Friends,
I’m on study leave this week, working on my final D.Min. project proposal that was inspired in part by Rev. Will Norman (PSCUGA) and his sermon series on evangelism that he mentions in the lesson he wrote for our new 4-lesson study,“Promise and Possibility: The Movement of the Spirit through Generation Z”? If you have not had a chance to look at the resource, it’s so good and could be a great tool to use with your board or leadership team during training to discuss the who, what, why and how of campus ministry as you make plans to kick off another semester. And if you need worship liturgy to kick-off the year, consider using the College & Young Adult Sunday resource written by Natarsha Sanders and Rev. Colin Pettigrew (Clemson).
When I began in campus ministry in 2005, my first day of work was August 1st. I started with the names of two students and absolutely no idea what I was doing, yet with a sense that journeying with college students and letting them journey with me would be the most exciting, difficult, inspiring work I would ever do. (Almost 20 years later, I still agree with that assessment.)
I’m reading “Evangelism After Christendom” by Bryan Stone, about the theology and practice of Christian witness, and came across this quote written by Albert Butler the year I was born that I think still points to the beauty of what we do in college ministry. He writes,
“Give us a church whose members believe and understand the gospel of God’s healing love of Christ to hurting men and women. Give us a church that speaks and acts with consonance with its faith–not only to reconcile the world but to turn it upside down! Give us a church of spirit-filled people in whose fellowship life speaks to life, love to love, and faith and trust respond to God’s grace. And we shall have a church whose witness in the world will not fail and whose service to the world will transform it.” (p.53)
Now substitute campus ministry where he uses the word church. This is what UKirk ministries strive to do. This is in fact what YOU and your students invite others to be a part of – Christian communities where life speaks to life, love to love, and faith and trust respond to God’s grace. I, the church, and the whole world are profoundly grateful for all you do to embody this kind of witness!
Know each of you are in my prayers as you prepare for the Fall semester to begin!
Peace and blessings,
Gini
PS – It’s not too late to sign up to write a few prayers for our new UKirk Daily, and share stories for our new app!