Here is a question for my UCCF affliated readers: How does UCCF see churches doing student mission? And how does this relate to how UCCF sees mission to students being done on campus?
I had an interesting conversation with a Fusion affliated person the other day who provoked me to thought. I love UCCF and explained that they love the church (as Dave Bish is always saying) but couldn't answer that particular question for myself.
... just wondering.
PS. Sorry for the use of the word 'affliated' and for bothering everyone else with things that maybe are not that important.
I can't pretend to know the correct answer to this but I suspect that the answer would be: supportively, evangelically, non-denominationally and student led.
ReplyDeleteDifferent areas, seem to vary a little, but this would I suspect be the basic answer.
Dave I'm not sure that I completely understand your question. Are you asking:
ReplyDelete- what those of us involved with UCCF think about churches that run their own evangelism targeting students?
or
- what it (ideally?) looks like in practice when a local church is partnering a CU in student outreach? (and how this might practically develop in a positive direction)
If you clarify, I'll share my understanding further...
Hi folks,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your responses.
Tom I suspect you have given a great answer from what I've seen. 'supportively, evangelically, non-denominationally and student led' just about covers it. I suppose that could be seen as a little hands off, which can be seen as a positive and a negative. Also 'non-denominational' is for some a good thing and others it is not so good. Perhaps there is destined to be an impasse based on personal tendencies. Perhaps I should be more positive.
Hi Peter,
Sorry for my poor question. It was rushed off which shows itself in poor spelling of 'affiliated' and the lack of better word like 'involved' in the first place.
I suppose I would be asking both questions.
Re: Your first question
I would probably be particularly interested in thoughts on 'churches that run their own evangelism targeting students on campus'
Re: Your second question
How can a church (like mine) can partner with a CU in such a way that it respects the independence of CUs (because they are non-denominational and student-led). But at the same time so it doesn't just leave those students to do there own thing on their patch.
Really appreciating everyones thoughts... it is wonderful having a blog sometimes.
Dave, going to have to keep it brief...
ReplyDelete1. We celebrate whenever the gospel is preached! But we also believe that student-led interdenominational teams give maximum access to students, maximum integrity with university and college authorities, maximum creativity, and maximum opportunity for students to live and speak for Jesus in their ‘workplace’. For this reason, we'd encourage local churches to encourage and commission their students to be part of local CUs, rather than each local church to run its own evangelistic outreach to students on campus.
2. Here are the ways in which I ask the local churches here to partner us:
* Through ‘commissioning’ your students to be involved in the CU mission team on the campus where they study, and encouraging them to be thoroughly involved.
* Through providing mentors and offering discipleship and pastoral care for your students – for instance, linking students up for one-to-one Bible study and accountability with older Christians within your local church family.
* Through offering special support for CU leaders, holding them accountable to CU events, offering guidance and a prayerful interest in what is going on.
* Through prayer for CU students, for UCCF Staff and Relay Workers.
Ideally I think a church thoroughly invests in their students in this way (primarily on Sundays but also through personal contact) and frees their students up to engage with the campus during the week.
In practice, when a local church is doing these things it often makes CU evangelism much stronger, and also means that students are keener to bring non-Christians and new Christians to a church where they know their friends will be cared for and nurtured.
When CUs and churches are both using similar language... "involvement in the local church as the lifelong and primary place of Christian community, teaching, discipleship, pastoral care and ministry and involvement in a Christian Union as a short-term mission team on campus, the missionary arm of local churches on campus" ... the system generally works well. Continued liaison between church leaders and the staff worker is, of course, necessary to keep oiling the joints.
Is that the kind of thing you meant?
Peter, that's excellent. I've just emailed most of it to our church's 'student worker'. Our church does not have a long history of much interaction with students but in the last few years has started getting quite a few and is still finding its way to some degree.
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful for blogs sometimes. Just as a way to communicate, listen and learn. This conversation has really helped me get things clearer in my mind - and hopefully will lead to action.
I love it when churches are individually doing student mission, and I love it all the more when they unite with the other student churches in mission, and I call that second route CU.
ReplyDelete