Swaney 1 Sarah Swaney Mrs.

Dagher English 1102 March 17, 2014 Starting a Christian-Based College Ministry Nathan, Blake, and I were sitting at a crowed booth in a small town restaurant on a cold December morning with our pastor, Brent Tysinger. All three of us are ministerial students in the Wesleyan Church, and Nathan is an assistant pastor at our church, Rushwood Park Wesleyan of Asheboro, NC. We were discussing the outreach, growth, and the potential our church had at that point, and still has today. The topic of starting a new service came up in our hours of conversation, and we all had different ideas of the possibilities of what to do with another service. I mentioned an alternative service on either a Friday or Saturday night for college students or young adults, instead of partying and getting wasted on the weekends. They liked my idea, but no one jumped on it. I didnt think about it again for several weeks, until Nathan texted me saying he was really interested in the idea. Long story short, the beginning of a college ministry through Rushwood Park was then a work in progress. This was only the beginning, yet there were so many questions that we needed solutions for. How do we get people into this service that need to hear it? How do we keep them coming back once we get them there? What do we preach and speak on? What are the biggest struggles, temptations, and fears that people of our generation are facing? How does this service need to be different in comparison with the typical Sunday morning church service? Granted, all three of us were in college, but we stayed away

Swaney 2 from the parties, the drinking, the sex, the clubs, and whatever else typical college students partake in. I thought it was time to do a little investigating. What temptations, struggles, challenges, and fears do college students or young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five face? In the Life Application Study bible, New Living Translation, on page 1993, there is a chart of sins discussed directly in the Bible (Tyndale House Publishing 1993). The chart of sins includes sexual immorality, impurity, lust, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfish ambition, arrogance, envy, idolatry, drunkenness, wild parties, cheating, homosexuality, and lying, as well as a few others. These sins look appealing from the outside, and the world is full of them and the temptation to get involved in them. But as Christians, we are called not to be of this world or to love the things of this world (Tyndale House Publishing 2147.) While all of these sins apply to every person at any given age, because we all are human and susceptible to sin no matter how deep and intimate our relationship with God is, a few of these sins seem to be prevalent around this campus, and I would assume most college campuses across North Carolina. Some schools, in particular, are known for the wild parties and the drinking, especially among the fraternities and the sororities. Even Karissa Horton discusses consuming alcoholic beverages and risky sexual behavior as two of the most health risk-taking behaviors in college students living on a college campus (Horton 553). It is also assumed that some students on the collegiate level came only to party, or that being their main focus. While some people drink to have fun, some, on the other hand, use alcohol and drinking to escape from the problems and struggles of this life. Some people try new drugs or use them on a regular basis to cope with the stresses of college and keeping up

Swaney 3 with the work. Some people hook up with random strangers in hopes to find that true love, or to attempt to heal from a broken heart in the past. But the Bible also tells us not to conform to the patterns of this world, and to resist the temptation. Romans 12:2 says, Dont copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know Gods will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (Tyndale House Publishing p. 1916). The Bible also tells us in James 1:14 that sin is also enticing (Tyndale House Publishing p. 2116). I know, from personal experience, how hard it is to fit in and find your place on campus when you dont participate in the parties. I feel like peer pressure, or the desire to fit in, causes so many of college to fall away and turn their backs on God. In the Article Strategies for Beating Temptations at College, even says, You might feel like doing wrong and worthless things youre not even interested in just to fit in (Vervoom). So, how do we convince college students that they need to be brave enough to stand out from the rest of the world? We create a service where they can experience or meet God on a personal, intimate level and where they can believe without doubt that He is real. We remind them, or show them, that with the power of the Holy Spirit, they can choose to be their own person (Vervoom). We remind them that them that with and in Christ, all things are possible (Tyndale House Publishing p. 2023). We remind them that sin leads to death, but the Gift of God brings eternal life (Tyndale House Publishing p.1905). This service isnt going to just be for those that have already made a commitment to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior. This service is for unbelievers. This service is for those that are confused as to what to believe. This service is for anyone and everyone. When interviewing with Nathan, I asked what was the number one thing he wanted to see

Swaney 4 happen through this service. His response? See a dramatic change in the lives of college students all over the state (Kiser). This service is to help establish an individuals belief system. This service is to help contrast and compare the views of the world with the views of the Bible and Christianity. Research shows that parents want to get involved with their childrens lives and teach them right from wrong, but with difficult topics such as sex, talking about it becomes embarrassing for both the parent and the child, especially later in the teen year (Heisler 297). If parents arent stepping up and working through the awkward conversations, we have to. If parents arent raising their children in church, teaching them the ways of the Bible, then it will be extremely easy for teenagers and college students alike to fall astray and become involved in partying, sex, drugs, and alcohol. Professors on college campuses dont help to reinforce or instill Christian values. In fact, some very bluntly call Christianity a myth and a belief. I had a class last semester in which my professor referred to my Lord and Savior as a myth. If a freshman in college, unsure about religion and their personal beliefs, enters that classroom and hears a professor say that God is not real they are more susceptible to believe the lie. There are so many beliefs, philosophies, and religions out there that talk about a god or multiple gods that it is very easy to not know what to believe (Baxter 91-93). But our God, the Christian God, is the only living God who has risen from the dead and from the grave. He is the only real God. In Next, we want these students, these people to make the decision to follow and believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We want to help them define what and who they believe. We want to give them scripture and examples to help reaffirm their faith and belief, especially when faced with a professor like I faced last semester.

Swaney 5 To counter these worldly ideas of what the typical college life, the good life, should be about, we have to give them other alternatives. They have to see theres more to this life than getting involved with things or people that dont help you at all, but actually harm you and lead you to destruction. The Ultimate Guide to Being a Christian in College helps to direct its readers how to still have fun and enjoy college life without going completely off the handle. This book says to draw healthy boundaries, have fun, not to abuse your freedom, to avoid procrastination, and to make Jesus a part of your every day life (Baxter p. 202-204). The healthy boundaries discussion encourages readers to live for love, not lust. It encourages the reader to set boundaries, and to make a commitment to themselves, to whomever they date, and to God not to cross those boundaries. How many college students have found himself or herself in a bed, completely naked, with a person they dont even know (Baxter p. 202)? This leads to consequences that could completely change or destroy your life. Not to mention the risk of STDs and the fact that they have become even more prevalent in the last few years (Heisler 295). This service is for people who have made this mistake. This service is so we can help them recover, heal, move on, and find their hope, strength, and trust in God. College is a fun and exciting time, but we have to remember not to get caught up in it and lose sight of God and ourselves. We also have to remember that God created fun, and we want to incorporate fun into our service to show that Christians can have a good time without overstepping our morals and beliefs. We have to show these people how to enjoy life, in a clean and healthy way without escaping our problems or creating more by participating in risky behaviors.

Swaney 6 Again, when I interview Nathan we discussed what he thought needed to be done differently with Next than the typical Sunday morning church service. He wants very contemporary Christian music with a live, upbeat and enthusiastic band. He says it has to be different, and it has to be unique. He wants Next to be something theyve never experienced before, and he hopes they experience God in a new way, as well. He says, The fact that it is a college age service led by college age people is different enough to attract people to at least give it a try once (Kiser). We are creating a college service, Next, to raise the next generation to life in Jesus Christ. We are here to help them overcome trials, addictions, and temptations. We are here to help them establish their belief system, and hold tight to it. We are here to show them that being a Christian is more than the stereotypical Sunday morning, church going person, but an individual on fire and passionate for God, and that can enjoy this life through laughter and trust in Jesus Christ.