Tag Archive - campus ministry

Helping Your College Student Get Spiritually Connected on Campus

January 7, 2010 in Ministry-Theology, Therapy-Psychology with 28 Comments

One of the questions that comes up a lot in my work with parents of high school and college students is:

“How do I help get my kid connected in a college ministry?”

or

“What are some ways that I can encourage my kid to get involved in a ministry when they are away at college?”

I love college ministry. I was involved as a leader on campus during my own college years, and after college I spent 3 years on a university as an academic advisor, college recruiter and campus Bible study leader. I also spent 7 years as the college pastor at Bel Air Pres, doing campus work at USC, UCLA and LMU. And in that time I learned that many parents know, and students know, that their faith will be challenged at a new level during their college years, and they desire to see their faith grow, and remain spiritually connected and active during this time. I think there are definitely some things that a parent can do to help prepare their kid spiritually for that transition from high school to college, and I think there are some ways to encourage kids to thrive in that transition space as well. Whether it’s parents, a youth worker, friend, etc., many people play a role in helping kids make that transition successfully.

I’ve been looking at Fuller Youth Institute’s College Transition Project and they have been doing some amazing research and providing some much needed resources in this area. The Ivy Jungle also has been providing some resources and stats in this area. And one of the resources that I have enjoyed looking at is the work of my friend Benson Hines at Exploring College Ministry who has been gathering a ton of information and resources during his many road trips to college ministries across the country.

One of the stats that I’ve heard (and that I’m currently looking for the resource), is that if a kid doesn’t get connected to a college ministry/community within the first few weeks of school, there is a very high percentage that they won’t get plugged in until sometime in their junior year. So you can see why the first few weeks of college when everyone is making friends, trying to get connected, and build a community is so crucial.

I’m teaching a class to parents on January 31 at HPPC on this very topic, so let me ask you:

If you went to college and were involved in a college ministry during any of that time…what was helpful, and not helpful in helping get you connected to them?

What can a parent do? Or what did your parents do to help you get spiritually connected in college?

What can youth workers do better to help a kid make that transition?

What would you tell an incoming freshmen about the importance of finding a church/campus church community early on?

I would love some feedback, and I will post later on this topic, as well as adding some of my own thoughts on how to encourage your kids during that transition.

Female Drinkers in College, Wikipedia Ban, and Professor-Student Relationships…

January 30, 2008 in Ministry-Theology with 0 Comments

These stories are courtesy of Ivy Jungle’s Campus Ministry Update for January 2008.

  • Female Drinkers: A recent report in the journal, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research confirms that male college students consistently out drink their female counterparts, with one exception: parties with themes, especially sexual themes or costume parties. Those who play drinking games also drink more than those who do not. The report has special interest to researchers on alcohol consumption as it is not based on self-reporting but researcher observation at more than 60 off-campus college parties. (Inside Higher Education January 4, 2008)
  • Wikipedia Ban: Professors continue to ban Wikipedia as a research tool, citing too many incorrect entries. Designed as a user generated and edited encyclopedia, anyone can contribute to or change a Wikipedia entry. One professor at the University of Brighton has gone even further, banning the use of Google. Calling it “white bread for the mind,” she objects to the easy answers to complex questions with little sorting of shallow ideas from serious referenced work. She states, “Google is filling, but does not necessarily offer nutritional content.” (Inside Higher Education January 14, 2008)
  • Professor – Student Relationships: UCLA is one of a number schools which have restricted or banned relationships between professors and students with whom they have – or may have direct supervision. However, Dr. Paul Abrahmson, a married psychology professor at UCLA has drawn criticism for saying that as places of liberty, universities ought not restrict the behavior of consenting adults. He suggests students and faculty sign waivers, similar to a medical release that would warn of the dangers of power difference and favoritism in such relationships and not hold the university responsible for failed romances. Critics point to limits on dating in many work situations and believe the restrictions are important to protect students who may feel victims of harassment if and when a relationship ends. (Chicago Tribune, January 4, 2008 p. 5)

Thoughts:

  1. Is it surprising then that it seems like every fraternity on campus is constantly hosting costume parties with sexual themes (i.e. toga parties, “pimps and ho’s party”, sexy Halloween costumes, etc.)? This is for another post, but when alcohol consumption is up, well, usually sexual activity is as well in college. It’s also no surprise that many of the situations that we have had to counsel women in college about over the years were about the experiences at parties such as these where they drank too much and things got out of control. I think that’s why I’m sad, and generally grieved when I see some of the photos that pop up on Facebook with my students, especially the female students who look like they have drank too much, and guys are mobbed around them. Enough said.
  2. I love Wikipedia, but I think it should not be used as a serious research tool, cited in studies….but, it is a great launching pad to head in the right direction; to find good resources; and to get some easy, general information. I use it everyday.
  3. Glad to see that the school I work with is debating professor-student relationships. I’m surprised that it’s a psychology professor standing up for them. Yeah, not really. Seems to play into every movie stereotype about psychologists, especially in campus settings.