Enter the new century. One of the defining moments in the world towards the beginning of the 21st century was the attacks of September 11, 2001. Those attacks sent shock waves around the world. Aimed at the symbols of economic wealth and military oppression, the events of that day were both a catalyst for and an indicator of the change that was to come all over the globe.

Since that fateful day our country has been engaged in an endless war (OK it began eighteen months later but the build up to it began within weeks), the bottom all but fell out of the global economy, and civil discourse as we once knew it has been reduced to talking heads on 24-hour news networks yelling at one another across the airwaves. And all the while, mother earth has been speaking to us: hurricanes ravaged New Orleans, an earthquake in the Indian Ocean produced a tsunami that took hundreds of thousands of lives, and in the first two months of 2010 major earthquakes have rocked Haiti and Chile.

The very earth beneath us is shifting – literally. But it is also shifting figuratively. Everything is changing. Financial institutions have been scandalized by misuse of TARP funds. Major corporations long the mainstay of successful American business have collapsed. Government leaders have been exposed for marital infidelity and financial malfeasance. Priests in the Catholic Church have been accused and confessed to inappropriate relations with children (I don’t pretend to believe that this is only happening in the Catholic Church). Those institutions in which we have placed all of our trust are at least under the microscope of scrutiny if not under threat of being dismantled.

I dare to believe the planet is trying to tell us something. These seismic shifts are metaphors for what is happening in our culture and the ways in which we have constructed it. And they are giving us the opportunity to consider what we need to attend to if we are going to survive the changes.

It is human nature to resist change, but the earth is telling us that change IS coming. It is coming. It is coming quickly. It is coming suddenly and without warning. We can’t stop it. I’m not even sure that we can prepare for it. But we certainly can pay attention to the fact that it is happening, and take advantage of these signs to engage students in conversations about what the planet is teaching us and what kind of world they want to live in. We can offer them courage in the face of change. We can offer them hope in the face of signs that might otherwise discourage them. We can teach resurrection in the face of crucifixion, new life in the face of death.

From the seed that gives itself over to new life to the tectonic plate that moves the earth beneath our feet, the planet is teaching us that life as we know it is changing – and holding hope that the next life is better. . . . If only we have ears to hear . . .

Campus ministry stands in liminal territory-an in-between place. As such,
it stands with one foot in the university and one foot in the church. Its
purpose is to help students (and staff and faculty, too!) negotiate the
differing assumptions, values and expectations that are present in these two
“institutions.” The goal, I think, is to produce young adults who will go
out into an increasingly diverse world and provide intellectually-sound and
spiritually-vibrant leadership in their communities and
spheres-of-influence. Hence, the value of terms like “exploring” or
“journey” when describing a campus ministry.

God reigns. God loves. God sustains. Because we hold these claims to be
true, the university can’t be the godless place that some Christian
apologists posit. God is present and active in the university because God
is present and active in the lives of God’s people, wherever they may be.
As a result, the task of campus ministry is not to “bring God to campus” as
some would suggest. God is already there, doing what God does. Rather, the
task of campus ministry is to discover where God is already at work in the
lives of people on campus and then celebrate and participate in God’s work.
That allows, even encourages, us to engage in collaboration with others on
campus who are doing God’s work.

Faced with living in an uncertain and changing world, the tendency for human
beings and human organizations is to seek safety and stability. So it is
understandable that some Christians conceive of campus ministry as an effort
to help students “hold fast” to the faith in which they were raised. But
such clinging neither respects the contributions of the university to the
life of the young adult Christian nor entrusts the future development of
that Christian to God. From this fear springs forth well-intentioned
efforts to protect the student from danger and uncertainty. But a campus
ministry, well-conceived, is called not to shield students from danger by
continuing to serve them in ways they were served by the church as a youth.
Nor is it called to offer mere platitudes from the past to protect them as
they grow into mature adults.

Rather, the purpose of the campus ministry is to be present for the
struggle-present to both God and God’s people-in the university setting. At
times, that means that the campus ministry is there to protect and care for
persons, particularly students, who may be struggling with themselves or
oppressed by others. But at other times, it means that the campus ministry
is there to help, even provoke, students to grow intellectually and
spiritually. When that journey takes young adults beyond the practices and
platitudes of the church of their youth, it can be quite disconcerting, even
disorienting, both to the students as well as to the adults from those
churches who undergird the campus ministry with their prayers and support.
But for the campus ministry that seeks to honor the God who reigns over all
creation, bearing these concerns is understood to be part of the process,
and the price, of loving that which God loves in an in-between world.

Once upon a time the vision was to “bring God to campus” in the same way that the church “brought God to the jungles of Africa.” Since then we have, thankfully, evolved into a new understanding, a new way of thinking that gives way to the realization that what is possible is for us – campus ministers, congregations, et al – to reveal the presence of the God who is already there: in the classroom, in the laboratory, in the quad, in the residence hall, in the theater and yes, even in the sports arena.

So how do we do this? How do we start this project, this process, this vision? Would that there were a singular, fool proof answer, a template that would work in every location, in every configuration of campus from community college to graduate research institution. Because every setting is unique every context has its own set of challenges. But in every instance the key to a successful campus ministry start up is building relationships, a process that takes time, a process that, done well, evolves into a ministry where the presence of God is uncovered and revealed.

Identifying partners is the first step. Who are the people asking the question (or a question like) “how can the Spirit be unveiled in this place?” It is easy to fall into the old trap of believing there is a need we are supposed to meet, a thought that translates into the familiar “how can we minister to the students?” The truth, however, is that campus ministry is bigger than that. Where are the places that the voice of God might be spoken and heard? A question like this helps to identify partners.

The answer might be found in the art studio where a professor, interested in sacred art looks for ways to engage the community around deeper questions of life, meaning and purpose through that medium. How can you begin a conversation with that person that in turn might reveal the presence of the divine on the campus? Or maybe the answer is in the student group that builds houses for Habitat for Humanity. How can you begin a conversation with the leaders of such a group that in turn reveals the presence of divine in the community, in the people serving as well as those being served?

These conversations begin one-on-one and then, with time, patience and proper nurturing, they can become a community of people who, together perceive both gifts to be shared and needs to be met. It is the work of the visionary to hold the shape of the dream, to be the container that brings the ministry into being.

“In the beginning it is always dark,” says the princess at the end of the movie The Never Ending Story. But in the split second that follows the beginning, the light comes, the vision emerges and the possibilities for ministry take shape in partnership to bear witness to the presence of the divine and to meet the needs of the community.

I will be on vacation for the next two weeks, so check back at the end of the month for more resources and reflections to help you on your journey in higher education ministries.

Shalom.

What does this have to do with campus ministry? Of the many hats we wear, the one least recognized is that of alien borer. Being an alien exorcist would be more dramatic but it rarely happens that way. Being an alien slayer would be more fun but it is too risky for all but the professionally trained mental health professional. Being an alien chaser would sound more entertaining but in my experience aliens don’t run. They just get bored. Hence our charge to be alien borers.

To be effective as an alien borer one must first learn what life the alien takes. Of course we only know this by observation and in every individual there are unique markers. However, there are some characteristics that are generally observable. They include markers like surliness, rebelliousness, imbalance between work, play and rest, unprovoked anger, resistance to reaching maximum potential, irrational response to simple requests, general disregard for most rules of the home, the push-pull syndrome, a sense of invincibility and/or entitlement, and the ubiquitous acne.

The next step to becoming an effective alien borer is to know what it is that puts the alien to sleep, that is, what bores it to tears. Over my years as a parent and a campus minister, these are some of the traits that I see emerge in young adults, which, as they increasingly prevail, send the aliens away. Honesty, integrity, learning to laugh at one’s self while taking appropriate things seriously, self-confidence, a strong moral compass, compassion for others, gentleness with self, balance, appropriate regret accompanied by sincere apology, understanding the way rules enhance life together, respect for self and others, appropriate risk-taking for the greater good, awareness of the connectedness of all things, appreciation for adults, and finally, gratitude.

We who are campus ministers work hard to help students deepen their faith, find their voice, hone their leadership skills. These are good, important and even essential tasks. But the thing that makes it all worthwhile some days, is watching the aliens get bored and take their leave – and the ensuing gratitude that comes both from them and their parents. It’s time to embrace the role of alien borer as though it is a super hero. Our students’ parents will thank us.

The recent reports of the adventures of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, not to mention the long list of other celebrity infidelities, have set me to wondering:  if our culture could find a way to sanction wandering in young adult years could we avoid a lot of this nonsense later in life?  And more to the point, what does campus ministry have to offer with regards to the notion of wandering as spiritual practice?  Clearly, I think most of us will agree that there are forms of wandering that simply are not acceptable.  Sanford’s is one of those forms.  But is it right to assume that all forms of wandering are bad?  Our culture does not honor the concept.  Making pilgrimage is OK – that implies setting out towards some place/thing that is known and revered, paying homage and returning home.  Wandering on the other hand is non-specific in its destination and less clear in its purpose.  Implicitly then it appears to be movement into the unknown and therefore it is scary and we deem it unacceptable.
We bemoan the rebellious stage our teenagers go through, in part because it represents a potential rejection of the norms and mores and values we hold dear.  But to be completely honest, we fear the rebellion because we fear for their safety.  I believe it is that fear that keeps our culture from us from honoring the notion of wandering.  The fact of the matter is:  most young people are going to wander, whether we as parents or as a church like it or not.  Those of us who have raised teenagers understand that most young people are, at some level, wired to wander.  So what if, as a church, we developed ways to honor wandering?  I’m talking more than summer camp or the occasional youth group retreat, more than a youth mission trip or choir tour.  What if campus ministry became for the church a way to honor the wandering of our students in the university?  Such honoring might help the culture reframe this window of young adult development in positive ways.
Steven Prothero, keynote speaker and workshop leader at last week’s NCMA conference, spoke of wandering as spiritual practice.  The word “Hebrew” means wanderer.  Scriptural accounts indicate that we are people who wander.  Some wandering begins as a result of punishment (see Genesis 3).  Sometimes it is an act of liberation (see Exodus 16).  For some, it is in response to spiritual blessing (see Mark 1 and gospel parallels).  The Biblical witness teaches us that wandering not only holds social value, it is critical to the spiritual journey.  Where Prothero suggests wandering as a spiritual practice, I wonder if it is even more important than that.  I wonder if there is value in claiming it as a spiritual imperative, as essential to faith development as worship, study and prayer,  and finding ways for campus ministry to embrace its role as provider of space for such wandering.
Native Americans have their vision quest – the turning point around puberty, where a young person goes on a spiritual quest, alone in the wilderness, to become attuned to the world of the spirit.  After the quest the young person returns to the tribe with a direction for his/her life.  We don’t have to look far into the culture of the university to see that student life is, in large part about  searching for direction.  Some students search more constructively than others.  Campus ministry certainly provides a venue for constructive wandering.   And campus ministers spend much of our time and energy helping students find direction for their lives.  We already contribute in significant ways to constructive wandering of students:  our safe spaces become sacred spaces when we allow students to question their faith, to explore their spiritual landscape without judgment or fear;  our groups become safety nets for students to wander in community.  Perhaps it is our very role as provider of space and community for wandering that causes the church to look upon campus ministry with suspicion – and maybe it is time for us to invite the church to join with us in this spiritual practice!
Barbara Bradley Hagerty, NPR correspondent, has just written a book entitled Fingerprints of God, that chronicles her attempt to find connections between the brain and God.  Interestingly enough, it was this study that returned her to her religious roots in Christian Science.  She reports returning to those roots with a new appreciation for her faith.  “It’s kind of nice to have a homecoming,” she says.1  Barbara’s journey bears witness to the old saying that all who wander are not lost.
I invite responses to this musing.  Tell us how you and your campus ministry encourage the spiritual imperative of wandering.  Share with us stories of students whose lives has been transformed by having the chance, in the context of your ministry, to explore the spiritual landscape of their hearts.

This website is under construction and over the coming months you will see the addition of resources, links, information and reflections to aide you in your essential work.

HEMS provides coaching and consulting services for any setting for ministry in higher education:  free standing denominational ministry, ecumenical ministry, local church based student program, chaplains’ program.  We assist campus ministries in generating vision and mission statements, and strategic plans.  We provide board development, plans for creating program growth, and ideas for fund-raising.  We work with you to expand your vision for your ministry, resolve conflict, create financial sustainability.  We help ministries transition to fully functioning non-profit status.  We are also available for seminars, workshops and presentations for conferences.

Principal consultant is Dr. Jan Rivero. With over twenty years in higher education ministries, Jan has the expertise to assist you, your board and your ministry to reach its full potential in providing services to college/university students, faculty and staff.  She has worked at local, regional and national levels to increase the effectiveness and visibility of campus ministries, led local congregations in establishing student ministries, assisted campus ministry boards in revisioning their ministries, and has provided consultation services to church related colleges seeking to enhance the ministries of their chaplains’ programs.  Ordained in the United Methodist Church, Jan has served as campus minister at the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She has been president of the National Campus Ministry Association and served on the coordinating committee for the United Methodist Campus Ministers.  At the local level she has convened campus ministers’ associations and pastored local churches in college communities.
Jan holds a Doctor of Ministry in Campus Ministry and a Masters of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, where she also serves as adjunct faculty.  She is author of a chapter in the book To Transform the World edited by Alice Knotts, as well as numerous articles.  She is a frequent speaker at workshops, seminars and national and international gatherings for ministers in higher education.  Jan can be reached at jan.rivero@gmail.com.