to explore grad, faculty, academic, or future-scholar work within campus ministry, though it’s certainly very important. So I was excited that God put those things on my plate this time around! You can see my thoughts after the Michigan interactions here.
theme: collegiate churches
I have had past opportunities to look at collegiate churches, but this trip provided some particularly strong chances to look at that branch of college ministry in-depth – probably more in-depth than I ever have before. It was interesting to watch as three weekends in a row found me at collegiate churches at Winona State (MN), Michigan, and Penn State (the latter two during big home game weekends!). But I also encountered collegiate church talk elsewhere; it’s both a prevalent method now and a method that seems to be on lots of people’s minds for the future.
national college ministry encounters
I am always honored when I have the chance to learn about various college ministries at the national level, getting a bird’s-eye view of groups and their people in various ways. And this 7-week trip was providentially chock-full of those opportunities!
For one thing, I was greatly honored to get to explore the actual national headquarters of both InterVarsity and the Coalition for Christian Outreach (and to connect with some national leadership in those places). But I also got to spend time with other national college ministry leaders – from Campus Ventures, the Evangelical Free Church, Churches of Christ, Ivy Jungle, Campus America, Impact Ministries (of the Independent Christian Churches), and InterVarsity Grad/Faculty Ministries. (And it was likewise exciting to connect with regional leaders of Campus Crusade, Chi Alpha, and Southern Baptist ministry!)
conferences
Besides all my regular sorts of explorations, this trip somehow crammed in three different conferences, too. I was honored to speak for several church-based campus ministers at the CollegeLeader Conference, then again for college ministers within the PC(USA)’s Lakes & Prairies Synod. Then, unexpectedly, I was invited to attend the Northeast Regional Staff Conference of Campus Crusade, where I found myself worshiping and learning together with a few hundred Cru staffers in the Adirondacks! An out-of-the-blue blessing indeed.
Like this whole adventure. That’s for sure.
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As a college minister, you probably have some room in the schedule over the next few days. Of course, family and football take precedence, but if you have some time beyond all that, I want to encourage you the same way InterVarsity’s Emerging Scholars Network just encouraged its readers:
Add Reaching the Campus Tribes to your Thanksgiving Break to-do list.
www.reachingthecampustribes.com
If you haven’t had the chance to read my (free and full-of-pictures) book yet, this week is a magnificent time to do so. The book offers major encouragement and major ideas for anyone involved in ministering to college students. Could you use a huge boost as the semester or quarter draws to a close – and as the next one is right around the corner?
You can easily read the whole thing in a day – especially a lazy, cozy day during Thanksgiving Break. And there’s even a mobile version if you need it, perfect for loading onto a phone and sneaking a peek during Halftimes!
I appreciate the thousands who have visited the site and downloaded the book so far. I’m excited that it seems to be helpful to a wide range of college ministers. After roaming the country over the last few years (and 8 years of direct college ministry before that), it’s still the best way I can share with you the fruit of what I’ve seen.
And if we’ll pass Reaching to other American Christians who need to understand what we do… it might just be a tool God uses to grow their support for our work, too.
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Meanwhile, as many of you are indeed beginning your Thanksgiving break today, I’m going to join you and take a few days off of the ol’ blog. Personally, it’s a doubly good time for me to take a pause, since…
…the enormous Road Trip 13 comes to a close today (presumably, at least).
I’ll have recapping to do next week, but for now it’s going to be a good time to rest up, hang with family, and clean out my car once more. It’s amazing the entropy that sets in during 7 weeks on the road!
See you on Monday.
written from Dickson, TN
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Exploring College Ministry Road Trip 13: Day 52 recap
recap: VA to mid-TN, with a fun stop at Tennessee Tech (see all explorations so far)
mileage: 9,213 miles (so far)
new campus: Tennessee Tech (#36)
new state: Tennessee (#24)
T-shirt: the Huskies of UConn
wednesday: I make my way home to the Dallas area! (final T-shirt today: the Pride of Widener University)
Yesterday, I noted a few questions that had arisen in my own curious mind about one of the BIG, vital aspects of collegiate ministry: finding the funds to get the job done. Today, I continue with a few more Qs for all of us, beginning with one I wish I didn’t have to ask.
4. What is your reaction to those who are funded differently from you? Is there any legalism or pity mixed in there?
Heartbreaking: Some college ministers on BOTH sides of the personal support-raising fence seem to look at those on the other with actual disdain! I think some have adopted homemade rules about how funding should happen, based either in biblical principles or personal experiences. Do you hold those in contempt who have to raise funds – or those who don’t raise funds? Are they “lesser” ministers / missionaries?
But others struggle not with judgment but with (wrongful) pity, especially regarding those (in the clear majority) who do raise their support personally. When I talk to college ministers raising their full support (even for decades and decades), they often report that it’s a wonderful life they lead.
And for those who have received funding through other means, that, too, can be celebrated! Right?
5. Are there a bunch of alternate funding sources we’re missing here?
As you may know, this is a pet hope of mine: That we might find many opportunities to help fund college ministry work and college ministry workers in creative (and even sometime ministry-enhancing) ways. This isn’t to supplant “Ministry Partner Development,” tithes at churches, or endowments and donations at Christian colleges. But could some kind of “entrepreneurial enterprises” or other creative models enhance the work we’re doing? I haven’t seen too much, although NewChapter has one strong idea in this area – and I myself was heavily funded this way for a couple of years.
I still figure there have got to be more options. Lots of ‘em, even.
6. Have you collaborated with others to gain funding wisdom?
We should collaborate on this issue, even with those outside of our organizations or branches of college ministry. Obviously. Even if we never switch to others’ models of fund development, others’ models for funding could easily offer us wisdom and “tweaks” for our own.
7. Is the mission you share compelling enough that supporters share your mission with others?
This was another main point in the talk (given by Cru NE Regional Team dude Ryan McReynolds) that I described yesterday. You and I believe that college ministry is exciting, world-changing, and undervalued, right? So are we telling that AWESOME TALE in such a way that others “get it”… and get it enough to spontaneously share the story, too?
It’s not easy to get good at our story-sharing. But it’s so, so worth it, that we might receive all the “ministry partnership” (in finances and otherwise) we possibly can!
written from Charlottesville, VA
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Exploring College Ministry Road Trip 13: Day 51 recap
recap: a rainy day of exploring the Cavalier tribe of UVA (see all explorations so far)
T-shirts: the Billiken (!) tribe of Saint Louis University
tuesday: I begin to head home… Probably past Nashville by the time I stop tomorrow!
Whether you happen to raise all, some, or none of your salary and operations budget personally, I encourage you to check out today’s questions, offered humbly to all of us. Because we all have to get financed from somewhere.
I haven’t written much about raising support, in large part because it’s something I’m not particularly acquainted with. But I recognize – and we all should recognize – that most college ministers personally raise their support from individuals and groups. Let us who live in helpful financial arrangements (because of our region, our branch of college ministry, or something else) not forget that fact. Support-raising is the norm.
But I try to limit myself in this blog and in conversations to things I’ve studied or experienced, and fundraising doesn’t fit either category too much. However, I did have the fantastic opportunity to sit in on some lengthy support-raising discussions yesterday, among none other than Campus Crusade staffers in the Northeast (who doubly know something about the need to raise funds – or participate in Ministry Partner Development, as they call it).
That certainly doesn’t make me an expert, but it got me thinking about what I have been able to see around the country in this area. The first of my questions today, with more to come.
1. When raising support – whether it’s financial, prayer, organizational, or any other kind of support – do you focus on connecting people to the mission or only to you?
That was the big point of my friend Ryan McReynolds’s portion of yesterday’s presentation: Don’t just win people over to supporting you; bring them into the wonderful idea of participating (with you) in transforming college students’ lives. And this applies to intangible support, too – which might make all the difference in keeping your job, growing your ministry, and impacting a campus. (Read more on that here.)
2. Regardless of how you’re presently paid and the work is supported, could God have other means in mind, too?
If you don’t have ministry partners… could you? Should you? Even a few? Even in church college ministry or Christian college spiritual life?
If you do support-raise, are there any alternate options for financing alongside that? Even a little bit?
We shouldn’t dismiss options simply because of inertia and a good argument or two for “the way we’ve always done it.” What if God has something surprising in mind? Would you even give Him a chance to show you?
3. How much (and how quickly) are alumni connected to your ministry after they graduate, as prayer support, moral support, and perhaps even financial support?
This seems like low-hanging fruit to me – again, even for church-based and Christian college spiritual life, not to mention for campus-based college ministry and collegiate churches. Having gone to Texas A&M, I’ve seen a great picture of alumni outreach in a secular environment; sadly, it doesn’t seem like this happens much in college ministries. But it could have benefits both for college ministries and their alumni!
This discussion continues in the next post!
Meanwhile, do you have any thoughts – or questions of your own? Many of you know more than me about this – I’d love to hear your wisdom, links, etc.
written from Charlottesville, VA
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Exploring College Ministry Road Trip 13: Day 50 recap
recap: More of Campus Crusade’s NE Regional Staff Conference in NY, then a 10-hour drive to Charlottesville (see all explorations so far)
T-shirts: the Prof (!) tribe of Rowan University
monday: exploring the University of Virginia!
After a late-night drive from Southern Jersey to the middle of New York State (near Ithaca), sleep is more important than blog. I’ve got a big day tomorrow at Cornell, and it should be a lot of fun. If I’m not falling asleep.
But I should have time to post today. So expect this week’s Fridea to be up sometime today (hopefully sooner rather than later), or, at the very least, for Saturday’s post.
Hooray for Frideas! Sorry for the delay!
Based on a conversation I had with a college minister this week (who said it was encouraging, so I figured I’d pass the thoughts along!):
Building our best campus mission, not growing a big college ministry, is the weight we should have on our shoulders!
I have yet to be sold on ministry size as a clear indicator of college ministry strength. Certainly, size means something; numbers, because they represent actual students, always mean something. And big numbers can be celebrated. But they’re not a key to ministry success. And they should rarely be a primary focus.
In fact, based on what I’ve seen, I believe an unwise focus on numerical growth – either by a college minister or his/her overseers – keeps many ministries from the success they could have had.
I believe…
- If we primarily aim for health and strength, we will often grow larger, too. And either way, God calls us to be good steward-shepherds of the flock He’s already given.
- If we focus on gaining numbers, we may not achieve numbers, health, OR strength. And if we do gain numbers, we may find ourselves drawing students to a weak and/or unhealthy ministry, while potentially making it harder to achieve health and strength in the future.
Yes, I love recruiting and talking about recruiting, because we get to participate with God in connecting students with our ministries. I want good ministries to grow! I want students (both Christian and non-Christian) to find our ministries and connect well!
But in a college ministry, the specific outcome labeled “Numerical Growth” should only be aimed for as often and as energetically as we’re called to aim for it.
For more, check out page 51 of Reaching the Campus Tribes (download the book for free here), check out How to Build a College Ministry to Crumble, and see other Assessment & Strength posts.
written from Williamstown, NJ
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Exploring College Ministry Road Trip 13: Day 46 recap
recap: exploring Rowan University (see all explorations so far)
mileage: 7,494 miles (so far)
T-shirt: the Sailfish tribe of Palm Beach Atlantic University
thursday: more Rowan U… then a late-night drive toward upstate NY!
Maybe it’s ’cause I’m back near NYC, or maybe I’m just nostalgic, but I wanted to present yet another aspect by which Late Night with Jimmy Fallon strongly reflects the Millennial Generation. The show’s methods connect well with the Gen Y mindset, so there’s much we (as ministers who deal exclusively with Gen Y-ers) can learn from!
This is the seventh post in the Jimmy Fallon & Gen Y series; you can see all the posts right here.
One of the more surprising aspects of Late Night these days is a fairly prominent eclecticism in its presentation and programming. This is one aspect of Jimmy’s show that is less obvious in a single viewing but becomes more evident over time – and it’s an aspect that’s certainly worth thinking about for our own “presentation and programming” as we serve the Millennial Generation.
Take a look at a Late Night episode – or better yet, a week of episodes – and you might just notice a broad variation in how the show proceeds.
Even in a single episode, the number of “shifts” represents a willingness (or purpose) to provide an eclectic experience. Fallon may chat unpredictably with band members, announcer Steve Higgins, and audience members; present some sort of one-time running theme throughout the show; or tell personal stories. There seem to be any number of options and themes for the post-monologue comedy bits; Jimmy’s just as likely to appear on a prerecorded video sketch (playing a moody Robert Pattinson or his own wife, for example) as he is to host a semi-mock game show with audience members, like Cell Phone Shoot-out or Wheel of Carpet Samples. And even the number of those bits varies night-to-night.
As for Fallon’s interviewees, the guest roster itself is eclectic, too. Yes, he brings the usual late night repertoire: current actors, musicians, comedians, chefs, animal keepers, politicians. But he also brings in video game makers, technology mavens, actors and musicians with “nostalgic value,” and other celebs that might not be as likely to appear elsewhere. And often guests interact with each other in pretty interesting (and occasionally jarring) “mash-ups.” Last week, for instance, Jimmy and Laurence Fishburne spent a whole segment joking with Sesame Street’s Elmo and Rosita…
Even the Late Night house band, The Roots, has rightly been labeled as “eclectic hip hop” from the beginning; their incredibly wide range of styles shows up throughout the show in bumper music and various guests’ walk-ins. And in a unique twist on the usual TV show homepage, Late Night uses a blog – the perfect format for showcasing its eclectic nature. (Take a look, and I bet you get the picture of how eclectic this show can be.)
Yes, I recognize that there is a certain “variety” apparent in other late night shows, too. With 5 nights a week, remaining “fresh” and unpredictable is vital for these shows. But I’d argue that Fallon “goes eclectic” to a greater degree than most – from his range of discussion topics (and activities) with celebrities to his large number of go-to comedy bits – and regardless of comparisons with others, this show’s Gen Y reflections are something we can notice and learn from.
This aspect – eclecticism – plays a big part in the world of Millennials. It’s the iPod mentality (which has now been copied by the JackFM-style radio stations that I find all over the U.S.). The variety found in an average playlist (or any of the “Favorites” on a student’s Facebook page) makes it clear that Gen Y has no trouble with radical life variation, with delighting in a wide range of themes and genres and topics and activities – all at once or in close proximity.
How many of these characteristics describe your students?
- multi-tasking
- multi-chatting
- apparent short attention span
- web-surfing
- adaptable
- highly involved
- over-committed
In their own ways, these aspects all point to very eclectic existences. And though some might want to make a case that this eclectic approach to life is a bad thing, I’m more interested in noting that it simply is. So it makes sense that a show (or a ministry) catering to Millennials might consider implementing eclecticism when it can.
I don’t know all the ways this might look – nor how far we should take this theme in the ministry world. Certainly, some patterns are important or at least helpful. But might ministries – from college ministries to the church at large – be able to inject more eclecticism into our (often very standardized, very cliché) calendars and schedules? Could messages, speakers, music, announcements, events, small group opportunities, and other offerings be made more like iPod playlists and less like the Top 40 Chart? Could schedules be shifted, mixed, inverted, or discarded sometimes? I don’t know that our students would be thrown off by extreme variation nearly as much as we would be!
And at the very least, minimizing our agenda-pendence might spur creativity, breadth of connection, wider involvement of students and others in ministry programming, and a greater acceptance of the messiness that Millennial ministry always entails.
This is one I’ll continue to ponder, and I hope you will, too. As we do, we might look for a little inspiration from Mr. Fallon.
[More thoughts on eclectic college ministry? I posted some ideas two days later.]
written from Harrisburg, PA
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Exploring College Ministry Road Trip 13: Day 43 recap
recap: finished out my time in State College & began heading east! (see all explorations so far)
T-shirt: the Marauder tribe of Central State University
monday: mostly catching up on work & such
For those of you who enjoy this sort of thing, I wanted to use this post to look back at my adventures last weekend – and let you know about this weekend’s (strangely parallel) exploits as I enjoy some great campus tribes!
Last weekend, I got to experience the well-known festivities that take place during a home football game at the University of Michigan.
Of course, this wasn’t just a fun respite from my calling to explore college ministries; it’s all part of the process of learning the campus tribes. (And I hope you do the same sort of thing – with some regularity – on your own campuses, walking among the “masses” as they go about their fun, their work, their studies, their parties, their lives.)
I now find myself in State College, PA, also known as the Happy Valley… and also known as the home of the Penn State Nittany Lions. Like last weekend at Michigan, this is also a home game weekend, and the home team is also playing a squad from Indiana. (Last week, Michigan played Purdue; today, Penn State plays IU.)
So I plan to explore the famous Gameday experience here, comparing and contrasting with last weekend to my heart’s content. (The tailgating at Penn State was voted the best collegiate tailgating by SI readers, and #5 by ESPN. And like last weekend, you can join in on the action, because I’ll be Tweeting my experiences throughout this morning.
Yet unlike last weekend, I’ll be attending the game – through a very providential set of circumstances, God has provided a free ticket!
So in case you missed last week, you can find my “reports” from Michigan below. Remember, all the “twitpic” links provide pictures from that big day. And if you want to follow my adventure in Happy Valley, just click over to www.twitter.com/bensonhines to see today’s reports!
- If you’re playing Michigan Game Day Bingo, cross off full gorilla suit, beekeeper helmet, & live band playing rock version of “Scrubs” 10:44 AM
- Made it to the entrance (see pic), now I walk back to campus & enjoy it again http://twitpic.com/omdh3 11:01 AM
- A classic tailgating scene: http://twitpic.com/omedb 11:07 AM
- A view up State St.: http://twitpic.com/omgh1 11:23 AM
- The biggest lawn party I’ve seen so far, complete w Halloween decor still up: http://twitpic.com/omhf1 11:29 AM
- As for instances of blaring Party in the USA this mornin’, the count is now 4 11:31 AM
- I had to take an alternate route to get back up to main campus, because walking against the gameday flow on State became a non-option 11:37 AM
- Best view of the day: Bongo Man in front of the stadium, who rhymes about the people who pass (& probably CLEANS UP). Brilliant. (Pic next) 12:04 PM
- Picture of Bongo Man at UMich Gameday: http://twitpic.com/ommmg 12:05 PM
- Tailgating with a TV: http://twitpic.com/omnlk 12:12 PM
- Fortunately, @ Michigan gameday I am wearing a UM T-shirt with blue & yellow… Unfortunately, it’s Univ of Missouri Kansas City (go ‘Roos!) 12:28 PM
- Oh, that campus missionaries would so work among the college tribes that the desires indulged in during a normal Gameday would be… 12:42 PM
- …not weakened but strengthened! “Our desires are not too strong but too weak.” – C.S.L. 12:43 PM
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