On Campus

We are called to be in this world, placed on this earth for a purpose; but we are not of this world - our citizenship is in heaven.  This passage in 1st John 2 highlights the dangers and philosophies of this
world:
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

We can be challenged to strive to do the will of God - and that can be difficult when you consider the influences of the world and the lures of our own flesh.  But, God offers us a way through His Word to navigate through this world with boldness and confidence, convinced of His truth.  He gives us great power and hope as we appropriate His resources and are devoted to the study and application of His Word.  

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There is a battle of ideas, a battle for the hearts and minds of individuals, and one of the battlefields is the college campus. I commonly think of this passage in 2nd Corinthians 10 as applicable to my own mind, but in a very real sense, it could be applied to the culture at large:
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ...

I am very thankful for the variety of college ministries and local churches that influenced my life while I attended college - I think back on those years as really quite formative for me spiritually, and prepared me for the life I live, as well as the type of ministry in which I am involved.

Our campus was blessed to have a number of different ministry organizations, but there are currently scores of college campuses that do not have effective campus ministries? - and with all the craziness that you see at these schools, seems to me that would be not only a mission field: to inject the Christian worldview into the potpourri of ideas that are circulating, and to be able to share the love of Christ and see people won to Christ.

Well, if you think of college ministry, you have to think of what was once known as Campus Crusade for Christ, or Cru.  The Cru website says:

In 1951, Bill and Vonette Bright pursued their passion for ministry by starting Campus Crusade for Christ (now known as Cru in the U.S.) at the University of California at Los Angeles.

What began with college students has since grown into one of the largest international Christian ministries in the world, reaching beyond students to serve inner cities, the military, athletes, political and business leaders, the entertainment industry, and families.

But, there is a college ministry that is quite a bit older, the roots of which date back to Cambridge, England.  Its ministry website states:

The roots of our movement are with students at the University of Cambridge, England in 1877. There, a group of Christian students began to meet together, in spite of the disapproval of some University officials, to pray, to study the Bible, and to share their faith with fellow students. Soon, similar groups sprang up on other campuses. Eventually, they formed the British Inter-Varsity. (Hence our name, inter – meaning between, varsity – the British term for college level students.)

The ministry of InterVarsity spread to Canada in 1928, and then to the U.S. in 1941, with staff members "on loan" from Canada.

These two organizations are serving thousands of college students, but believe there is much more to do.  CBNNews.com reports that Cru and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA "have launched a new partnership to reach the more than 1,800 campuses they say are unreached."  The article states:

Jason Thomas, executive vice president for field ministry at InterVarsity told CBN News, "We would love to see a gospel movement planted in every campus in the country, particularly in every campus that has at least 1,000 students."

The CBN report says:

Cru and InterVarsity have partnered to launch the website everycampus.us that they hope will spark a prayer movement as an initial step. They're asking students, professors and churches to take responsibility for a campus, prayer walk it, and post a picture with the hashtag #everycampus.

They're also planning a platform with campus ministry resources and a coaching center where those with a vision can get practical help.

Mark Gauthier, executive director of Cru's U.S. campus ministry, told CBN News that, "The goal is zero," adding, "Zero campuses without an expression of a student ministry by 2025."

These are bold steps in a troubled culture - we recognize that college campuses are incubators for all sorts of ideas, and I have reported on instances where the Christian worldview has been stifled.  Speech codes and speech zones are indicative of the hostility toward the Christian perspective on campus.  These are, in some cases, tough neighborhoods, and these organizations are devoted to ramping up the energy, believing that the power and wisdom of God can overcome these ideas that stand in contrast to the gospel.

Thomas, from InterVarsity, also made a statement about the power of movements: "There's a general disposition to movements and what God may be doing more than what organizations are doing..."  That's what these two organizations want to do - to create a groundswell.  They are using social media and Internet presence to do that.  We may not be out to start a movement and we certainly can't manipulate a sovereign move of God, but we can be obedient and allow the power of God's truth and His Spirit to act according to His will.  He responds to the obedience of His people.

Finally, we recognize that we should not be intimidated by opposing ideas to the gospel.  We can be confident in the Lord and take steps to be able to communicate His truth better.  We can cling to truth and rely on His Spirit to counter errant ways of thinking in our minds and in the minds of those with whom we interact.