November 8, 2022
A student who leaves for college too often leaves the church for good, but students who receive special attention from their home church will realize they are valuable to the body of Christ. Consider some of the following strategies to help your church go the extra mile with your college students, whether they attend a Christian or secular college.
July 15, 2020
My wife, Sharon, always wanted to be a philanthropist and donate millions to visionary causes. Alas, she married a teacher, not a banker. Even so, she has found ways to practice philanthropy on a shoestring. Creator. Most mornings my redhead works at her sewing machine, making quilts in bright-colored patterns. She donates most of her creations to International Disaster Emergency Service (IDES), a Christian church organization that uses relief work to implement evangelism. They auction off her quilts, and the proceeds go to the relief efforts. Most of her quilts earn between $200 and $500, but some have gone for
Growth in New Directions By TR Robertson When Adam Bloch began his ministry at Ridgeview Christian Church in 2013, the congregation had just gone through a tough year. Ridgeview’s longtime minister had retired, 13 church members had passed away, and morale was low. A hiring committee member told Bloch, “We can be a good place for someone to get a few years of ministry experience before they go somewhere else.” “Being in my first full-time ministry,” Bloch said, “I’m not sure if I provided any stability for a while, but after a few years Ridgeview started to grow.” Most of
December 25, 2019
By Laura McKillip Wood Melvina’s hands shook as she dialed 911. “I found my dad on the floor! I can’t wake him up!” She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself as the operator instructed her to begin CPR. Within a few minutes, paramedics arrived, but it was too late. The heart attack was fatal. They pronounced Melvina’s father dead at the scene. In many ways, this event marked the end of Melvina Brown’s childhood: “I was 17, but his death turned me into a 30-year-old.” She made decisions about the funeral and bought a casket. She began
June 10, 2018
By Josh Quade After completing her internship interview process, a college student wanted to discuss her options. She’s pursuing both a Bible college and regular university degree for a career in media and graphics arts, ideally in a church’s creative arts department. On the surface, her description of potential internships lined up well with what our church could offer—some elements amazingly so. We had brought her in, introduced her to the team over several get-togethers, conducted personality profiles and orientations, and discussed logistics. All quite helpful and good. But I found the team’s questions for her the most encouraging: What are
May 26, 2018
By Greg Swinney and Beth Swinney He was scrolling down his Facebook page on a computer in the university library when I nudged him and asked if I could bother him for a few minutes. Tom looked over and immediately stopped what he was doing and said, “Sure, what’s up?” I knew I could count on Tom, a prelaw student, to level with me. “What are college kids looking for these days in a church?” I asked. “I’m scratching my head to figure that one out.” Tom didn’t flinch. He said, “We are looking for a place that’s real. A
“Teaching the truth has helped us reach young people.” By Justin Horey Brian Kruckenberg, lead pastor of New City Church, compares Phoenix, Arizona, to a doughnut. Until five years ago, he says, the population was almost entirely concentrated in a circle of suburbs surrounding the region, with a “hole” in the center—the downtown area—where virtually no one lived. Now Arizona’s capital city is making up for lost time, building apartments and condominiums on formerly vacant lots and creating brand-new residential neighborhoods in the heart of the city. Kruckenberg said people are moving to downtown Phoenix because they want to
April 14, 2017
Five Christian leaders tell what God did when they took a surprising step of faith. By Tamara Munroe Home is where my family is. My mom is my rock, my dad is my hero, and my two brothers are my heart. It has always been that way for me. My family is everything. They are a big part of why it was so hard for me to pack up all of my things, board a plane, and fly an ocean away to Spain to embark on a new adventure. But that”s exactly what I did, and it”s the riskiest move I”ve
By Jennifer Johnson Although internships are invaluable for helping college students determine their vocational path””and although many Christian colleges and universities now require them for students across a variety of disciplines””ministry internships can be difficult for both students and churches. “The shorter internships, especially, are challenging,” says Tim Dunn, minister at LifeSpring Christian Church in Cincinnati, OH. “With just a few hours a week, you don”t have time to really influence or invest in the students, especially when they are also participating in mission trips or camps. It”s hard to really include them in the life of the church.” Cincinnati
August 9, 2015
By Danielle Hance Christians are called to love widows and orphans. But there may be other metaphorical orphans within your church or just beyond your church doors. For instance, the university student who is from out of state. The young business professional starting her career in a new city. The foundering 20-something who moved out of his parent”s basement and is trying to make it on his own. It may seem like single young adults have everything going for them. Life is full of possibilities. They are healthy and vibrant. Once you get past the “picture-perfect” exteriors, though, you may
August 4, 2015
By Mark A. Taylor Any college teacher, particularly one who is a Christian, will tell you this: Many, maybe a majority, of college students today come from troubled families. Chris DeWelt, an Ozark Christian College professor, described the students he knows: “Most . . . bring with them much more than just computers, clothes, and small fridges. They often bring baggage that is not so easily identified or addressed.” It”s true on secular campuses too. In his interview this month, longtime campus minister Gary Hawes says, “The largest percentage of students we are involved with today come from either dysfunctional
By Jennifer Johnson A new thing for me is being one of the older people in situations where I used to be young and cool. Most recently I experienced this in my preaching class at Emmanuel Christian Seminary; when Dr. Aaron Wymer discussed the various generations currently alive in the church and surveyed our class, I sheepishly raised my hand as a Gen Xer. The millennials who made up most of the class peered at me with curiosity. (“Look, she can use a computer!”) I realize that at not-yet-40 (you didn”t think I”d give you my real age, did you?),
February 22, 2015
By Trevor DeVage I never dreamed preaching is what I would be doing. I had my sights set on living out the “American dream.” I was going to be an attorney. I had prepped my entire adolescent life for that path. In high school, I worked for an attorney”s office, was on the mock trial team at our school, and watched Law and Order and Matlock. Preaching was never on my radar””it just couldn”t generate income the way busting criminals would. But something happened during my junior year of high school. I was visiting a friend in the hospital and
February 9, 2015
By T.R. Robertson You”re drunk. You”re at a party, sitting on the couch. It”s three in the morning. You”re looking around. You don”t know where your roommates went. You”re tired. You don”t know how you”re getting home. You look next to you, at this person. They look at you. You say to yourself, “All right . . . “ You won”t find lines like that in your average romance novel. They”re a college student”s description of a typical college hookup situation, quoted at the 2014 Q Conference by sociology and religious studies scholar Donna Freitas. Freitas is the author of
August 11, 2014
By Phil Tatum It seems fitting that a mission ministry born on a college campus 65 years ago is now a leader in the field of international campus work, with ambitious plans for the future. Globalscope, a division of CMF International in Indianapolis, Indiana, began as a dream in the late 1990s when it was noticed that some of the best, brightest, and hardest-working REACH summer interns were coming from the Georgia Tech Christian Campus Fellowship (GTCCF). Naomi Kouns, a longtime CMF director, had the foresight to grasp the potential in this ministry, located in midtown Atlanta and headed by
April 29, 2014
By Mark A. Taylor “We make Christianity so much more complicated than it needs to be, especially when it comes to talking about millennials.” Rachel Held Evans, author of The Year of Biblical Womanhood, had 18 minutes to answer “How will millennials contribute to the future of the church?” Hers was one of 30 questions, each assigned to a different speaker at the Q Conference last week in Nashville. No one gave answers clearer than hers. “Millennials are tired of the culture wars,” Held said. “Time and again church leaders believe a few style changes are the key. But millennials
July 8, 2013
CALEB KALTENBACH Dallas, Texas Caleb Kaltenbach shares attributes with many of his fine young peers from across the country: strong preaching and teaching skills, motivational leadership, focused energy, and gentle humility. As to his unique influence, I believe there are two items. First, Caleb has a distinctive and well-thought-out philosophy for biblical education and ministry preparation. He has made a strong commitment to living this out through teaching ministry courses to college students and making use of ministry interns a high priority. As a board member for Dallas Christian College, he brings a high level of constructive engagement relating to the spiritual
July 4, 2013
LAURA BUFFINGTON Spiritual formation pastor, Southbrook Christian Church, Miamisburg, Ohio “The word of God is powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword” is a truth that comes vividly to life in the preaching and teaching of Laura Buffington. Laura has an uncanny sensitivity into the aspirations and anxieties of others””including those very different from herself””so that her preaching touches the deepest center of needs in her listeners, offering comfort and conviction, understanding and inspiration. She is attuned to current cultural trends, while also being deeply grounded in Scripture. Her sermons bring the heart of Scripture to touch the hearts of listeners.
August 21, 2012
By Mark A. Taylor Every year we publish a directory of campus ministries like the one in this issue. Every year we include stories of dynamic, life-changing influence provided by these ministries. And every year I learn something new about outreach to young people forgotten or ignored by too many local churches. Obviously, many Christian churches and churches of Christ care about taking Christ to college students. Could we do more? Look at my list, and decide for yourself. 1. Choose a ministry. From our directory, find a campus ministry either (a) close to your local church, (b) on the
September 1, 2011
By Shane Taylor It was 1988 and the end of my second year at the state university. My prodigal journey took all sorts of twists and turns, mostly while I was under the influence of Budweiser and the liberal arts department of the secular campus. For me, college was an opportunity to rid myself of the flannelgraph stories from Sunday school lessons of bygone days. My dorm room was littered with dirty laundry and stacks of unread textbooks. I majored in procrastination and pushing God away. And yet Jesus loves to interact with people who push him away. The Gospels
Sponsored
Sponsored
Sponsored
April 28, 2026
Rick Cherok
April 28, 2026
David Faust
April 28, 2026
Rick Cherok