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?  

An Honest Assessment

In two previous posts on assessment, Satisfying Work [?] and 3 Steps to More Satisfying Work, I shared a few points of conversation from my time at the Summer Institute for Campus Ministry (SICM).  This particular day our focus was on assessment, and while there was so much we covered, there is one more point I want to raise here before changing gears next week.


Do we need to teach our students how to 'examine' or 'assess' their lives?


In my two previous posts the focus was on assessing our work - our programs and approaches - and even our ability to recognize/discern/assess spiritual growth and formation in the lives of our students - based on what we are able to observe.  But in our conversation we were quickly reminded of our limitations here in the fact that we cannot know the hearts of others.  

Satisfying Work [?]

If you've caught my last few posts you know that I've recently been on retreat with a bunch of campus ministers at the Summer Institute for Campus Ministry on Whidbey Island.  It was good for so many reasons, and in so many ways.

Our second full day on the island was spent with Ken and Jo-Ann Badley talking about campus ministry assessment.  It was a daunting task, no doubt, but they did a fantastic job covering a subject that I think we'll all agree is both significant and challenging.

Ultimately, we all want to be involved with work and ministry that is satisfying... right?!  Effectiveness, and knowing that what we're actually being effective in what we're doing is important to finding true and deep satisfaction.

SO, here are a few quotes that were presented during the opening session that might serve as a springboard for some upcoming posts on assessment:

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.

Towards Thin Places

"God is calling you into His presence!"

This was a statement made by the worship leader last night during our opening time of worship at the Summer Institute for Campus Ministry (SICM).

He went on to confess that on more than a couple of occasions this past year he was approached by different students who would say, "I'm not sure why, but I feel like I'm supposed to tell you that God wants you to come into His presence."


Can you imagine being on the receiving end of a comment like this?  How do you think you'd have received it?  With excitement!?  Or maybe some levels of embarrassment?  Did this student know something?  Did I NOT know something?

SICM and Nathan Foster

I'm leaving later today for one of my favorite places (at least in the US) - Whidbey Island.  

For the last several years the CCCU (Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities) has hosted a Summer Institute for Campus Ministry (SICM) on this quaint little island off the coast of Seattle.  

Dr. Keith Anderson (President of Mars Hill Graduate School) and Rev. Bill Fischer (Dean of Christian Faith & Life at Huntington University) are the co-creators of this retreat-style spiritual formation experience and have served as co-hosts since the retreats' inception.  

I have attended this event  4 or 5 times now and it always seems to be the perfect mix of instruction, conversation, activity and relaxation.  The size (typically between 25 and 40 attendees) has always drawn me in as well!

This is a great place for me to be with colleagues and friends, to be renewed and encouraged in the midst of my summer, and to be challenged and shaped in some intentional ways.

This year's theme is 'Learning Spiritual Formation' and the plan is to focus on:

• How we learn spiritual formation?
• What is an effective way of spiritual formation that is always learning?
• What elements of formation are necessary for us to learn so that we may teach?

What Gives?

About a year and a half ago I had the chance to grab lunch with a very accomplished thinker, educator, author, minister-type.  He has done so much over the course of his life, so I just had to ask, "how do you do it all?"

I was a little surprised by his response, "Sleep is overrated!"  He went on to say how the first thing he plans to ask God upon arriving in heaven is, "what's up with sleep?  It seems to me we could have been a lot more productive if we wouldn't have needed that."  I personally like sleep, but increasingly I've come to understand what he was saying.

There's a lot of good stuff out there.  A lot we can give ourselves to.  But,

When life gets too full, what gives?  Because something's got to!

We've all been there... or maybe we live there.  We find ourselves pursuing so many good things that life simply seems too full... and we know we cannot continue on at our current pace for much longer.

Whether we consciously choose what we eliminate (or temporarily sideline) from our schedules or not, we know that without a change to our current pace of life, our quality of life will continue to decline... as likely will our quality of output in all of the good things we're trying to be a part of.

So what goes first for you?

How's Your [Servant's] Attitude?

In my reading this morning I sat with Paul's encouraging letter to the believers in Philippi.  The first half of chapter 2, on imitating Christ's humility, has always been a challenging word to hear...


This morning was no different.


I find myself humbled and challenged by these words from Paul to its' original recipients... because I know it is just as relevant for me today.


5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.


What a tall order.  It kind of makes me wonder if Paul really knew what he was saying at the time... YOUR attitude should be the SAME as that of CHRIST JESUS.  

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 Greatest Resource [Wasted?]

Do you pray?  Are you engaged in the practice of other spiritual disciplines?  Are they central to your ministry and efforts?  Or are they something you turn to when no other option remains?

These questions are not meant to be condemning or an attempt to sound like a spiritual elitist.  I know I'm guilty of not praying, fasting, etc., as much as I could (or should).  I think it has something to do with the kind of schedules we keep - often quite busy, yet consistently inconsistent.

College ministers, like most other kinds of ministers, can easily fall into the trap of living lives filled with the 'doing' of ministry, while neglecting to 'be' an intentional Christ-follower.

Again, strong words - I know, but what I mean is that we can get so wrapped up in doing all of the things that we are called to do as pastors and servants of college students - really good stuff like:

• leading worship services
• leading Bible studies
• counseling students
• sharing Christ
• facilitating service and mission opportunities
• investing in student leaders
• investing in professional staff
• watching the budget
• caring for facilities
• preparation - for ALL of the above
• and the list could go on and on and on...

that we then allow ourselves to schedule over the time that we should be focused on tending to OUR own relationship with Jesus (the 'being' a Christ-follower).  

College Students, Discipleship & Creation Care

Happy Earth Day!


Today is the 40 year anniversary of Earth Day.  Are you taking advantage of this global focus?  Students LOVE things that take a 'global focus' stage!


While there are a number of reasons to challenge college students to be an active part of Earth Day, I wonder if we're helping them to make the important connections between creation care and their discipleship.


Consumerism is dominant in so much of our culture.  It's how we've been trained to view the world we live in... as those who have been made to consume it.  But as Christians I believe we've been given a different charge!

God created us to love Him, to love others and to be stewards of all that He has created.

IF Jesus Becomes Business

Got Jesus?


As one called into ministry, this can be a scary question to encounter.

There's a very real danger for all of us who have been called into ministry... that we would become so intensely focused on the 'doing' of ministry that we would neglect our need to 'be' with Jesus.

Maybe you've experienced this.  Or maybe you've experienced the ministry leadership of someone who has experienced this.  You might not be able to quickly put your finger on it, but it is much more noticeable than we might think.


When we, as Christian leaders, cease to intentionally follow Jesus and instead, begin to rely on ourselves, we quickly run out of anything real substantive to offer others.  The reservoirs of faith that we may have made deposits in over the course of our lifetime of following Jesus will only keep us going for so long... and that doesn't account for what we must 'have' in order to 'give' to others.

The "R" Word

Responsibility.


It has increasingly become a dirty word for this generation of students.  


I posted a some reflections back in February where I began thinking about the impact that the 'emerging adulthood' phase of life might be having on our work and ministry with college students (you can find them here and here).


Central to our struggle to draw students into meaningful, long-term, relational ministry might very well be this element of responsibility.


We know that students - most of whom are out of their parents sight, and immediate influence, for the first time - NEED to be challenged to take on more and more of life's responsibilities as they join us on campus community... BUT we also know that one of the key characteristics to this 'emerging adulthood' phase of life is an unwillingness to step into the new, adult responsiblities that accompany all of the new, adult freedoms.

Are You Available? Accessible?

Ministry can be IS a challenging calling.

A life committed to discipleship and service is one that calls us to be available to others, accessible nearly all the time.

This call to ministry is a high calling for so many reasons, not the least of which is our need to be willing to set aside our own agendas each and everyday to follow the leading of Christ.  And as we all know, this is much easier said than done.

In Search of Rest

As some of you have noticed, I've added a "poll" section to my blog page.  I added it last week for a couple of different reasons:

1. I wanted to get a better idea for who you are [as a reader of this blog], and
2. I wanted to get a better feel for some of the things that you are dealing with as you serve on into the spring semester/trimester.

Most of my posts are related to the things I'm currently thinking about, or wrestling with, but desiring to be a resource to others in the field I felt it important to create a way for you [the reader] to guide some of the content of this blog.

So, last week's poll was:

What do you find yourself most in need of right now as a minister?  The overwhelming response: REST.

A Resounding Impact

Have you ever experienced something that was so powerful, so profound, that you just knew you would be different forever because of it?


In my post yesterday I talked about 1 Question that was asked of me as a senior in college that send shock waves through my soul.  This one question opened my eyes to a reality in ministry leadership - and potentially in my own heart - that I needed to be made aware of.  It had the potential to be the different between some form of success and wild failure. The day I was asked that one question my view of a number of things changed... and I knew that my attitudes and actions had to follow suit.


The kind of timely questions that can only come from someone who has been there, someone who has experienced the realities - the pain, frustration, joy, excitement, the highs and lows of life and decisions in ministry - have the potential to leave a resounding impact on the mind and soul of their recipients.

The impact of this one question, asked nearly 13 years ago, has served to shape my approach to female students on campus, my understanding of appropriate and inappropriate uses of power and influence, the need for boundaries in ministry, the importance of accountability and the reality of just how quickly you can lose everything.