Unique Opportunities and Challenges

 

Summer always remains a unique time in campus ministry. With so many of our students out of town or working our ministry changes a lot for a couple months. For me that typically means that I have more time to spend with the students that are still in town, and more time to spend in planning, reading, researching and preparing for the next year. So with that being the case I figured I’d share some highlights from both the students I’ve been meeting with and the things I’ve been learning so far this summer.

Caden & Luke

I can’t help but brag on these amazing guys I get to meet with. Both got involved in our ministry this last year, and I’ve had the privilege of meeting with them over the year and this summer. Both of them have caught the vision for campus missions. For example Luke and his brother hosted a worship night for around 40 of our students at their house just because they had the ability and some amazing parents who opened up their home to us. The night was so well thought out and just showed so much love and care for our students. I felt blessed just to be able to go!

Caden and I had been talking about the need for our guys to hang out more and develop deeper friendships, and almost immediately he organized a volleyball night to invite our community to and especially to invite our guys to so that they could start making connections that can develop deeper roots throughout the summer and into the next year.

While I know that neither of these things is anything crazy, for me it just shows how God is working through these young guys to help build a healthy ministry up in Denton. It’s rare to see college guys start taking ownership over the ministry at such a young age, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the Lord does through them in the years to come.

What I’ve been learning

Both through my meetings with students and through what I’ve been reading this summer I have been coming face to face with some of the unique challenges of ministering to Gen Z, or really just ministering in a time of moral relativism and secularism. This is certainly not a new challenge, and has marked much of my time in campus ministry, but now more than ever I am seeing the affects of beliefs that are not anchored in anything but our own hobbled together opinions from friends, social media, our favorite TikToker and so on. More and more even those who grew up in the church have deeply held beliefs that have no mooring in scripture. Often not because they are trying to ignore Jesus’ teaching, but that they don’t see how the words of scripture should permeate our whole lives and every one of our beliefs. Helping students uncover this holistic view of faith is a unique challenge but also an amazing opportunity. Jesus offers so much hope and healing and coming to a holistic view of life can be immensely freeing for people. When I've seen the younger generation embrace it they take off with their ability to go and impact people for the Lord. There are two great articles by Tim Keller and his son that address some of this that I read recently. If you want to check them out I’ll link them below!

As the new school year comes quickly into view I can’t help but be excited for all the ways God will work this next year. I’d love prayer as we continue our planning and preparing, and prayer for the Lord to make some big moves this next year on campus!

Articles:

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-challenge-of-university-evangelism/

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/5-principles-for-university-evangelism/