Annie & Stephanie: Two Alaskan students starting something new

By Shawn Young

Do you think it’s possible for students to plant ministries, or does it take a “professional minister” to do it? Historically, Christian student initiatives have been controlled, limited or dismissed by professional clergy because they “lack the theological training necessary”.  But the simple fact is, there are not enough campus ministers to reach the 4000 colleges and universities just in the United States, much less the rest of the world.  We simply cannot afford to confine the expansion of new ministry to the number of “full-time campus ministers” we can hire.  The only way that every campus will have a witnessing community is if students are taken seriously as planters themselves.

I believe that every Christian student carries within them the potential to start a Jesus-centered community that can reach others with the gospel.  Annie and Stephanie are two students who proved this to be true.

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By Beau Crosetto

Don’t let nothingness equate to death in your mind. Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean there isn’t life there.

A tomato plant that we had last year died like a tomato plant does every year. I ripped the roots out and threw the vine away, leaving just the dirt behind. The sod sat in that pot for 6 months totally abandoned. Six months later, a sprout sprung up out of nowhere totally surprising my wife and me.

1. Surprised a seed was in there…we didn’t plant it
2. Surprised it was growing under the dirt…we hadn’t watered once

Now that there were signs of life, we started watering it and a few months later it is full, vibrant and producing the first signs of fruit. It is pretty exciting.

It got my wife and I talking as the kids played in the back yard.

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A major topic of discussion in campus ministry and many churches today is the tension between planting and building.

When do we go and start something new in a completely new place (new campus, new church, etc) or when do we just focus on where we currently are and build that stronger (current fellowship or church congregation)?

What is the role of every leader, pastor, campus staff in both building what they currently steward and then leading that group to start new things beyond their current context?

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In a previous post “Discipleship Catalyzed by Mission” I wrote on the importance of recognizing how God’s mission can (and should) catalyze discipleship. In the comment section someone mentioned the need to highlight engagement in mission communally—or with others. I wholeheartedly agree. Part of the need to do mission in community involves the need to create opportunities to reflect, or debrief, the how, what and why of missional engagement. The importance of debriefing with others is just one the “Four D’s” that I use to describe different components of living out missionality.

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