Campus Toolbox–Practical Ideas Click Below
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Mar
18
ScribeFire Add-on
Filed Under Blogging Platforms | Leave a Comment
If you are using Firefox as your browser and want to help me post to this site, go to ScribeFire and download it. It’s a desktop blogging platform within your browser–makes posting very easy. Then, from within your browser, you can post to this site. Once you’re ready to load this site, email me at JayLLL@aol.com and I’ll send you the username and password. Thanks for the help. We’re getting lots of stories, articles, etc. that we’d love to have the community join us in posting here. As we do so, we can continue to discuss ways in which to bring a greater balance to both our bold proclamation and compassionate demonstration of the gospel. Thanks, Jay
Here are a mix of other free blogging platforms–mostly for Windows (but several work with Macs as well). Again, email me and I’ll send you the particulars to sign on to this site. jll
Mar
16
Some Quotes to Discuss
Filed Under Quotes | Leave a Comment
“The good news is summarized in I Corinthians 15: “Christ died on the cross for our sins,” so that we can be redeemed. That is the narrow definition that most evangelicals embrace. I think we are wrong in limiting it to that. If you read the first twenty-seven words Jesus spoke in Mark, it’s clear that he announced the kingdom…When we think about Jesus ushering in the kingdom, as we pray, by the way, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” I think we begin to see the gospel in a much broader context.” Chuck Colson, founder, Prison Fellowship Ministries
“In trying to communicate the gospel to the masses, the message was eventually reduced to a partial story: humans are sinful and need Jesus in order to go to heaven. This made Christianity lose some of its life because the full description of God’s activity–such as his creation, his plans for restoration, his sovereignty–was left out. It was ultimate reduction, “renounce your sins and place your hope in Jesus.” This phrase is not wrong per se. But it is insufficient, particularly as our culture becomes more and more pluralistic. As a result of this mindset, one can easily accept Jesus and Buddha and a form of Wicca and have not the slightest problem with the significant contradictions. By reducing the gospel to a what’s-in-it-for-me message, people feel Jesus exists for their benefit.”
Rick McKinley, pastor, Imago Dei, Portland
“For a couple of generations, the emphasis was placed solely on that conversion moment. Christians know that salvation is important. But the truth is, we have put the cart before the horse. We have communicated that we want people to believe something that is critical to their lives before they know us, have experienced us, or have received anything from us…and before we know them.” Andy Stanley, Senior pastor, North Point Ministries, Atlanta, GA
“Many modern-day Christians have lost touch with the all-encompassing gospel that goes beyond personal salvation and reaches every corner of society. When conversion growth is the single measure of success, the hard work of discipleship gets ignored. When Christian faith is relegated to a personal, spiritual decision about where you will spend the afterlife, the here and now matters less. When being a Christian can be determined by whether you “prayed the prayer,” the focus shifts easily to who is in and who is out.” David Kinnamon, unChristian p. 224.
“We must open minds and hearts to the reality of the Micah 6:8 challenge to walk humbly, to seek justice and to love mercy. As in the story of the rich man and Lazarus, in the warnings of the Old Testament prophets and in the disturbing radical message of the gospel of Jesus it is a reminder that God will hold us accountable for our attitudes and actions or indifference to the cry of the poor, the hungry, the oppressed, the diseased and our enemies. We can no longer justify in the light of the scriptures a materialist, consumerist lifestyle whose roots are in Western cultural values that are alien to the gospel and whose fruits lead to self obsession, compulsion, drivenness, dysfunctionalism, individualism and the loss of community.” Revd. Roy Searle, Northumbria Community
Mar
15
Stories: A Dawning Light
Filed Under Activism, Campus Toolbox, Evangelism, Orphan Care | Leave a Comment
Chip recently receive the following prayer letter from B (one of our students/volunteers in a closed country). B writes:
Isaiah 58: “Share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, cover him . . . then shall your light break for like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; . . . you shall call, and the Lord will answer.”
A Dawning Light
For the past 3 months the Lord has laid this passage along with several others like it on my heart. I have realized that I don’t live a lifestyle of helping the orphans, poor, or widowed. In the passage above it says, “Then shall your light break forth.” That is what I want for this place.
We are starting a ministry campaign in our city called the “Isaiah 58 Campaign.” For the next 4 months we will attempt to establish a system that this city can use for years to come in order to care for these people. We will be doing this as part of efforts to reach the 20,000 college students here. Our prayer is that we take the Christian and non-Christian students out and share with them AS we care for the needy, that the light of Christ will break forth here, like the dawning of the sun.
This has already begun!!! Last Friday, I spent 3 hours explaining the gospel to Camaro, a freshman student, in light of the needs of 50 orphans I went to visit. Somehow, the Lord used this simple conversation and the great needs of these orphans, to pierce Camaro’s heart and lead him to starting a relationship with Him.
The Lord isn’t just laying this on the hearts of my team and I, he is also heavily speaking to the hearts of the national leaders in this country. During our national conference, I was given an opportunity to speak about Isaiah 58. I’m excited to see what the Lord will do with this country in light of our humble efforts to care for those that many people over here have forgotten about. Pleas pray for us in this!
That the World might know . . .
B
Mar
15
Campus Toolbox: Spring Break and Habitat
Filed Under Activism, Campus Toolbox, Holistic Gospel | Leave a Comment
It’s college spring break time and of course that means “party.”
About 50 Duke University students chose New Bern as their getaway destination, and gathered this morning at the corner of North Cool Avenue and Cypress Street.
They wore hard hats, sweat shirts and jeans instead of swim suits. They hoisted hammers instead of booze.
The students are part of the 200-member Duke Campus Crusade for Christ, which is in town assisting with building a Habitat for Humanity house.
“We get to have the best of both worlds in terms of a fun spring break together and also a chance to serve the community and share some of God’s love with those around us,” said Pearce Godwin, a senior from Blowing Rock.
The foundation is in place for the fourth of 12 planned Habitat homes in the North Kool project. By midweek the students should have the flooring in place.
“It’s fulfilling to come out and use some of the gifts and abilities we feel God has given us to share with the community, like the family that will be able to live in this house,” Godwin said. “We all take a lot of joy and pride in being able to help people. And it’s fun for us, too. It’s not unwilling service because we have a good time working together for the greater good.”
Godwin has been on numerous off-campus projects, including work in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
“We’re not the only ones,” Godwin said. “There is another Christian fellowship that goes up to the Bronx every spring break, and even nonreligious organizations do some service. There are a lot of different people at Duke who’ve decided it would good to think about more than just our own fun for the week.”
Habitat volunteer coordinator Amanda Norwood said the student help was indicative of the volunteer backbone of the organization, which has built 42 houses in New Bern since 1989.
“We feel it is important to serve the community,” said Duke student team leader Michael Worsman, a 19-year-old sophomore from New Hampshire. “Overall, I think people appreciate that we are serving.”
Worsman’s father was a contractor, so he is familiar with construction. For many of the other students, the Habitat project becomes an outdoor classroom.
“Most of these people have absolutely no experience in what they are doing right now,” Worsman said, laughing amid the sounds of hammers and saws.
Bill Major, a River Bend retiree, has been Habitat’s materials coordinator since 1998. He has seen 26 houses built, and is always impressed by the youthful turnout.
“I think it’s wonderful. They’ve dedicated themselves to helping somebody out and I admire that,” he said. “It shows they have something on their minds other than a party.”
Source: Charlie Hall
March 10, 2008 – 3:49PM
Sun Journal
Mar
13
Stories: Expressing Love Thru Soccer Balls
Filed Under Campus Toolbox, Evangelism, Stories | 1 Comment
This past year a friend of the ministry donated 1000 multicolored evangelistic soccer balls. One of our teams found a creative way to use the soccer balls.
We asked five of our Christian students if they would like to go give out soccer balls to some migrant worker families that live near campus. We also invited six non Christian students we met at another campus to go with us just to expose them to a mercy project and hopefully open their hearts to the ideas of mercy, kindness and grace.
Our team of seven, with five Christian students and six non Christian students met up to walk to the migrant housing area. When we arrived it was rainy and very, very muddy. We had to walk through lots of mud which was humbling and caused us all to have even more pity on these people who lived outside in tents and in mud every day. Even as the Christian and non Christian students took their first steps into the area they were shocked at the conditions and many of them said they couldn’t believe people lived this way.
We split up and tried to pair a Christian student from one school with a non-Christian from an- other. As the believing students went out with the non Christian students they demonstrated love and compassion to the migrant families and loved them.
They went up to random people living in tents and asked them if they had any kids that we could give a soccer ball to. That was a good method because when the people saw that we wanted to “bless” their kids they were very receptive to us. We stayed and talked with many people. We found a few Christians and mostly non Christians and were able to give away the soccer balls to the kids.
The non Christian students were amazed at the love that was expressed by us and our students. As the morning went on we saw our Christian students begin to naturally share the gospel and God’s love with the non Christian students as they explained why they wanted to love and care for these people. Those two hours on a Saturday morning were more memorable and impacting for our students than months of Bible Studies and prayer meetings.
source: CCC staff prayer letter
Mar
10
Campus Toolbox: Join The Mocha Club
Filed Under AIDS, Activism, Africa | Leave a Comment
The Mocha Club ties together two communities: Africa and You. Why not encourage students and faculty at your campus to join the Mocha Club and build a team around a project that resonates with a team’s particular interest: child mothers; education; HIV/AIDS; job creation; orphan care; sudan regrowth?
Mar
8
Helping You to Connect with Others… After Serving Them
Filed Under Campus Toolbox, Evangelism, Service | Leave a Comment
At Steve Sjogren’s Serve site, I found the following helpful skills to tuning in on other’s lives in the context of “good deeds” from a Dr. Savant(?). Savant begins with a typical question asked by our volunteers, students or faculty–though of course we might want to see our friends drawn by the Spirt to repent and believe.
Dr. Savant, I have wanted God to use me in connecting with those far from God but have had little success. I have paid for coffee, done Valentine candy give aways, business blasts, etc. asking God to open doors but have few conversations with those far from God. I am not trying to convert anyone but I am looking for ways to connect with lost people in my community. What do you suggest? Joe
I often teach by asking questions. Will you ponder some simple questions with me?
1. Are you able to ‘notice’ your way into people’s lives?
In other words, my guess is that as you show them kindness, the ball drops right there. People you show kindness to are surprised, maybe even flabbergasted. Most of the time they are not extroverted enough to engage you. My guess is you are not yet able to connect with them easily by catching on to the initial act of noticing your way forward.
2. Are you clearly describing to people you engage what is going on?
These are not stand alone projects. People need a bit of an explanation. “I pay for people’s coffees – to show them the kindness of God…”
There are dozens of ways to explain the kindness / generosity thing. I recommend you relax. Flow. Say what comes to mind at the moment. Be succinct. Most of all smile – and don’t try to be one bit clever. Trying to be too clever is the greatest impediment to God’s presence touching others.
3. Are you then verbally engaging people in a memorable way?
I do all you have described and after practicing at this have had discovered it is fairly doable to connect with most people. Here’s what I do:
Keep it safe / positive…Keep it focused upon them…Keep it away from closed ended matters… I rarely ask what they do for a living. It is fine to ask what they are studying though.
“Memorable” is simply what comes natural to you in your context. For me or anyone else to tell you exactly what to say, word for word is a bit odd. You do need a jumpstart, but from there you can remove your training wheels lest your bicycling is impeded.
Here are some starting points to ponder.
With a big smile (yes, practice your smile – non-smilers look like they are up to something – if it is not natural that’s okay – you can get over that…I should know – I did! Ask my mom! I spent my first 18 years being pretty darn serious… ) ask them their name. EVERYONE loves to hear their name! They can’t hear their name often enough. Once you’ve spoken it, repeat it. Upon leaving, use their name again, and say, “See you again before long (their name here).”
On the topic of their name, comment on the meaning of their name if you are familiar with that. Or how your favorite aunt has the same name – that reminds you of her gentleness… I do this very often. People love to hear this.
Ask where they got their tattoos. A fairly large percentage of people under age 35 have visible tatts now. By engaging with people about them, the meaning of them, you are showing them personal attention. This is good!
Comment on their great haircut – then ask where they get their hair cut – that you have been looking for a great place / your child / spouse has been looking for a place to get a great cut.
Lastly, sometimes we cannot see in ourselves how we come across to others well. As you can see in the cartoon image of me I have fuzzy hair and a walrus mustache. Some think I look smart (ask Mrs. Savant to get the real story on that!) I can intimidate people apparently though I wasn’t aware of that for years. For each of us we need friends who love us enough they will tell us the true truth about us – how others see us – that we can walk free from the things that ensnare us and keep us stuck.
Dr. Savant
Mar
6
The Hercules of Abolition
Filed Under Slavery, Wilberforce | Leave a Comment
On September 16, 1833, a special public meeting was held in New York City. Those in attendance had assembled at the Colored Presbyterian Church at the behest of the Officers of the Convention for the Improvement of the Free People of Color in the United States.
It was a singular event. For they were met together to consider how they ought to mark the passing of Wilberforce who, for nearly fifty years, had been “the friend of Africa.” For twenty years, Wilberforce had led the fight to abolish the British slave trade—a victory achieved in 1807. Twenty-six years later and just days before his death in late July 1833, Wilberforce had learned that slavery itself would be abolished throughout Britain’s colonies. News of this great human rights victory had just reached America’s shores, as had the news of Wilberforce’s passing.
And so sons and daughters of Africa met in New York to consider how they ought to pay tribute to Wilberforce’s memory. During that September meeting several resolutions were unanimously adopted. A committee was also appointed to draft resolutions “expressive of the sentiments of regret felt by the people of color for the death of the Honorable William Wilberforce.” It was their considered opinion that “the most extensive manifestations of feeling be recommended to the people of color throughout the United States.”
The other resolutions adopted included a request that “colored freemen throughout the United States” be requested to wear a badge of mourning for thirty days. Pastors of the African-American churches in New York City were asked “to deliver discourses in the several Churches, as soon as practicable, descriptive of the life and virtues of the late William Wilberforce.” Lastly a committee of five was appointed “to select a suitable person to deliver an Eulogy on the Life and Character of the distinguished Philanthropist whose death we so much lament.” Soon afterward, this committee reported “that they had selected Mr. Benjamin F. Hughes, Principal of the Free School.”
Hughes’ delivered his eulogy on October 22, 1833.
Perhaps no portion of Hughes’ oration was more powerful than the one in which he compared Wilberforce and Napoleon.
Napoleon, and the band the preceded him in ambition’s lawless strife have ceased to breathe—their swords to other hands have passed, their crowns on other heads are placed. A thousand tongues have their praises told—a thousand songs their requiem sung. The scourge of mankind, the extirpator of this species, the Corsican is no more; and with him sleep those vast designs, which convulsed the world in bloody contest for empire. . .
[Why is] there is a charm that attracts the admiration of men to their destroyers; a propensity to applaud those very acts that bring misery on the human race; and on the other hand to pass by unheeded, the placid and even tenor of the real benefactors of their species?
There is a spectacle more glorious and venerable than the transient blaze of a meteor; or the triumphant entry of a conqueror. It is the benign manifestation of those nobler feelings of our nature in behalf of the oppressed, in munificently extending the arms to embrace and succor the unprotected, it is that species of love to man, designated philanthropy. It is not circumscribed within the narrow precincts of country, restricted to religion or party;—it is co-extensive with the world. Hence, of all men, it is to the Philanthropist that we are chiefly indebted; it is upon his disinterested deeds that we are to stare;—and his is the memory for which we should cherish the fondest recollections…
William Wilberforce is dead!
I present to you no bloodstained hero; he had led no slaughtering armies, he has desolated no kingdoms, for him not triumphal arch is raised; his laurels have been won in another and nobler sphere. He was no aspirant to popular applause; no time-serving politician; he was the friend to the “robbed and peeled”. . . he was a perfect character, “that shot effulgence like a solar ray.”
Yes! the earthly career of him, who was emphatically one of the greatest men of the greatest nation of modern times, was terminated on the 29th day of July last; and in him fell the Hercules of Abolition.
Source: Kevin Belmonte’s Tribute to Wilberforce, honoring the Martin Luther King Jr. National Holiday
Mar
4
Upcoming PBS Special
Filed Under Wilberforce | Leave a Comment
Mar
4
Begin with Compassionate Service
Filed Under Compassion, Service, salt and light | Leave a Comment
New Generations International, a church planting organization, suggests the following 5 steps in their church planting process–a process that begins with service. Each of these steps are part of a simple process we could use to help launch missional teams to new locations.
1. Begin with Compassionate Service. As Jesus went from village to village, he was moved by compassion, encasing his preaching and teaching in an environment of healing. When Jesus sent out he 72 disciples in Luke 10, he told them to pronounce peace, healing the sick and saying, ‘The Kingdom of God has come near to you.’ It is the light of “good works” shining before others that opens the door to the Father’s glory.
2. Build Relationships. Once we are accepted, the key to everything is relationships. As we build relationships with many, we will find the men and women who will serve as “persons of peace” to help us bring the Gospel to the whole community.
3. Launch Avenues for Discovery & Obedience. Look for ways to facilitate the personal discovery of God’s will. Begin to preach and teach the Scriptures in such a way that God begins to speak for Himself and draw people to himself in ever increasing obedience to Jesus.
4. Develop the Inside Leaders with a Movement Planting vision and capacity. As men and women begin to obey God over time, focus more and more time on developing them as “leaders” who will continue to reproduce ever more churches and movements.
5. Multiply at every level. Reproduction is critical–disciples making other disciples, leaders developing other leaderships, movements launching other movements.
