Special Announcement To Friends

I am both honored and humbled to announce that I will be the new BCM Minister at Arkansas State University as of June 1, 2011. I will be replacing my boss and mentor, Arliss Dickerson, who is retiring after over forty years of BCM ministry service. After working alongside Arliss for almost two years now at ASU BCM, my wife, Kelly, and I feel like our time here has been a providential experience ordained by God to prepare us for this juncture in our lives. Consequently, through fervent prayer and affirmation, I feel the timing is right to humbly accept this position. Thank you for your continued love and support during these exciting days. Pray that God will continue to use the BCM to make Himself known at ASU and among the nations.

In Christ,

Chad

Being A Small Part of The Grand Narrative

I wanted to take time before we leave for Mission Miami Tomorrow to breath and write a blog about the past week or so because it is a picture of how God uses us to be a small part of His Grand Narrative. When at MGCCC (Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College), I was desperate for new ideas, so I began reading a workbook entitled “10 Commandments of College Ministry” by Arliss Dickerson. That day, Arliss called and asked me to interview for an assistant position at ASU; little did I know that March 17, 2011, I would be selected to replace him after his retirement at ASU.

Before I knew Thursday's ASU BCM Minister's hiring meeting was happening the same day as the BCM Spring Fling, I made previous plans to fly to Atlanta to preach at a Disciple Now. What was I thinking? I was answering phone calls, emails, Facebooks, Twitters, and texts while running through the Memphis airport. Looking back, it didn’t matter what I was thinking because God knew what He was doing. God moved in a revivalistic way last night in my heart and the hearts of approximately 10 church’s students ministries, collegians, and young adults in Cherokee County, Ga at an associational D-Now. This morning, my new friend, Shawn Finch at FBC Canton, wrote me and said that he is baptizing 15 youth next week!!! I pray that I get more messages from more youth pastors from the Disciple Now this weekend in Ga. God is alive and it feels good to be a small part of His Grand Narrative!

So You Think You Can Lead Like Jesus?

1. Share Ownership in Decision Making
2. Exemplify Character to earn Credibility
3. Utilize appropriate emotions in the appropriate setting
4. Personally Care for team members
5. Committed to progression and well being of team members
6. No Alarms & No Surprises: Be honest and upfront
7. Ask thought provoking questions and receive feedback
8. Balance Confidence & Humility
9. Pray, Pray, Pray
10. Act with the bigger picture in mind

Generation Z and Their Parents’ Misconception

Evangelical Christianity has been angry long enough at the lack of spirituality from Generation X to Y. The story we hear at BCM from the “typical” Gen. Y & Z Christian goes something like this. “I grew up in church with Christian parents, made an early profession of faith, then I struggled with some major issues in my teen years; for the most part these students kept the issues “under the table” during those dark days because of embarrassment, guilt etc...

Is there a reason that most Gen. Z Christians struggle with such serious issues?

Parents have contracted their children’s spirituality out to the local church through hiring “Christian professionals) and sending them to youth camp to find spirituality. Many times, parents take their children to church every time the doors open for youth choir, bible drill, etc. The misconception is that every ritual makes them more spiritual. We can’t compartmentalize discipleship. Discipleship should be the context of our life not a compartment. Unfortunately, parents can often focus on the externals (do’s and don’ts) and not the internals (namely, the hearts of their children). Could this be the reason Gen. Y is leaving the church?

My parents understood the spiritual value of modeling familial discipleship in the home. This example taught me that Christianity is about relationship not rituals.

We have a great opportunity at our disposal to teach this generation a different way of holistic discipleship.

Should Collegians Lead Your Ministry?

Our BCM staff just ended a long but invaluable week of student interviews for our BCM leadership team.

Questions across the collegiate world have been asked...

Should college students spearhead various components in your campus ministry or paid professionals? Some say collegians should not lead ministry because they are already spread so thin with other responsibilities and there is always an opportunity cost of excellence when "pro bono" responsibility is given to students.

The grim and sad reality is that students haven’t been given much leadership responsibility by the time they get to college. Consequently, giving them responsibility is a learning opportunity for them most have never had before. How do we raise a new generation of leaders without giving them leadership responsibility? We don't...

We are doing them an invaluable service by giving empowering them with leadership opportunities.

During the fall semester at ASU, we enlist a Freshmen Leadership Team: this provides an opportunity for students to hone and utilize God given gifts from the moment they step onto a college campus.


Are students stretched too far in too many different directions to be given leadership responsibility?... That could be the case, but students must determine themselves what matters most and prioritize accordingly. Time management is just as much of an issue after college than during college.

The most productive post-collegians are those that lead in college.

If we expect this generation to lead, we must empower them even at the expense of excellent quality because empowering leadership is more about the student than the ministry they are serving (students are the ministry).


Placing students on Leadership Teams helps them in a number of ways.

1. Ability think Critically & Evaluate Ministry Results
2. Innovation and Technology
3. Team Work experience
4. Organization
5. Group Trust, Accountability, and Friendship
6. Celebrate Success
7. Ownership & Sense of Accomplishment
8. Life Coaching and Mentorships
9. Sacrificial Giving and Mission
10. ETC....

Our leadership is the lifeblood of our ministry and this is why we are unapologetically student led.

More college students are graduating and not finding jobs more than ever before. May one factor be the lack of leadership experience?

1 Peter 4:10 “As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms.”