How Do You Decide?

How do you make decisions that shape your ministry with students?


More specifically, how do you decide what to speak on from week to week?  Semester to semester?  Year to year?  


Is there some method to the madness?  


Have you developed a 'rotation' of sorts that maps out a 4-year cycle of topics/themes that you hope to expose students to during the course of their years on campus.  Or do you take a more flexible, let's see how the Spirit is leading - or the campus is trending - kind of approach?


Although I've been engaged in campus ministry for 13 years now, I'm pretty much a rookie when it comes to speaking in front of large groups of students...

[Attempting to Become] All Things to All People

Do you ever read the Bible and find yourself being totally challenged by something you find?  If you read the same Bible I do than I would imagine your answer would have to be yes... at least every once in a while!


In the Apostle Paul's first letter to the Corinthians he talks of 'becoming all things to all people for the sake of the gospel.'  His desire was to do whatever it took to win people for Christ... and I find myself wondering how well do I reflect this desire and attitude?  If I'm honest, I'd probably have to say - not very well and not very often.


My reality is that I often want God to use me just as I am... so that I don't have to move from my place of comfort and do something that stretches me beyond what feels natural and safe.  

Competing Missions

Last Monday my post centered on the question: Are we the local church OR an arm reaching on to the campus?


One of the big reasons I tend to believe that we are an 'arm', and not the local church, is because of the context - and more specifically - who controls it.


Campus ministry is, to a certain extent, subject to the academic institution.  Unlike the local church, campus ministries  will have to - again, to a certain extent, play by a certain set of rules... that they have no say in creating.  Whether it is an institutionally-based ministry on a Christian campus, or a para-church or church-based ministry that reaches out to any given campus; all will have to shape their mission and ministry to fit within the larger mission and communal guidelines of the campus community (or run the risk of being banned from campus).

Back To School 'Blog-A-Thon'

With the new school year just around the corner I thought it might be a good time to come together for some collective thinking and sharing about the work we do in the form of a 'blog-a-thon' (sorry, I'm no good with coming up with creative names...). 

Over the course of 3 days [Aug. 3-5] we'll have the chance to hear from a number of professionals in the college and campus ministry world - and others who have particular interest and/or insight into our work with college students - in the form blog posts and the dialog that ensues.

More information about specific 'back to school' themes and contributors to come... but wanted to get this in front of you so you could begin to make plans to 'attend' and engage in what will hopefully be the first, of many, 'blog-a-thons' to come (and if you have any ideas for a more creative name... please feel free to pass that along!).


Please help to spread the word about this event... I'm a firm believer in the fact that we've all got something to learn AND contribute... which is what I really like about a 'blog-a-thon' format.


I'm also working on a new website that should be set in time to host this event... so stay tuned for more details regarding that as well!


Grace and peace to you as you head into the holiday weekend!

Online Spiritual Formation [?]

While the origins of the internet reach back to the 1960s, I was in college when it came of age (mid 90s).  Life was different back then.  Computers on campus were in labs, not dorm rooms (or laps), and there was typically a time limit posted on bulky, green-screen computer monitors that stated how long you could "surf online" if someone was waiting to use a computer for classwork.  It's amazing how different campus feels only 15 years later...

Today, our students live online.  And if we're not finding ways to effectively reach  them -- in that place -- than we may be missing out!

All of the social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) are important tools for us to integrate into our work with college students -- no doubt! -- but what if we could do more?  

Are We the Local Church OR an Arm Reaching On to the Campus?

I love campus ministry!  There's no doubt in my mind that this is what God has created me for... It's such a unique context for ministry; walking alongside young people during some of the most formative years of their lives.


But I've recently been challenged in the way I think about the work I (we) do on campus.


For quite some time I've believed that our work with college students - in the form of campus ministry - is not meant to replace a students' involvement in a local church, only supplement it.  


I've thought that what we provide students is something that's specifically designed to meet them where they're at in life - a contextualized ministry.  Amidst some incredible life transition, as students are being prepared and equipped to go out into the world and make a difference, we get to come alongside them and: 

• encourage them to love God and others, 
• challenge them to make their faith their own, 
• create space for them to grow and nurture a biblical world view, and 
• model for them ways to live into Kingdom priorities and responsibilities.

All of this gets to happen on campus... right where students do the majority of their living, relating and recreating.

But is it enough?  

Extreme Measures

The picture to the right is of a man (yes, fully clothed) running through Death Valley.  

Extreme athletes will often go to extreme measures in their training in order to be most fully prepared for their upcoming event/s.  It's a part of what makes them great!  Their willingness to push themselves beyond their limits - and far beyond what most of us would be willing to do - is what distinguishes them from the rest of us.  We both admire them and believe them to be completely crazy.

We would love to be like them -- just without having to go through all of the hard work that it takes to become like them...

An Important Question

Yesterday was our first full day at the Summer Institute for Campus Ministry.

Our focus for the day was to explore what it means to "train" people in the faith.

Our facilitator was Dr. Jerry Sittser, Professor of Theology at Whitworth University in Spokane, WA.

We spent over 3 and a half hours in rich, engaged dialogue before breaking for a 2 hour lunch and some casual conversation.  We came back together with Jerry for another hour and a half in the afternoon before breaking for the day (from any more "formal" engagement)... which was a welcomed departure from the inundation of information we had been on the receiving end of.

Setting the Table

If you had the chance to communicate one message to incoming students - 2 months before their arrival - what would it be?


We are in the midst of our summer orientation here at BU.  It's probably not too different from what happens on most other campuses around the country that practice this same methodology of "introducing" new students to campus.  


Over the course of a day (transfers), or day and a half (traditional freshmen), we bombard these incoming students (and their parents) with a lot of information, introduce them to some "key" people on campus, get them navigating their way through campus, and send them on their way with a lot of material to peruse over the 2 months they have before they return.


Additionally, as a Christian university, we are increasingly intentional about how we communicate our Christian heritage and mission to these new community members during this time - and how these students, in particular, will have the chance to shape - and be shaped by - this place.

To Connect or Disconnect...

Campus has grown quiet here.  The students have left for the summer (well, most of them anyway) and it's time for a change of pace... right?!


Obviously the ministry landscape of the summer months will look different in comparison to those of the academic year; with space for assessing, planning, preparing... and of course, some much needed vacation!  But I wonder how many of us are simply turning of the 'ministry spigot' because it feels like the natural thing to do... I know, for the most part, that's typically what I do.  "See you in the fall!" I say as they we connect before they leave campus.


But is this the right approach?


Most of us are probably familiar with the ongoing debate about year-round education - especially for those in the K-12 systems.  Proponents of the year-round educational experience often site how much students typically 'lose' during their time off.  Teachers end up spending a lot of time at the beginning of each new school year 're-educating' students on things they 'learned' the year before.

Free-Falling [Like Wile E.]

As a kid I loved watching cartoons on Saturday mornings.  I especially liked watching Wile E. Coyote attempt to catch the Roadrunner - forever without success - he always made me laugh!


As I've observed our students for the past 5 years attempt to transition into this place [spiritually speaking] the best [and most unfortunate] image that comes to mind is the one to the left.


80% of our students self-identify as Christians.


What that means [for them] exactly, I don't know.  They may check the 'Christian' box on their admissions application simply because they think it might help them to get in.  Maybe it does really mean something to them. The reality is, however, that once our students get on campus far too many of them get drawn of course [spiritually] by their own roadrunners.


What they are failing to see is that the 'spiritual momentum' they come to campus with will only keep them 'on course' for so long before 'gravity' take over and these students - who honestly desired to make their faith central to their college experience [and life] - are in a spiritual free-fall.

Inspired by BIG Losers

Did you happen to catch the season finale of The Biggest Loser last night? 

I love that show!  The transformation that takes place, on both the inside and the outside of the contestants, is always so inspiring to me. 

Their stories are also very compelling.  It’s heart-wrenching to hear about some of the decisions they’ve made that got them to their tragic weight, as well as some of the triggers of loss or pain that served as a turning point in their lives… and then to hear about the emotional and psychological ‘weight’ they have carried with them, that only serves to compound the hurt and damage… I would imagine that the decision to apply to be a contestant on this show has got to be one of their low points in life.

Then they arrive at the ranch, their context for change.  They’re met by people who genuinely care about them, and will grow to love them, but who are ultimately there to see them change their lives.  Some contestants will not last long.  Those who make it to the end, however, will have been trained for seven months. 

Little, if any of it, will be easy.  But the reward, the end result, is SO worth it. 

Got Milk?

:: [Guest post by Bob Henry] :: 

A couple of weeks ago, as I was driving to pick up my kids from school, I came across an unusual scene.  

Well, not that unusual - most of us have done it at one time or another.  Somewhat lost in my thoughts, enjoying the tunes playing on the radio, I caught something out of the corner of my eye.  There, about four lanes of traffic away, and waiting on the adjacent light to turn green, was a man in a car.  That may not seem that interesting, but what caught my attention was the gallon of milk on his roof.   My instinct was to laugh and say, “What an idiot.”  Then I noticed something happening. 

People in cars on all four sides of the intersection were trying to get this guy’s attention.  Motioning with their hands, rolling down windows and yelling – you name it, they were doing it.  I still just chuckled to myself.  Then I realized I was in the man’s view and may be able to get his attention.  I began motioning by pointing at my roof.  He saw me and began looking.   I pointed up and he looked up.  He wasn’t getting it.  Finally, at the last minute, the man in the car behind him, jumped out of his car, grabbed the gallon of milk and handed it through the window to the unaware man. 

Oh, we all felt good.  People drove through that light with smiles on their faces, as if we had solved a major crisis.  The rest of the drive to pick up my kids had me thinking about what I just experienced.  

How many of us have “milk cartons” on the roofs of our lives? 

I Weep At The Wonder Of It

:: [Guest post by Tracy Balzer] :: 

My family thinks I have a heart of steel.

And it’s true.  I rarely cry in sad movies.  I’m a rock at funerals.  I’m an off-the-chart “T” in the Myers-Briggs world, with no visible “F”.  It’s sort of embarrassing, really, especially as someone who claims to be following a ministerial call.  Shouldn’t those of a pastoral ilk show more than a little bit of emotion now and then? 

But today I’ve got my supply of Kleenex at the ready.  This is the day when the Iron Maiden turns into a blob of jello.  It’s the day our graduating seniors are awarded all kinds of honors, and we follow with a Baccalaureate service of praise.  Tomorrow they’ll walk across the stage as their names are called, having completed their four years with us.  And I will blubber like a baby.

This is an annual occurrence for me, the time of year when my calling as a campus minister is absolutely confirmed and affirmed.  Because I’m reminded that I’ve had the honor of really getting inside some of these hearts and minds that will be graduating.  They’ve shared their stories with me, we’ve prayed together.  I’ve read their reflective journals in class, and watched them wrestle with God.  There is nothing that touches my heart more deeply than growth – watching a college student take a few more steps toward God, and seeing His hope in their eyes as they grab hold of that diploma. 

Organic AND Pragmatic

:: [Guest post by Nic Allen] ::

Greetings Campus Ministers…my students are heading your way!

Last Saturday I had the privilege of watching a half dozen students I had only met that morning at 8am dive in and get dirty doing flood relief work here in Franklin, TN (the greater Nashville area). You see they were invited by a friend who only months before had begun attending our youth ministry at the invitation of another friend who no longer attends. Sounds complicated, eh? That’s because it is. Student ministry in the world today [at least in my neck of it] is two things: organic and pragmatic.

Organic…living…breathing. That’s a good thing, right? Sure. We’re talking about people and their lives. There is an ebb and flow to student ministry. Homegrown kids are fewer and farther between. Many of the students we funnel toward college ministries today lack the typical Sunday School, Bible Drill, VBS experiences that typical youth ministries build on. Students don’t participate in student ministry [generally speaking of course] because their parents encourage [read: push] them to do so or because it’s the only hang out atmosphere in town. Students have enough options and for the most part, student ministry can’t [or honestly shouldn’t try] to compete with those environments. Students become part of youth ministries because of relationships. While they may check it out once for a myriad of reasons, they’ll only dive in and stick it out if they have friends. You can create an environment where relationships are forged and strengthened but you can’t make it happen. It’s natural. Relationships…that’s the organic part.

The Future of College Ministry is “Down and Out”

:: [Guest post by Stephen Lutz] ::

I have a pastor friend who reads Acts 17, Paul’s “Mars Hill” encounter, a bit differently than many of us. He sees it as Paul’s least effective ministry endeavor, even as a failure and a negative example.  I see Mars Hill as a success. One purpose of Acts is to tell the story of how the Gospel went to everyone and everywhere in the known world, and so in that sense it's part of the successful story. But I think it's a success in more ways than that.

As someone who spends a good time up on the 'Mars Hill' of Penn State University with students who like to debate all the latest ideas, I'm keenly aware of the challenges Paul faced. One aspect of my ministry has been to militant atheists, agnostics, and pagan students. It’s a challenge to redemptively engage with them, particularly during the last couple years when the New Atheist movement has been throwing its weight around.

At the root, my friend’s discomfort with Acts 17 is this: not many people come to faith (Paul’s day at Mars Hill would still be a really good day for most of us, right?) Isn’t this, when compared with the rest of Acts, a failure? I think stories like Mars Hill cause us to reevaluate our grid for what constitutes success. Not every day will be Pentecost, and Paul never gets the instant results like Peter does, but that doesn't mean he's a failure, right? 

Getting It Right

:: [Guest post by Sarah Baldwin] ::


I live a few miles west of the city of coffee aka Portland, Oregon.  Portlanders take their coffee seriously. It must be one of the only cities in the world where you hear people pursuing “going into coffee” as their career plan instead of the gap year job after college.  Experienced baristas opt for the more hipster coffee shops and although there is Starbucks, there is a general disdain for anything that brews cookie-cutter capitalism and coffee together.  For the true Portlander nothing beats Stumptown coffee.  Stumptown is locally owned, committed to fair-trade, and is known for pursuing the best-quality coffee, roasting method and pouring it out all over Portland. 

A couple of nights ago we happened to have one of the Stumptown baristas over to share a meal.  I confessed that sometimes I feel a little intimidated coming into Stumptown.  You have to know what you want, know it quickly, and select from their very sophisticated coffee blackboard-menu with the options: coffee, cappuccino, Americano, espresso, latte.  No white chocolate mochas, no cinnamon- shot vanilla lattes, no Pumpkin Pie Chai. This place is not catering to the sugared/flavored coffee crowd, this is just  good coffee.  That’s what they do.  The barista tells me, “We are the coffee experts.  We know good coffee.  We don’t try and appeal to all the options and flavors.  If people want that, they can go somewhere else.”

Layers of Leadership

For those of us in college ministry, the idea of equipping and developing young people for a life of following Christ is central to what we do.

Some of us have recognized the need for additional leadership in our attempts to reach our campuses - and found an answer in some of our students who really 'get it' - a willing army of moldable young leaders.  We've seen how this kind of experience for them can serve to shape them in some profound ways, while at the same time, multiply our efforts and reach across the campus.

I wonder, however, how many of us have looked into the additional layer of leadership that can be provided by recent grads and/or graduate students.  

My entry into the 'professional' side of college ministry came through a graduate assistant type of opportunity.  It was a great opportunity for me, right out of college, to explore my sense of calling into ministry - and specifically in a college campus context.

If this is not a layer of leadership you've ever considered, let me give you a few reasons why I think you should consider finding space in your ministry leadership for a graduate assistant or intern:

Is Graduation Really the End?

They're done, but not gone.  


They're college graduates - prepared and equipped to go out and make a difference in the world - but they don't seem quite ready to step across that threshold from collegiate life to post-grad participation in the 'real' world.

So what are we to do?  Especially if they look to us for answers... or for space to 'hide-out' while they try to figure some things out.

Do we give them a firm, but gentle, nudge out of the proverbial 'nest;' OR do we allow them to hang around for a while?

More Than the Grade On Your Paper

One of the things I love most about working on a college campus is the cyclical nature of the year.  Twice a year we journey through a 16-week semester (or 3 quarters - shouldn't we call these trimesters?) before taking a few months to recover from one year, while also preparing for the next.

Regardless of how the previous year has been, the upcoming year will be filled with its own set of challenges and opportunities, failures and successes.

I'm in the middle of grading final exams for my Old Testament class.  Before we took the test last Friday I said to them the same thing I've said to them before every exam that they took:

You are more than a grade on a piece of paper.