Bob's Blog

Blueprint #1: Keeping it Simple with Discipleship

2009-07-08T13:08:00.003-12:00

For those of you who love complex strategies and vision statements, you'll be disappointed with what I'll be sharing. College ministry is the exact opposite of these things. At its very core, college-age ministry thrives on simplicity. That doesn't mean there isn't a lot of hard work or time involved. Actually, I don't think there is another age group that demands so much of your time, but it's "simple" time you are investing. It's all about a relationship.

As a youth pastor, one of the jobs I loathed was getting transportation for an event. I would have to call parents, staff, and anyone I could find to take our group to a place that was just ten minutes from the church. Not so with college people. They come with transportation provided. It's simple. College-age can even plan an event, oversee a ministry, lead studies, and lots more. The one thing they can't do is disciple themselves.

No matter how many college people come to your gatherings or the multitude of ministries you do, if you are not making disciples then you've lost the focus of His Church. I've read books, seen the research, and heard from the best of those who minister to ages 17-25 and they all say the same thing, they need and want a connecting relationship to a community. If the church is not pouring into them, then they'll go where someone will. One of the keys to keeping a younger Christian generation is to help them be like Jesus by surrounding them in a community of "Jesus-like" people. You don't need a cutting edge relevant program. You don't have to paint your church black inside with candles burning (unless you want to). You need to show them what it means to be like Jesus.

Disciple them.

Moving Forward: The Local Church

2009-06-30T11:09:00.004-12:00

The other Sunday night, I taught at a church in the uptown area of where I live. We met at the home of the pastor, a historic 1912 California bungalow, which sits across the street from a small tree lined park. The evening was a typical summer night. A cool breeze cut across the lawn as the church gathered in the shadows of the backyard. A meal was provided of hot dogs and favorite side dishes. I knew most of the people so the conversation was easy and relaxing. I enjoyed the evening catching up with friends.

During the summer the church comes together for an informal time of fellowship, a meal, and teaching from Scripture. They usually have a theme for the summer. It's a good idea, plus it keeps those who are teaching to stay on track. This year the chose as their theme "Moving Forward." It's an appropriate theme considering that they are in transition. They recently have sold their property and are meeting a few miles to the east from their old campus. New beginnings are a time of mixed emotions. There is an excitement and anticipation in seeing what will come each and every day. It can also be a time of uncertainty as to what the future holds. Change can bring us into unfamiliar surroundings that we may not want to enter. For these believers, they represent the thousands of churches across our country that are in the same situation. They are trying to take the Gospel of Jesus to a younger generation without losing their church.

Older, established churches who have been ministering for fifteen, twenty, or thirty plus years still desire in continuing doing the work of the Lord. They seek God's direction in how to reach the next generation for Jesus. That's why I write these blogs about college-age ministries. I'm an advocate for the local church and especially those that have been around for a while. I love helping churches connect with younger people. It's not easy making the transition from generation to generation, but we do have a Blueprint that has helped the Church through many centuries of transitions. I want to take us through a few of those "helps" in the next few weeks.

Great College-Age Resources

2009-06-19T09:03:00.003-12:00

CollegeLeader
Momentum is coming up and if you have college-age people or are looking to reach this age group then sign up for CollegeLeader seminar at Momentum. Chuck Bomar will be presenting a seminar that covers a wide range of issues with college-age people. The ministry is geared towards helping the local church serve this age group. For more information, you can go to CE's web site under Momentum.

Looking for great resources for college-age? Go to www.Collegeleader.org for free downloads and helpful articles in aiding you with your ministry. You can also find out where a local regional seminar is taking place. Don't forget that the Drink Conference is coming up in October in beautiful Southern California, and look for Chuck's new book College Ministry 101: a guide to working with 18-25 year olds.

College Ministry Lunch
If you live in the Southern California area, then you are invited to meet with us for a time of discussion about college ministry. Topics will include; how to have a balance and healthy college ministry, keeping things "simple," and helping our group move forward in their devotion to God. The event will take place at Saddleback Church on Tuesday, August 11th from 11:30am to 2:00pm. Lunch will be provided for you...that's means it's FREE.

What's the Role of a College-age Ministry?

2009-05-07T04:56:00.002-12:00

I just recently had a meeting with a college ministry pastor. A nice lunch at Carrows in Rancho Capistrano. I always enjoy these times of connecting with those who minister to the next generation. College-age ministries is a hard group for many churches to get a handle on and one that takes a lot of time of investment. Most college ministries are lead by volunteers. Their time is valuable to them and leading a ministry is not taken lightly. So, what do you do with this age group? What is the purpose of a college-age ministry. In one word, college-age ministry is about discipleship.

As the Church, we are commanded to make disciples. We seemed to have gotten away from that in our attempts at youth ministries. Ed Stetzer made the observation that after 30 years of modern youth ministries all we had to show for our work were,"...youth groups are holding tanks with pizza. There's no life transformation taking place" (USA Today: Young Adults Aren't Sticking with Church by Cathy Lynn Grossman). To be sure, there are many youth groups in America that are agents of change and teens are being transformed into followers of Jesus, but they seem to be the exception. In Josh McDowell's book, The Last Christian Generation, he shares that many of our churches have dropped the ball with our young people. He goes on to explain,"...the issue here is that the majority of our young people lack a relationship with spiritual mentors who are models of Christlikeness, and these youths are building their faith and lives on a false foundation-a distorted view of who Christ is, why He came to earth, and what the Bible and truth really are."

I hear a lot of people in churches blaming the problems with America's youth on liberal extremism in government, the decline of our moral social structures, drugs, consumerism, selfishness, depression, a lack of maturity, and the list goes on, but what would have happened if our churches 30 years ago would have focused on making disciples instead of good Christian kids? This generation of college-age people are looking for something that is real and beyond what this world has to offer. Christian young people are not leaving their faith, as one news magazine was suggesting, but are drifting without an anchor. Don't deceive yourself in thinking that this "time" in our history will pass and we'll come back to the "good ole days" when America was more acceptable of Christianity, those days might be gone and they most assuredly will be if our churches continue to go in this direction with our young.

So, what's the answer to the role of college-age ministry? Make disciples. The other stuff (some would call them programs or ministries) will come later...or maybe not at all. The key is to make followers of Jesus who reflect Him. That is the answer in its most simplest way.

Fusion: Change in the College-age Ministry at Momentum

2009-04-16T06:50:00.003-12:00

I'm in Indiana today and working from the CE National office in Winona Lake. One of the ministries that we're working through is the Fusion program at Momentum. We've been evaluating the ministry and role of Fusion as it relates to college-age people. Everything from programming to cost has been "kicked" around as we look to see where the Lord is taking this ministry.

I'm excited to see in what could be a new direction in discipleship and equipping young people to serve Christ and others. College-age want to be a force that is helping to change the world for the good. Christian young people desire this as well but they want to see more than just a physical change. They look to see change that have eternal value. Any ministry that works with college-age should be striving to produce qualities that bear fruit for Jesus.

We hope that if you are sending college-age to Momentum, whether as a staff person in your youth group or Fusion participant, that you'll encourage them to see where the Lord wants to stretch them in their faith. Look for more information in the Fusion section on Momentum's web site.

College Leader Regional Seminar - Saddleback Church

2009-04-07T09:07:00.003-12:00

What a great turnout we had for our first Collegeleader regional seminar. Chuck Bomar, founder of Collegeleader, shared his experience of over 10 years working with college-age people to around 40 participants at the one day event. The seminar was held at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California and was hosted by Brad Baker, pastor to college-age young people at the church.

The one day event is geared towards helping the local church to minister to college-age people within and outside the Church walls. These are crucial years for late adolescence and a significant gap within many church ministries are during these years. Collegeleader looks to aid churches in how to assimilate young people into the Body through discipleship. If you are looking for help with this age group or have questions concerning college-age, you can contact us at http://www.collegeleader.org/.

CE Leadership Summit

2009-03-30T16:16:00.002-12:00

I've been in Winona Lake for the past week and getting back into the swing of things is taking me longer than I thought. We had a great time of sharing and learning as we heard from Tim Eldred, Jim Swanson, and Pastor Jim Brown. I was challenged to take a new perspective with youth ministries and refreshed spiritually by the fellowship of those who have a similar heart for young people. I like to share more in the next few weeks in what was presented at the Summit, as well as with the up coming CollegeLeader seminar that takes place at Saddleback. Until then...here are some pictures of CE Leadership Summit.

Connecting was part of the atmosphere at Summit. Tim Eldred challenging us to think beyond typical youth minstries.

Jim teaching on Millennial generation. Taking a photo break and remember ing in picture the first Summit at CE National.

Preaching to the Younger Unchurched

2009-03-11T16:33:00.002-12:00

This is an article that pastor Roy Halberg from Alta Loma, California sent to me. It was written by Ed Stetzer and Jason Hayes for SermonCentral on preaching to a younger unchurched generation. You can find the full article on SermonCentrel.com from their March 2nd issue. It's part of a broader look from their book entitled Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches that Reach Them. The article deals with helpful advice on how a younger generation communicates and what practical ways a pastor can direct his teaching towards a younger unchurch people.

The Impact Pastors Have On College-Age People

2009-03-03T11:38:00.003-12:00

Some pastors have expressed to me that they believe they have little influence on college-age people. Not only do they question their impact on a younger generation, but they also don't see how they can be much of a factor in a young person's life. There are those who believe that in order to connect with a younger group of people, one has to be a great communicator, dress in contemporary fashion, know the latest trends, and speak from a wireless mic while holding a latte. But recent research and surveys prove otherwise. Here are some key insights from LifeWay Research.

Do pastors have an impact on young people?
According to LifeWay Research, 58% of church dropouts left local churches because of church-related or pastor-related issues. That's over half! The study also revealed that young people have character qualities they like to see in their pastor, including caring, authentic, real, welcoming, and inspirational. One key quality that I think many pastors don't expect college-age students to want is teaching, but this is still a high priority that young people want from their pastors. For those under 18 who stay in the church, over 62% say their pastor's sermons are engaging or relevant to their lives. Those numbers jump higher when those 18-22 years old were surveyed.

LifeWay Research has shown that 70% of those who dropout of church do so between the ages of 18 and 22. Their research shows how much pastors do have an impact in the lives of young people in their congregation. It seems that the younger generation desires to have connecting relationships with their pastors. They want their pastors to teach sound doctrine, because most young people want and need to understand their faith. If your church is struggling to keep young believers, start by building bridges of friendships that form community, while teaching through Scripture how God interacts with their world today.

CollegeLeader Regional Seminars

2009-02-25T07:15:00.002-12:00

Chuck Bomar, former college pastor at Francis Chan's church in California, will be heading up one day seminars throughout the country. These seminars are geared for those who are vocational veterans, lay leaders, or student leaders in college-age ministries. The cost is $30 for leaders and $20 for students. Topics included in the one day seminar will be; how to teach and disciple college-age and understanding the key areas of developmental stages for this age group. Here is the schedule for the seminars:

March 31st - Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA

April 28th - (Location TBD) Atlanta, GA

July 17th - Robert Morris University (Momentum Conference) in Pittsburgh, PA

TBD - Boulder, CO

TBD - Blackhawk, WI

Drink Conference - October 15-18 will be held at Thousand Pines Christian Camp in California. You can find more information about these regional seminars and for the Drink Conference by going to http://www.collegeleader.org/.

Views and Pics From the Southwest Focus Retreat

2009-02-07T09:16:00.004-12:00

It's been over a week since a group of around 60 met at Rancho Capistrano for the Southwest Focus Retreat. There were a few changes from past years and due to the reroofing of our normal meeting room, we were "stretched" out in a smaller but wider place to meet together. The weather was perfect, but what would you expect in sunny California. A few clouds with some sprinkles but overall we had warm sunny days as we met to be refreshed with friendships, singing, Srcipture, and sleep. Here a re a few pictures of a short but encouraging two days.

Worshipping before the first session. Ed Waken from Arizona taking an important call.

John McIntosh leads the group through 2 Timothy. Mitch Cariaga of Rialto sharing with men like Dr. Manahan, President of Grace College and Seminary.
We all enjoyed the beautiful conference center. Catching up with friends is always a big plus at Focus. Los Altos pastors Phil Helfer and Bill Salas enjoy some time with Ed Waken, pastor from Arizona, and John Ward, GBIM representitive from Ohio.
Mike, from La Loma GBC, sharing at the lunch table as Tim Park of Ripon looks on. TK enjoying the conversation.

A great two days at the retreat.

CE Celebration in California

2009-02-02T17:26:00.002-12:00

The staff of CE National were out here in sunny California for their annual CE Celebration event. This year they met at the Bellflower Grace Brethren Church. We had a great time in hearing the many blessings of God through the ministries of CE National. It's amazing to see and hear what the Lord is doing from Urban Hope in Philadelphia to The National Institute in Winona Lake. CE National has a tremendous ministry through churches across the country. Here are a few pictures of the evening.

Sara Knepper and Stacie Fey welcoming the church for the evenings' event. Ed connecting with friends and supporters of CE National.

TK opening the night in reading Scripture and Ed with songs of worship.
Great friends came by...like Mandy and Mick Wee from San Diego. Ed having a good time with Bellflower's youth pastor, Keith Ko.

Southwest Focus Retreat

2009-01-22T06:06:00.003-12:00

One of my favorite times of the year is coming up. I'll be heading to the beach this Monday for our Focus Retreat. If you don't know what a "Focus" retreat is then let me share. Once a year, leadership from the Grace Brethren Fellowship come together in regional gatherings for mutual encouragement and vision casting. I really enjoy the short time we have together as we share, pray, sing, and rejoice in what the Lord is doing through the ministries He has given us.

This year, I'm especially anticipating what He will share with us as we look into 2 Timothy. I believe God has a significant work for our Fellowship and that the future lies with young leadership. What a great book to study in seeing how we can disciple young people in our churches. Please pray for us as we start this Monday, January 26 and conclude on Wednesday, January 28th. I'll post pictures and a report of the retreat next week.

A Book Review: Essential Church? Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts

2009-01-09T16:56:00.002-12:00

For many young people, church is no longer essential in their lives, and churches are either unaware of this growing problem or are not equipped to stop the exodus of twenty-somethings from their congregation. Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resource and author of the national bestseller Simple Church, and his son Sam Rainer, a senior pastor and contributor to Outreach Magazine, have written a book filled with valuable research and insightful evaluation in why our churches are losing their young adults and how we can reclaim them for Christ.

Much of the ground work is done by LifeWay Research, connected with the Southern Baptist group, and can be followed up by going to their website. The book is a straightforward critique on the churches short-comings in discipling their own young people of Generation X and Millennials, and has done their work to substantiate their findings. The Rainers main focus is on young people (starting from around age 16 to early twenties), who have grown up in a local church, and who left once they reached the age of seventeen. They also have concentrated on those who have stayed through their teen years and into young adulthood. You'll have to buy their book in order to see the reasons why.

Their book has been a great help to me. I've even used their questions they asked college-age people with students out here (California) and found their answers reflecting much of what Thom and Sam Rainer have discovered. If your church is struggling with keeping your young people once they start reaching their college years or if twenty-somethings are a small minority in your church, then grab this book and sit down with your leadership. Make it a small group study and see if you need to reclaim a younger generation in your church.

Curriculum Ideas for College Age

2008-12-29T08:33:00.002-12:00

I'm always looking for creative ideas for college-age curriculum. By "creative" I mean blending my ideas with others. That's why I like to see what other college-age ministries are doing and see how that would fit into my ministry or how that can be adapted for others to use. One of the many resources I like to use are books.

Some books are designed for a small group study. They'll have short chapters with questions at the end of each section so that the group can go over the section they just read. Some books even offer study aids or a curriculum package. These are all great resources and have been a help to many teachers who are looking for materials that are laid out for them.

One focus that I think many college-age ministries are missing is doctrine. If you look in Christian bookstores under young adults, you'll find that much of the curriculum has to do with relationships. There are some materials dealing with finances and "life-after-college" issues but very little on doctrine. That's why I'll tend to look for doctrinal books that I can adapt to college-age level thinking. Here are a few that I hope will be of help to you.

Mars Hill Church has a series called RE:LIT "A Book You'll Actually Read" (www.crossway.org). There are four in this little series (they are no more than a hundred pages and deal with the basics of the Old & New Testament, God, and Church leadership) and are great for those that are new to Christ or want to use these books as "starter questions" for your small group.
Vintage Jesus is another great book from Driscoll and Breshears. What I enjoy so much about this book is that it is straight forward on the person of Jesus that communicates to a younger generation.
John Piper and Justin Taylor's book The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World is an excellent read of understanding a biblical Christ that is so much superior than the postmodern Jesus we see from the Emergent culture.

These books are inexpensive, get you into the Scriptures, and are great resources in helping young college-age think through their faith.

Paying For College

2008-12-15T05:19:00.002-12:00

"I'm not sure how we're going to do it," shared a very tired dad. "I told my daughter that she was spending her college tuition if she continued to attend here [a private school]." And with that, he looked at me and said," So, what's your advice?"

This conversation took place at one of the college fairs I worked at for Grace College. Through the different fairs, I continued to hear from parents who wondered aloud how they were going to pay for their child's (or children) education. With the economy on the down side and seemingly not getting any better soon, parents are looking for answers to pay for the increasing high cost of college education.

It can seem bleak, but there is hope. Schools do not want to loose their best students because of financial difficulties. Many schools have increased their financial aid to keep students from leaving and continue to offer great financial aid packages for those who qualify. But for some families, that might not be enough. So, where does help come from? Here are some terms you'll need to know before you start searching for ways to pay for your future lawyer's or teacher's education.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The key word here is "free." There are on-line web sites that tell you that they'll do this form for a fee. Don't do it. It's a free service offered by our government. FAFSA is the financial aid application that is used by all colleges. Your financial aid package is determined by your FAFSA form, so make sure you fill this out first (senior year after January 1st) before you do anything else.

Pell Grants
This is free money (awards) given by the government. Grants are determined through your FAFSA application.

Perkins Loans
This is a student loan that must be paid starting nine months after the student graduates.

Stafford Loans
There are two types of Stafford Loans; one is subsidized and the other is unsubsidized. The unsubsidized loan is for those who can prove a genuine need. There is no interest payment while in school. The unsubsidized loan is open to anyone regardless of need, but you do have to pay interest while in school.

There are more terms that parents should be aware of when looking for financial help. You can get more information at The Student Guide 1-800-4-FED-AID. Also look on www.savingforcollege.com for great ideas on how you can start putting money away today for your child's education.

Tips On Choosing the Right College (continued)

2008-12-02T07:00:00.002-12:00

Finishing up from last weeks post.

Meet Deadlines - Gone are the days when you could hand in your application whenever you felt like it. It's a rough and competitive world in trying to get into colleges, so have a schedule of school deadlines posted somewhere in your house. The sooner you meet those deadlines the quicker you help that school's admissions people to do their work and get you processed through the system.
Visit Campus - The first time I saw Grace College was the day I drove up for school. I actually thought there would be mountains because friends told me it snowed there (for those wondering...there are no mountains). Every school admissions counselor will tell you that visiting the campus is a make or break for most students. How students feel about a campus plays a major role in choosing a school. Thankfully for me, I loved being at Grace, but I know of others who just didn't think it was a fit for them. A campus visit should tell you, "I fit here." From landscaping to your room to the feel of the dinning hall, how you "feel" about campus will be important to you. After all, you'll be spending the next four or five years there, so check it out first before you commit all that time and money.
Involve Others - Sometimes, we need a different perspective. That could be a friend or a parent who could be of assistance as you bounce off your thoughts and impressions. Remember that it always helps to get a second opinion, but ultimately you will make the final decision.

Adapted from Five Action Steps to the Right Fit by Janna Jones (Campus Life's Christian College Guide; October 2008; christiancollegeguide.net)

Tips On Choosing the Right College

2008-11-27T03:57:00.002-12:00

This is a short series on practical helps for students and parents who are looking at colleges. Most of these materials can be found on the web or through Christian college magazines.

Last month I had the opportunity to represent my alma mater, Grace College, at some college fairs in Southern California. I've done this for the past two years, and I enjoy helping parents and students find the right fit for their college experience.

For some parents and students, choosing a college isn't hard. The student might have had a college in mind since childhood, so for them the choice is easy. But for many other families, choosing the right school can be a very difficult task. Many families who came to our table at the fair were looking for materials that would help them make a good choice for a school. Families today are looking for help to narrow down schools or tips on picking a good school. So, what are some helpful tips on choosing that right school? Here a re a few thoughts taken from an article in Campus Life's Christian College Guide.

Know Thyself - When I was on staff at Grace College as a Resident Director (a person who oversees dorms), I was amazed at how many students had no clue how Grace would fit into their lives. Students that transitioned well into Grace understood their needs because they understood themselves. This enabled them to ask key questions, like "Do I need to be in a small town or big city? Would I feel comfortable with a large student body? How big of a class size would I prefer?" Understanding yourself and what your needs are will help you to focus on the right institution for you.
Research Well - I was very impressed by how many students did their homework about college. They might have not known too much about Grace but they knew what questions to ask and valued the materials that we had to offer to further their research. Check out Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (cccu.org), North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professional (naccp.org), and Campus Life Magazine for Christian schools. For state and public universities look at College Bound (collegebound.net) for resource help.

We'll finish up this post after Thanksgiving. If you have other resources you would like to share on this topic, please feel free to write me and I'll mentioned them as well.

Again, It All Comes Back to the Church

2008-11-13T04:28:00.002-12:00

Last weekend, I attended an Organic Church Seminar at my church in Long Beach. There were two tracks offered during the weekend. Neil Cole, who is the co-founder of the Organic Church Movement, taught the advanced track and Phil Helfer oversaw the track for the beginners. That's the track I went to. I did attend an advanced track in Los Angeles a few years ago but only for one day, so I thought I hear what an Organic Church is from the beginning.

I really enjoyed what was shared that day and thought the presenters of the seminars did a great job in explaining the movement. There was a lot of opportunities for questions, and there were definitely a lot of questions. The one question that continued to come up was, "what is the Church?" That seems to be the hot topic for today. Elmer Towns and Ed Stetzer, both experts on church growth, wrote a book on the different models of churches that are being used today. At the end of the book, Stetzer asks the question, "do you know why there are so many models of the church?" which he proceeds to answer his own question," because we don't have any idea what the Church is?"

I think that was the biggest lesson I came away with from the seminar. It seemed to me that most of the questions that attenders were asking had something to do with the purpose of the Church. As a younger generation continues to come of age, I wonder how much longer we'll have to answer this question. I'm seeing the "fruits" of this question here in California and it doesn't encourage me. Hopefully, we'll come to a conclusion before we start to ask,"whatever happened to Church?"

A Book Review: The Fine Line

2008-10-28T09:29:00.003-12:00

I just finished previewing Kary Oberbrunner's new book, The Fine Line. The book focuses in on the age old question on how can Christians be in the world but not of it? He draws his points from real life and at times personal examples that we can all relate to, and asks questions that are "refitted" for the 21st century believer.

What I appreciate about Kary's insights is how he redefines the question of how today's Christians interact with their world. He sites biblical truths that believers are to posses and shows us how we are to live them out in a postmodern world. We all have read some where that the Church needs to be relevant in today's culture but no one really tells you what that means. This is key to Kary's book. He actually defines what being relevant means (you'll have to read the book to get his definition) without denying who we are as the Church. These are not new thoughts that he is bringing to the Church but an "old Truth" in a voice for a new millennial. I can see someone using this book in a college-age Sunday morning gathering, a high school discipleship group, or a discussion starter for elders.

The book should be hitting the stores about now and I would recommend that you pick up a copy. The chapters read very fast and easy with discussion questions for each chapter. Also, there is an appendix section that gives you a short comparisons between modern and postmodernism. A nice compliment to the questions at the end of the chapters.

College Fairs

2008-10-20T12:09:00.002-12:00

It's been a while since I've written, but I've been on the road for the past three weeks recruiting for Grace College at NACCAP's college fairs. I loved not only representing Grace College at these fairs but helping parents and students find the right fit for them is very rewarding. I started at Oaks Christian, where current Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clasuen went to school. It's also the school where a few celebrity kids attend, like Will Smith and Joe Montana, and no, I didn't see them while I was there.

Most of my travels took me around the Southern California area and down into San Diego. It was a great tour and I made a lot of positive connections with schools, parents and students. One of the best memories I have are the friends I've made from other Christan colleges. I give them a lot of props for what they do all year round. I use to wonder about our admissions counselors at Grace. I use to think it would be fun to do a few cool trips, sight seeing and staying at plush hotels. I would love to eat out every night at different restaurants and travel in cool sports cars that they rented. Well, that's not a true picture of what it's like to recruit for your school. A lot of hard work and long weeks away from family, friends and church. They deserve the money they earn and maybe a little more.

I'll be writing a few posts for high school students and parents on how to choose a college. Look for these posts in the next few weeks, as I talk about what to look for in a college, what questions you should be asking, and how to narrow down that right school for you. I hope these posts will be a great help to those who are going through or will soon go through the process of finding a college for their child.

Organic Churches

2008-10-03T06:30:00.002-12:00

Los Altos Grace Brethren Church, in Long Beach, California, will be hosting an Organic Church Training seminar on November 7-9th. Organic churches is a movement within Chrisitanity that strike a cord with a younger group of believers for their emphasis on relational communities. Even some "traditional" (or campus based churches) are implementing the core teachings of organic church ministries. There are many church leaders who believe that the future of the Church will involve different "styles" of how we do "church," including the defining what the Church should look like. The Organic Church movement is seen as one of those many different ways that the Church will evolve as this younger generation continues to age and define who they are as Christians. If you would like more information, you can go to www.cmaresources.org/greenhouse.

College-age Or Singles Ministry?

2008-09-23T16:20:00.003-12:00

A college pastor drove up to the house where their college group meets. Stepping out of his car, he noticed that a few of his college-age students were walking to their cars, so he yelled out,"Hey, where are you guys going?" The reply was,"Uh...we got to go." Go? They just got here. He watched them take off and wondered what had happened. As he entered the house, he noticed that the group looks a little thin. In fact, he's been noticing this for a while. The group seemed to be different. Some of those that once were college-age when he first started the group were still around but the younger students are dwindling. Some have altogether left the group. As he mingled with those who were there, he observed that most in the group are in their late twenties or early thirties. He hadn't noticed this before but the mid-week gathering had transitioned into a post-college group. As he began the evening, he felt the "distance" in the room. They struggled through singing and barely made it through the Bible study. Very few participated and when they did, usually the older ones controlled the discussion. The evening ended with some prayer and immediately the younger students left. He stayed and chatted with the remaining few, and then grabbed his stuff and headed out the door thinking to himself,"What happened?"

Have you seen this in your group? When does a college ministry start to look like a singles group? It can happen very easily, especially if your church doesn't have a direction for young adult ministries. Since child development experts would put the ages of 13-24 in adolescent stages of growth, most college pastors would agree that college-age ministries deal with those who are transitioning from adolescence into a young adult developmental stage. A ministry that covers ages 13-31 can almost be impossible to navigate and frustrating for those involved. So, what should be done? Here are some tips.

Start by evaluating your ministry. Take a step back and see what the needs of your group are before you make any decisions.
Evaluate with your leadership. What do those you minister with think about your group? Talk about your ministry with your pastoral staff. Get away on a retreat and see if the Lord is leading the group in a new direction.
Make a decision. You'll need to take action. Doing nothing will kill your group.
Have a plan. A plan is a good thing. You may not have all the details worked out but understanding what your ministry is about (college-age or singles) will help give focus to your group.

Photos From DRINK Conference

2008-09-12T09:55:00.004-12:00

Here are a few pictures from DRINK. We were at a great facility and enjoyed paint ball, zip line, swimming and other activities. Chuck and Dave did most of the speaking with Brayline leading worship. We made some great friends and look forward to next year.

A Quick Report on DRINK

2008-09-09T16:04:00.005-12:00

It was the first year for DRINK and it couldn't have gone any better than it did. An awe inspiring location with over 100 participating at a conference that is geared towards helping the local church minister to college-age. The conference was located in Crestline, California, at Thousand Pines Christian Camp. There were pastors and volunteer staff as well as student leaders from as many as twenty-four different states. The conference is an outreach of CollegeLeader, led by Chuck Bomar, and is committed to coming along side local churches in helping them to reach this generation of young people.

Dave Kinnaman, president of Barna Group, was one of our featured speakers, as well as Abbie Smith, Dave Flaig, and Steve Garcia who runs the camp. The worship band, Brayline led throughout the weekend. Along with the beautiful setting, there was plenty to do as the conference goers were able to take part in paint ball, rock climbing, swimming, zip line, and other activities that the camp offered. All of this for a very low cost. We wanted those that came to be able to have the chance to sit and connect with those who also have a love for college-age ministries. There was plenty of teaching and great discussions during meal times but the best place to hang out was at the malt shop. I can still taste the Cookies and Cream malts.

The focus for the weekend was to encourage those who worked with college-age. We wanted to give them tools, like curriculum, reading materials, and a biblical philosophy for college ministry. Finally, to gather in one place in an environment where networking could be established and new friendships could develop. It was a great weekend in seeing God encouraging us in His work with this generation. We're looking at doing at least two smaller regional conferences as well as returning to California in October for our main conference. If you want more information, please check us out at http://www.collegeleader.org/. You can find great curriculum for college-age, some of it for free.