Spring semester is almost here! This is a great time to take a breath and think of a few different strategic items that could be a game changer for your final semester, and even set you up well for fall of 2023. So, here are 4 things to consider in order to kick start your college ministry this spring.

Set attainable goals

It can be easy to be accidental, don’t be that. Be intentional with where you’re going and plan out intentional steps along the way. Ask this question, “What do I want to be true about me and my ministry by May 12, 2023?”  Think of this in both your personal leadership and also the ministry. Take a moment and write out the answer to that question. Then, work backwards creating a few action steps that would help you reach that vision statement. Consider setting aside 30 minutes once a month to assess how you’re doing. Make sure to put this time on your calendar to stay intentional with your goals.

Cast vision to high school and college seniors

You have graduating seniors both coming into and going out of your ministry. Be intentional with both of these groups. Start getting involved in the youth ministry of your church this Spring. A couple great opportunities are to help lead high school seniors at Spring DNOWS or during summer camps. Another would be to connect with other churches who might be sending students to your campus. A few years ago I talked to a college minister who found out where many of their students were coming from and he started emailing churches in those cities and towns to let them know that his church would be happy to welcome their outgoing high school seniors.

You also have college students leaving your ministry at the end of the semester. It’s time for those seniors to start thinking about transition. Erica Young Reitz wrote a wonderful book, After College, that helps seniors navigate this transition in their life. She also just came out with some online tools to help college ministers navigate this time with their students. Lead seniors with intentionality and don’t forget to cast them a vision beyond college that is not just about the ‘American Dream’,  but rather what does God desire of them? That could mean choosing to join a strategic kingdom work rather than simply a career path.

Plan a spring break trip

This is a great opportunity to help students continue to see their life as not their own and one that is on God’s agenda. Mission trips help students get out of their own box and see what God is doing in other places. It’s often these types of trips that God speaks loud and clear to students about vocational ministry or a lifestyle of ministry. You will never go wrong getting students out of their comfort zone in a shared experience sharing the gospel. It’s always a win.

Get a head start on the fall with a summer project

Summer projects are where it’s at in terms of helping students see their life as one on mission with God and creating some of your best leaders. It’s an immersive experience that expedites momentum in the fall for your college ministry. So many college ministers don’t think about this because they don’t feel like they have the capacity to pull it off. Although there may be some truth to that, the North American Mission Board has a cheat code for you with GenSend–(they also have Spring Break trips too). GenSend helps students be on mission during the summer in places all over North America, and it’s a fraction of the cost if you were to do it on your own. Steve Turner and his team do a great job with GenSend and partnering with them would be an easy first step.

Don’t forget, May 10-12, 2023 SBTC Collegiate will be hosting Roundup in Fort Worth, TX. This is a three day collaborative event where you’ll join with 400 other college leaders from around Texas and the nation. From now until January 31, 2023 you can use the code “earlybird” to get a 40% discount on your entire registration.

The post 4 Things to Kick Start Your College Ministry This Spring appeared first on Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

The fall is a fast and furious time for college ministers and then all of a sudden December hits and things slow way down. Now is the perfect time to take a moment to reflect on all that God did in the Fall of 2022. Whether you had an awesome or hard semester, it is worth assessing. Here are some pointed questions that will help you assess your ministry at your midway point in this school year.

What is one thing that you did really well?

Ministry can be discouraging, so make sure pat yourself on the back and give yourself some credit for the good things that happened. What did you do this semester that really went well? Even if you think its small, take time to celebrate it. You may even potentially need to lean in here more for the following semester. Take time to rejoice and consider how you can pour some gasoline on whatever that is for next semester.

What is one thing you need to stop doing?

Think of this as something that is going on in your ministry, that if not stopped, it would be detrimental. This could be something about your personal leadership, it could mean having a talk with someone on your leadership team, or it could also be a talk you need to have with your supervisor about their expectations of you (make sure you tread carefully here).

What is one thing that you need to start doing?

Is there something missing from your ministry that you need to kick off? Maybe your students are hearing a lot of teaching and Bible study, but lack in being on mission; sharing the gospel to those who have never heard. Maybe you’ve gotten frustrated with some of your leaders; incorporating leadership evaluations may help create an environment to discuss. However, make sure your leaders know your expectations of them before you tell them what you think they need to improve on.

What is one thing about your ministry that is confusing and you need to bring clarity to?

Is there something that confuses everyone? No one is quite sure what is going on? Perhaps this could be your disciple-making process; there is not a clear pathway on what’s next for a student as they grow in their faith. Another example could be that you and your supervisor, or those you lead, don’t have communicated expectations so its difficult to measure success. Try to create clarity because clarity provides confidence.

Who is the person you need to invest more time into?

Who is the next man or woman up? As you look at your ministry, start to spot those who have potential to lead and being to invest more time into them. This can seem unfair, but this was the model Jesus gave us: he had twelve, but he invested more time into Peter, James, and John. Who is your Peter, James, and John? This person should have more leadership roles the following year which will help you expand your influence.

What is your one big prayer for Spring 2023?

What would you love to be said of your ministry in May of 2023? Start praying for that and make sure it’s a goal that cannot be attained without the Lord’s provision.

I’m praying you have a great Spring 2023! If I can ever be a help to you, please feel free to reach out.

The post Six Questions College Ministers Need to Answer Before 2023 appeared first on Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

God has given us a model for engaging a college campus with the gospel. This model is the city of Ephesus. You might have heard it said the city of Ephesus is the biblical equivalent of a college town. Let’s take a quick look:

Ephesus:

• A port city, people from all over the world met and gathered in this city.
• A highly “moral” city, but full of idolatry.
• An economy built around one central thing—the Temple of Artemis.
• An emphasis on intellectual knowledge. The Library of Celsus had over 11,000 scrolls of “wisdom.”
• Home to a giant amphitheater with a seating capacity of 24,000 people.

College towns in Texas:

• A gathering town, people from all over the world meet and gather in this town.
• People are looking to live highly moral lives but choose idolatry every single day.
• The smaller the college town, the more dependent the economy is on the university.
• Priority of intellectual pursuit of knowledge over spiritual realities.
• Football is king. Thousands of fans pack stadiums in Texas for home games. People gather to consume.

If we recognize that the city of Ephesus closely resembles a college town, we can look at the apostles’ actions as a guide to reaching a college town with the gospel.

How did the apostles engage the city of Ephesus?

The apostle John writes 1 John 1: 1-3 to the house churches near Ephesus. He starts with a simple message:

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life . . . . we have seen it, and testify to it . . . . that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you” (1 John 1-3).

Ephesus was a town that valued knowledge and wisdom, yet the apostle John starts off his letter of encouragement by telling the people about firsthand experiences that he and other apostles experienced. John doesn’t start by sharing an elaborate philosophical argument for Christianity being the wisest and most logical religion (even though it is); he starts by sharing his experience.

This story parallels well with the story of Jesus healing the blind man. Jesus heals a man who was blind from birth and all the man could do was share his testimony of what happened. The blind man did not have all the correct theological answers. He only had his testimony:

“One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25).

In 1 John, the apostle John starts with a firsthand story of how the person of Jesus completely changed his perception of the world. When we engage the college campus, we often start with what we believe and how that belief can change a student’s life. The apostle John goes a different route when dealing with the city of Ephesus. He starts with the story that he has personally seen and teaches all things from this context. We must train our students to share the truth of the gospel as they share their stories.

 “Once I was blind, but now I see!”

Just as important as how John starts off 1 John is how he ends the book. His final encouragement to the house churches in Ephesus is that they “keep themselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). If we do not understand the culture of Ephesus, we can never fully understand why John ends with this crucial word. He tells them to abstain from idols. He knows Christ followers in the city of Ephesus will have to go against the normal practiced customs. He knows they will have to go against the grain to follow Jesus. Choosing not to worship Artemis is not easy for someone living in Ephesus because worshiping Artemis was the way of life for the Ephesians. A decision to not worship Artemis would be seen as an act of treason. People would question the Christians’ patriotism and loyalty to Ephesus. The apostle John knew the church in Ephesus needed encouragement to abstain from idol worship. Pressure faced them from every direction to give into the demands of society and to conform and worship Artemis. The church had to learn how to flee idolatry and stand and worship Jesus.

What about Paul?

How did the apostle Paul engage with the city of Ephesus and the worship of Artemis?

In Acts 19 we learn that the economy of Ephesus was being disturbed because people were beginning to worship Jesus rather than Artemis. Because people were no longer worshiping Artemis, business of Artemis shrines was declining. The economy was taking a hit because of people following Jesus. This led to a riot in the amphitheater. It is unclear the exact number of people present at the time of the riot, but there were enough for it to be chaotic. The fact that people were turning from Artemis to worship Jesus was not a light matter. The city was disturbed. The people of Ephesus displayed great pride in having the temple of the world-famous Artemis in their hometown. To be an Ephesian was to be proud of Artemis.

Paul was teaching the early church to go against the grain of society and to live in a distinctly different manner. The culture in Ephesus dramatically called for everyone to worship and follow Artemis, but Paul wanted the early church to see another path. A path that was marked by grace and forgiveness. A path that was built upon the worship of Jesus. A path that was built on sound doctrine and faithful teaching of the Word. A path that wasn’t persuaded and molded by the culture of Ephesus.

As college ministers, we have the same job as Paul. Our job is to help equip our students to live lives that are not persuaded and influenced by the forces around them but by the Spirit of God. The pressure to conform and blend in on a college campus mirrors that in the city of Ephesus. When people began to worship Jesus instead of Artemis, people noticed. In the same way, when students publicly worship Jesus on a college campus instead of the ever-popular worship of “self,” people will notice. Teach students how to worship Jesus.

Our students must be brave.

We must teach our students how to follow Jesus in a non-glamorous, faithful way because their faith will be tested. When our students live in a way that showcases their worship for Jesus above all other pursuits (self, knowledge, pleasure, morality, etc.) the campus will notice. The campus will notice the authenticity of a student who worships and follows Jesus despite incredible pressure to conform to cultural campus norms. Teach your students to go against the grain of society.

In short . . .

Teach sound doctrine.

Teach students how to share their stories.

Keep encouraging students not to be conformed to the ways of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of their mind.

One last thing . . .

Paul sent Timothy to be the pastor at the church in Ephesus. As we have the opportunity, we must equip our leaders to be ready to go to the Ephesuses of our world. We must continue to invest in the next generation to lead the charge of reaching campuses. This strategy is the most effective method.

Tell your students about the city of Ephesus. Tell them about the bravery of the church in that town.

The post Ephesus, A College Town appeared first on Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

The college students we serve have many needs, foremost the need to be deeply rooted in the gospel. Since this is the Roundup Network, I’m confident if you’re reading this you’ve got a solid handle on gospel foundations. So instead, I want to focus on five needs of 18-30-year-olds that often go unmet and occasionally are in direct contradiction to many college ministries.

Part of my role within our organization—elementum—involves staying attuned to the shifting cultural conversations and the whims that characterize college students and young adults. Based on my research, my observations in leadership and ministry, and dozens of conversations every month with ministry leaders in the collegiate and young adult ministry world, I believe college students have five critical needs.

1. Peace, not hype

You’re never going to out-hype the hundreds of thousands of apps, videos, songs, and technological innovations at the fingertips of today’s young adults. Don’t try. College students don’t need more hype in their lives. All the information, opportunities, and entertainment that we have access to significantly contribute to increases in college students’ anxiety, depression, and loneliness.

Instead, your students need space for peace, rest, and security. When people step into your ministry, home, or simply into your presence, it should be a place of peace, a place where they can let their guard down, be themselves, and discover God’s glorious goodness—not just somewhere they get pumped up for the next big thing. Does your leadership provide that? Are you a non-anxious presence amid an anxious, fast-paced world? Does your ministry intentionally make time for quiet, disconnection, and deep intimacy?

2. Intimacy, not more acquaintances

Today is the age of quick connection, but survey after survey show that Gen Z is lonelier than any preceding generation. What’s lacking aren’t acquaintances–it’s real, authentic intimacy. Your students need people who know them for who they really are. They need real conversations beyond “How’s it going? What’s your major? What will you do after graduation?” They need conversations that delve into heart-level issues.

Are you providing spaces where your students can discuss issues they keep quiet about elsewhere? Do your students have people who know what’s weighing on their hearts?

There’s more disciple-making value in your small groups than in your midweek service.  Why? Because the deepest change happens only in the context of authentic relationships where truth can be communicated to the heart, not just the head.

3. Truth, not good ideas and moral advice

I’m constantly amazed at how many college students have grown up in church, taken part in Sunday schools, youth groups, and even led church events but still lack real understanding of absolute truth. Their Christianity is, as has been pointed out in definitive research, moralistic therapeutic deism: Be a good person so you feel good and God will be pleased with you. For many of your students, the gospel is functionally a collection of good ideas and excellent moral advice they need to try to follow.

In both our leadership and our personal relationships, we must be ferociously intentional about our people encountering God’s truth. That means, first and foremost, bringing them into an encounter with God’s Word and wrestling with the reality of the truth contained therein. Whether in the context of preaching, small group studies, or one-on-one conversation, let’s be sure we’re speaking (and reading) truth to the heart rather than jumping to good ideas or moral improvement. After all, truth is the foundation of purpose.

4. Purpose, not self-improvement

This point is particularly significant for young men. Odds are you know young men who spend too much time lost in the world of video games (or the more gender-neutral time consumers like Netflix, TikTok, Instagram, and Youtube). Your students’ mindless scrolling isn’t the result of unfounded laziness. Far from it. Often it’s an escape from a deeply rooted sense of futility and purposelessness.

If you want to effectively engage your students, you must connect them with their Kingdom purpose—the reason that God created them and placed them on earth. As the apostle Paul said in Ephesians, God created good works for each of us to do. Following Jesus isn’t about self-improvement; it’s about fulfilling the purpose we were created for—to be loved by God and to love others. As we live into that purpose, we’ll find a lasting hope.

5. Hope, not momentary happiness

The previous four points all feed into this fifth point. When we’re working with young adults and college students, they need to know there is hope. Despite the conflict, the constant barrage of negative news, and the deep-rooted culture of cynicism, there is incredible hope. In Christ we have something far better than the momentary happiness of a consumerist lifestyle. Intimate relationships, deep-rooted truth, and eternal purpose all free us from the need to pursue the high of the experience for the “now.”

Your people need hope, even if it’s at the cost of momentary happiness. If you’re a pastor or ministry leader, make sure you consistently point those you lead above the horizon of this moment and this lifetime into the eternal hope the gospel gives. If you’re a parent of a college student or young adult, strive to let your life communicate that immortal hope through what you prioritize and celebrate and communicate.

Meet the needs

Your students need peace, not hype. Intimacy, not more acquaintances. Truth, not good ideas or moral advice. Purpose, not self-improvement. Hope, not momentary happiness. Each of those is a need that Jesus meets beautifully in his life, death, and resurrection. Identify practical ways to meet those needs, and make sure that Jesus is at the center of them.

The post Five Things Your Students Need appeared first on Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

I’m pumped for Roundup 2022 because I get to gather with some of the best college ministry leaders from all over Texas, and the nation. What started as 5 churches in a small boardroom has grown into a collaborative event of over 60 churches last year.

Our goal has been to create a collaborative learning environment that tears down walls of insecurity and judgment and empowers college ministries to be vulnerable, to listen, to learn, and to collaborate. Everyone has something to give and we benefit when we work together. This year’s event will be May 11-13 in Fort Worth, TX. You can get all the details here, as well as register.

If you’re coming to Roundup, or are deciding if it’s even worth coming to, here are five things you need to know:

1. Roundup is a ton of fun

Our goal is to create a genuine community. You can get resources anywhere, but where can you get a community of church-based college ministry leaders? It’s slim out there. The only way you get a rich community is when you do two things: when you’re on mission together and you have fun doing it. We work hard to create an environment that fosters genuine community among churches and their leaders. Check out our Instagram to see last year’s event.

2. Roundup is designed for teams

Learning is best done in a community so if you can bring someone with you, please do! It will make the event a much better experience for you. We foster learning together because doing ministry alone can be dangerous. You might say, “I don’t have anyone. My team is just me.” That’s okay, but consider someone you can bring that may be interested in the subject matter and who can process the information you’re learning with you. However, even if you can’t get someone to come, it will still be a benefit, so don’t let that discourage you from coming. Our staff will work to help you create meaningful connections at Roundup.

3. Roundup is built on collaboration

We are inviting some of the best practitioners to teach you how to reach, develop, and send college students. However, often the silver bullet you need is found in the person doing the same work as you. We build in time for structured collaboration, but we also encourage you to meet others and collaborate organically throughout the event. I believe that the more collaboration you do, the more breakthrough you will receive. Here’s an article I wrote about the importance of collaboration.

4. Roundup is not just for ministries in Texas

The event started as an event for Texans, and it still is, but we’ve learned that there aren’t many church-based collegiate leader events out there. So this event is available to anyone involved in a local church college ministry. Last year over 30% of our attendees were from outside of Texas. So, don’t let state lines stop you from coming!

5. Roundup helps you process the information you learn and create result-oriented steps when you get home

Sometimes it’s hard to take the information you learn and create results-oriented action steps when you get home. So, we build in time for you to process the information you’re learning and help you create a results-oriented plan to take back home. You’ll even have time to share your plans with others to better sharpen your plans.

So, what you are waiting for? Register you and your team.

The post 5 Things College Ministry Leaders Need to Know About Roundup 2022 appeared first on Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

“Words are the raw materials of dreams. The miraculous task of conveying meaning, taking something that rests in one human head and heart and somehow transferring it into the head and heart of another, is the strange and supernatural business of words.”

Brian Sanders, Microchurches: A Smaller Way

We use words all the time, right? As ministry leaders we are in the business of words. I am crafting words right now with this blog post. You will likely do so at some point this week. Coffee with a student. Message prepping for your college service. Putting the finishing touches on your new small group curriculum.

I don’t know about you, but I spend a lot of my time trying to come up with the perfect words. The perfect way to cast vision. The perfect way to articulate what God is doing in my heart. What he is speaking to me. The perfect collection of vowels and consonants arranged in a precise way needed to capture someone’s attention and affection.

But here is the thing: As Andy Stanley states in his book Making Vision Stick, “Vision doesn’t have much adhesive.” I would say the same is true about words in general. It doesn’t matter how clear you are or how carefully you craft your message. Inevitably someone is going to ask a question or make a comment that is going to make you wonder, “have you been paying any attention?”

Maybe words aren’t enough. Maybe, what we say is much less important than what we do. Here is what I am being reminded in this season—words don’t matter as much as our behavior does. Jesus spoke to this is Matthew 23:2-3: “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach.”

Ouch. That one hits a little close to home. The old adage “do as I say, not as I do” is actually from Scripture.

When I think about the words often used surrounding college ministry, I think of gospel, discipleship, community. I know you could add more to this list. Each ministry has its own distinct culture and language.

For our college ministry, we use language around “authentic community” a lot. We know this, right? Life is better connected. You weren’t designed to do life alone. We have heard it over and over. Why? Because it is true. It is transformational in the life of our students. The sooner they embrace and pursue authentic community the better.

Yet, over the last 18-24 months, I have noticed something. My language, my words, have turned more towards “do as I say, not as I do,” when in fact they should be “follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:11).

When I think of someone being pharisaical it is usually about something legalistic. Some plank-in-my-eye type of issue that creates division and judgment. But if I am being honest with you, Jesus might as well be talking about me in Matthew 23.

While I would agree strongly that authentic community is beneficial, even necessary, you wouldn’t know it a lot of the time by looking at my life. My actions would tell you I value isolation, aloneness, individualism. My habits would tell you the same story. I often avoid accountability. I struggle to be open about my weaknesses. I don’t have many deep meaningful relationships outside my marriage.

Why? I could give you a laundry list of excuses. No one will understand my struggles. Ministry is hard. I need to act with confidentiality. I don’t want to distort someone’s view of Christ. On and on. All distorted versions of truth at best. But really, they are lies. I convince myself I am different from everyone else because I have a calling. Am I the only one that does this?

But there is hope. We aren’t alone. We aren’t the only ones walking this path. We don’t have to carry the weight of ministry alone. Even as I look around my city, there are dozens of men and women who are passionately pursuing Christ while also working in the field of college ministry.

Maybe this is why David said in Psalm 133:1, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”

Unity. There is another one of those words we like to throw around. Merriam Webster defines unity as “the quality or state of being made one.”

For something to be made into something else requires effort, refining, blending. You must commit all of who you are to whatever you are trying to unite with.

By now I have learned if God says something is “good,” it is worth pursuing. So, I guess this is not a charge to do as I say . . . let’s do what God said.

The post When Leading By Example Goes Wrong appeared first on Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

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In my early days of campus ministry, I remember wanting a playbook. Really I just wanted someone to tell me what to do as I ventured onto campus every day. Now, thankfully more resources exist, and yet I often find it hard to convert the broad concepts I read into practical daily tools I can use in my ministry.

One of those broad concepts that has become a key ministry tool for me is the concept of “people of peace.” When I think back on the most strategic times on campus, I think about connecting with people of peace. Mike Breen, author of Building a Discipling Culture, defines a person of peace as “one who is prepared to hear the message of the kingdom and the King. He is ready to receive what God will give you to say at that moment.”

People of peace are often the key to campus ministry. Recently a friend struggling to start ministry on a new college campus told me, “I wish I had more resources about people of peace—who they are and how to find them.” People of peace are important because college ministry is cyclical, leaving us to continually follow where the Spirit is at work as our paths cross new people, praying that they will be open to the gospel and to partner with us to open more doors for students to hear the good news on campus.

The term person of peace comes from Luke 10. Jesus sends out seventy disciples in pairs, telling them, “Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you” (Luke 10:3-6).

Acts 16:14-15 contains another key example of a person of peace. The apostles go to a place of worship in Philippi and meet a woman named Lydia. While the story here contains few sentences, it is packed with implications of her influence throughout the rest of the New Testament. Paul writes, “One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’ And she prevailed upon us.”

These are beautiful examples of what to be looking for as we seek to join God at work with others on our campuses. Here are some things I’ve learned the hard way when it comes to identifying people of peace in real time.

People of peace are rarely who you think they will be.

They may be pre-Christian, newly Christian, or a long-time Christian who has yet to be challenged with the idea of being sent. If you’re relying on a narrow set of stereotypes, you may overlook them entirely.

I often prayed for the athlete, student body president, or sorority chapter president. Sometimes God used them in the ways I prayed. But I am humbled time again by the people that leave long lasting impacts on our ministry through resources, favor on campus and people they brought along on the journey.

People of peace have deep networks, yet sometimes these are not the obvious (to us) avenues to meet new people. I think about the students God used to bring friends and favor on campus, students who were into frisbee golf and board games. We had no idea at the time how God would use them or how many doors they would open for the gospel to be spread. To identify people of peace, we have to remember that “man looks on the outside appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Rather than look for the cool kids, look at who is eager to help. Think about who has wide networks and influence in their “thing,” even if it’s niche.

They share their resources liberally.

People of peace catch your vision naturally and offer to help. They will come alongside you, Christian or not, and see the benefit of what you want to do on campus. It will feel like a mutual partnership, like being in step with the Spirit alongside them. They will connect you to key campus leaders, access to meeting spaces, open doors and people.

Some key people of peace have owned homes near campus, allowing us to use their space for leadership meetings and other key events. They invited friends to events they hosted, many being evangelists before they themselves had fully committed to Christ.

Their networks may not fit into your neat ministry systems (at first).

People of peace have their own ecosystems. When these people discover the gospel, they become freshwater springs of life flowing to everyone around them. We need to lower our desire to control what those environments look like. Otherwise, we may cut off those springs of life at the source, diverting the energy of the Holy Spirit and hindering their impact on campus. If we’re not careful, we import our frames and controlled ministry environment onto the people we’re trying to reach and shut down natural connections.

I have found that if I am more committed to my weekly rhythms rather than empowering the people of peace, I miss out on allowing them to reach their network for Christ. If they are an RA and have little free time, it is my job to figure out how to empower them to take the gospel back to their places, rather than wait for them to bring their people to ours. If I wait for that, it may never happen.

Imagine in Acts 16 if Paul had told Lydia, “Go bring your family to our next house church gathering and we will do a special service there.” It might have been a totally different story. Instead, they were all baptized right there on the spot. Lydia went on to open doors for the apostles and the early church, hosting worship gatherings in her home, funding the church and seeing her whole family follow Jesus.

They are found on the paths of risk.

People of peace are found when there is something big enough to draw them out. Allow the Spirit to unite your hearts in a common vision and mission. In a safe cul-de-sac, there is no need for a bridge. God brings people of peace as bridges to accomplish a God-sized vision he has placed on you and your leaders’ hearts. This means taking a step of faith onto a new path.

As you talk about that vision boldly and take steps of faith, people are compelled to join, connecting you to their network and their resources.

Like all things in our purview, the most strategic part of identifying and working with people of peace is prayer. As you build, meet and strategize, specifically ask God to connect you to the people in whose hearts he is already at work, waiting to unleash their God-given influence and potential. Let’s help leaders write down names of people God may be wanting to use as people of peace in their dorms, majors, families and workplaces. I pray we don’t gatekeep the gospel but seek to empower the leaders on our campuses to experience the joy of giving their life away for Jesus.

Further Resources:

Tradecraft: For the Church on Mission by Caleb Crider, Larry McCrary, Rodney Calfee, and Wade Stephens

Building a Discipling Culture by Mike Breen

(Excerpt on People of Peace Chapter here)

The post How To Find People Of Peace On Your Campus appeared first on Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

Gospel culture is a word thrown around nowadays in various ministry contexts. Many leaders long for their churches and ministries to be marked by gospel centrality. But often, the definitions for gospel culture or gospel centrality can be too broad with few ways of assessing where our current ministries are.

We’re beginning another semester, and many of us are moving into a season of evaluation and reflection. Every semester, I like to evaluate where my ministry is regarding core mission and values while also evaluating whether the ministry I’m leading is actually developing a deeper gospel culture.

I learned these diagnosing areas of gospel ministry a couple years ago and they’ve helped me evaluate whether what I am seeking to build is in fact a culture centered on the gospel. As gospel ministers, our core longing should be to create a culture shaped and fueled by the greatest news. Once this culture is in place, your students and ministry will begin to flourish and truly bear lasting fruit.

Three areas of assessment help us evaluate where we are in building gospel culture: Gospel Content, Gospel Community and Gospel Call.

Gospel Content: This first section is probably the biggest “no brainer” for us as gospel ministers. But it is the most important. I tend to label this section gospel clarity. This means we are seeking to build a ministry that is always growing in the depth and understanding of the gospel message and its effect on our lives. It also means that all we do—teaching, events, trainings—are influenced, motivated and guided by the message of the gospel. And this will bear fruit in the lives of your students.

Another way you could word this section of evaluation is “truth.” What truth am I presenting? This one may be the easiest for you to assess.

Questions to ponder about this area:

• Are my students (and I) growing in their understanding and articulation of the gospel (Ephesians 3:14-19)?
• Are my students (and I) growing in their gospel confidence (2 Timothy 1:15-16)?
• Do my leaders (and I) operate out of Jesus’ love for them or out of duty or mission obligation (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)?
• What foundation am I seeking to lead my students to build upon (Matthew 7:24-27)?

Gospel Community: This second section is an outworking of the first and directly shapes the third section. All of us know that the Christian life isn’t meant to be lived alone but in the context of deep relationships with others. We don’t want to be leading ministries where we are merely “plugging students” into various groups without shaping the lives of those groups.

The two words I use to shape the community of leaders, groups and students are safety and intentionality.

Gospel community only happens when those two words are marking our ministries, creating a place where students and leaders are free to be honest in their relationships because the community is a safe space to be real and is a place where there is intentionality and accountability in formation and mission.

Questions to ponder about this area:

• Is the community I’m building a place of safety? Can students be honest with where they are in maturity and mission without fear (James 5:16)?
• Is the community I’m building intentional? Is it a culture calling students to take their next step together on mission (Acts 2:46-47)?

Gospel Call: This section is usually either the most neglected or the most championed in collegiate ministry. Either our ministries are too “inward” and lack living out the mission the gospel calls us to, or we’re too “outward” and the health of ourselves, our students and leaders can be neglected. This neglect happens when we’re not letting the necessary time for true growth and maturation to take place in the messy lives of those we lead. I know that’s been me at times.

But we must be building cultures that take seriously God’s mission and our role in them or our discipleship is lacking. Our content must be clear, our community must be safe, but those should always be applied in the context of mission.

We must always make it a priority to be empowering and equipping our leaders and students in mission to be a true gospel culture.

Questions to ponder about this area:

• Is this community too “inwardly” focused?
• Are there clear pathways for my students to participate in God’s mission?
• In what ways am I empowering students to participate?
• What avenues of equipping am I providing?

When all three of these areas are evident and active, you have a gospel culture. The problem is that we can center too much on one of these areas and completely neglect the other two. We may be the best communicators and teachers of deep gospel theology yet neglect the call to do that in the context of community and mission. We may have great avenues for students to connect with other students, but those communities aren’t truly intentional. We may have students equipped in their calling, participating in their mission, but all the while their hearts aren’t going any deeper in Jesus’ love and commitment to them that they need for lasting fruit.

When there’s a gospel culture of deep knowledge and love for Jesus, applied through disciplines, lived out in safe and intentional relationships, in the context of gospel mission, there’s no telling the fruit that will bear for years to come.

Let us be leaders and ministers who never get over the beauty of the gospel, and let it influence and shape the ministry culture we’re building.

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A few weeks ago, I was standing in my kitchen preparing dinner while my kids were talking loudly at the table behind me. While this isn’t uncommon or unwelcome, one thing I overheard did catch me by surprise. My sweet seven-year-old said, “Dad is old. He will die soon.”

In the words of the leadership guru and fashion icon Ron Burgundy, “I wasn’t mad, I was impressed!”

Turning 40 this year and celebrating 20 years of vocational ministry, I’m old enough to remember when pastors read a new book called The Purpose Driven Church, went to conferences and came home in Hawaiian shirts, claiming fresh vision and five principles that would help them reach “Saddleback Sam.” Of course, the problem is that while the principles may be solid, Saddleback Sam doesn’t live in Topeka; Topeka Tom lives in Topeka.

Max De Pree famously said, “the first job of a leader is to define reality.” In ministry contexts, especially on a campus, leaders can feel enormous pressure to create something new, to innovate. Usually the recipe for such innovation goes as follows: (1) obtain information: attend a conference, read a book, talk to someone “killing it” and (2) attempt innovation: go home and slap a new logo on a t-shirt and “launch a new ministry.” As with our Purpose Driven example above, what is often missing in the journey from information to innovation is the critical step of integration.

Integration is the combination of knowledge (information + action), habit, accountable relationship (coaching) and context. Make no mistake, the work of integration can be long and difficult. Because the work of integration can be hard, some leaders attempt a shortcut from information right to innovation. Unfortunately, if we try and move directly from information to innovation, without doing the necessary work of integration, all we are left with is imitation. Imitation is like cover band rock-‘n’-roll. It sounds right at the beginning, but as soon as the first lyric is sung, you know something just ain’t right. It’s Van Hagar, not Van Halen.

I share this for you to consider that maybe what your ministry needs for the year isn’t a new idea or more content but rather the integration of what you already know.

Planning for the ministry year is already in full swing. There are mission trips to plan, leaders to develop and new partners to recruit and onboard. Chances are you have attended a few conferences, read some new books, and listened to innumerable podcasts. You are full of new ideas and hopefully vision for what lays ahead. Instead of seeking for something new, or worse, copying the vision of somebody else, think critically about what you are doing or desire to do and give the work of integration a real shot.

Content can often distract us from what is most important and cloud vision for what is absolutely necessary in our ministry context. Before you activate a new idea or pilot a new ministry, it can be helpful to ask the following questions:

1. Is this the best source of information?
2. What does it look like for this to be true in my ministry?
3. Is the idea I am considering worth integrating into our ministry?
4. If we do this, what will change? Does it need to?
5. Is there another way?

I want to let you in on a secret . . . not every idea is worthy of integration into your ministry. Philippians 4:8 tells us “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Are the ideas you are thinking of implementing true? Are they excellent and praiseworthy, or are you simply bored with what you are currently doing?

Here are a few steps to take when integrating a new idea:

1. Be an Idea Snob: When you hear, read, see something new, ask if this is the best source or if there is another. Find the real thing, not a facsimile.
2. Count the Cost: Is what you are considering changing worth the effort required to make the change well?
3. Don’t Go Alone: Who are the key stakeholders in your ministry that need to be on board for the change to happen in your ministry? Involve them early.
4. Don’t Give Up: When leaders do the hard work of championing a new idea, it can be easy to give up when we encounter resistance. Instead of quickly abandoning the idea, use the resistance as an opportunity to learn, pivot and create something better. Version 1.0 of anything is very seldom the final version.

While there is much more to be said about the steps between information and innovation, most likely what you need isn’t a new idea, it’s the full-fledged integration of an idea you already have.

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