rah rah new scene road trip thir teen

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY

I’ll be leaving this Sunday, October 4th, on my 13th major, college ministry-exploring Road Trip!

The springboard for this trip is actually pretty exciting: A major national college ministry has contracted me to spend time with several of its chapters around the U.S.! I’ll be writing articles highlighting those local ministries’ work and impact, as a way to help the national group tell its story to supporters, potential supporters, and fans.

The national office planned to fly me to the various spots. And normal people would jump right on that.

But I’m not normal people. So just as I did prior to Road Trip #11 this summer, I pondered the situation, prayed plenty, and decided to make an already-cool situation EVEN BIGGER. So instead of simply dropping in (via aeroplane) on a handful of campuses, I’m packing up the Pathfinder to make my way around the country.

And “around the country” is particularly fitting this time, because I’ll be making my way in a big circle throughout the U.S., sorta bouncing along the edges of our nation. Though the itinerary is somewhat still in flux, the basic itinerary look something like this:

• Dallas to
• Southern California (via Phoenix) to
• Northern California to
• North Dakota / Minnesota to
• the Midwest to
• Pennsylvania / New York / New Jersey to
• Virginia to
• Home, presumably

(I already have one BIG question about this itinerary, and that’s whether to explore Northern Cal before SoCal. I know that’s weird and highly ineffecient. I have my reasons and am thinking that through…)

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE

Not only will I be doing the normal “exploring college ministry” thing all along the way, I also get the awesome chance to speak at two different conferences during this trip: the CollegeLeader Conference in Southern California, and the annual collegiate ministries conference of the PC(USA)’s Lakes & Prairies Synod. Each conference is a neat opportunity to share what I’ve learned, elaborate on what I wrote in Reaching the Campus Tribes, and discuss the change that comes when we approach campus ministry as a missions endeavor. I’m honored that they’d ask me to speak, and it will also be fantastic just to spend time with a bunch of college ministers who want to grow even stronger.

NEW SCENE THIR TEEN

I can already tell this trip will have some differences from those I’ve taken in the last year. More on that soon. Meanwhile, there are a variety of ways to keep updated, depending on how “updated” you want to be!

Facebook Group: The “Exploring College Ministry with Benson” Facebook Group is always the best shot at staying informed on the really big stuff. I don’t make a habit of sending lots of messages, but you do get first word (and sometimes the only word) on key updates.

Twitter: Whether you’re on Twitter or just check in at my Twitter page occasionally, this is the best way to catch random insights and experiences from within my trip. I always feel like my Twittering is kinda boring when I’m home – and, by comparison, it is. So now that I’m headed on another adventure, it’s a great time to check it out!

This blog: I will post the occasional update on my  various explorations as a post of its own. But during my trips, I also place a mini-update at the bottom of each post, relating things like the “campus tribe” I was representing that day (via my T-shirt choice), how many miles I’ve traveled, immediate plans, and any new states or campuses I got to visit. Look for that in blue.

Maybe more?: Stay tuned. There might be one more way to join the adventure of this trip, and I’m really excited about the possibility!

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