Campus Ministry: Week One Take Away

Campus ministers understand the importance of the first three weeks of school because students typically set their trek for the semester within those few weeks.  So, how can we interrupt that trek, making sure ministry is on student’s radar?

We just finished week one at ASU and here are six takeaways from our week one. 

 1. Students are more forgiving week one so they are willing to participate in longer programming, especially at the beginning of the week. Longer programming facilitates community and helps students feel embraced.

     2. Week one programming should be highly interactive and relational if you want students to connect and come back.  The larger the crowd, the harder it is to connect relationally. Put differently, the smaller the crowd, the easier it is to connect relationally. Does this mean you don't want a large crowd? No, but if you do have a large crowd, it may be advantageous to break it into smaller groups or play a game that would enforce students to participate and get to know others. 

     3. By the end of the week, you will see fatigue in students because all campus organizations have so much to offer that week. What does this mean for ministry? If other organizations will not continue their activities, then it would be to your advantage to continue your week 1 activities the entire semester. CONSITENCY IS KEY DURING THE SEMESTER. (This is why we don’t have activities EVERY night during week)

      4. Tailor make week one programming for first timers.  Many students will give your ministry one shot during week one, so make sure you don’t mess it up by focusing most of your attention to insiders. After a first timer’s first impression, they will decide if it fits their campus identity.  Therefore, make sure your leadership team serves and ensures first timers have a good experience.

    
     5.  Make sure your environments are clean, cool, and comfortable.  We make sure our building is just as modern as our student center because we want students to feel like they are at home on campus, not in an antiquated center with 1980’s furniture that smells like a nursing home.

     6. Make sure everything you do week one is strategically linked to other semester events and most importantly, your mission statement.

Do you find this the case on your campus or is this just a takeaway from my campus?

For His Glory

Partnership: BCM and Our Relationship with Churches and Campus Ministries

A common false understanding is that the Baptist Collegiate Ministry is a para ”extra”-church organization; it is not. BCM is an extension of all Southern Baptist churches. Consequently, we represent the beautiful representation of The Church working synergistically connecting to students and making wholehearted followers of Christ. Southern Baptists are cooperative; this is why college campuses tend to have one campus ministry on campus. We have always been associational; I pray we always will. The BCM desires to partner with all gospel-centered organizations and point students to Jesus, not just our organization. However, I believe there are 2 primary partnerships.

Partnership 1 is a partnership with all Southern Baptist Churches that support a BCM paradigm: These churches funnel students to the BCM and the BCM funnels students to them; it’s a two way street. Put differently, it’s a complementary relationship. I thank God for our churches who entrust their students with our BCM. This is a picture of Biblical unity. The BCM should utilize the help of SBC churches and vice versa in order to maximize ministry.

 Partnership 2 is a partnership with “para” church organizations and other gospel centered ministries. The BCM Prays for them and works ecumenically with them for many projects. However, students aren't funneled to and from these ministries: in other words, we don't promote each others events. In fact, at ASU, we encourage students to commit to one campus ministry and invest there rather than “shop around all semester”, leading to an altogether shallow experience. I am good friends with most of our campus ministry leaders and we talk regularly about the importance of leadership and commitment vs. campus ministry shoppers.  Each campus ministry has it’s own identity and we should celebrate the diversity and point students to organizations that fit their personality and beliefs.  

In conclusion, to maximize the advancement of the Gospel, we must understand the importance of Biblical unity and partnership while teaching commitment and leadership. 

ASU BCM Welcome Week Activities

Monday: Freshmen i survival 4:30-8:30

Survival is a “Freshmen only” event that helps acclimate students to ASU life. Get ready for fun games, videos, breakouts, pizza, small groups, and ultimate Frisbee afterdark. Haven’t registered? Don’t worry, we are accepting up to 80 walk-ins this year. 

Tuesday: Freshmen Leadership Team

The Freshmen Leadership team is a pre-selected group of freshmen leaders that meet weekly for discipleship and leadership training. These students were chosen by leaders in the community. However, if you would like to apply, we do have slots for a couple more students.

Wednesday Lunch: 12:00-12:45

Wednesday lunch this week is free to all. Stephen Durven “Wayne” from the movie “Fireproof” will speak and special music by Noland Gilmore and Klayton Seylor. Drop in after class and we will make sure you get to your 1:00. We promise.

Thursday: BCM College Worship: 6:15-7:30

Every Thursday we have a college worship service at the BCM Center beside the parking garage at ASU. This week, the Christian Baxter Band will be leading worship and there will be a Sumo wrestling contest and ice cream afterwards.

International Conversation Club and Freshmen Night starts the following Monday on August 29^th at 6:15.

Lots of opportunities this semester at the BCM. These listed above are weekly activities; we have other activities planned as well!

Old Testament Law, Holy Spirit, Miracles, Inclusivism, and other Tough Questions College Students Have about Faith

I had a college student recently ask me these four questions and this is my brief response. Who says collegians don't think theologically?

1. How relevant are the commands and ideas presented in the Old Testament?

Many people ask the question "should we as Christians obey all 600 Old Testament commands?" The answer depends on which commandment. Let me explain. The OT is a covenant between God and His People. Many OT commandments were stipulations God had for this covenant with His people. After Jesus, we entered a New covenant. Now, this New covenant (New Testament) has only renewed some of these Old Testament laws. For instance, civil law and ritual law provided in Leviticus, parts of Exodus, Deuteronomy, and Numbers are not binding for us today. However, some parts of the OT were renewed by the NT including the Ten Commandments. Differentiating scripture doesn’t mean it isn’t the Word of God even thought some of it isn’t commanded for us today.

Simply Put, don't see the OT binding unless it was renewed in the NT.

2. Who is the Holy Spirit to you, and how does He work through you?

 The right question is not “who is the Holy Spirit to me?” but rather “who is the Holy Spirit presented in scripture?” God is one in three persons in scripture. However, The Father is not the Holy Spirit and Christ is not the Holy Spirit. It’s important to note the Holy Spirit is not a “force” or “power” or “it”.  He has a mind, will, and a feeling. The biblical names of the Holy Spirit such as counselor, comforter, etc., gives us indications to the purpose of the Holy Spirit.  Other biblical activities of the Spirit include teaching, hearing, commanding, knowing, searching, convicting, bestowing gifts, interceding, helping, sanctifying, and applying salvation to the believer.

3. Do you believe in miracles in today's society?

 Some biblical scholars argue that miracles were restricted to the days of the apostles (they misinterpret 2 Corinthians 12:12). Side note: This is why apostolic churches are typically churches that focus on the gifts of the apostles. However, because a concentration of miracles happened with the apostles doesn’t mean they can’t happen through others who weren’t apostles.  At any rate, it is not right for Christians to seek miracles today in order to advance one’s status or be entertained by the Spirit. Do I believe in modern day miracles? Yes, but I am extremely cautious due to the abuse of this topic by many of today’s televangelists. So the two-word answer for your question is that I am “openly cautious”

4. Given the idea that you must know Jesus to be saved, do you believe that the unsaved that have never heard the name or anything of Jesus will be sent to heaven or hell?

Saying that John Doe who lives among a people group who has never of Jesus, but will be saved is called inclusivism. Inclusivism confuses Common Grace between Saving Grace. Common grace is the grace God provides everyone regardless of hearing the gospel, (Romans 1:18-20) but doesn’t have eternally salvific power. Saving grace is found only in the person of Christ by grace through faith of the hearer.  Inclusivism has no biblical grounds if we rightly differentiate common and saving grace. My main objection to inclusivism other than biblical is practical; If inclusivism were true and God wanted everyone to be saved, it would make the most missional sense not to share Christ, but rather, be silent in order for many to be saved . This idea is certainly not biblical. 

Dear ASU Incoming Freshmen: What I Wished Someone Would've Shared With Me Before College

Dear College Freshmen,

Your world is about to change dramatically next Saturday when your parents move you into your new dorm-room and drive back home. It will be good for you to be on your own, making tons of new friends, and experiencing some of the best memories of your life. However,  here are some things I wish I would’ve known in your shoes. 

It may not seem like it, but the choices you make the first week of college will affect the rest of your life. You will meet a new circle of friends, walk in new paths, and find new passions. It may seem like hanging our with the “cool people circe” is a huge deal, but it’s not at the expense of your morality. Many college students lose a sense of morality in college. At the end of your career, the “cool people circle will evaporate and only lasting friendships will remain. Put differently, don't sacrifice your morality for social acceptance. Some psychologists say that pursuing social acceptance at the expense of morality in college is oftentimes the result of poor self-confidence.  

If all you do is party, then when you leave college, you will find out the party will end… and so will those so-called friendships. So, find a wide variety of friends and be the influencer not the influenced.  Don’t miss great opportunities to meet new people that will make your college experience great. Also, find a balance between social time and study time. Social time is an essential component of a college education, but avoid the extreme position of just hanging out all of the time. 

Wanna meet around 200 incoming freshmen on the first day of class at a Christian event called "Survival" at the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at ASU?

You can still sign up here: www.astatebcm.com 

21st Century Judaizers: Making it difficult for people to turn to God

There was a tendency in early Christendom to retreat back under the Mosaic legislation, which was a very long list of do’s and don’ts. Put differently, Christianity became a legalistic driven religion rather than grace driven; some priests were telling men they would have to be circumcised before becoming a Christian. These Christians were called the Judaizers.

There are 21^st century legalists or Judaizers that make it “difficult for Gentiles to turn to God” Oftentimes, we try to impose morality on a people as a means of grace; Biblical morality is a result of grace, not a condition for grace. There will always be a mysterious tension between grace and truth.

Watching mainstream media is one of many indications that Christianity is a sub-culture. This is why many people get burned by churches who force religious morality without creating a biblical community. To turn Christianity into a sub-culture is to create God in your own image; this is idolatry. Christianity is applicable to all cultures; leveraging culture to share the gospel is called contextualization. Paul's missionary journeys in Acts is a great explanation of contextualizing the gospel.


Jesus never asked people to subscribe to a list of prerequisites before following him.  In fact, the people that turned to him in the gospel accounts met none of the religious pre-requisites of the day.

If we are going to take grace seriously…

If we are going to take the great commission seriously…

 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.”

Acts 15:19

The Best Advice Incoming Freshmen Receive: 10 Suggestions

Two weeks from today, most of you will begin your first day of College!! Here’s ten suggestions to make the best of your first week of class.

        1.   Don’t be afraid to ask for help and get to know your professors.

        2.     Start your college career off the same way you want to end your career.                                               

        3.     Get some sleep and stay healthy.

        4.     Be open to meet lots of new friends

        5.     Take lots of pictures.

        6.     Be smart with your money

        7.     Call your parents… just not all the time.

        8.     Start building your resume even now.

        9.     Turn over a new leaf and discover a new passion

       10.  Get involved on campus and stay involved.

Freshmen Survival is a way all incoming freshmen can start off on the right foot the very first day of Class.

http://www.astatebcm.com/Arkansas_State_University_BCM/Home_files/isurvivalbackcard.pdf