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.

Well Curve/Recession Connection?

Last week I posted some thoughts on a disturbing trend I've noticed on our campus... a trend where sophomore and junior year involvement in ministry related activities is substantially less in comparison to that of freshmen and senior involvement; and based on some of the comments I've heard, and conversations I've had with other college/campus ministers since then, it would appear that this trend is not unique to our campus.


The well curve of student engagement in spiritual activity on campus can be tied to a number of things... both good and bad.


On the up side, it can point to:

1. students getting plugged into a local church, which allows them to get involved in a multi-generational and/or college specific ministries, or 
2. students taking initiative to create personalized opportunities with friends on campus.

Profound Change

I just read a quote from a study conducted at Abilene Christian University (ACU) a few years ago that stated:

When we asked students to think of a specific, critical incident or moment that had changed them profoundly, four-fifths of them chose a situation or event outside the classroom.

Does this surprise you?

It's definitely not the message you hear communicated by admissions staffs or administrators... those messages are almost always focused on the significance of what happens in the classroom.

And this post is not meant to downplay what happens in the classroom... I myself have taught in the classroom for the past 4 years - and I love it - and I know students are impacted in that setting!

This statistic does suggest, however, that the kinds of opportunities we provide for students through our ministry opportunities - and God's ability to profoundly change students through those same opportunities - have the potential to be some of the most meaningful and life-changing of a students experience!

What an important reminder - as we move towards the middle of the term and the season of spring break mission opportunities - of our need to be:

• prayerful
• intentional
• unceasing
• and expectant

as we go about the work God has called us to!

Our call is to be faithful to the One who has called us, and those He has called us to... and the profound change is something we can only leave up to Him!

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...