The Campus Mission

So, as I settle back into a season of blogging, I’m going to write, first, to myself, a simple reminder.

What is my intent for this blog?

I’m not writing merely to spew out random thoughts.  My intention is to be very focused and purposeful.  I’m writing with one overriding goal in mind: 

To sound the alarm among God’s people for the need to direct our resources to the greatest mission opportunity in our time, the CAMPUS tribes.

And what is this thing called “Mission”, of which so many Christians speak?

Jesus clearly commanded his followers to “Go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28). That’s our job as Christians, Christ-followers.  That’s The Mission…to make followers of Jesus.

Now, understanding The Mission, why do I suggest that our university campuses are in critical need of our attention?  Afterall, isn’t “mission” about going to some foreign nation to tell people about Jesus?

No, not at all.  It is much more than that.

Consider the following:

• Young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 are America’s MOST UNREACHED demographic (Barna Research)! The national average of Christians on university campuses is less than 5% (campusrenewal.org from a 1997 study).  Mission-minded folks will tell you that any demographic where less than 10% are Christian is considered “unreached.”
• Young adults, between the ages of 18 and 25, are at a time in life when they can devote massive amounts of time and energy to advancing the Kingdom.  The church needs the efforts of this untapped demographic.

These two items might be reason enough to cause the Church to rethink her current mission strategies, but let me continue on.

• Approximately 78% of all Christians make a decision to follow Christ before the age of 21.  Campus ministers (or shall we call them “campus missionaries”) are in position to serve students who are at a critical stage of life.
• Ultimately, failure to reach the college campus today will have monumental consequences on the Church, and society as a whole, tomorrow.  Bill Bright (founder of Campus Crusade for Christ) was correct when he said, “Win the campus today, and change the world tomorrow.”
• THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS IS THE GREATEST MISSION FIELD IN OUR WORLD TODAY…more than half of the world’s population today is under the age of 25!  These people are where?  On the university campus! (UN Population Reference Bureau)
• Did you know that, throughout modern history, nearly every single great missionary movement was started through revival on the university campus?  It’s true!  Win the campus and we unleash a massive work force for the Kingdom.

Most U.S. churches have a link to a “cross-cultural missionary” (generally defined as someone serving among a people group from a differing culture than the church’s own culture).  These types of ministries are often perceived to be a bit more “glamorous” (simply because the target people are so different from us) than the local food pantry, or the local campus ministry, so we feel like these cross-cultural ministries are more worthy of our resources.  But let’s be real…God neither shows favoritism nor sees greater glamor from one mission field to the next. What is local to us is cross-cultural to someone else.

Now I’m not suggesting that the Church ignore cross-cultural fields.  We’re called to go “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  But I am suggesting we discontinue our ungodly favoritism and treat campus ministry as a part of the “mission field.”  The local church is often set in the midst of a monumental mission field…the university campus.  Why not turn our sights to these fields which are ripe for harvest?

Finally, I do not intend to suggest a new course of action without clearly outlining the how to accomplish it.  Therefore, I’ll keep two primary purposes in mind:  1) to bring to the forefront of discussions the importance of campus ministry, and 2) to recommend the most effective method the church can utilize to reach the university campus for Christ.

OK…good reminders for me.