Wednesday, May 8, 2013
The college campus is a defining place. It is a place where individuals define and understand and form their identities. It is a place of struggle over who we are and what we care about. With many different students representing different cultures, beliefs, values, and backgrounds existing in one place, the college campus can be a place of turmoil. Throughout this series, I will examine the current culture towards Christianity on college campuses and it's ramifications for students and campus ministries alike. As I was researching this topic and looking at recent issues on college campuses, I came across the term “culture war” many times. The idea, essentially, is that the college campus is a battle site with each side, the religious...
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Whether we like to recognize it or not, there is a “culture war” brewing all around us, a war between different religious beliefs to win new members and further presence and prominence. The front lines of this war are on college campuses across the nation. How should we, as Christian leaders and college pastors, deal with this “war”? How do we continue to love others well? How do we treat this “war” in the way that Jesus desires us to? Ministry Kicked Off Vanderbilt CampusIn an effort to answer these questions, I spoke with Greg Jao, the National Field Director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. We discussed the situation at the University of Vanderbilt, where the administration interpreted their anti-discrimination policy in...
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
In my last two articles, I’ve discussed the problems that campus ministries, pastors, and national leaders are facing on college campuses. In researching these issues, I’ve tried to learn more about the current attitude towards Christianity on the grounds of college campuses. Are non-believers receptive towards Christianity? Hostile towards Christianity? Do Christian students feel like they are in a culture war?As a Christian student at The University of Texas, I have my own understanding of what I think the collegiate attitude is towards Christianity. I have met little hostility towards my beliefs, though I have encountered misconceptions, confusion, and fellow students who do not understand why I believe what I believe.Yet, even my...
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Throughout this series, I’ve been exploring the idea of a “culture war” on college campuses. We see this supposed culture war playing itself out as Christian student organizations face difficulties with college administrations and as students deal with fellow students or professors fail to understand or value their Christian beliefs. Despite these hardships that we are facing, I think that Christians on college campuses across the nation should take heart because Jesus has promised us that He has overcome the world. We should be excited that we get the opportunity that we get to be friends with and love those who do not know Jesus. Non-believers are not our enemies. Instead, we must view them as our brothers and sisters who do...
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
I’ve been reflecting lately on what true “success” looks like in a collegiate ministry. Is a successful collegiate ministry best measured by the number of students involved in Bible studies, the number that come to our large group each week, or the number who attend conferences or summer training programs? Maybe it is measured by the number of discipling relationships taking place? Or maybe by something less numerical, such as the transformed lives of people in the ministry? After wrestling with this question for a number of years, I have decided that none of these are the best way to measure the true success of a collegiate ministry. The big picture goal cannot even be measured by what happens on campus. It is best measured 20 years...
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
"Go make disciples ... teaching them to obey everything I've commanded you." Making disciples is Jesus' plan A. There is no plan B. I've seen disciple-making relationships transform people's lives. I’ve also seen disciple-making relationships become dysfunctional, even damaging. I've seen the good and I’ve seen the bad. Here are seven things I value in healthy discipling relationships that change lives. Here are seven things I value in Disciple making relationships: 1) Grow Authentic Relationships with People. Jesus said the world would know that we’re His disciples by our love for one another. Love is not selfish or ego driven. A discipling relationship is not about control or blind submission. It's a special...
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Throughout history, God is known for orchestrating supernatural outpourings and stirrings in the earth to bring fresh truth and restoration to the body of Christ. We call these stirrings “movements.” The move of God we’re experiencing right now on the campuses of America is a part of one the largest prayer movements in history, and students across America are catching the fire. This word has been spoken by many, but I firmly agree that we are in between waves and the beginning of the next wave will be a convergence of the ages. From the East Coast to the West Coast, “convergence and send” events have been happening on campuses. Multiple streams of prayer, mission, and evangelism have been joining together, and students’ hearts...
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Recently I talked with a campus minister from North Carolina who said, “We have enough campus ministries, full-time staff, Christian students, and money to see our colleges and universities transformed, but nothing close to this is currently taking place.”On the other hand, right after Jesus’ resurrection there were not enough believers, ministries, or money to change Jerusalem, much less the world. But Acts 2 explains that three thousand people were added to the Church in one day. Within a few centuries, the entire Roman Empire was dramatically altered. What happened? What’s different today?As the 120 in the Upper Room waited upon God (Acts 1:12-14), they came to a moment of breakthrough when they were clothed with power from...
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