This is excepts of a devotional I put together and delivered to OCC's Williamson Dorm recently. This devotional is specifically aimed for Bible college students.
The church is referred to as the bride of Christ and the body of Christ. I do not have to read much in the New Testament to see the Lord's heart for the body. Because of this, students that are preparing to lead the body have to wrestle with their levels of involvement in the body and their preparation to lead. I would ask that every student wrestle with a handful of questions as they process their connection with His bride.
1. Does your time and ministry reflect your future goals?
If you want to lead the body, do you love her and spend time investing in her even when you are not leading? ie. go to church.
2. Does your current community demonstrate the diversity of the body of Christ?
Does everyone that you regularly spend time with share a lot in common? ie. age, season of life, similarity in stages of discipleship journey.
3. What is Bible college's role in your ministry development?
A Bible college is an academic institution, not a professional training center. ie. the college gives you book smarts, the church/experiences give you street smarts.
4. What season of life are you in?
Learning or doing? Both can and should happen together, but different seasons will tip the scales one way or another. Does your life reflect realization and submission to the season that your in? ie. are you doing more learning than doing?
5. Is your current involvement conducive for learning?
-Is there consistency in your walk with Christ? ie. moral integrity
-Do you have balanced ministry opportunities? ie. do you get to shepherd more than you teach?
-Do you have systems in your life to see yourself accurately as a minister? ie. how do you know that you are developing bad habits? Who is refining your skills? Is there diversity in those that help you? You will always learn best from those who have and continue to do ministry successfully. Peer learning is capped by your peer's own experience.
6. Who are you influencing by your example?
Upperclassmen taking underclassmen with them to their ministries assume the role of primary teacher to that student. Are you OK with that role?
7. What is best for the local church?
-We must wrestle what is ultimately best for the local church, not just the temporary.
-We must wrestle with what is best for your ministry development.
-Randy gave a good word when he stated that every person training to serve the kingdom needs two things in their life. First, they need a regular and consistent place to shepherd, not just teach or preach. Second, they need a diversified team of people to do ministry with.
I believe that the status quo of ministry involvement can hinder and prevent the student from holistic preparation. I believe that it is time to wrestle with the patterns and ask these questions for the betterment of the bride and body of Christ for her benefit and ours.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
The “Tells” of High School Seniors Continued…
This is the continuation of my May CHCC Newsletter.
Here is a summary to catch you up. Just like people playing poker, high school seniors give away their level of growth if you know how to read the signs. Most high school seniors follow a pattern that we can observe and hopefully pick up on to help them make the transition into adulthood in their faith.
Tell #1: Their current level of involvement in the church. If they are still a regular part of the youth group, this is a good sign. It’s not guaranteed that they will hold to their faith in college, but it is a good start. It either means that they are still pursuing their faith or that they are going because you as parents as still encouraging them…good for you!
Tell #2: Where they sit in church immediately after graduation. I find that students often transition quickly from sitting with their friends in church to sitting with their parents. This generally means that their church support system is mainly their parents—no longer their peers. This can present a problem with them connecting in ministries within the church and their campus that can help them grow.
Tell #3: Where they connect or don’t connect in the first month of college. It seems pretty obvious, but the first month is critical. Connecting with the church, college age, or campus ministry is almost a guarantee that they will be successful in maintaining and growing their faith throughout college. No connection means that they might struggle.
Tell #4: Living at home. I find that one of the largest obstacles for a student to overcome is living at home while attending Ozark, Southern, or Crowder. While this is definitely a generalization with loads of exceptions, it is a pattern that I see. Living at home does not demand the student to put themselves out there relationally or spiritually. This is a necessary part of growth.
Things that are not tells that you would think should be on the list:
Rebellion. Rebellion is wrong, but the quest for independence is normal and appropriate. Recognizing this as a parent and allowing avenues for healthy independence is important.
Friendships falling apart. It is part of rediscovering one’s self. Relax. It is a very normal part of growing up.
Questions. Again, college is rediscovering one’s self. I love honest questions; they mean that the student is thinking.
Not going to school. Breaks are normal. The key is forward momentum. If the student is working to save, make sure he or she is actually saving. Or, even better, help them find a job that can give them experience in the field they are interested in.
I hope that this list helps. Please feel free to post comments, e-mail me (jquade@chcchurch.org) or Facebook me.
Here is a summary to catch you up. Just like people playing poker, high school seniors give away their level of growth if you know how to read the signs. Most high school seniors follow a pattern that we can observe and hopefully pick up on to help them make the transition into adulthood in their faith.
Tell #1: Their current level of involvement in the church. If they are still a regular part of the youth group, this is a good sign. It’s not guaranteed that they will hold to their faith in college, but it is a good start. It either means that they are still pursuing their faith or that they are going because you as parents as still encouraging them…good for you!
Tell #2: Where they sit in church immediately after graduation. I find that students often transition quickly from sitting with their friends in church to sitting with their parents. This generally means that their church support system is mainly their parents—no longer their peers. This can present a problem with them connecting in ministries within the church and their campus that can help them grow.
Tell #3: Where they connect or don’t connect in the first month of college. It seems pretty obvious, but the first month is critical. Connecting with the church, college age, or campus ministry is almost a guarantee that they will be successful in maintaining and growing their faith throughout college. No connection means that they might struggle.
Tell #4: Living at home. I find that one of the largest obstacles for a student to overcome is living at home while attending Ozark, Southern, or Crowder. While this is definitely a generalization with loads of exceptions, it is a pattern that I see. Living at home does not demand the student to put themselves out there relationally or spiritually. This is a necessary part of growth.
Things that are not tells that you would think should be on the list:
Rebellion. Rebellion is wrong, but the quest for independence is normal and appropriate. Recognizing this as a parent and allowing avenues for healthy independence is important.
Friendships falling apart. It is part of rediscovering one’s self. Relax. It is a very normal part of growing up.
Questions. Again, college is rediscovering one’s self. I love honest questions; they mean that the student is thinking.
Not going to school. Breaks are normal. The key is forward momentum. If the student is working to save, make sure he or she is actually saving. Or, even better, help them find a job that can give them experience in the field they are interested in.
I hope that this list helps. Please feel free to post comments, e-mail me (jquade@chcchurch.org) or Facebook me.
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