It’s May!
And I hope your school year and ministry season is coming to a good conclusion.
April was another great month at FaithONCampus.com! But with all that the end of the academic year entails, it’s likely that you’ve missed some of these great posts!
So here are the Best of the Best — the Top Posts for the month of April!
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10. My #iMentor Story | Jamie Johnson
Sometime around the age of 13 a friend entered my life. This individual intentionally chose me, though at the time I did not know it. His name was Bruce.
Bruce’s investment in my life seemed inconspicuous. He was, after all, the Youth Superintendent for the Friends churches in the Pacific Northwest. He was paid to do this!
Bruce and I began meeting regularly as I was just entering high school. It seemed to me he had the ability to discern one’s entire life story by simply looking them in the eye. (Read more…)
9. The Makings of a Great Conversation
We all know that conversations — of a wide variety — are what make up the life and work of those in ministry. Much more so than programs.
And we also know that conversations are the bread and butter of mentoring relationships.
While some things will be learned through shared experience, much of what we share with students comes in the form of conversation — over meals, coffee, and number of places across campus.
Conversations are key.
But do we really know what goes into a good conversation?
How about a great one. (Read more…)
Just saw this new infographic and wanted to share it with you.
With a high percentage of our student population being described within these stats, what do you think about what you see here?
What are you most troubled by?
For me, it’s the section describing the impact of being hyper-connected. I’m not sure how you look at the two set of possibilities and not believe that the negative far outweighs the positive — but maybe that just me.
Where, within all of these stats, do you see opportunity for ministry and/or meaningful conversation? (Read more…)
7. On Helping Seniors Discern “What’s Next?”
It’s that time of the year again…
We’re getting ready to say good-bye to our students — some for the summer, others for the foreseeable future.
And you’ve likely noticed over the course of the spring term a shift in conversations with your graduating seniors towards more future-oriented topics.
If your seniors are like most — they are struggling to know what’s next. Some are fearful. Some are anxiety-riddled. And some are down right paralyzed.
Why?
Because there is a lot up in the air regarding “what’s next.” (Read more…)
6. #iMentor
What is #iMentor?
Well, it’s an initiative designed to honor the investment of mentors all over the world, and to encourage potential mentors to take the initiative in starting an intentional relationship with a college student today.
My new book, Shaping Their Future: Mentoring Students Through Their Formative College Years, is now available at Seedbed.com — but I believe that a book is only as good as it serves to bring about change in the world.
A lofty task — no doubt!
And that’s precisely what I hope the #iMentor initiative will inspire us to do — change the world! (Read more…)
5. The Naked Truth About Sex in College | Chad Logan
The primary reason that college students leave their faith in college is their personal desire for sexual freedom and its incompatibility with religious morality.
Approximately 65% of all college students have had sex.
25% of college women’s first encounter with sex was unwanted or forced.
Less than 30% of college students have had a healthy conversation with their parents about the “birds and the bees” (Read more…)
That’s right. The Faith ON Campus Summer Institute has officially been postponed.
Apparently I picked the absolute worst week of the summer to try to host an event like this — so, after talking with Tim’s people and the great sponsors that had already signed on for the summer event, we’re now zeroing in on a couple of days in mid to late October.
I still believe in this event — and hope that you do to! (Read more…)
3. How Far is Too Far? | Hanna Easley
“If God was looking down on you, would it look any different to Him?”
I was in college and struggling with setting physical boundaries with my current boyfriend. I knew that God intended sex for within the confines of marriage and believed there were consequences if I disobeyed, but I wasn’t sure where the line was. How far is too far? I knew I felt shame and guilt for some of the behavior I had engaged in, but was it really wrong or was I over re-acting?
I shared these thoughts with my friend and mentor, Jenn. (Read more…)
2. My #iMentor Story | Gus Hernandez Jr.
Why do I mentor? Because my life is a result of mentoring.
A few godly men took the time to intentionally invest in me during my formative college years, and they each helped mold and shape my life.
One of my professors, Doug Hodges, took a special interest in me my freshman year in college. We started off having casual conversations after class about general things in life, but soon I found myself eating lunch with him almost on a weekly basis. I’m not quite sure how it happened. All I know is that he made himself available to me; he was always willing to listen and offer wise counsel. (Read more…)
I’ve found myself wondering lately if mentoring — as an intentional form of raising up the next generation — is lost?
In our fast-paced, keep your nose out of my business, anxiety riddled culture — have we lost the know-how to be with people in intentional, honest, and life-giving ways? And just as importantly, has the value of this kind of relationship been lost on this generation of students?
Without faithful examples, and our focus drawn away from mentoring — towards other things — have we forgotten how to do this? Or what it looks like? Or what it can yield in another’s life? (Read more…)
And there you have it!
(*) This list excludes posts found on the Top Posts of All-Time list — in order to highlight other great posts.
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If you like the kinds of conversations you’ve found here at FaithONCampus.com, then I highly encourage you to check out The 2013 Faith ON Campus FALL FORUM! This year I will be joined by author and leadership guru Tim Elmore for a two-day conversation about the unique challenges and opportunities that exist in mentoring this generation of college students! Find out more here. And check out my book on mentoring college students entitled Shaping Their Future here.
