University Ministry<\/a><\/b><\/i>.\u00a0 Here I would like us to consider three specific \u201caction items\u201d \u2013 items that I think could help university ministries prepare students to face the challenges of the future.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I am interested to know what you think \u2013 especially those involved
\nin a campus ministry or outreach, either in a local church or through a
\nparachurch organization.<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
I think that there are three features that should be considered
\nin an effective university student ministry, the first two from Stackhouse with my own revisions, observations, and reflections added, and
\nthe third my addition \u2013 but consistent with his recommendations.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
(1) <\/b><\/i>Appropriately trained staff<\/b><\/i>. Campus ministries require staff who are special people with special
\ntraining, rather than generic Christians doing generic Christian work
\nthat just happens to be on a campus. <\/p>\n
I have a friend who spent many years in University ministry working with undergraduate students.\u00a0 He has observed that many students expect to be able to enter the classroom and stand up for the faith \u2013 but are outgunned by faculty who \u201cknow their stuff.\u201d An unsophisticated understanding of the faith simply won\u2019t cut it.\u00a0 Too many campus ministry staff members are not equipped themselves to help students to handle the challenges.\u00a0 How can a staff member with a BA in business and no specific training in theology, church history, or biblical studies help a student face the Ph.D. scholar in comparative literature, philosophy, Ancient Near East culture, or neurobiology?<\/p>\n
Formal training can be expensive. Stackhouse acknowledges this but challenges
\nthose Christians engaged in campus ministries to get the training they
\nneed and, if they are leaders of such ministries, to require such
\ntraining and to help their staff get that training.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Even in the absence of a formal degree program the staff should be
\nencouraged to engage in some form of continuing education. Distance
\nlearning through quality on-line courses would be a\u00a0 reasonable move in
\nthe right direction \u2013 and these days many good programs exist. But be
\nsure to study the skeptics, not simply the safe scholars. Read widely. Be
\nprofessional. Know your stuff \u2013 or at least be working on it.\u00a0 It will
\nbring confidence and respect and gain a better hearing for your message.<\/p>\n
I know that some organizations already encourage training.\u00a0 Everyone I\u2019ve\u00a0 interacted with in InterVarsity Graduate and Faculty Ministries has had at least a Master\u2019s degree in some field and several have had Ph.D. degrees. For that matter, several of those who have commented on this blog from the Campus Ministry side of the equation have advanced degrees.\u00a0 This is not a revolutionary idea.<\/p>\n
(2) <\/b><\/i>Partner with faculty and administrators<\/b><\/i>. Campus ministries often have leadership teams \u2013 boards and advisors.\u00a0
\nWhenever possible such leadership teams should draw on professors and
\nadministrators who understand what it means to be a Christian citizen
\nof a
\nuniversity.<\/p>\n
Campus ministry workers should go out of their way to interact with Christian faculty and administrators on campus.\u00a0 Have coffee, pick their brain, ask advice, talk about general issues and the atmosphere. Do it regularly. Build a network.\u00a0 It will strengthen your ministry by providing insight and understanding you\u2019ll never get any other way.\u00a0 No \u2013 you won\u2019t agree with everything you hear, and you shouldn\u2019t take all the advice you\u2019ll get, but you will have a much better foundation for your own work.\u00a0 You may also do some good by providing intelligent Christian contact and conversation for the faculty who are often isolated both on campus and in the local church.<\/p>\n
There is another side to this as well.\u00a0 I\u2019ve learned a great deal from the conversation of those in campus ministry on this blog and from the occasional talks at the local coffee shop I\u2019ve had with current or former campus ministry workers.\u00a0 It provides me with a different perspective on the University experience and helps me be a better presence on the campus myself.\u00a0 The benefits don\u2019t all flow one way.<\/p>\n
![\"CircusTent03.JPG\"](\"https:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/jesuscreed\/imgs\/CircusTent03.JPG\")
<\/span><\/p>\n(3) <\/b><\/i>Be <\/b>broadly ecumenical<\/b>. <\/i>Campus ministries
\nshould be broadly ecumenical \u2013 if there is any place where we need to
\nstand together under the big tent these days it is in the atmosphere of
\nour secular Universities.<\/p>\n
I received an e-mail after my first post in this series from a Christian faculty member at a major west coast university. He reflected that the situation on his campus is very balkanized. The most active Christan groups are closely linked with various ethnic groups, mostly Asian, and seem inwardly focused. The Roman Catholics do their own thing by themselves. The evangelical ministries are worried about boundaries and wary of the big tent approach. He ended with a reflection that the Jewish academic presence is far more visible on his campus than all Christian ones combined. I have to say that I have seen similar symptoms myself at times.<\/p>\n
Local churches can provide the nurturance of a specific denomination or
\nflavor of Christianity. Let campus ministries provide a broader focus
\nand understanding, or at least let them cooperate for the greater good.\u00a0 This will allow students and scholars to develop a
\nmore robust understanding of the faith \u2013 one that will have a better
\nchance of standing the challenges of the future.\u00a0 It will also provide a Christian presence on campus. Don\u2019t worry about \u201ccontamination\u201d \u2013 train students to think, teach them about the faith, build disciples. Educate, don\u2019t indoctrinate.<\/p>\n
Any thoughts on these ideas or additional suggestions? Feel free to shoot me down if you think that I\u2019m off-base somewhere.<\/b>
<\/i><\/p>\n
If you wish to contact me directly you may do so at rjs4mail [at] att.net.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
One of the topics Scot has emphasized of late has been the future of our church and the importance of youth ministry \u2013 defined to cover anyone from 12 to 30 or so.\u00a0 We have been discussing an aspect of this issue in the context of campus ministry.\u00a0 Many students hit the University with a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":198,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[106,114,540],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","category-evangelicalism","category-youth-ministry"],"yoast_head":"\n
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![\"University](\"https:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/jesuscreed\/imgs\/University%205%20ds.JPG\")
<\/span><\/p>\n