“I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.” 2 Timothy 4:1-6 (NLT)
Any of us who are students of the gospel and who are called to minister to this generation must be aware of the times that we are in, the times that are upon us and the end times that are to come. History is an excellent teacher, and when we look at it, particularly in the light of scripture, we see that we are steering headlong into a series of waves that will threaten to take down the proverbial ship and cause unnecessary casualties of the faith if we are not fully prepared.
Knowledge of the challenges that are to come can cause us to do two things, abandon ship (find a different career/ find a way to serve that is less focused on proclamation) or bear down and ride out the storm, knowing that there are many who need to be rescued from a life of confusion and sin through the saving knowledge of Christ. No matter what the size of the waves, Christ Jesus has provided us all that we need. He challenges very clearly not to panic and not to be mislead by those who will come proclaiming that they are He and have a better way out (Matt 24). Instead our call is to be ready, to “keep a clear mind in every situation, be willing to pay the price for following Christ, preach the good news and fully carry out the ministry that God has given us (2 Tim. 4)”. This will require no less than an unwavering stand on the truth of God’s Word, for there are clouds on the horizon and there is a great deal that is already presenting at our front gates which seeks to come in and establish new order, which, if we are not careful, will capsize the Christian campus boat.
What might be some of the waves will we be encountering by 2021? What might we imagine our campuses and the students that we serve to be like? Here are some of the things that I can imagine:
Christian College campuses will be confronted with sexual issues and agendas with great force. I believe that within the next few years we will see an increasing number of students who not only identify on the GLBTIQ continuum, but we will also be serving students whose parents identify as both gay and Christian. The shifts in the church and in government and how they both view and define sexuality have had and will continue to make a great impact on the church and the body of Christ. This will continue to make our work more complex as we seek to stand on the word of God, love with great passion and navigate the ideas presented by culture.
Christian Campuses will become increasingly diverse. It is estimated that by 2020, Latino’s in America will be the majority of our population. We will continue to see diversity on our campuses due to the influx of people groups from around the world who have come to the United States for various reasons which educational and economic opportunities, fleeing persecution, immigration and the like. This can be a thrilling wave to ride unless we react in fear to the idea that culture has shifted to such an extent. Many of our campuses are in the midst of heated battles regarding race and reconciliation. On some of our campuses, conversations about systemic racism and the historical realities of race/racism have people plugging their ears. Some of us are so accustomed to ministering to a certain culture of student that we lack the basic ability to engage anyone of a culture radically different that our own. This can be problematic unless we who represent the heart of Christ walk in the the Spirit not the flesh, engage culture head on, love and appreciate the diversity of God’s creation, deal honestly with injustice locally, nationally and internationally and truly live out fully the ministry of reconciliation.
Technology will radically shift the idea of what we now know as Campus Community. Technology is evolving at the speed of light. Unfortunately our ability to communicate faster does not necessarily mean that we are communicating better. Many of us are already seeing the effects of technology in terms of how it has affected intimacy/ relationship with others and the lack of competency in communication. Our campuses are working diligently to meet the needs of on line learners and see no slowing of the transition from traditional classroom learning to on line classrooms. What will this do to “campus” ministry? Will face to face contact and the venue of chapel give way to other more technologically savvy ways of ministering to our students? How will this change the very way that we define Christian community?
All idea that I would love to discuss with all of you. Like you, I’ve got skin in the game and desire to hear what others are thinking! Be in touch and be in prayer as I am for all of you.
——————–
Pastor Laurel Bunker is the Dean of Campus Ministries and Campus Pastor at Bethel University in St. Paul, MN. For over 20 years Pastor Laurel Bunker has been a leader in the fields of education, non-profit business, and church and Para church ministry. A graduate of Hamline University and Luther Theological Seminary, Laurel’s mission is to radically impact lives through empowered teaching, training, leadership development and preaching of the uncompromised Word of God.
[ back to The Future of College Ministry homepage ]
