No replies to the last post! Maybe it was a bad topic. We can revisit it if there is interest later, i suppose.
Here is a question i have been pondering an awful lot lately.
If there are approximately 350 students attending evangelical Christian groups at UWSP, why on earth are there only approximately 110 UWSP students attending evangelical local churches? I realize that part of the deal is that we have a unique benefit of having a bunch of non-Christians around our organizations, but certainly NOT 75% of them! My main concern is that i know about 8o of those church-going students are involved in IV, my organization- and we are not the biggest Christian organization on campus by a long shot. How do we account for this? It is a travesty to not have Christian students in the most critical period of formation of their lives being educated and impacted by the local church. Over 90% of students who do not attend a local church during college are not attending a local church 5 years after graduation, whether they call themseleves Christian or not. Having no intergenerational Christian training and education forming people between ages 17 and 22 might be one of the weakest points in our congregations today, especially in towns with universities. What are we to do?
I started this blog to give updates on life, to share in searching and submitting to Christ and God’s Word, and thoughts about books, theology, chasing squirrels, and other things. “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” Colossians 1:19-20
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- The Church and the Parachurch; An Uneasy Marriage
- Brothers, We are not Professionals
- God Transcendent
- Religious Affections
- The Life and Death of Mr. Badman
4 comments:
i guess i'll state the obvious here - it's because they don't view being a part of a local church as important to them.
why?
that i'm not as sure about but i will venture a few suggestions: 1) because they don't feel like the local churches are helping them to live out their faith (while they do feel that the campus organizations are doing that), 2) because they don't feel they have the time for involvement in a local church, or 3) because the campus organizations are either not pushing the importance of a local church or for their own reason they are actually suggesting that students shouldn't be involved in a local church.
anyhow, as you know, i think this is a sad thing.
Interesting stats! I wonder...if the local church and campus ministries are fulfilling the same needs students have (even if unintentionally), then what motivation will students have to root themselves in a local church?
Good points guys! SO, para-church campus ministries ought to find a niche of our own AND explain how we are insufficient in so many ways to do what the local church is doing. Is that enough?
Well...let's face it, if that were enough, then the problem would already be solved. In my experience with campus ministries, leaders often have encouraged students to find a church, and still they don't. I guess there are questions that have to be answered like: What do we go to church for? To worship corporately? That probably happens in campus ministries. To get rooted in Christian community? That probably happens in campus ministries. To study the Word of God? That probably happens in campus ministries. So it seems like different purposes need to be articulated AND then on top of that, they both would have to stop meeting the same needs.
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