Thanks for visiting my blog, Serving Bread. Here you'll read stories, insights, reflections and ramblings from a campus minister, father, husband and Jesus-follower. If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to the RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
On Monday, we had our first small group at Pierce College. I believe InterVarsity had a presence at Pierce (perhaps 40 years ago) but it had disengaged from the campus for many years now.
The young student leader looked nervous at first (especially since the door to the meeting room was locked), but she worked through that to help people feel comfortable and connected. We had 10 students at our first meeting, and it was great to hear people share about what a Christian community would mean to them at the community college.
As I walked on this campus of nearly 25,000 students, I could not but pray and ask God to raise disciples who would make an impact on campus and beyond. God’s stretching my leadership and calling, and I love to have eyes to see God at work.
At the end of our small group meeting, I gave the group a closing exhortation that numbers will never tell the whole story of God’s work on campus and we are not striving for a large group for the sake of a large group. Jesus invested his time and energy and gave his best to a small group of people, and one of his powerful teachings was the parable of the mustard seed which may be the smallest seed, but would eventually grow to be a blessing to its surroundings.
-----
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to grab the RSS feed. Also, please take a moment to submit this post through "Share This" above.
-----
I am writing from Pierce College. I’ve been on campus before, but this is the first time I’m on campus for ministry purposes, as I am about to meet with a student who will launch InterVarsity’s ministry on this community college campus.
Our ministry at Pierce will operate well with our work at CSUN. The vast majority of the students at this suburban community college in Woodland Hills will end up at CSUN. The students who attend Pierce will know plenty of people at CSUN and the cultures of the schools are somewhat similar. It makes sense for us to develop an InterVarsity ministry on this campus.
I have always enjoyed being on more than one campus. I find that being on multiple campuses refines how I should be spending my time and refines my calling as a campus minister. By being on two campuses, I prioritize leadership development and I entrust more to students.
Though my primary focus in this season of life will remain to lead and develop the ministry at CSUN, I want God to break and expand my heart for the 25,000+ students on this campus. It is exciting that the community at CSUN is already on the move blessing a pioneering work. I feel like I’m part of the church in Antioch, ready to send out and bless Barnabas on Paul as they sojourn to new territories to preach the gospel. The church in Antioch was still in its infancy (compared to the mother church in Jerusalem), yet it chose to export its best to bless the known world.
Our strategy will be to keep it fairly simple at Pierce, launching the ministry through a student leader who senses God’s call to lead a small group Bible Study on the campus. This small group will be integrated with what we are already doing at CSUN—conferences, leadership development, and fellowship meetings.
—
After having met with the young leader, I am excited for what this season holds for us. She has a heart and conviction to love the campus and to connect them in a community that has blessed her abundantly.
-----
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to grab the RSS feed. Also, please take a moment to submit this post through "Share This" above.
-----
Recent Comments