WOW — it’s November!
We’ve turned a corner and can now see Thanksgiving break off in the distance — and so can our students.
It’s been another good month here at FaithONCampus.com. Thanks to all who participated in The Art of Self-Leadership Blogathon. This month’s Top 10 includes a number of great guest posts from this event.
When you’re done checking out these posts, I begin to think more intentionally about the remaining weeks of the fall term, I’d encourage you to check out Ideas for November.
Now, on to this month’s Top 10 most viewed posts at FaithONCampus.com!
10. Reaching Out to the “Saved”
How do you reach someone who doesn’t think they need to be reached?
Better yet, how do you reach them — without offending them — or making them feel judged?
I just finished another semester of teaching an Introduction to the Old Testament class to college students, and it strikes me just how much of the content seems to revolve around God sending messengers to God’s own chosen people — with the same/similar message — you’ve drifted away, things aren’t right, return to me, renew your commitment to our relationship… before it’s too late. (Read more…)
9. A Rich but Often Overlooked Resource for Self Leadership | Stephen Rankin
While we lead others, we must lead ourselves. I often say to students who are planning on going into ministry, “We lead with our lives.” Ministry is, in one big sense, witness. Not infallible witness (we are all flawed, so please don’t climb on the inadequacy bandwagon), but witness, nonetheless.
In the best ministry, we are transparent, vulnerable, even when we’re assertively taking charge and doing great things.
This is the paradox of spiritual leadership. (Read more…)
8. Leaders Who Live in the Gray of Life
Do you have standards for your leaders?
You know, those people who mean so much to your ministry efforts — the ones who serve as extensions of you and the ministry you oversee. Those people who multiply your reach and effectiveness exponentially. Those individuals that magnify the effectiveness of your ministry because of the unique gifts, passions, and talents the bring to the table.
You know, those folks…
Do you have standards that might qualify (or disqualify) them for leadership within your ministry? (Keep reading…)
7. Why Would God Ask Singles to be Celibate?
For most college students, marriage is a foregone conclusion.
It’s just going to happen.
Therefore most students never consider the fact that they may never get married.
And if the thought ever does cross their mind, and they confess this fear to a friend or pastor, they are most often met with: just have faith and God will give you the desires of your heart.
But what if God doesn’t grant that desire? (Read more…)
6. Hiding Behind Busy | Ashlee Alley
In the last year, I’ve gotten to a place where the hamster wheel that I feel like I’m on is spinning out of control. Because I’ve been on the hamster wheel for, oh, about 25 years (I perfected managing a schedule, balancing responsibilities, and not lying around at a very early age), I actually know better how to live busy than I do to live balanced. I’ve explained to friends and family for years… okay, decades, that “things are going to slow down soon,” or “I’m just hustling now and I will get a break in a couple of weeks.”
In the midst of the busyness of ministry, I’ve learned that perhaps busyness is masking a dirty little secret. In the last year as I’ve examined both the cause and the cost of my busyness, I’ve begun to wonder if sometimes my busyness is actually… (Read more…)
5. The 4 Stages of Faith Development
The Four Stages of Faith Development that Brian described (after briefly talking about a few of the other models/descriptions that other theologians, psychologists, etc. have put forth) are: 1) Simplicity – You’re either for us or against us. It’s all or nothing. 2) Complexity — There’s more than one way to… Read more…
4. True Love is Tired of Waiting | Ashlee Alley
I work with college students who often want to talk with me about something that is bothering them. And it is not uncommon for that “something” to be related to a relationship, their desire for a relationship, or their recovery from a broken relationship. It’s just where they (and we as humanity) live most of our lives.
3. Recalibrating Productivity by Shuttin’ It Down | Joy Eggerichs
Every few months, I try to shut technology off and go to a little monastery about an hour away from my home. It has an attached retreat center where anyone can rent day rooms or stay overnight. Talking is optional. I go for the day if, and only if, the St. Anne room is available.
I’m convinced the blanket in that room was crocheted by angels. (Read more…)
2. 5 Reasons Why the Sex Before Marriage Conversation is Such a BIG Deal
I started this blog — in it’s original form — three years ago.
On January 11, 2011 I wrote I post entitled Is Sex Before Marriage Really A Sin? for the 1st Annual Sex & the Soul Blogathon.
Since that post went live, it has far and away received the most traffic on my site — accounting for 13,000 views.
Daily — DAILY — I’ll get numerous visits to my blog from people who have used the following terms in search engine searches: Keep reading…
1. Staff Meeting For One | Tommy McGregor
Have you ever been to a dueling piano bar?
They’re truly astounding to watch. Their level of skill is uncanny, and they can play a seemingly endless number of requests. To this day, I’ve never seen a dueling piano player stumped by an audience request.
The freedom these performers have on their instruments is enviable. How fun it must be to sit down with such command of the piano! To have the freedom to play whatever they want.
I took piano lessons for several years as a kid, and I never got even close to this level of talent. It’s easy to watch these guys and imagine they must just be better than I am. More musical, more gifted, whatever. (Read more…)
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And here are a couple of bonus posts — posts that continue to be among the Top Posts month after month:
** The Top 10 Issues College Students Face
There’s so much that makes up the college experience… so many opportunities, so many potential pitfalls.
How well do we assist students in navigating the waters of the college years?
Maybe before we can accurately answer this question we must first ask:
“What are the big issues that our students are dealing with?”
If we’ve not taken the time to answer this question than we must ask ourselves, “how relevant is our ministry?” Keep reading…
** Is Sex Before Marriage Really a Sin?
Does that sound like a loaded question to you?
Loaded or not, this is a question that more and more young believers are asking — and in all seriousness.
There seems to be a growing belief among some Christians that sex BEFORE marriage is NOT a sin.
They can quote to you all of the biblical passages that talk about adultery, and give their rational for why they believe those passages only apply to married and divorced individuals. Keep reading…
