Sacrifice is not something we talk about much in our society.
It seems to fly in the face of everything our North American culture tells us we should be about.
Lookout out for #1.
Indulge yourself.
Take what you want.
Don’t hold back.
The world is yours.
You deserve it.
The problem of future is simple — it’s not now.
And today’s student has a hard time grasping much that is “yet to come.” It’s not that they’re dumb — in fact we know that quite the opposite is true of them. But with so much going on in this very moment, it’s hard to think much beyond it.
They understand the here and the now — because they’ve grown up in an “instant” culture.
About a year ago I wrote a post entitled: Overcoming a Culture of Instant Gratification. In it I talk about needing to introduce students the discipline of slow. Why slow? Because in slow — and only in the slow of life — can some things truly grow and take shape in the ways that they need to.
Preparation for the next blogathon is now underway!
As you very well know, today’s college students are more wounded than ever. They’ve been exposed to, or personally experienced, a lot of pain and hurt in relation to sex, issues of sexuality, and their intersection with the Christian faith.
And what they need most are women and men who are willing to “get dirty” with them in order to understand the depths of their hurts.
They need someone like you and like me to come alongside them — suspending judgment — and journey with them towards healing, reconciliation, and redemption.
The 3rd Annual Sex & the Soul Blogathon…
Parents play a powerful role in the development of their children.
Seems obvious to say, yet I think we can tend to forget this truth when we work with students on college campuses — primarily because we don’t see parents, just students.
Sure, from time to time our students might bring their parents up in conversation. But it can be all to easy to forget that the ways in which our students think, believe, and live are without doubt a product of the ways and environments in which they were raised.
It’s true for all of our students — those who are thriving and those who are not.
Merry Christmas — one and all!
As we move further in to the Christmas season, and nearer the end of 2012, it’s time to for some of my annual countdowns.
It seems fitting to start with one of the things I am most thankful for — because it’s what makes being a part of Faith ON Campus so enjoyable for me — and that’s YOU!
Some of you have gone so far as to offer guest posts at different seasons, that have helped to provide a unique perspective and/or insight that I myself could not offer — and the collective Faith ON Campus community has benefited from it — GREATLY!
So for my first countdown of 2012, I bring to you the Top 12 Guest Posts of the year!
I have so much to be thankful for this year… not the least of which is the work God has called me to with college students.
And I’m thankful to have you as a colleague — wherever you serve — on mission to reach this generation of college students for Christ.
As an expression of my appreciation for you — and all that you do — I’m extending to you a 20% discount to the 2013 Faith ON Campus Summer Institute.
A few days ago the Pew Forum Research Center released some new statistics on faith in America. And what it revealed was not good.
19.6% of Americans claim no religious affiliation. This includes those claiming to be both agnostic and atheist.
And this number has gone up nearly 5% in just the past 5 years.
Even worse, 33% of Americans under the age of 30 claim no religious affiliation.
How big is the “front porch” of your ministry?
It’s another way of asking if your ministry creates space for students to belong — before they believe.
If the house, in this metaphor, represents the “inside” of your ministry — the place where believers go to be fed and nurtured spiritually — then the front porch represents an important place of gathering that is both inviting and inclusive.
And although we’d all like to believe that our ministries do, in fact, offer this… How do you know for sure?
I’ve been asked to contribute a few suggestions for resources that can be used to equip those who do campus ministry so that we might do the job well, insightfully, profoundly.
I love that simple verse in 1 Chronicles 12:32 that names the reputation of the “sons of Issachar” who “understood the times and knew what God’s people should do.”
Reading widely can help us become Issacharian, helping us understand our context and how best to serve.
Every four years, I wait with anticipation for the start of the Summer Olympic Games. This year, the world watches the Olympic triumphs of athletes around the world in London.
When I watch these athletes compete and win medals, I am reminded that their journey is a process, not only a solitary moment on the world stage.
These committed athletes train relentlessly with the assistance of coaches intentionally providing strategy, tips and pointers along the way.
As it is with the athletes preparing for their Olympic moment, so it should be with the intentional developing of college students and young adults for the rest of their lives!