Tag: relationships

Student Culture, Trends & Issues

New Book: CAMPUS gODS (to Release Fall 2013)

Franklin, Tennessee, June 18, 2013—Seedbed Publishing has entered an agreement to publish Dr. Guy Chmieleski’s second book, Campus gods: Exposing the Idols that Can Derail Your Present and Destroy Your Future. (working title)

“The university campus may be the most strategic soil in the kingdom of God and we must work together to cultivate it for the twenty-first-century world, said Dr. Chmieleski. “With the dual trends of the college years as an extended period of adolescence and the rise of a highly genericized version of the Christian faith, it is imperative to creatively and compellingly infuse the whole gospel of grace and truth into the spiritual life of the campus.”

“One of Seedbed’s core commitments is to the college campus. We have a tremendous interest and energy for publishing a rich theological vision for life, faith, and future vocation geared for college students and the campus ministries who serve them,” said J. D. Walt, Seedbed’s sower-in-chief.

Leadership Development, The Campus Minister

Here I Go Again

Many times in ministry, especially college ministry, you feel like you are walking alone. Just drifting along, trying to survive, and isolated from others in ministry.

College Ministry has been described as the Navy Seals of ministry — It’s very hard work and no one ever gives you credit when it goes well (plus, some people erroneously call us Youth Ministers, a pet peeve of mine).

I am surrounded by a great church staff, but they often fail to grasp what college ministry is or have the tools to push me in my goals and desires.

Blogathons, Student Culture, Trends & Issues

The Cost of Being a Bridge Builder between LGBTs and the Church

I feel the costs of the corporate LGBT and Church disconnect have been well documented for what this culture war has left in its wake.

The broader LGBT community’s retelling of this story, in most cases, has the Bride acting more like Bridezilla than the Bride who, when the doors swing open for the first time, is standing in her gown, looking as beautiful as she has ever looked, ready to walk down the aisle and be sacramentally joined with God to the person she loves more than any other on the face of the earth.

And the Church’s retelling of this disconnect, at its core, is in most cases one of denominational and congregations division—separating what many thought was once one of the three unbreakable cords tied to the Lord for good works.

Blogathons, Student Culture, Trends & Issues

The Future Consequences of Present Actions

As a pastor of students, and father of five small children, I am deeply troubled by the statistics describing the sexual practices of today’s young people.

Sometimes I wish I had the ability to sit down with students and allow them to look 5 years, 10 years, or maybe even 15 years into the future — so they could see how their present actions will have a direct impact on their future.

I honestly believe that if more students knew how their choices today would impact their lives in the years to come, they’d make changes in their lives.

At least I hope they would.

Blogathons, Student Culture, Trends & Issues

The THIRST

Jesus told the Samaritan Woman that ‘whoever drinks of this water will thirst again.’ (John 4:13 emphasis mine)

Never before has this Scripture come screaming at me as it does when I watch some of the interactions of students on the college campus. The phenomenon of dating is evolving, and the church isn’t keeping up. The idea of a more traditional mindset of dating where the guy talks with the family…especially the father…about courting his daughter is nothing more than a manuscript of a 1950’s sitcom that airs reruns on TVLand.

Gone are the ideals of respect, trust, love and commitment.