The Challenge of Hitting Your Target

How do you "hit" a target that's moving, from a starting point that is also moving, especially when you aren't sure that you have anything to do with the "hitting" part of the equation???

How do you assess something that's always changing (the student body), from a position that's also oft changing (the University), when the work you do (spiritual formation) is not so much quantifiable but qualitative???

That will be the task of our team this afternoon (and likely, long there after).

Our student body seems to be changing - not every 4 years, as it once did - but almost yearly! What seems to work one year can really struggle the next...

And I ask myself, to what degree should we, as campus ministers, buy into the compulsion to do "whatever it takes" to get students attention or interest? Or, to what degree do we instead stay consistent and faithful to the kind of programming we have felt called to provide and simply insist that students change their line of thinking and pursue depth over and above grandeur?

Unfortunately, I don't think it's as easy as choosing one way or the other...

Instead, I think our way forward will include a Spirit-led dance in which we are able to provide some of the "big and shiny" (that too often is characterized by a lack of depth and commitment) with the hope and intent of building more relationships with stronger bonds that will lend themselves to challenging more students to move from the "big and shiny" to the "less exciting" depths of faithfulness, fullness and transformation found in intentional and consistent worship, discipleship and service.

How do we do this? What does it need to look like?

Again, questions we hope to explore and experience some level of revelation about as we sit and listen for God this afternoon and beyond...

I'd love to hear about your ideas... what has worked on not worked given your unique context for ministry!

We pray for you today and ask that you join us in prayer as well!

Grace and Peace!!

A Campus Ministry Final Exam

It's exam time on campus...

And I guess it only makes sense that at the end of the semester we would put ourselves through a "final exam" of sorts... right?

With all that has happened and hasn't happened, with all of the feelings of relief, release, regret, re-ady to be done-ness... it is important for us to consider how we might make these final couple of weeks before the Christmas holiday most fruitful?

It may very well be that REST is what's most necessary... especially if we're not feeling like there are major issues that need to be addressed over the break regarding changes that need to be implemented for the spring semester of ministry...

If you've had a semester like mine, however, the next couple of weeks might be critical to turning the tide of your ministry.

But where to begin???

As of right now, our team has dedicated 4 half days this week to prayerfully engaging in the following tasks:

1. Assessing our current ministries and ministry context - what do we really know about this place and do the ministry opportunities we offer really meet the needs of our students? How do we know this?
2. Re-visit our mission, vision and purpose - given the insights and revelations from our time of assessment, do our mission, vision and purposes for ministry on this campus still make sense? If not, what changes need to be made?
3. Examining our current model of ministry - if changes to our approach to ministry are deemed necessary, it might mean that a new model - or framework - for ministry might also be necessary. What has worked in the past, or on other campuses, may no longer work in our current ministry environment.
4. Identifying promising strategies - what are some of the key relationships and partnerships (on and off campus) that need to be invested in, how do we need to reconsider our marketing, branding, etc. What events do we need to re/consider?

While I might rather find myself looking at the front end of a peaceful, holiday season hibernation, I am excited about the chance to prayerfully come before the Lord with the team He has assembled here and consider where we are and where we need to go.

If you have found yourself in this place before I'd love to hear from you about what you have found to be helpful and fruitful in this kind of process.

Grace and peace to you this Christmas season!

left to interpret

Do you ever find yourself scratching your head because of what's going on around you?

The last couple of weeks have been filled with head-scratching experience after experience... and I find myself wondering what it all means.

As a ministry leader I find myself desiring to fully believe in those around me... and what they tell me... but when actions seem to contradict what has been said, or is being said, it necessitates interpretation.

There are three interpretive options that I see:

1. I could choose to interpret things on my own. This seems like the easiest option... but potentially the most damaging. It's amazing the kinds of lenses that we can begin to see things through when the circumstances around us are creating disruption to our lives.
2. I could ask others what they think is going on. While this might help us to see beyond our own nose... and possibly from a different perspective... it has the potential to yield inaccurate information, as well as create an environment of talking behind the backs of others.
3. I could go right to the source (or sources). This is by far the best option... but obviously the most uncomfortable because of its confrontational nature. Approaching your brother or sister-in-Christ is a Biblical model for dealing with conflict. Consider Jesus' words in Matthew 15:18, If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

Interpretation is a part of life...

So, what do you do when your life or circumstances are in need of interpretation?

How do you approach people or issues in your life that you need to confront?

I'd love to know what you think!

Grace and peace!!

death and faith formation

One of our students tragically lost a parent last week.

In my 12+ years of doing life with college students this is the first time I've attended the funeral of a student's parent.

As we've reached out to him over the past few days, and begin to think about walking alongside him over the coming weeks, months and years; I've found myself wondering how an event of this magnitude shapes a young person during some of the most formative years of their life.

The "college years" are already filled with times of significant life transition, asking big questions, learning how to ask better questions, learning how to seek out answers, determining who we want to become, opening ourselves to who and what God might want us to become, learning how to relate to others at new levels, for new reasons, etc., etc., etc. The number of life shaping influences seem to be at a premium.

The kind of life alteration/formation/transformation that comes with the death of a loved one is one rarely experienced by the "invincible" college student... unless an untimely tragedy like this one occurs.

Every student is different... and will handle a tragedy like this differently... and so my prayer for this young man is that God will use the loss of his earthly father to bring him closer to his Heavenly Father. That many of the superficialities that college students so often get sidetracked by will fall away and this time of formation will prove to be exponential for this weary journeyer.

May God's grace and mercy be ever-present!

How do you walk alongside people who have experienced the death of a loved one?

How have you seen God work in exponential ways in the life of someone who has experienced such pain and devastation?

What advice to you have for those of us who are new to this kind of ministry?

Leading UP

How do you lead UP?

How do you effect decisions, or shape outcomes, from the position you hold?

We are all called to be people of influence right where we are... regardless of whether we feel our decisions impact a few... or many more.

When we're not the top, or final, decision maker in our ministry, or institution, it can feel like our opinions don't count. That our vision is less important. That what we believe might even be wrong, because it conflicts with those who do have the final decision making authority.

The reality is that you don't need to have the final say to be someone who influences people, ministries, institutions, etc. in profound ways.

It's called leading UP.

This is when we tactfully and strategically approach those above us the org chart with the hope and intention of helping them consider something different... a new initiative, direction, redirection, position, posture, etc. This can be an intimidating prospect, but one through which God might choose to work and move in powerful ways.

In attempting to lead UP, I think there are a few essentials we must keep in mind:

1. Be prayerful - It's amazing how receptive people can be when we've asked the Lord to create receptive space on one side of the conversation, and a right heart on the other. It's just as important that we pray for God to grant us with the appropriate heart and words - if not more so - than for the receptive ears on the other side.
2. Be humble - It's important to remember that your boss, supervisor, advisor, etc., is someone who has been placed in their position for a reason - even if you don't believe them to be the best person for the role... It's important that we recognize that God was at work in our setting long before we/others showed up.
3. Be confident - Keeping points 1 and 2 in mind, we need to approach our supervisor with confidence - fully believing that what we have to say truly needs to be said/heard. If we don't believe what we're saying... there's no way that they will. Likely, in hearing us out, the people we're attempting to influence are trying to discern whether or not they can go - in confidence - and convince anyone who may raise questions that what YOU have suggested is, in deed, the best way forward.
4. Find the right time - Timing is key. In the right place, at the right time, most people will be willing to listen to what you have to say. If, however, you approach them in the wrong place, at the wrong time, you could be jeopardizing whatever influence you may have had with this person simply because you inconvenienced and/or embarrassed them.
5. Be prepared - If we are going to be influential - or give our supervisors reason to listen well to what we have to say - we don't dare waste their time with passion-filled pleas that are not supported by evidence, or even theories, that support something other than what is currently being considered.

Being a person of influence often means that we are willing to follow the leading of Jesus, out of a place of safety, and into some the vulnerable position of going against the flow of the tide.

What about you?

Do you desire to be a person of influence?

How do you lead UP?

Is there anything that you think needs to be considered in trying to lead UP?

What makes for a good day?

I've spent much of the day behind closed doors, tending to work that simply must be tended to...

A part of me feels a little guilty. Students have just returned from fall break, and aside from my 8 a.m. Old Testament class and the couple of students that have dared to knock on my closed door, I haven't had much student interaction.

Makes me wonder if I'm choosing to spend my time the right way...

When do you find it OK to close your door in order to be "productive?" Should relationship time ever be sacrificed for tending to "tasks" when you serve as a leader within a ministry?

How do you balance your work/role as a faithful leader between relationships and tasks?

I'd love to know.

Grace and peace!

When 'Walmart' moves to town

What do you do when a bigger, more well-known, more financially funded ministry moves in just down the street from you?

Rumor has it that this may be happening to us.

A very successful young adult ministry at a church about 20 minutes from our campus is rumored to be creating a satellite campus at the edge of our campus. This move would likely thwart many of the efforts that our young ministry has worked very hard at over the past few years.

We're not exactly sure what this will mean for us... how we will do what we do... or want to do.

One of the big conversations I've been having with some of you relates to the relationship between the campus and the church... and it looks like I might be forced to navigate some uncharted waters for me, our ministry here, and our campus community soon.

Have you experienced anything like this before? If so, how'd it go?

If I'm honest with you, I feel uneasy. My spirit senses that this could provide an immediate boost to our campus, but ultimately, leave us in a weakened state as an institution that is desperately trying to retain/gain it's Christian identity.

I'd love to hear any words of wisdom on this out there.

Please pray for our God's will to be done on our campus and in the lives of our students - for His glory!!

Grace and peace.

The [R]'s of fall bReak

Fall break is nearly upon us!

This is a critical juncture in the fall semester for students, yes, but for campus ministers as well.

As students leave campus for a few days, we have the [R]esponsibility of tending to the [R]'s of fall bReak.

[R]est - for too many of us, this will be the first time we let up on the gas pedal that has been pressed to the floor since mid-August as students and student leaders returned to campus. For you, fall break might be a time when you literally need to break away from the crazy pace you have been keeping and simply rest in the presence of the Father.

[R]eflection - for some of us, we've been so busy doing ministry, that we have not created enough space to simply be and hear from God about what we're doing... or maybe more importantly, what He is doing in our midst. The fall break can be a great opportunity to slow down and examine what has taken place in your ministry, and on your campus, over the past two months. There is a lot that God wants to teach us from our recent experiences, but it does require that we create space for Him.

[R]econnect - for some of us, we've spent so much time involved in our own ministry silos that we've neglected some important relationships and partnerships on campus and in the local community. Fall break can be a great time to reconnect with colleagues and co-laborers in the work of reaching college students with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and raising up the next generation of faithful leaders.

[R]edirect - for some of us, this will be the critical point in the semester/year when we recognize that our ministry needs to move in a new direction. It will likely take some of the aforementioned rest, reflection and reconnecting in order to fully realize our need for change, as well as the specific direction/s we need to now move.

So where do you find yourself as fall bReak approaches? What are you (and your ministry) most in need of this season?

Grace and peace to you co-laborer in Christ!

Catalyst - Day 2 - Matt Chandler & Running the Race!

"Some of us get the ministry of Moses. Some Joshua." Matt Chandler

This is an important reminder for me today. Or any day that individuals raise questions about our leadership, ministry, direction, character, etc.

Today is one of those days for me.

I got the chance to hear Matt Chandler, Lead Pastor of The Village Church, speak on Day 2 of the Catalyst conference last week. He is good stuff. A deep well!

The focus of his message to the 13,000 of us that sat at attention was simply to: "run the race that God has marked off for us!" (Heb. 12) For some of us that will be the ministry of Moses - one filled with following God with great faithfulness, but feeling fought by those that we are trying to serve every step of the way. Recall that it did not take the Israelites long to start second-guessing Moses/God upon their great departure from Egypt. The 40 years of wandering in the desert, covered in the book of Numbers, seems to encapsulate the majority of Moses time spent in leadership of the Israelites - who whined and complained almost unceasingly. The end of Moses leadership is chronicled in Deuteronomy - where he charges the Israelites to, 1) remember how faithful God has been in the past - as they have been faithful to Him, 2) recommit themselves to God and the covenant, and 3) pass the baton of leadership off to Joshua.

Joshua then got the glorifying task of leading God's people into the Promised Land. Moses had served his time, spent day after day after day leading an ungrateful people who just couldn't seem to get it. And then Joshua got to complete the task that was originally charged to Moses - to take the Promised Land.

Some of us get the ministry of Moses. Some Joshua.

Today I feel like a Moses. It's never fun to hear of people calling you, or your ministry, into question... especially if you believe you are following the leadership of God.

The people of God often "suggested" to Moses what they thought would be best. Moses struggled with trying to lead a people that seemed more interested in having their own needs met then tending to what God wanted for them.

This was how Moses spent his life. This is how I've spent my morning.

How do we walk the narrow path of discerning and following the direction of God, especially when it seems to trend against what "the people" are wanting?

College students in particular seem to be quite sure of "what they want" and much less aware - and open to - what the actually need. It gets even more confusing when its our student leaders raising the questions. Do they really see something?? Or have they become so enamored with their own role and sense of importance that they now think they've got it all figured out??

Have you ever experienced anything like this?

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Please keep our campus community in your prayers!! I truly believe that God desires to do a new/great work in our midst.

Grace and peace.

Catalyst - Day 2 - A Morning w/Andy & Malcolm

It's been a full day... a full, great day!  But I'm tired.

I thought it important to get down some highlights from the day and some thoughts on how it might shape our ministry on campus before I get flooded with more insights tomorrow!

So here we go...

Andy Stanley got things started this morning.  Andy is the founding pastor of North Point Community Church.  His job was to introduce the theme for the conference and set the frame work for the two-day event.  Speaking on the theme: On Your Mark, Andy focused on the story of Joshua.  The key to Joshua's success, and ours, as a leader?  Choosing to allow God to make HIS mark through us... and NOT forcing our mark on the world!  He also said that, "living to make OUR mark on the world is TOO SMALL a thing to give our lives to."

WOW!  What a great word!

After a little break... and a chance to step outside and enjoy the beautiful weather... we (13,000

 Christian leaders from around the country/world) got to hear from Malcolm Gladwell.  Malcolm is a best-selling author of books like: Outliers, Blink, and The Tipping Point.  This guy cut right to the heart!  The topic: The Mistakes Experts Make.  Our biggest mistake as leaders?  Overconfidence.  A lack of humility.  Our overconfidence has a way of becoming a snare.  A trap that keeps us from hearing the wisdom of others and seeing what's really going on around us.

There are some insights that need to shape us as leaders, as well as re/shape our approach to ministry with college students:

• we need to decide who's purpose we are serving - God's or ours
• we need to decide what kind of mark we want to make - God's or ours
• we need to decide who we want to be glorified through our ministry efforts - God or ourselves
• we need to decide who we will put our trust in - God or ourselves
• we need to decide who's strength we will work from - God's or ours
• we need to decide whether we will go the path of humility or overconfidence
• we need to decide if we will work with others or go it alone
• we need to decide if we will empower others or hold them back

The choices we make concerning these paths will either point those that we serve more and more to Jesus... or to us.  Toward the Divine or the flawed.  Towards Truth or something less.  And God entrusts each of us with these significant decisions.

Will we be faithful?  

What other REAL choice is there!?!

Catalyst - Day 1 - The Aquarium Effect

I'm attending my first Catalyst conference this week.  

For me it's a mixed bag...

After the first day I can honestly say that leaders, and quality of their messages, have been well worth the price of admission.  I'm a learner at heart... so having the chance to hear from some of the top Christian thinkers, authors, pastors, leaders, etc., is the upside of this experience.

The down side?  The crowds and the pace.  I'm a much bigger fan of retreats over conferences... with much more built in space for silence and solitude... quiet corners for conversations... opportunities to connect with the presenter/s... and I don't anticipate much of this here.  

Nonetheless, I'm expecting good things from my time here in Atlanta!

One of the most notable highlights for me, today, was a session I sat in on that was led by Alan Hirsch.  He was a fun, funny, quirky Australian with a strong native accent - even though he's relocated to L.A. - and he was dialed in from word one.

The part of his presentation that most hit home to me was when he started to talk about the high percentage of high school students (he said 80%, but I've heard as high as 90%) that head off to college with a "strong" faith and end up throwing in the towel during their years on campus.  

Why does this happen?

Alan used the aquarium as a metaphor for the kind of environment (church/youth group) that most high school graduates leave in coming to the university.  It's an environment characterized by:

• safety
• no/low risk
• control
• no/low challenge
• a near perfect equilibrium

It is an artificial environment that forces it's inhabitants into an untested way of living that renders them unable to survive in more challenging environments.

Although Alan did not go into remedies, there are a few that come to mind... a few ways that churches/youth groups might re/consider the way they approach their work with young people:

• expose students to some of the struggles of life that they might typically be shielded from
• give students increasing levels of responsibility - of varying kinds
• challenge the status quo - push students beyond the safe, cliche answers
• deal with the raw, painful issues of their lives - student live with so much weight

If we want to see students' faith "survive" the college years - which really should define and shape those years - we need to re/think about how we're preparing them for those critical years.

There's no formula to how this can/should happen... but I think the statistics demand that we take an honest assessment of what we're doing, its effectiveness, and willingly make the necessary changes.

Those are my thoughts... what are yours?

on campus and into the classroom

I've been thinking about the classroom today...

It might have something to do with the fact that, for the next 8 weeks, my Monday's will include an 8 a.m. Old Testament class, as well as a 4-hour evening OT class.

Although I'm now into my 13th year of ministry on a university campus, this is only my 4th teaching in the classroom. Even though I work at a Christian university, I am not on the faculty, and my official job description does not consist of teaching any classes.

This is above and beyond.

So why do I do it? For a few reasons:

1. I have found the classroom to be a great place to interact with students that I might not normally run into on campus. On average, I would say that of the 24 students that typically fill each class, only 2 or 3 per class would likely have come into the Office of University Ministries. So the classroom has become an incredible opportunity for relationships!
2. I have found the classroom to be a great place to engage in important conversation. At Belmont, as a part of the core curriculum, students are required to take 2 religious studies courses - usually their 1st and 3rd years. Because of their required nature, these classes are typically filled with a spiritually diverse crowd... which, with a spirit of hospitality and charity, can be a great place for rich conversations!
3. Being in the classroom seems to fuel the "learner" in me... which is something that needs to be fueled with great consistency, I believe! Our students are being challenged to think critically about new ideas, methods, and practices... how much sharper will we be as ministers if this becomes a practice of ours as well?
   
4. Most adjunct appointments typically pay $1500-$2500 per class... which, when coupled with the first three reasons, is just a cherry on top!
   

As people who minister to college students we need to be on campus... all over campus! Getting into the classroom is a great "next step." Whether within the religious studies department, basic communications, or some other area that allows you to bring some of your knowledge and skill into an instructional environment, this is an opportunity full of potential! Having a chance to connect with students 1, 2, 3 or ever 4 times a week in a structured manner creates opportunities for relationships and conversations that might not otherwise have presented themselves.

Now is the time to begin exploring this opportunity on a campus near you for the winter or spring term. You never know how God might choose to use an opportunity like this...

Building bridges between the Church and the Campus

This past Sunday, as a part of Welcome Week on our campus, the University Ministries office hosted a Church Fair. We told students that this was there one-stop-church-shopping experience... the Walmart of church shopping.

We invited 40+ local churches who have a heart of college-age students and are interested in finding ways for them to be both nurtured to grow and challenged to serve, to come to this 2 hour event. They were encouraged to bring staff members, students involved in their ministry and information. New students had the chance to "work the room" and hear from pastors and students about their church and how they could be involved.

I spent some time walking around the fair and talking with the different church leaders that were present. Time and time again I was thanked for the opportunity to be on campus to talk with students. As we talked a bit longer, I was surprised to learn that most church leaders did not feel welcomed on most campuses.

What a tragedy!

While every campus will operate differently, and even have certain policies about who can be on campus and for what reasons, I cannot understand why (especially Christian universities) would not want to help students to get connected with the local church.

I am increasingly aware of the need for the Church and the Campus to see their work in a new light... One that speaks to partnerships and collaborative efforts! One that sets aside pride and puts the spiritual development, character development and vocational preparation of young people at the forefront... regardless of who's doing it!

If our mission is NOT about having the the most students, but instead, about the ongoing spiritual growth and formation of young people, then does it really matter who "gets the credit?"

I think this falls under the category of working smarter... and not harder.

What do you think?

starting with the end in mind

I had the chance to speak to more than 300 student leaders on campus a couple of days ago.  At lunch, immediately following the presentation, a student at a nearby table commented that he was putting something I said up on his facebook... 

I took a deep breath and said, "OK, what?"

The statement that he took away from the 40 minute presentation, "You're a leader now, so you'd better have some idea of where you're goin'... because as a leader you are telling others, 'hey, let's go, follow me, i know the way.'"

I tried to tell him that this statement was likely something I had heard before, so he probably shouldn't give me credit for it, and then commented that I was glad he had found a takeaway from our time together!

A direct message from a new campus minister today got me thinking about a similar question for those of us leading leaders and ministries to consider at the start of a new year...

How do I start this new year off right/well?!

While answers will vary from campus to campus, and minister to minister, I do think there are some secondary questions that we need to ask ourselves (as well as the teams we work with) to assist us in answering this question, and so that we don't come to the end of the year and wonder... "What happened?"

Here are the questions:

1. Where am I?  Or, where am I at?  We need an accurate assessment of "where we are at," as leaders, as well as where our students and campus cultures are at so we know where we need to go. We need to know what the most significant needs of our students are if we want to serve them best.  If you're new to your ministry context, one of the best things I can offer you is this... take your time to get to know your students and their needs (and compare them to what you currently offer).  Even though it might seem like a "waste of time," the last thing you want to do is get to the end of the semester or year and find out that you really have wasted your time because the things you chose to be about were unnecessary.  This question establishes our starting point.
2. Where do I want to end?  Or, where do I want to see my students at the end of our year together?  This is what gives us our direction at the beginning of the year, as well as a vantage point to evaluate from at different points along our year of ministry.  This question establishes our goal(s) that we will strive towards throughout the year.
3. What is realistic?  Given the current state of your ministry, leadership team, student base, campus environment, local church support, etc., what is an accurate estimation of what you (with God) can accomplish this year - you don't want to bite of too much and find yourself spread too thin, or going in too many directions, throughout the year, and yet, you don't want to do too little and find yourself wishing you had done more!  Praying for God's leading in your leadership is essential!  This question establishes how attainable our goals are - a good thing to consider at the beginning of the year.
4. What challenges can I foresee?  Sometimes, if we can anticipate certain challenges, we can plan accordingly and/or work more effectively when they arise.  Are there student leaders that don't seem "all in?"  Are there budget cut-backs that are going to have a negative impact?  Big things happening on campus?  Are there big changes happening within student or professional leadership?  This question establishes potential roadblocks between your starting point and desired end point.  Any one of them has the potential to sideline you and your ministry.
5. What's it going to take?  Realistically, what's it going to take to get from where you are to where you feel led to be in the end?  Do you have the right leadership in place to help you get there?  Do you have the right self/soul-care habits and space established for your ongoing pursuit of Jesus?  Are your students ready for what you've got planned?  This question is your gut check.  If you can answer YES to being up for whatever it's going to take... then proceed with everything you've got!

Ministry with college students is such an adventure!  Different from year to year, semester to semester, month to month, week to week, day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute... and student to student!

We must continually and prayerfully take the intentional steps that will move us (our ministry and students) towards the goal(s) that God has set before us.  We must be ever-aware of how the Spirit is leading and flexible to changes that might be asked or needed along the way.

"Our ministry" is really God's ministry... as faithful servants we are called to come under His leadership and into alignment with what He's already at work doing in that place.

God's grace and peace to you at the start of a new school year! 

Getting student leaders to commit

Is it just me, or does it seem like it's getting harder and harder to get student leaders to commit to, and follow through with, an extended leadership role?

In our consumer-driven society (and campuses), it should come as no surprise to us that more and more students are finding it easier and easier to jump from one thing to the next... one leadership role to the next... without much thought given to how their choices will impact the contexts and relationships that are left behind for the next best thing.

Today is our second day of campus-wide leadership training on campus. More than 300 leaders representing: Welcome Week staff, Residence Life, University Ministries, Student Activities, SGA and have come back early to experience common and area-specific training. Our theme for the past few years for this leadership initiative known as Week1 has been: One Spirit, One Purpose.

Thus far it appears that a common thread of the messages given, and conversations had, have been "commitment" related. I think this is a MUCH needed theme to be covered with our student leaders. In fact, I'll be co-presenting a workshop today with a colleague from our Student Affairs office, that will focus on what we can learn about leadership from one of the most significant commitments we can make: marriage.

The connections we want students to takeaway?

Marriage (and leadership):

• needs to be viewed as a calling
  
• is an unfolding process
• requires preparation and ongoing attention to growth and development
• requires commitment, accountability and responsibility
  
• needs to be grounded in faith and fueled by the life-giving love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ
  
• is an opportunity to give yourself away... to something bigger than yourself
  
• is not for everyone

The harsh reality that 50% of marriages end in divorce can also tell us something about what we might expect from our student leaders in the year ahead. For too many reasons to count, some legitimate - many others not so much, close to half of our students will likely not have the kind of positive leadership experience that they had anticipated. They will find themselves overextended, frustrated, overwhelmed, under-supported, under-appreciated and unfulfilled...

Or they might just find themselves bored, tired, or simply more interested in something new.

When they leave, for good or bad reasons, the void that they leave will be felt... and that void has the potential to leave a debilitating wake of ruin in the aftermath.

The reality is that life will happen, even to the best of our leaders, and they will need to step away from their role to deal with it... and we need to support them when that happens!

But for the increasing number of student leaders that seem to find it all to easy to just flake out on their responsibility as a leader within your ministry, we must begin to have more intentional conversations with them, from the very beginning, about what it means to commit to a leadership position.

It might not be as important as the wedding vows that many will one day make, but learning how to be young people who are more responsible, accountable and willing to follow through with commitments that they make can only serve them well in life... both now and later.

At the end of our workshop(s) today we will give students the opportunity to write their leadership vows - the things that they want to be about and commit to this year... and then we will charge them to see their vows through to completion.

Student leaders - the heartbeat of our ministry efforts and the future leaders of our world - what a high calling to be involved in their lives and their development as the next generation of faithful leaders in the world!

How do you get student leaders to commit? I'd love to hear about it!

Grace and peace to you as your work with student leaders this day!

Day 4 of 40 Days of Prayer for Campus Ministry

the temptations of old wineskins

How was your summer?

Have you thought about that question? It's an important one for all of us who work in the field of campus ministry to sit with...

Why?

Because we are about to start a new year with students... whether we're ready or not!

My summer was not what I had anticipated... The long and short of it is that we sold our home almost nine weeks ago, and were supposed to close on the purchase of a new one on that same day... but for mold-related reasons, we did not... and have have been "on the road" ever since.

We are slated to close on the purchase of our "new" new home at the end of this month... all in all it will be 71 days on the road.

Nope, not a part of MY plan.

What was supposed to be the "summer of Guy" has been an exhausting two plus months of staying in the homes of friends who were on vacation, or traveling to stay with family...

Definitely NOT the summer I had dreamed of back in May. Oh how we cherish, and NEED, our summers as campus ministers.

Can you relate?

Do you find yourself at the onset of a new academic year feeling tired... already?!?

I was reminded on my commute to campus this morning that, regardless of whether or not I'm ready, student leadership training starts today - all other students will be moving back to campus on Saturday - and classes will begin one week from today.

No how matter how hard I might pray, I don't think there's anything I can do to put off the start of this new year.

My fear is that I might be tempted, in my tired-state, to put this year's wine into last year's old wineskins... to put a new twist on an old message... to rely on the things that have worked in the past, with past students, and reuse them with the new...

This is a danger that we must fight against! This is a new year, many of our students will be new students, and they NEED and DESERVE a fresh breath!

I'm thankful that in times of weakness (even as ministers) we have a God who says, Come to me and find rest. Come to me with your burdens. Remember, MY power is made perfect in [your] weakness.

Today, let us remember to pray for one another and the work we are collectively doing in the power of the Holy Spirit! Let us lean into Jesus for strength and perseverance in these transitional weeks of our year. May God be glorified both in us, and through us, as this new year begins!

Grace and peace

Day 3 of 40 Days of Prayer for Campus Ministry

The Church and the Campus

We need to recognize that we are on the same team!

It's high time that all of us involved in ministry stop working against one another and start working with each other... towards the same end - the spiritual formation and redemption of those that God brings our way!

While some of us may be already approach ministry in this way... I think there are far too many of us that do not.

Instead of seeing each other as brothers and sisters - co-laborers in the field - we see each other as competition... or even worse, the enemy!

Of these failing relationships, one falls more heavy on me...

It's the rifts between the Church and para-church and/or campus-based ministries that reach out to the millions of college-aged students around the world.

We must begin see our collective work as the stewardship of souls that God brings into our company... and what starts in the Church, at some point - in many instances, needs to get passed on to the campus.

Students who move off to campus can really struggle to connect with a local church in the midst of this great transition.

Campus ministries are in the strategic position to step in at this point and help students to find their feet - physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Now please, do not hear me advocating for campus ministry involvement at the expense of finding a new church home... because that's not what I'm doing!

However, what we offer on campus is something that is designed to meet the unique and specific needs of college students, while also pointing them towards the local church!

We want them involved in both!!

We see ourselves as missionaries - to a unique and specific field - and hope to connect with students as they enter a new environment filled with new people and new ideas.

The critical college years are often when students make decisions about faith - whether or not they believe what their parents and/or pastors taught them, as well as how central it's going to be to how they live their life.

These really are CRITICAL years!!

Ultimately, as campus ministers, we hope that after our students leave our campus... they take their campus ministry and "new" local church experience and translate them into new levels of commitment and involvement in the local church... wherever God might take them.

Friends and colleagues in the Church... we need you to see us as your eyes and ears on campus... we need your support, encouragement and prayer.

We need your friendship and respect.

Know that you have ours!

Grace and peace

Day 2 of 40 Days of Prayer for Campus Ministry

preparing the next generation of leaders

With just a couple of days before our student leaders return to campus, I find myself thinking about the importance of the task at hand:

preparing the next generation of leaders to be the men and women that God desires them to be.

What an important task!

No, not a task to be completed and checked off a 'to-do' list, but an ongoing task to be invested in over the course of all of the years that we have with these students!

Yes, a significant part of our ministry is to the masses, but I would dare say that the most critical part of the work that we do comes in the training and equipping of student leaders.

How large a role to student leaders play in your ministry on campus?!

In today's student culture, I believe that student leaders are one of the greatest assets to successful ministry on campus!

• They have a trusted voice among their peers
• They have unlimited access to people and place we don't
  
• They have the ability to speak most clearly to their generation
• They often have a contagious passion
• They have a greater understanding of one another

We need to utilize these key students that really want to make a difference!

So how do we equip them?

I think there are a number of areas that we need to address with student leaders - not only during times of training, but throughout the year as a way of reminding them of the importance of the ministry they have. Some key areas I believe we need to focus on are:

• The mission of your ministry - the need to learn why you/they do what you do.
  
• How the work you/they do fits into the greater work of God, the Church and the University - they need to see the connections beyond your ministry.
  
• Soul care and self-care of the leader - they need to learn the importance of how to be healthy as a leader and why.
  
• What it means to be both accountable and responsible - these are two areas that most of today's student culture seem to shy away from... we need to help them learn the significance of both of these areas... not just for their work with us, but for life in general!
  
• Time management - another oft neglected area that will benefit them now, and later in life, as well as your ministry efforts together.
  
• Specific skills necessary for the specific area of ministry they are leading in - passion and Christian commitment don't necessarily translate into good leadership... we need to help them learn in areas that they might not yet have experience.

While student leaders are essential to the work and mission of campus/college ministry, their role as a student leader is one of the greatest contexts I know of for their ongoing spiritual formation and leadership development as a college students!

What do you think?

How significant is student leadership?

How do you train and equip students to be leaders within your campus ministry?

Let's keep the conversation going!

Who is your pastor?

One of the essentials of anyone doing campus/college ministry - serving as a pastor to so many on campus - is finding a nurturing, life-giving pastor that we can bring ourselves under.

It's called leading up.

And if you're anything like me... this can be something that is too often overlooked because of how busy we get serving and investing in the lives of others.

This practice of "leading up" is one that involves us as pastors bringing ourselves under the care, support, encouragement, accountability and blessing of one that is older, wiser, more experienced and solely interested in our success a fellow minister of the gospel!

Hopefully this includes a mentor in our field of campus ministry... it really needs to!

But it most definitely should also include the pastor at your local/home church!

Now, if you're ministry is a church-based ministry, this will be both easy and complex.  For you, the challenge has less to do with brining yourself under your pastor's leadership, and more to do with how safe you feel brining up absolutely everything to this person that also serves as your supervisor/employer.

For those of us that minister from outside of the local church - in campus or para-church settings - our need to be worshiping in the local church, under the care and leadership of a pastor that we respect and are willing to hear from, is paramount!

We cannot justify skipping out on the local church because of "all that we do throughout the week on campus..."

We cannot justify skipping out on worshiping in the local church because of the campus worship events that we lead or participate in...

We cannot justify not being a part of a local church congregation because we cannot find one that "fits" with everything we believe or desire...

We cannot justify it because we need it, our students need to see us in it, the local church needs it... and God requires it!

• Who's your pastor?
  
• How do you lead up?

• How significant do you believe this to be?  Does the amount of time you give to it congruent with how important you believe it to be?
  
• What changes do you need to make?
  

Leading up is an essential for the work that we do because it so significantly shapes the people we are becoming.

re-creation

Saturday's posts will be about recreation...

Re-creating ourself - away from the office...

Workaholism is a terrible disease that plagues our country, our families, our health, and yes, even our ministers.

In my first year of ministry i received two of the best pieces of advice regarding my work, and longevity, as a minister...

1. You should NEVER work more than 2 0f the 3 time periods of the day.  If you know you're going to be out in the evening, than arrange to come in late... or be out in the afternoon.  Plan your calendar accordingly!
   
2. There is ALWAYS more ministry to be done... if you plan to stay "at the office" until it's all done then you'll never end up going home.

As ministers we NEED to have a life outside of the work that we do on campus!  

• We need to spend time with family and/or friends.
• We need to engage in the delight of a hobby.
• We need to take care of non-work related tasks that often get pushed to the side when we're in the midst of "doing ministry."
• We need to be with people who fill us up... as most of our work on campus involves us pouring ourselves out into the lives of others.

At the end of a week packed full of ministry, we NEED to be willing to spend some time caring for ourselves... so that when "Monday" rolls around (I recognize that "Mondays" and "weekends" happen at different times of the week depending on where and how we do ministry) we'll be ready for a new week of investing in the lives of students!

So how do you re-create?

What are the life-giving, non-ministry related, activities that you spend time doing on the weekends?

Do you struggle to disconnect yourself from campus?  If so, why?

I love what I do on campus, just like you... but over the course of time I have come to realize that without the proper attention to certain areas of my life as a minister... like intentionally stepping away from campus on Saturdays to care for myself in some significant ways, the recipe for burnout and/or moral failure is much less likely to present itself.

We have to remember that God won't leave campus just because we do... 

In fact, He's a lot more likely to use us if we are refreshed and ready after we've joined Him in re-creating ourselves!

a 21st C. way of looking at the 4 spiritual laws

i realize that evangelism - sharing our faith with others - serving as a witness to what God has done in our lives - or whatever you might call it, can be an intimidating thing...

and while there's no substitute for sitting down with someone you have a growing relationship with and sharing the evidence of God at work in your life, sometimes it can help to have some other things to draw on...

check out this great illustration put out by James Choung in conjunction with InterVarsity.

as posted on YouTube, Material adapted from "True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In" and "Based on a True Story," both published through InterVarsity Press.

part 1



part 2



what do you think?

how would the college students you know respond to something like this?

have you come across any other creative ways of sharing the good news of the Gospel with college students?

i'd love to read your thoughts...

let's keep the conversation going!

extending a hand across campus

with just a week left before students begin to return to campus, it's time to start crossing off some of those "to-do's" from our list...

for all of us involved in campus ministry, whether we serve on the campus or from off-site, one of the most important things we can do to further the reach of our ministry is to establish important partnerships with key individuals on the campus/es we serve.

university life is interesting...

during the summer months, when campus is quiet and minds are a bit more clear, we have grand thoughts of new endeavors and partnerships... but too often too little effort or energy as we are recovering from the year of ministry that was...

and as the new academic year looms ever-closer... what once was just a dream of what "could be" has the chance to be easily pushed off the table because of what seems more urgent in our final days of preparations...

but i ask:

is there anything more important, more valuable, then new and growing relationships with people on and around campus?

as people who minister to college students we need to be in their world... and known by those in that world that will long outlast our students - namely, the faculty and staff.

to have a well-respected faculty and/or staff speak highly of you/your ministry, to advocate for you in the presence of other fac/staff/students, to point students your direction, etc., is one of things that can strengthen and grow your ministry the most from one year to the next!

conversely, it doesn't take too many faculty, staff or students for that matter, talking badly about you or your ministry to bring it crumbling to the ground!

finding ways to partner with different campus figures for different ministry initiatives can serve to add legitimacy (in the eyes of some on campus) to what you're doing, as well as new levels of breadth and depth to what you are offering.

recognizing the season of life (the university years) that the people we serve (college students) are in needs to shape how we do ministry... how we approach them!

we need to be advocates of education, higher education, the learning process, the role of faculty and staff in the educational and formational process of students...

and we hope, and pray, that they become that for us!

i believe that God desires for us to see one another (campus ministers and the institution) as partners - and not adversaries - in the formation of students during the critical college years...

what do you think?

what challenges do you face in this area?

let's keep the dialogue going...

how do you retreat?

maybe a better question to start with is: do you retreat?

i'm in charge of our staff retreat happening tomorrow and am reminded of just how important this time can be... always... but especially as a new academic year is about to begin!

if you're not in the practice of setting aside time to retreat - really retreat... not a planning session/s under the guise of retreat, but time for you to sit (still) and be with God, let me strongly encourage you to start now!

as minsters on campus, with young people who are experiencing some of the most formational years of their lives, what we model will leave a much deeper impression that we realize!

not to mention that our students are much more inclined to 'do' what they see us do as opposed to what we say.

but i digress...

creating space

although i've only been blogging since mid-march of this year... i've really taken to it.

it's almost become a spiritual discipline of sorts.

i find it a great space for me to reflect on what's happening in my life and what i think i see God doing in my midst...

although i have a personal blog i was challenged yesterday to consider a new venue...

one that would explore (hopefully with others) campus ministry and the lives of those who are called into this unique field.

the catalyst?

a great coffee conversation with Benson Hines - a HUGE advocate for campus ministry - and i was convinced that i needed to join with him in seeing the field that we are both so committed to, and passionate about, continue to further in its development.

neither one of us are quite sure what we have to offer... but we're both willing to do whatever we can...

in 12 years i've served on 4 different campuses, representing 3 different denominations, and have had the pleasure of working with a host of great people while seeing ministry done in a number of different ways.

i hope this blog will be more than just a space for me to reflect on what i've learned and am learning...

i hope it will become a space that campus ministers around the globe will choose to visit, find encouragement from, share their wisdom through, and grow in our interconnectedness to one another as we serve the mission of Christ in the unique environment that is the university campus.

may this space be a place where God speaks to and through all who might choose to visit!

thanks in advance to all who will add to this space and the work of God all around the world.