Hey everybody!
As we get started on 2018, here is a quick look back on the last couple of campus ministry events of 2017. We had a great December! It is really only half a month with the students due to finals and Christmas Break and all that, but we still packed some good things in there. We had some Bible studies, counseling time, a Christmas Party, and a few other odds and ends.
The thing that keeps standing out about December for me is how much our students want to study the Bible. Millennials tend to get a bad rap in the media for being lazy, entitled, and uninterested in God, but I'm telling you, that stereotype is just a stereotype. Our students continue to surprise me with their thirst for the Good News. Let me give you a couple of examples.
First, as the semester wound down, I started polling our group to see what they would like to study for the Spring semester. Since we just wrapped up a study on the Gospel of Mark, I thought we could do some nice light topical stuff. I said, “I have a great class on relationships and a great class on media. What do you want to study?” They thought about it awhile and came back with, “Can we study Romans, arguably the most theologically-dense book in the Bible?”
On another occasion, I was teaching a class about the resurrection of Jesus and I showed a clip from Lee Strobel's “The Case For Christ.” I told the students I didn't have time in class to watch the whole 45 minute lesson, but I could play a 10 minute clip, so they decided to stay after our Bible study and watch the rest of it.
Then a couple weeks ago the weather was awful. It was -6 degrees with a windchill that could get to -35. I asked the students if they wanted it study Romans and eat tacos or stay home and be warm. The overwhelming response was, “Yeah, let's do this!” They are crazy.
So don't let people tell you Millennials don't like Jesus; the interest is out there if we just give them the opportunity to experience the Gospel.
Our Lovely “End Of The Semester/Finals/Christmas Party”:
In other news, we picked up a new student. His name is David Ritchie and he just moved up from Texas to pursue a nursing degree in Rapid City. The poor guy moved up on the weekend that we had the coldest temperatures in 20 years. Being a good Texas boy, he had only seen snow once before in his life and suddenly he was in -20 degrees with a nasty windchill. It was a bit of a culture shock, but he is doing better now. David hasn't been here a month yet, but he is swiftly becoming a big part of our ministry here and we are happy to have him on the team.
We were also blessed over the Christmas Break with a gigantic fancy espresso machine. My sweet parents decided our espresso machines just weren't cutting it and donated a beautiful machine to the Christian Student Center. The students and I make lattes all the time and before this we were making due with three old beat up espresso machines that gave varying results. So when the students came back from Christmas Break and saw this machine they were ecstatic. It really is a blessing to our ministry.
Thomas And I Trying The New Coffee Machine For The First Time:
Once all the students left town, I put a lot of time and energy into planning our youth rally in February. We are going to be talking about Timothy Keller's book, “The Reason For God: Belief In An Age Of Skepticism.” This is most balance, intelligent, and well-written case for the Christian faith that I have read in a long time and I'm looking forward to digging into it with our teens. Here is a picture of our flier:
Our Upcoming Youth Rally:
“And 'do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,' but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.”
1 Peter 3:14-16
Thanks for reading and you have a great day!
-Silas