November 2007 Campus Ministry Update

 

The Ivy Jungle Network

Campus Ministry Update

November 2007

 

2007 Ivy Jungle Conference:  Special thanks to the 2007 College Ministry Conference Sponsors:  Coalition for Christian Outreach – Jubilee, Compassion International, Expelled the Movie, Food for the Hungry, and Growing Leaders!  Visit www.ivyjungle.org to order recordings of plenary sessions, early bird sessions, and breakouts. 

 

 

Trends in Student Ministry, Culture and Higher Education:

 

Emerging Adulthood:  The recent edition of Books and Culture contains an insightful essay on "emerging adulthood" – the new developmental phase many young adults go through between the ages of 18-30 as a transition from adolescence to full adulthood.  Four factors have contributed to this stage which is reshaping the meaning of self, youth, relationships and life commitments. They include:  increased higher education, the delay of marriage, the changing economic reality of not entering into life long careers, and the extension of parental financial support through these years.  In his book, Emerging Adulthood, Jeffery Arnett identifies five characteristics of this stage:  1) identity exploration, 2) instability, 3) focus on self, 4) being in limbo/transition, 5) unlimited sense of possibilities.  For the church, the life stage has some alarming characteristics including that these young adults pray less, attend services less, believe the Bible less, are more skeptical of organized religion (though believe more strongly in life after death), and in some studies show little connection to the religious training of their childhoods.  They carry more scars from divorce and have very different beliefs and practices with regard to sex than older adults.  The essay lists a number of resources including James Heft's Passing the Faith which explores implications of emerging adulthood for faith communities.  Read the essay at:  www.christianitytoday.com/bc/2007/006/2.10.html

Generation Gap in Evangelical Politics:  Family values may still summarize important issues to evangelical Christians.  However, those under 30 are just as likely to list poverty, the environment, and health care under that heading as they are abortion and gay marriage.  Younger Christians seem poised to vote differently than in previous elections.  Two years ago 55% of evangelical Christians under the age of 30 identified themselves as Republicans.  Now only 40% do so.  60% say environmental issues are important to them.  On the abortion issue, young evangelicals are actually more pro-life than their elders.  However, they are also more interested in efforts to address poverty and health care at the same time.  Both parties will court this voting bloc in the coming election.  Mike Huckabee has a faith and politics section on his myspace page and Barack Obama has created a "faith and family" program in his campaign stops.  The non-partisan group, Redeem the Vote is using Christian radio and music festivals to encourage young Evangelicals to get involved in politics.  (Dallas Morning News October 15, 2007)

Changes at Facebook:  The number two social networking site in the world now boasts more than 47 million users.  The popular website has also announced tougher policies to address online predators and to monitor its text messaging notices which have created problems when mobile numbers have been recycled.  The moves have come as a result of increasing pressure and investigation from New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo who has led the charge to make online social networking safer for young users.  (CNN October 16, 2007; AP October 22, 2007)

How Important is Religion? When asked about the importance of religion, only 10% of religiously unaffiliated people say it is very important.  Among Black Protestants, 85% believe it very important.  White Evangelicals come in at 79% and Muslims at 72%.  (USA Today October 23, 2007)

Wiki-users:  44% of adults ages 18-29 say they use the online resource Wikipedia.  That compares with 38% of those 30-49 and only 26% of those 62 and older.  Wikipedia is a free resource in which users can create and update almost all of the content in the virtual encyclopedia.  (USA Today October 23, 2007)

Generation Inked:  36% of adults 18-29 have at least one tattoo.  That compares with 24% of those 30-39 and only 15% of those 40-50.  (USA Today October 23, 2007)

21 and Over After 10:  In an effort to curb underage and binge drinking, a number of college towns are pushing bars to make rules that only allow those 21 and over eligible to even enter the establishment after 10pm.  With almost half of college students admitting unsafe drinking habits, concerned communities and administrators say the move will limit access to alcohol.  Some bar owners and students disagree, saying it will only increase drinking at house parties and other off campus locations.  The move has met with mixed results.  East Lansing, Michigan credits a decline in alcohol abuse to its voluntary ban on underage bar patrons after 10pm.  In Cedar Falls, Iowa, a rule was just repealed after 8 years after studies deemed in ineffective in curbing student binge drinking.  (Chicago Tribune October 22, 2007 sec. 1 p. 3)

Gender Neutral Restrooms:  An increasing number of colleges are adding "gender neutral" bathrooms to new buildings and converting existing facilities in older ones.  According to Gender Public Advocacy Coalition, more than 140 schools now have gender neutral facilities on campus.  They group says that such restrooms are needed for students who do not neatly fit under a "male" or "female" label.  The movement has met with some opposition from conservative groups who believe the facilities normalize transgender and gender variant behavior.  (Chicago Tribune October 21, 2007 sec. 1 p. 4)

Women Dominate College Enrollment:  Nationally, nearly 6 out of every 10 college students are female.  The continued increase in general college enrollment is driven primarily by women who are attending courses in greater percentages in most fields.  Even technical schools have seen a spike in female attendance, especially as health related fields have gained in popularity.  The increase has largely been attributed to changing societal norms on women's careers, better academic performance by girls in high school, higher career expectations by women than men and decades of efforts to encourage women to attend college.  Even traditionally male dominated fields like engineering are seeing increases.  The pendulum has begun to swing the other way as some administrators are voicing concerns over the lack of men enrolling in college.  (Chicago Tribune October 31, 2007 sec. 5 p. 5)

Tuition and Borrowing Increase Again:  Tuition increased by another 6.6% this year, outpacing last year's national average increase of 5.7%.  Private school tuitions slowed their increase from 6.3% last year to only 5.5% this year.  The American Council on Education says that tuition increases have remained fairly consistent the last few years, running 2-3% above the inflation rate annually.  However, student aid has decreased by 3.1% during that time.  President Bush recently signed a bill to increase Pell Grants in an effort to offer more money to lower income students.  In 2008, more than $20 billion will be given in student aid.  (USA Today October 22, 2007)

Not Dating Anymore:  A number of parents and sociologists have expressed some concern that students aren't dating anymore.  This fall, a number of high schools cancelled home coming dances due to lack of interest.  In some communities, students would buy dresses, corsages, and go out to dinner – but just never go to the function.  At the college level, the trend has become noticeable as well.  In one survey at Michigan State, 60% of students said they have had a sexual encounter in a "friends with benefits" relationship.   The Journal of Sex Research reports that 9 out of 10 "hook ups" do not lead to dating relationships.  Laura Sessions Stepp, author of Unhooked:  How Young Women Pursue Sex, Delay Love, and Lose at Both  says her research indicates that while guys used to need to call a girl by Wednesday for a weekend date, many now simply send a text at 1am to a potential hook up and get what they want.   While some women consider the trysts empowering, many more have regrets.  Women show considerably more signs of depression after casual sex relationships than men.  (Wall Street Journal November 1, 2007 D1)

MTV Online:  While long a dominant force in youth culture, MTV has had a very difficult time gaining a prominent place in the online world of teenagers.  They once upon a time music channel has launched a new site they hope will gain some ground.  The site, called "Who the @*#! Sings that Song?"  will allow users to search lyrics and artists, as well as provide interactive games and behind the scenes looks at the inspiration behind the music.  The site will also coincide with an effort by parent company Viacom to promote "name that tune" style games on all three of its music channel networks – MTV, VH1, and CMT. (CNet News October 28, 2007)

Closing the Minority Gap:  While college enrollment has increased steadily over the last decade, minority enrollment has struggled to close the gap with white students.  This past month, several of the nation's largest state university systems pledged to cut that gap in half over the next 8 years.  The 2015 plan will focus on minority and low income students who typically do not achieve as well in college.  Nationally, whites ages 25-29 are twice as likely as blacks to have a college degree and three times more likely than Hispanics.  By age 24, high income students are 8 times more likely than low income students to have a college degree.   The 19 university systems who have signed the pledge have not revealed their comprehensive strategies yet, but say that they will go beyond minority recruiting and mentoring strategies currently implemented at many institutions.   They will also look to bolster minority professors, particularly in fields such as science, math, and computer related fields.  Currently, only 3 black full professors teach in the top 100 computer science programs.  Most of the top 100 chemistry programs have no black faculty and less than 10% have two or more black full professors.  (AP October 31, 2007)

Beyond College Rankings:  For a number of years the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) has sought to create a more complex measurement of the overall undergraduate experience than the popular college rankings.  Looking at things like research opportunities, engagement of faculty in student life, and satisfaction of students with their studies, NSSE has surveyed more than 1200 schools nationwide.  Most schools do not publish the NSSE results, in part because the reports are complex and not easy to quantify.  Several non-profit groups are asking schools to make more information available so that students can better understand select the colleges they attend.  While some 600 schools have chosen to get involved in the project, the Ivy League schools and others at the top of the US News rankings are noticeably absent.  (USA Today November 4, 2007)

Environmental Reps On Campus:  Just over 40 schools are utilizing volunteer and paid student "eco-reps" to help educate students on the environmental impact of college life.  From giving away more efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs, to spreading one week's worth of trash and wasted food on the front lawn to help students understand waste, these peer led efforts are making a difference.  Harvard estimates that they save $170K annually because of more efficient light bulbs in the dorms. More than 400 college presidents have already pledged to pursue "climate neutrality" by cutting their carbon footprint to zero over the coming years. The Sustainable Endowments Institute issues an environmental report card to the 97 schools with the largest endowments.  Of those 67 showed improvement over the last year.  The schools have found the peer led efforts meet with greater acceptance than administration led efforts.  Of the 40 schools now participating in the program, nearly all are on the coasts, with only one or two in the middle of the country.  (USA Today November 6, 2007)

Donations To Keep Names Out:  Like most business schools, law schools and medical schools the UW-Madison began looking for a major donor who would want to have his or her name on their school in exchange for a $50 million gift. However, after a few unsuccessful pitches, the dean took a different approach.  Rather than seeking someone to put their name on the school, he began assembling a group of alumni who would donate in order to keep the name off the market.  A group of 13 alumni have now pledged $85 million to keep the name the "UW-Madison School of Business" for the next 20 years.   All of the donors are UW alumni, and most are graduates of the business school, including two who have other schools named after them around the country.  In 20 years, it is estimated the naming rights could be worth more than $300 million.  (AP November 6, 2007)

Bibles OK at 2008 Olympics:  China has issued an official statement assuring Olympic athletes that personal Bibles will be allowed into the country during the 2008 world games.  Reports that the officially atheist communist government would prohibit Bibles had created a flurry of inquiry and protest from a number of countries, including the US.  However, China has declared that no such plan was in place and athletes will be allowed to bring their bibles with them.  (USA Today November 8, 2007)

 

 

*** Events, Resources and Jobs ***

 

*** Resources: ***

Bring Compassion to your Campus:  Compassion partners with colleges and universities nationwide to bring nationally known speakers to their chapels and convocation services at minimal cost to the school. If you are interested in partnering with Compassion, please email Kelley Erickson, College Chapel Representative, at kelleyerickson@msn.com or call (866) 380-6689 to get more information or request an online copy of the 2007-2008 Chapel Speaker Directory.

Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, physical, economic and social poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults. Founded in 1952, Compassion began providing Korean War orphans with food, shelter, education and health care, as well as Christian training. Today, Compassion helps more than 800,000 children in 24 countries. For more information on Compassion, please go to www.compassion.com.

                                                               

 

 

Resources from ProActive Faith for your campus ministry:

  • Need a Speaker:
  • o Please contact Thomas, a former campus minister of a BSU, if you need a speaker for your ministry. He is available for one or multiple nights.
  • o Thomas is a law enforcement chaplain and can share on how to live through crisis.
  • 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: Just Updated!
  • 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)

 

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.

Discounts: Free Shipping when you enter ivy jungle in the discount code box plus 10% off your order when you enter 07 in the discount code box. (Enter ivy jungle then hit discount code, and then 07 then hit discount code)

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: ***

 

College Pastor:  Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, WI, is searching for a Pastor for Collegiate Ministries. We are looking for someone who is ready to serve Jesus Christ and college age people in the Milwaukee area by shepherding and providing visionary direction to the Collegiate Ministries of Elmbrook Church (a church-based campus ministry).  This role entails developing and maintaining an atmosphere of authenticity and compassion – through this, moving those in the ministry forward as a community and as individuals towards maturity in Christ.  This person needs to be a visible reflection of Christ through relationships and teaching so that college age people are engaged and challenged. They are to model servant leadership by providing training, support, and encouragement to the Collegiate Ministries'  interns, student leaders, and adult leaders.  Throughout all of this, they are to join together in prayer and discussion with the Collegiate Ministries' team to discern God's vision for the ministry and to determine specific plans and goals for each year.

 

All inquiries should be directed to Scott Arbeiter, Senior Associate Pastor, at sarbeiter@elmbrook.org.

 

Westminster House is the Presbyterian Campus Ministry at the University of California, Berkeley.  We are seeking our next leader who will follow the Rev. Randy Bare.  Randy is moving on to take a new position after 12 years of distinguished leadership. Westminster House has an annual budget of over $2.3 million dollars. We provide housing for 175 students and a variety of other programs described on our website:  westminsterhouse.org

Our mission:  Westminster House seeks to grow tomorrow's leaders by encouraging personal spiritual growth and social commitment through residential community and an educational center of excellence;

A competitive Salary, Housing and benefits package that takes into account the cost of housing in the Bay Area will be negotiated with the successful candidate. A full position description is available by request.  Please email randy@westminsterhouse.org

Interested Applicants please send resume, C.V. and/or Personal Information Form by electronic mail only to:  search@westminsterhouse.org

Trinity Fellows:  "Do you want to make a meaningful difference in the world and your career but are unclear as to how to apply your faith to your work and life calling? If so, the Trinity Fellows Program attempts to answer the question: "what will I do with my life?".  The Trinity Fellows Program is a nine-month (September through May) leadership development and training program for young adults recently out of college or graduate school. Young men and women from all walks of life come together to engage in a program designed to foster a God-centered view of knowledge, culture, work and life. Fellows receive theological training, participate in seminars with Christian scholars and community leaders, and enjoy one-on-one mentoring relationships with mature Christian men and women. Fellows apply their training as they minister in the community, work in a secular marketplace internship and interact with their host family.  Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Charlottesville, Virginia is home to the Fellows Program. Home to the University of Virginia, Charlottesville offers a myriad of restaurants, coffee shops, theaters, art galleries, and live music venues, as well as outdoor activities such as mountain biking, hiking, and skiing. Its location in Central Virginia allows easy access to the natural beauty of the Appalachian Trail and Virginia Beach as well as the urban centers of Washington, D.C. and Richmond.  For more information go to www.trinitycville.org (click on "Trinity Fellows" icon) or contact the Trinity Fellows Coordinator, Dennis Doran at 434-977-3700 x124 or via e-mail at dennis.doran@trinitycville.org."

Dean of Campus Ministries/Campus Pastor

 

Bethel University is seeking an individual to provide vision and leadership for the Campus Ministries programs as an essential part of Bethel's educational mission.  Individual leads, builds, empowers, and supervises a gifted and diverse ministry team, preaches regularly with application to issues facing 21st century Christians, and provides leadership in achieving Bethel's commitment to being an anti-racist campus which celebrates the biblical diversity of the body of Christ.  Requires five to seven years of successful senior leadership in a campus ministries, church, or parachurch setting.  Doctorate and seminary education preferred. Classroom teaching experience preferred.  Please visit our website for more information at http://www.bethel.edu/human-resources/employment-staff.html 

 

Campus Minister:  The Cross- Greek Christian Ministries, Inc., a ministry targeting students in fraternities and sororities at the University of Tennessee, is seeking a full-time male  Campus Minister.  We are looking to have the minister in place for the 08' school year.  The applicant must be seminary trained and is preferred to have experience in southern Greek life culture.  The position will compensated through support raised through the individual.  Gifting and passion in evangelism and discipleship is primary to success in the position.  The ministry has roots in a reformed theological background yet is widely evangelical in its mission.  Please contact Gus Diamondidis at gus@thecross-gcm.org.

PROPERTY MANAGER-Brand NEW Student Housing Project-Presby Hall-McKinley Project-Champaign, Illinois-GMH Communities Trust (NYSE: GCT), a real estate investment trust(REIT) headquartered in Newtown Square, PA, currently has a career opportunity for a Property Manager for The Presby Hall, McKinley Project-Faith based ministry  providing certified student housing for the students of University of Illinois
GMH offers a competitive compensation package which includes health, dental, life insurance and 401(k) with employer match. Bonus potential available!

Please send your resume attached in a word document and salary requirements to

Tana Lee Higginbotham  Email:  tanalee@collegepark.org  www.collegeparkweb.com

To be considered an applicant you must apply for this specific position and meet its minimum qualifications as determined by GMH College Park.

GMH Communities is a specialty housing company focused on providing housing to college and university students residing on- campus and to members of the U.S. military and their families residing at installations throughout the country.

Qualifications

A minimum of four years property management experience is preferred. Candidate must be detail oriented, multi-task skills, computer literate, possess strong lease-up marketing and budget experience, interpersonal skills, excellent oral and written abilities, proficient in budgetary and marketing analysis, strengths in motivating personnel and resident relations.

Education

Bachelor Degree Preferred

 

 

 

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