Church and Campus Ministries

Russell Moore on the role of church and the role of a campus ministry in the life of college students.

An excerpt from the article:

"Does the centrality of the church mean that campus ministry is irrelevant or redundant? No indeed. Should you be involved with a campus ministry at your college or university? Yes indeed. So how do you avoid the spiritual dangers of an unchurched spirituality?

First of all, resist the temptation to keep your membership in your home church. Join a church in your college town, as soon as you find one with a commitment to Christ and the Scripture. Second, find a church where some people will know your name, and will know if you are not present. Find a place where someone will ask you, "Where were you?" if you miss a week. Third, spend some time with people in your congregation who are not in the same place in life as you--a lonely senior adult, a harried thirty-something Mom, a sarcastic fourteen year-old kid. Fourth, pester the church leaders of the church for some way for you to exercise your gifts in the congregation--and let the leaders recognize and encourage your gifts. This means submitting yourself to serve the Body in whatever way the church deems necessary. Most often, this will be something more Christ-like than glorious, such as cleaning toilets or restocking cookies and juice-boxes for Vacation Bible School. Fifth, find a campus ministry that seeks to work alongside the church. Look for a ministry that wants to enhance what is already happening in your life in discipleship and spiritual growth and mission in your congregation. Be very wary of a campus ministry that isn't constantly asking you, "Where are you in church--and what's happening there?" And be very, very wary of a campus ministry that seems to resent the time you spend with your church as "competing" with their ministry."