May 2008 Campus Ministry Update
The Ivy Jungle Network
Campus Ministry Update
May 2008
**Christian Education Journal highlights articles on College and Young Adult Ministry. Authors include Kara Powell (Fuller Center for Youth and Family Ministry); Chris Kiesling (Asbury) David Setran (Wheaton); Wesley Black (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary); Evan Hunter (Ivy Jungle). Links to the articles can be found at: http://wisdom.biola.edu/cej/issue/
** Join the Ivy Jungle Network Group on Facebook** Right now check out a link to 90 titles Campus Ministers have been reading this year: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13424091882
Trends in Student Ministry, Culture and Higher Education:
Evangelicals Back Away From Politics: More than 80 evangelical leaders have signed the Evangelical Manifesto, a document designed to clarify what evangelicals stand for and to return civility to public discourse. Drafted in part by Os Guinness and Rich Mouw, the document is primarily theological. However, it also serves to back the movement away from party politics in an effort to make sure that evangelicals would not simply be "useful idiots" in the nation's partisan politics. A number of the signers have been politically active in the past. The document and a list of signatories can be found at www.anevangelicalmanifesto.com. (Reuters May 7, 2008).
Studying Christianity and Culture: Christian Smith, author of Soul Searching has launched a new minor at the University of North Carolina focused on Christianity and Culture. He pushed for the program in part because he believes that students cannot understand western culture without an adequate understanding of Christianity in general and evangelicalism in particular. He also noticed that many incoming freshmen who claimed to be Christians often understood little of their faith. He coined the phrase "moralistic therapeutic deism" to describe the faith he saw in many teenagers in which God exists primarily to make them feel good, but has little impact on their lives. He faults the church which has bought into a culture of excitement and relevance at the expense of the gospel. (Kairos Journal May 8, 2008)
Smoking Hookahs: Waterpipes, commonly called "hookahs" have become popular among college students who often perceive them to be safer than other forms of smoking. A recent survey of freshmen at a Virginia University showed that more than half had tried a waterpipe. Researchers who published their findings in the Journal of Adolescent Health express concern at the prevalence of hookah smoking and the misconception that it is more "natural" and "safer" than cigarettes. In reality, the same toxins are present as with cigarettes. (Reuters May 12, 2008)
College Voters Engaged: Young voters have become very engaged in this year's election cycle. 57% of voters under 30 say they have given "quite a lot" of thought to the election, up from 44% in 2004. 87% say they plan to vote this fall, up from 81% four years ago. Young voters have helped boost Barack Obama's campaign in several states (his facebook group has 800,000 members compared to 150,000 for Hillary). Young voters will be an important group this fall as well. In 2004, 24 million voters were over the age of 65, and 21 million 30 and under. This election, those demographics will reach parity with a greater number of young people having reached voting age as the Baby Boomer generation just begins to turn 65. A motivated young electorate will have a significant voice. (USA Today May 6, 2008).
College Students Pessimistic on Economy: A national survey of students at four year colleges found that most are concerned about the country's direction. Two-thirds have concerns about finding a job, 85% say the economy is not good right now, and 53% think things are generally going in the wrong direction. 75% believe the US needs to set a timeline for withdrawing troops from Iraq. (Inside Higher Education May 5, 2008)
Obama Supporters: Exit polls from the North Carolina and Indiana primaries show young people continuing to support Barack Obama. The Illinois senator won 62% of the votes among 18-29 year olds in Indiana and 74% of that group in North Carolina. (Inside Higher Ed May 7, 2008)
Seeking Conservative Professor: The University of Colorado at Boulder has announced a capital campaign to endow a chair for a politically conservative scholar. Both liberals and conservatives have expressed criticism for the plan. David Horowitz, who has achieved notoriety in his critique of the significant political bias on most campuses, says he applauds the idea of increasing sociological diversity, but fears the move will create a "token conservative" in a sea of liberal thought. (Inside Higher Education May 13, 2008)
Social Networking Continues to Gain: Internet use by young people has reached a near saturation level. What they do online, however, continues to change. Between 2006 and 2007, "just surfing" and instant messaging both saw declines among youths ages 8-21. Social Networking posted a 9% increase and watching videos increased by 7% during that year. Among 18-21 year olds, use of social networking sites increased from 50% of all young people to 70% during that year. (Harris Interactive Trends and Tudes vol. 7 issue 3 April 2008)
Graduating Gap: The new report, "Graduation Rate Watch: Making Minority Student Success a Priority" shows an embarrassingly large gap in the graduation rates of white and black students. Nationally, 57% of all college students graduate in 6 years. However, some schools boast graduation rates of 90% while others are quite low. Black students are far more likely to attend the lower graduation rate institutions. Only 30% of black students attend a school where half of the total student population graduates in 6 years. 17 schools have gaps between back and white graduation rates that are 35 points or more. One example is East-West University where 69% of the student population is black, but only 10% graduate, compared with a 50% graduation rate for white students. The largest gaps include both public and private institutions in both urban and rural areas. The schools that have the greatest success (i.e. greatest parity in graduation rates) generally have strategies in place to help minority students during their college experience. (Inside Higher Education April 21, 2008)
Wikipedia for Scholars: Wikipedia receives mixed reviews on from faculty college campuses. Given the inaccuracies in some entries, a number of professors have banned it as a legitimate source for research. Others assign reading from the online encyclopedia as a part of their course loads. Wikipedia promotes a kind of "peer review" as any reader can edit most entries on the site. The creators of Wikipedia hope that enough people speaking into the process will correct errors. However scholars critique the process because Wikipedia, in true democratic form, makes no allowances for expertise and other credentialing. A new "wiki" source has now been created – Scholarpedia (www.scholarpedia.com) that has articles contributed by "experts" in the various fields and subject to peer review from others within the field. The creators say their goal is not to create content quickly, but to truly amass material from the best in the field on any given subject. (Inside Higher Education April 28, 2008)
What Does it Mean to be Secular? A Teagle grant is funding research at four liberal arts colleges asking the question, "what does it mean for a school to be secular?" The schools have all distanced themselves from roots in the Protestant faith over time. The research, which involved faculty and chaplains has shown an embrace of a secular framework for exploring the "big questions" (i.e. purpose, meaning, etc.) students face during their college experience. Many in the group felt that a secular framework creates the best space for the exploration of those questions and for pursuing the goal of a liberal arts education. One consequence noted was the privatization of faith. While many students ask questions related to faith and religion, those conversations most often take place in "personal" conversations with peers and do not happen in the "public" space of the classroom. Some religious groups have felt the study promotes secularism on campus. (Inside Higher Education April 23, 2008)
Drug Bust on Campus: San Diego State made headlines this month when nearly 100 people were arrested in a drug sting on campus. 75 were students, including several criminal justice majors. Seven fraternities were investigated as part of drug dealing network on campus. Cocaine, ecstasy, and marijuana were seized. Police point to the case as an example of how prevalent drug use has become on campus and the ease at which students can purchase the illegal substances. (CNN.com May 6, 2008)
GTA4 Sets Record: The latest version of Grand Theft Auto racked up more than $500 million in sales during its first week on the shelves. More than 6 million copies of the game were purchased in the first week of its release, drawing comparisons with the 8.3 million copies sold in the first days of the last Harry Potter release. The game, which continues to face opposition from consumer groups for its sexually explicit content and graphic violence, has had ads pulled from New York subways and the nations of Australia and New Zealand considered a complete ban of the video game. (LA Times May 8, 2008)
Gay Rights and Religious Rights: A federal court has ruled that the Georgia Institute of Technology may not distribute materials to support gay students which favor one religious group over another. Part of the "Safe Space" program, the materials in question analyze the positions of religious groups on issues such as gay marriage and ordination of gay clergy. A law suit filed by the Alliance Defense Fund claimed that materials support some groups as "receptive" and dismiss others as "anti-gay." The judge ruled that because the Safe Space program receives considerable funding and staff support from the school, it violates the constitution by advocating some religious groups over others. (Inside Higher Education May 2, 2008)
Big Opening for Expelled: The Ben Stein movie, Expelled which looks at intellectual bias around issues of intelligent design and evolution had the broadest theatrical opening for any documentary to date and the third highest opening gross. (moviemojo.com May 16, 2008)
Campus Ministry Among Best Christian Workplaces: The Coalition for Christian Outreach has been named one of the best Christian Workplaces for the 6th year in a row. (Pittsburgh Post Gazette May 12, 2008)
*** Events, Resources and Jobs ***
"Screenagers: Equipping and Unleashing Generation Y" At this National Leadership Forum you will interact with: Dr. Leonard Sweet, Paul Litten, Dr. Tim Elmore and Executives from Chick Fil A. It's time to redefine your role as a leader.
This is more than a Leadership Forum. This gathering is designed to provide an interactive environment for leaders like yourself who want to both understand the latest research on "Generation Y" and put it to use. Much research has been done on this generation, but sometimes it's difficult to translate the data into practice. This Forum will turn research into reality. We will converse with leading experts who study and work with the Millennial Generation, campus executives who interact with the students behind the statistics, and authors and sociologists who will help us mobilize these young people to become leaders in their fields. We'll be discussing:
1. The Virtues and Vices, Pros and Cons of Generation Y
2. Exit Plan: How to Help Students Enter the Marketplace...and Thrive
3. Capitalizing on the Differences of Culture, Gender and Generations
4. From Self-Absorbed to Self-Sacrificing: Fostering Maturity in Students
5. Innovative Ideas for Connecting and Coaching This Generation
6. Developing This Generation into Leaders
WHEN: June 26-27, 2008 WHERE: Chick-fil-A Corporate Headquarters - Atlanta
HOSTS: Growing Leaders and Chick-fil-A RATE: $199 SPECIAL: Attendees will receive a complimentary copy of the latest Millennial Generation resource from Growing Leaders
2008 NCMA SUMMER CONFERENCE: Looking forward to taking time this summer for personal and professional renewal? Looking for opportunities to improve your ministry at an affordable price? Wanting to learn and exchange ideas with leaders serving in campus-based and congregationally-based collegiate ministries? Then come to suburban Kansas City, July 17-20, for "Convergence: Bridging Ministry," the 2008 edition of the National Campus Ministry Association's annual conference. Situated on the campus of the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, this four-day, workshop-based event will feature three concurrent tracks: one for campus ministers with less than three years of experience, one for campus ministry veterans, and another for congregationally-based campus ministry staffs. Thanks to the generosity of Campus Ministry Advancement and the Synod of Mid-America, scholarships are available on a priority basis to congregationally-based staff and first-time conference attendees. For more information and to register for the Convergence, go to www.ncmaconference.org.
Converge: Make plans to attend a 2 day conference by Alpha USA designed to energize your soul and equip you to transform your community. Speakers include: Donald Miller, Tim Hughes, Dan Kimball and Nicky Gumbel. Chicago Conference June 23-24, 2008 or Seattle Conference November 7-8, 2008. www.alphausa.org/converge for more information.
Campus Leaders Gathering @ Yale This Summer: July 13-19th, 2008 Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut Do you long to see God's glory transform your campus? If so, then consider attending The Institute of Campus Revival and Awakening this summer at Yale University. Space is limited to 70 campus ministry leaders and faculty. The institute is not a conference. With only 70 participants, you will have the unique opportunity to interact with faculty and presenters, as well as become a learning, interactive community with leaders from across the nation. Learn more about what campus leaders are saying: www.InstituteTestimonies.com Faculty and presenters: www.InstitutePresenters.com Event information: www.CampusRevivalInstitute.com
*** Resources: ***
Preparing High School Seniors for College: Each year thousands of our youth will fall away from their faith after their first year of college. The two major reasons for this have been linked to lack of preparation and not getting connected to a campus ministry. TransitionsMSM is a web-based tool created to help in this transition. It comes with interactive scripts, video resources and more that anyone can teach. Take a look at www.transitionsmsm.org for a great resource to help prepare and connect our youth! For more info, e-mail info@transitionsmsm.org
GracefulTools.com - Web Applications to Serve Campus Ministry
In campus ministry we want to spend less time on a computer and more time with people. But too often scheduling, organizing events and coordinating follow-up take time away from evangelism, disciple making, sermon preparation and life-on-life ministry.
Do these problems sound familiar?
Individual appointments – "I am trying to schedule times with seekers and new believers and I end up emailing back and forth 5 or more times just to find a time to meet."
Group Meetings – "Our leadership team takes a half hour trying to schedule the best time for our regular meetings."
Event Registration – "It is such a hassle to set up conference registrations, collect payments, administer scholarship and organize rides."
Gracefultools.com started as a way to help campus workers serve students more effectively.
Find the best meeting times – setup online event registration – organize follow up –encourage community resource sharing – create or improve your website
www.gracefultools.com we also are offering jobs for recent grads and high school and college students www.gracefultools.com/gt/jobs
YouthWorker Journal Adds Campus Ministry Feature: YouthWorker Journal will feature an article devoted to campus ministry in half of its issues. Read the current article on Trends in Campus Ministry at http://www.youthworker.com/resources/ministry/11569642/
Spiritual Formation and Leadership Development: There are two key resources for free spiritual formation and leadership development that we believe will be fruitful for college ministry. The first is www.Metamorpha.com, an online community of spiritual formation. Metamorpha offers free videos, articles, audio, and journals from spiritual formation authors such as Dallas Willard, Richard Foster, and many others. Registration is free, and all of the content online is free as well. This is a great place to send leaders for resources for further growth, and offers materials like guided prayers and spiritual disciplines for personal or group use. Check out Metamorpha.com and start asking deeper questions about what it means to grow into the image of Christ.
The second resources is a free study guide that goes along with the book Metamorpha: Jesus as a Way of Life by Kyle Strobel. The study guide and leaders guide are available at www.JesusAsAWayOfLife.com. Downloading the guide will give you an opportunity to look through the material and see if this book and guide would be a useful tool for leadership and spiritual development among your staff and student leaders. The guide offers a great starting point for small groups as well as a catalyst for team bonding and formation.
Resources from ProActive Faith for your campus ministry:
God Moments In Time:
o Each chapter has five discussion questions.
o Ideal for small groups!
o Will challenge your students to live a life in such a way that God can open doors of opportunity in their life where they can experience God Moments In Time.
o Read the customer reviews @ Amazon.com & BarnesandNoble.com
o Order 20 copies or more for the bulk price of $5.00 each
CRUNCH Time:
o A five session evangelism resource written for students on the collegiate campus.
Evangelism Training:
o Evangelism training is done through resources such as CRUNCH Time or The CROSS Training (www.mostimportantthing.org)
Need a Speaker:
o Please contact Thomas, a former campus minister, if you need a speaker for a retreat, camp, or revival. He is available for one or multiple nights.
Thomas is not only a full-time evangelist but also a full-time law enforcement chaplain who can share on how to live through crisis.
Visit our website www.proactivefaith.org to discover how these resources will impact the lives of your students and their campus. You can also call our office at (405) 607-0722.
Free shipping when you enter ivy jungle in the discount code box. After you place your order you will receive a personal call from our office to confirm your order before any charges are made to your credit card.
*** Jobs: ***
InterVarsity Area Directors—Looking for a Challenge? InterVarsity Christian Fellowship is looking for Area Directors who will lead staff teams to grow vibrant, cross-cultural, interdenominational, groups on college campuses across Illinois and Indiana.
The college campus is a strategic entry point for the gospel. Students, open to new ideas, away from home and searching for the truth, often find Jesus through groups of believers who are being a witness on the college campus. InterVarsity has been engaging the university for Jesus for over 60 years and has a vibrant ministry throughout the United States, and strength in the Midwest region. In order to be able to continue to grow and serve more campuses we are seeking to add Area Directors.
Area Directors are the front line supervisors of our campus staff. An Area Director provides supervision and support for 5 – 8 Campus Staff Workers usually on several different campuses. Working within the framework of established InterVarsity systems, the Area Director oversees the staff in his/her area. They are responsible to recruit, train, deploy, monitor and nurture these staff. An Area Director knows that he/she is successful when they see the groups on campus growing and the staff they are supervising making an impact.
This is a high-energy position, with new challenges every day. It requires commitment to the job, your team, and the calling of God to succeed, but the reward is equally great; see students and faculty transformed, campuses renewed and world changers developed. If you have a call to ministry, 5 or more years experience in leading ministry in a church or para-church organization, (or substantial management experience outside the church) and have a heart for college students and the university we'd like to talk to you. We have multiple positions throughout Northern Illinois, Chicagoland, and Indiana (including Indianapolis, Bloomington and NW Indiana).
We offer substantial training and support, from an experienced team of professionals who have been doing this for many years. You will be required to raise your own support, but could earn a salary of $40,000 – $75,000. We also offer a full benefits package.
Still interested? Visit www.new-hire.com Job # 2203 to apply. Or visit http://www.new-hire.com/jobs/availablejobs.asp?job=2203
College Pastor: Pleasant Valley Church, a congregation of about 850 active worshipers, has a vibrant and thriving college ministry that draws students from the three local colleges and universities. Our church is currently looking for a full-time Pastor of College & Young Adult Ministries who has a passion to see young adults come to love God, grow in community with other believers and serve the world. We seek an individual who has an understanding and experience of Christian education within the local church; displays the spiritual gifts of leadership and teaching; and has strong oral and written communication skills; and is creative and proficient in applying technology to the ministry. The ideal candidate will have 3 to 5 years experience in young adult ministry. A baccalaureate degree is desirable. Contact: Rick Iglesias
1363 Homer Road Winona, MN 55987 507.452.5518 rick@pvefc.org
Campus Minister: Iowa Wesleyan College is accepting applications for a full-time Campus Minister beginning in the summer of 2008.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Spiritual Life/Formation
Organize and lead regular chapel service, worship opportunities and mission trips.
Facilitate bible study groups.
Assist in providing Leadership opportunities for Religion majors and minors.
Organize special events: Conferences, retreats, seminars
Counseling
Provide spiritual and personal counseling for students.
Identify and coordinate community mental health resources for students.
Social Involvement
Foster campus awareness involving human justice issues.
Coordinate activities with RSI, Field Experience and community service activities on campus
Church Relations
Serve as liaison between Iowa Wesleyan College and the Iowa Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Foster relationships with clergy and churches in Southeast Iowa.
Campus life
Coordinate activities / provide support to the Offices of Admission and Student Life
QUALIFICATIONS
Ordained (United Methodist Elder or equivalent preferred)
Master of Divinity degree or equivalent
Proven ability to provide spiritual leadership to college aged students
Iowa Wesleyan College
Attn: Bonny Charleston
Director of Human Resources
601 North Main Street
Mt. Pleasant, IA 52641
College Pastor: Mountain Brook Community Church in Birmingham, Alabama is seeking a College Pastor to provide dedicated pastoral leadership, oversight and direction to the MBCC College Ministry (University Christian Fellowship/UCF), including the development, implementation and evaluation of a variety of ministries directed to the teaching, shepherding, equipping and care of students attending college in the Birmingham area and to college students of families that attend MBCC whether they are attending college in the Birmingham area or in other areas of the country. The scope of this position includes preaching, teaching, counseling and discipleship of college students; direction of all college ministries; leadership and oversight of the MBCC College staff; management of the UCF House; and other pastoral duties. Please send resume to: Peter J. Wright, Chairman of Personnel, Mountain Brook Community Church, 3001 Highway 280 East, Birmingham, AL 35243 or email petefpc@yahoo.com. Detailed job description available upon request.
Front Porch Director: The thriving college ministry of the Presbytery of Santa Barbara at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo invites applicants for the position of director. The mission of Front Porch is to provide university students with personal encouragement, programs, and resources to foster development of a Christian world view, a perspective on life and thought that meets the intellectual challenges of university life and the personal challenges of contemporary culture with hope and empowerment centered in the person of Jesus Christ. Front Porch provides a hospitable place in the diverse university environment for open and constructive discussion of truth claims; where the integration of faith, learning, and life is explored in ways that honor the highest value of each person.
A core group of about twenty-five students is in place to offer continuity and leadership from the current successful program. An experienced board devoted to the mission, with the support of the presbytery and the majority of its churches, ensure the continuity of the Front Porch mission. The board has launched a major building project on presbytery-owned property adjacent to campus to provide student housing and a ministry center which will be ready for occupancy fall 2009. For more information (requirements, responsibilities, salary, etc.) go to:
Website: www.frontporchonline.org
Applicants should direct questions concerning the position or application materials (a cover letter not to exceed 500 words, a resume, and email contact information for three references: pastoral, academic, personal) to search committee chair Dr. Thomas Schmidt: at tomschmidt@cox.net. Apply by email only, application deadline is 15 May 2008.
Collegiate United Methodist Church/Wesley Foundation in Ames, Iowa: is seeking a Campus Ministry Associate. This two-year, mentored internship is designed for a young adult exploring a call to Christian vocation. In the best of the United Methodist tradition, we are seeking a person who combines both head and heart in the living out of her or his faith. The successful candidate will demonstrate experience with and a passion for building community among university students and developing student leadership.
Membership in the United Methodist Church is not required, but a basic understanding of the denomination is helpful. Interests in liberal/progressive theology, alternative worship, service-learning, music and peace and justice are especially valuable in this setting. Our hoped-for (but negotiable) start date is June 1. Stipend, housing, health insurance and other benefits are included. A bachelor's degree or equivalent must be completed by the start date. To begin the application process send a cover letter, resume, three references and a 1 page reflection on your giftedness and vision for this position to Rev. Jim Shirbroun, Campus Minister, Collegiate UMC/Wesley Foundation, 2622 W. Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50014. The application deadline is Monday, April 14. For more information contact Rev. Shirbroun @ 515-292-6936 or jim_shirbroun@qwest.net
IJM Student Ministries Director: The International Justice Mission seeks a Director of Student Ministries to provide leadership and management for student focused educational initiatives. To view a complete job description and instructions for applications go to http://www.ijm.org/NETCOMMUNITY/page.redir?target=http%3a%2f%2f216.128.18.195%2fIJMhr%2fDir_Student_Min.pdf&srcid=243&erid=0.
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