Maybe I'm just old, but it really seems like college students today have an incredible array of relationships, differing levels of friendship, and a complexity to their interactions that I didn't have "back in my day." What I mean is that relationships and friendships for students now seem much more gray, and less black and white. One isn't always sure whether the relationship is dating, engaged, just friends, or what it exactly is. Because of this nebulous nature of relating, it is quite common for students to call for the big "DTR" talk (define the relationship) with one another.
One of the reasons for this is the major activity and popularity of "hanging out." Hanging out is typically sitting around with a group of people eating, watching movies, drinking, doing bible study, even studying. Its doing just about anything, but doing it together with others. Instead of dating, meetings between students often take place in a group, just hanging out. So, not a lot of definition takes place between two different people in the group. They aren't always sure of whether a relationship is casual, serious, or something in between, where a friendship stands or how to relate and interact with others. Few students seem to know when a relationship is romantic or not, or if it is an "open" relationship where two people are seeing other people. If this all seems kind of confusing, you are getting the point.
The DTR talk, in an attempt to settle the status of the relationship, rarely seems to work well. So, many students just go along and try to make the best of it by trying to figure out what is going on. Here is an opportunity for ministry, for we can help a student make sense of the nature of relationships. One of the things we can do is to really understand the reality of student relations. I often just "hang out" with students myself, with no agenda other than just being with them. The local Perkins restaurant in my town is at its busiest at midnight; it is filled with college students just hanging out. There are places in every college town where students go, especially the bar scene. Bars aren't just places to drink, but are locations of conviviality where students have the chance to be around one another in a kind of secular church where fellowship happens, looking for a chance to relate to the opposite sex. Students, like everyone else, desire intimacy and knowing that someone else cares about them. However illegitimately they might pursue this, the inner affection is very real, and very much a need.
One of the best ways to minister to students as a church or a ministry is to communicate to them that we "have their back", that we care, love, and like them. No one can sniff out a disingenuous attitude quite like a college student, so it has to be an authentic desire to be around students. Also, this does not mean we have to pretend to be like a college student. Instead, one of the greatest needs a student has is to be in a mentoring relationship with someone older and wiser who can help them navigate life and bring some sort of definition to relationships that they lack. There is also, then, an equal need for adults to be trained in how to be a mentor to a student. Maybe they could learn to "hang out" with students and find individuals for whom they can build a solid one on one relationship with. If students can have such relationships with adults now, it will serve them well once they leave school.
So, how about just hanging out with students sometime? Consider having your own redeemed version of the DTR talk with some of them, and lead by example in how to relate with others. Be a mentor, and walk alongside another with love, grace, and wisdom. If you were a missionary in a country of college students, this is what you would do... oh, wait, we already are in a country of 17 million college students, and we are the missionaries. Let's do the work of entering into their lives!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
What Would You Do With $50,000?
There are no strings attached. Someone sets your church up with $50,000 a year, with the only stipulation being that it must be used for college ministry. The only assumption here is that no college ministry is currently taking place. What would you advise your church to do with the money?? Lay the answers on me, I would love to hear what you think.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
An Assault of Grace
Getting a phone call at 4:00am is rarely good news. As a pastor and college minister I have had my share of them over the years and it has always meant someone is in trouble. Two years ago a young man gave us one of those calls. Something was wrong with his girlfriend (I will call her "Jane"), she was upset and hostile and could not talk to him. My wife and I got out of bed and came right over. Upon arriving we found a beautiful college-age woman sitting in the driveway crying uncontrollably. Coming up to Jane, she had the stale stench of beer and could not stand or talk, but could only heave great sobs of distress. We helped Jane up, got her into our car, and took her to our house. There Jane began to sober up and began telling her story: she had been at party near campus and got pretty drunk. At midnight she decided to go home, but made the decision to walk by herself across campus to try and make it back to her place. What happened next Jane could only remember in bits and pieces, and is perhaps every young woman's nightmare....
According to the American Association of University Women, somewhere between 20%-25% of college women are raped sometime during their college career; 65% of these attacks go unreported; and, alcohol is involved in 75% of the assaults. When a rape occurs, the victim should get to a safe place, resist taking a shower, get medical attention immediately, report the abuse, and receive counseling as soon as possible. Certainly, Jane made some bad decisions: excessive partying, having amorphous relationships (did no one try and stop Jane from leaving the party by herself?), and sexual license that was occurring at that party.
How should we respond and help in such a situation? Jane is not the only victim I have worked with, and I wish I could tell you that all the cases I have seen have a happy ending. Unfortunately, I must say that I have seen far too many believers in Jesus only add to the hurt by pointing out the bad decisions made on the part of the victim, as if they were not a victim at all but brought the assault upon themselves. Even in situations completely out of the victim's control, guilt is sometimes applied by probing what the victim could have done differently....
To put this in perspective, let me tell a hypothetical story. When my daughter was small she rarely walked, but ran everywhere she went. In public, I always had to hold her hand so she would not run off alone. As we walk down the sidewalk I tell her to hold my hand and not let go, but she pulls away and runs into the street, and is hit by a car. What will be my response? "Well, that's what you get for disobeying me!" No! Instead, I will have the reaction of much tears and doing everything I can to get her the help she needs, while all the time assuring her that I love her and will not leave her....
The way to handle a sexual assault of any kind is to turn it around and offer an assault of grace. All ministry is grace, and the grace of God is the thing that heals. The way people change is not through pointing out their poor judgments or finding out what could have been done differently, but through the grace of extending mercy and help in time of need, no matter the circumstance. In the novel, Les Miserables, ex-convict Jean Valjean makes the decision of stealing from the priest who extended hospitality to him. When caught by the police and brought to the priest, the man of God responds in grace by saying that the items were a gift. What is more, the old priest chastises Jean for leaving in such a rush the night before that he forgot to take the two silver candlesticks. This act of mercy and kindness changes Jean's life forever, and in turn, changes an entire town.
The cross of Christ is scandalous simply because of its radical nature of grace to all of us who are undeserving of it. So, if God can be gracious to people who are not even victims, how much more should we, as his followers, be about the kingdom business of extending vast resources of mercy and grace to genuine victims of abuse?
Are you prepared to respond to sexual abuse when it occurs?
--Have numbers in your cell phone of your campus counseling services, and of your local rape hotline.
--The Dean of Students on most campuses is ready and equipped to handle abuse situations. The victim will most likely need help filing formal reports.
--Many colleges also have women's services that have a comprehensive referral list of services to help the victim.
--The campus police are also ready to respond, even if the victim does not want to pursue criminal charges, through advising victims of their options and helping to create a safety plan for the future.
--Get to know all these people on your campus.
--Teach and equip our students in the way of grace in ministry through using the Bible to comfort a victim with assurance that God is close to the broken-hearted. Resist playing arm-chair psychologist and instead demonstrate grace through your presence and reassuring words.
According to the American Association of University Women, somewhere between 20%-25% of college women are raped sometime during their college career; 65% of these attacks go unreported; and, alcohol is involved in 75% of the assaults. When a rape occurs, the victim should get to a safe place, resist taking a shower, get medical attention immediately, report the abuse, and receive counseling as soon as possible. Certainly, Jane made some bad decisions: excessive partying, having amorphous relationships (did no one try and stop Jane from leaving the party by herself?), and sexual license that was occurring at that party.
How should we respond and help in such a situation? Jane is not the only victim I have worked with, and I wish I could tell you that all the cases I have seen have a happy ending. Unfortunately, I must say that I have seen far too many believers in Jesus only add to the hurt by pointing out the bad decisions made on the part of the victim, as if they were not a victim at all but brought the assault upon themselves. Even in situations completely out of the victim's control, guilt is sometimes applied by probing what the victim could have done differently....
To put this in perspective, let me tell a hypothetical story. When my daughter was small she rarely walked, but ran everywhere she went. In public, I always had to hold her hand so she would not run off alone. As we walk down the sidewalk I tell her to hold my hand and not let go, but she pulls away and runs into the street, and is hit by a car. What will be my response? "Well, that's what you get for disobeying me!" No! Instead, I will have the reaction of much tears and doing everything I can to get her the help she needs, while all the time assuring her that I love her and will not leave her....
The way to handle a sexual assault of any kind is to turn it around and offer an assault of grace. All ministry is grace, and the grace of God is the thing that heals. The way people change is not through pointing out their poor judgments or finding out what could have been done differently, but through the grace of extending mercy and help in time of need, no matter the circumstance. In the novel, Les Miserables, ex-convict Jean Valjean makes the decision of stealing from the priest who extended hospitality to him. When caught by the police and brought to the priest, the man of God responds in grace by saying that the items were a gift. What is more, the old priest chastises Jean for leaving in such a rush the night before that he forgot to take the two silver candlesticks. This act of mercy and kindness changes Jean's life forever, and in turn, changes an entire town.
The cross of Christ is scandalous simply because of its radical nature of grace to all of us who are undeserving of it. So, if God can be gracious to people who are not even victims, how much more should we, as his followers, be about the kingdom business of extending vast resources of mercy and grace to genuine victims of abuse?
Are you prepared to respond to sexual abuse when it occurs?
--Have numbers in your cell phone of your campus counseling services, and of your local rape hotline.
--The Dean of Students on most campuses is ready and equipped to handle abuse situations. The victim will most likely need help filing formal reports.
--Many colleges also have women's services that have a comprehensive referral list of services to help the victim.
--The campus police are also ready to respond, even if the victim does not want to pursue criminal charges, through advising victims of their options and helping to create a safety plan for the future.
--Get to know all these people on your campus.
--Teach and equip our students in the way of grace in ministry through using the Bible to comfort a victim with assurance that God is close to the broken-hearted. Resist playing arm-chair psychologist and instead demonstrate grace through your presence and reassuring words.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Distractions
Sometimes I feel like working with college students is like trying to be with a group of people with a big dose of collective ADD. They seem to... "squirrel"... get easily distracted by the next thing that comes running along, and have a hard time focusing on the important things of life.
But before we get too perturbed with this reality, reflect on the nature of students' lives. They are pretty new to flexing their independent muscles and are learning a whole new skill set of handling a budget, paying bills on their own, balancing a bank account, buying a car, finding a mechanic to fix my car, developing new social networks, adjusting to a truly crazy schedule, finding and holding a part-time job, shopping for groceries, the tedium of studies, the daily grind of school, handling ornery profs and flaky roommates, and on and on and on.... It is easy in the daily demands of life to have Jesus squeezed to the margins.
Classes, writing papers, attending labs, and studying for exams are demanding tasks that require a good deal of thought and ingenuity in accomplishing, since this is not exactly a 9-5 job with a boss telling you exactly what to do and when to do it. And then there is social life and having fun, and this can really be distracting to the spiritual life. Parties, movies, weekend activities, hanging out, connecting via iPhone, Twitter, and Facebook can end up taking lots of time and distract a student from investing into the hard work of the interior life.
It seems to me that one of the best ways of handling this reality of working with college-age people is to model what it means to live the Christian life for them. We reproduce according to our kind. If we ourselves are forever changing and chasing the next shiny thing that comes along in ministry, and/or complain about our own schedules as if there are not enough minutes in the day to accomplish God's will, perhaps part of the distracted life of a student comes from, well, us.
Most of life, frankly, is lived in the mundane. How we live for God day in and day out, through all the details and tedium, speaks volumes to those for whom we minister to. Establishing solid spiritual patterns of life can be hard for adults - how much more for college students?
--Are we living in a consistent rhythm of life that reflects our most precious values?
--Have we learned to practice the presence of Christ in the mundane activities of life?
--Do I have healthy patterns of work, rest, and play that students can emulate?
One of the best ways of speaking into the life of college students is to show them what it looks like to live for God. I often do this by simply taking a student with me wherever I go, whether it is to the grocery store, a doctor's appointment, or getting the oil changed in my car. Not just bible studies, church, and large group meetings, but the mundane activities of life are our classroom, and the lab for which a student comes to know to be engaged, not distracted, with God in all of life.
But before we get too perturbed with this reality, reflect on the nature of students' lives. They are pretty new to flexing their independent muscles and are learning a whole new skill set of handling a budget, paying bills on their own, balancing a bank account, buying a car, finding a mechanic to fix my car, developing new social networks, adjusting to a truly crazy schedule, finding and holding a part-time job, shopping for groceries, the tedium of studies, the daily grind of school, handling ornery profs and flaky roommates, and on and on and on.... It is easy in the daily demands of life to have Jesus squeezed to the margins.
Classes, writing papers, attending labs, and studying for exams are demanding tasks that require a good deal of thought and ingenuity in accomplishing, since this is not exactly a 9-5 job with a boss telling you exactly what to do and when to do it. And then there is social life and having fun, and this can really be distracting to the spiritual life. Parties, movies, weekend activities, hanging out, connecting via iPhone, Twitter, and Facebook can end up taking lots of time and distract a student from investing into the hard work of the interior life.
It seems to me that one of the best ways of handling this reality of working with college-age people is to model what it means to live the Christian life for them. We reproduce according to our kind. If we ourselves are forever changing and chasing the next shiny thing that comes along in ministry, and/or complain about our own schedules as if there are not enough minutes in the day to accomplish God's will, perhaps part of the distracted life of a student comes from, well, us.
Most of life, frankly, is lived in the mundane. How we live for God day in and day out, through all the details and tedium, speaks volumes to those for whom we minister to. Establishing solid spiritual patterns of life can be hard for adults - how much more for college students?
--Are we living in a consistent rhythm of life that reflects our most precious values?
--Have we learned to practice the presence of Christ in the mundane activities of life?
--Do I have healthy patterns of work, rest, and play that students can emulate?
One of the best ways of speaking into the life of college students is to show them what it looks like to live for God. I often do this by simply taking a student with me wherever I go, whether it is to the grocery store, a doctor's appointment, or getting the oil changed in my car. Not just bible studies, church, and large group meetings, but the mundane activities of life are our classroom, and the lab for which a student comes to know to be engaged, not distracted, with God in all of life.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Keeping My Options Open
There is a mantra that I have heard many students repeat over and over when considering what they will be doing this summer, how the next academic year will shake out, whether they will stick with a certain relationship, how and when they may commit to any involvement, and if they might show up at a certain event or even church: "I'm keeping my options open."
Sometimes adults become frustrated with college students because they view them as unable to make solid decisions, are not committed to important things, or are just plain wishy-washy. But the thought in a student's head is typically one of not wanting to close doors that might be open to them, or to not burn bridges with anyone. They want to entertain as many promising options as they can, because they do not want to miss an opportunity, lose control of a situation, or get locked into something they aren't sure of. Thus, students are typically loathe to settling down on any one thing.
This is why it is commonplace for college students to try a wide variety of religious and campus organizations, and may never settle on just one. They move effortlessly between a CRU large group meeting and a Navigator bible study, and between a small traditional church and a big contemporary worship service. Spiritual experiences for them often take the form of freedom, exploration, spontaneity, and renewal.
Although it is important for students to learn the value of loyalty and developing consistent routines centered in spiritual disciplines, in their modus operandi they typically will not succumb to a dry faith that is done out of sheer duty or habit. So, instead of pressing or expecting them to be in our mold of devotion and faithfulness through closing doors and making consequential decisions, perhaps we ought to walk alongside them and join them in the journey they are on. The New Testament refers to Christianity as a road or a way, and the Christian life as a walk that we take with Jesus and the Spirit. It is in this walking together with a student that we can help them consider the options that are before them, and provide counsel, wisdom, and warning concerning the forks in the road and the exits off the path. Students can learn to forego certain options and commit to something particular when we take the time to journey with them.
So, rather than lament this generation's lack of focus and ever-present flakiness, may we understand their desire to have genuine relationships with God and others that does not miss out on a vibrant life.
-How can we be a help, and not a hindrance to students in their journey?
-What can God do for and with students who keep their options open?
-Where is the Spirit taking a student in his/her walk?
-What are your options in relating to particular students, and groups of students?
Sometimes adults become frustrated with college students because they view them as unable to make solid decisions, are not committed to important things, or are just plain wishy-washy. But the thought in a student's head is typically one of not wanting to close doors that might be open to them, or to not burn bridges with anyone. They want to entertain as many promising options as they can, because they do not want to miss an opportunity, lose control of a situation, or get locked into something they aren't sure of. Thus, students are typically loathe to settling down on any one thing.
This is why it is commonplace for college students to try a wide variety of religious and campus organizations, and may never settle on just one. They move effortlessly between a CRU large group meeting and a Navigator bible study, and between a small traditional church and a big contemporary worship service. Spiritual experiences for them often take the form of freedom, exploration, spontaneity, and renewal.
Although it is important for students to learn the value of loyalty and developing consistent routines centered in spiritual disciplines, in their modus operandi they typically will not succumb to a dry faith that is done out of sheer duty or habit. So, instead of pressing or expecting them to be in our mold of devotion and faithfulness through closing doors and making consequential decisions, perhaps we ought to walk alongside them and join them in the journey they are on. The New Testament refers to Christianity as a road or a way, and the Christian life as a walk that we take with Jesus and the Spirit. It is in this walking together with a student that we can help them consider the options that are before them, and provide counsel, wisdom, and warning concerning the forks in the road and the exits off the path. Students can learn to forego certain options and commit to something particular when we take the time to journey with them.
So, rather than lament this generation's lack of focus and ever-present flakiness, may we understand their desire to have genuine relationships with God and others that does not miss out on a vibrant life.
-How can we be a help, and not a hindrance to students in their journey?
-What can God do for and with students who keep their options open?
-Where is the Spirit taking a student in his/her walk?
-What are your options in relating to particular students, and groups of students?
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
What Northern Iowa Men's Basketball Teaches Us About Ministry
I fully admit that I have been giddy all week since the Northern Iowa men's basketball team "upset" #1 Kansas in the NCAA tournament. As a proud alumnus, it has been a thoroughly enjoyable ride to watch them this year. The win over Kansas, however, was no fluke. UNI is a well-coached, disciplined, and conditioned team who had the #2 defense in the country coming into the tournament. In short, they're good.
The elements that have made Northern Iowa successful are, I think, characteristics transferable for college ministry:
1. The UNI men transcend their personal limits by working incredibly well as a team. This is not a team of "stars", but a group of guys who have discovered that they can accomplish a high level of play through not being satisfied with sheer individual efforts. Their bench is deep, and Coach Ben Jacobsen has injected a high degree of cultivated team purpose into practices and game preparations.
2. Northern Iowa is focused on the positive. Rather than dwelling on shortcomings, weaknesses, and negatives, this group of men see each game as a challenge. They have been able to view mistakes as opportunities for learning and self-correction. The least surprised people after the victory over Kansas were the UNI men themselves. Their attitudes are directed at winning, and believe they can beat anybody on any given night.
3. UNI sticks to their game plan. They know what they want to do on the floor, and they set about executing their game. These guys don't try to be somebody they are not.
4. Here is an observation on the basketball team that impresses me the most: Northern Iowa has learned to overcome their fear of success and the unknown. These guys are in completely uncharted territory. No Missouri Valley Conference team since Larry Bird's 1979 Indiana State team has made it to the Sweet Sixteen. UNI themselves have never gotten to this level before. Not bad for a school with an enrollment of just over 13,000 students. Success is highly alluring, and when it comes there is increased pressure to compete. If a team (or a ministry) has not learned to cope with these demands, they may devise unconscious methods to sabotage themselves because it is just too much responsibility. Instead, UNI is a self-motivated team who is not dependent on others' expectations to keep them winning. This basketball team may lose their next game, but it won't be because they choked. They seem to have this liberating knack of enjoying what they're doing fearing neither success, nor failure.
College students are some of the most optimistic, enthusiastic, and enjoyable people to be around. The Northern Iowa men's basketball team exemplifies these traits and more. And when a group of students are gripped by the grace of Jesus, we have the delightful occasion of coaching and spiritually forming them into a group directed at working together in community, focused on their God-given gifts, living according to a Christ-like pattern of life, and unafraid of what is ahead through living by faith.
Go Panthers!!
The elements that have made Northern Iowa successful are, I think, characteristics transferable for college ministry:
1. The UNI men transcend their personal limits by working incredibly well as a team. This is not a team of "stars", but a group of guys who have discovered that they can accomplish a high level of play through not being satisfied with sheer individual efforts. Their bench is deep, and Coach Ben Jacobsen has injected a high degree of cultivated team purpose into practices and game preparations.
2. Northern Iowa is focused on the positive. Rather than dwelling on shortcomings, weaknesses, and negatives, this group of men see each game as a challenge. They have been able to view mistakes as opportunities for learning and self-correction. The least surprised people after the victory over Kansas were the UNI men themselves. Their attitudes are directed at winning, and believe they can beat anybody on any given night.
3. UNI sticks to their game plan. They know what they want to do on the floor, and they set about executing their game. These guys don't try to be somebody they are not.
4. Here is an observation on the basketball team that impresses me the most: Northern Iowa has learned to overcome their fear of success and the unknown. These guys are in completely uncharted territory. No Missouri Valley Conference team since Larry Bird's 1979 Indiana State team has made it to the Sweet Sixteen. UNI themselves have never gotten to this level before. Not bad for a school with an enrollment of just over 13,000 students. Success is highly alluring, and when it comes there is increased pressure to compete. If a team (or a ministry) has not learned to cope with these demands, they may devise unconscious methods to sabotage themselves because it is just too much responsibility. Instead, UNI is a self-motivated team who is not dependent on others' expectations to keep them winning. This basketball team may lose their next game, but it won't be because they choked. They seem to have this liberating knack of enjoying what they're doing fearing neither success, nor failure.
College students are some of the most optimistic, enthusiastic, and enjoyable people to be around. The Northern Iowa men's basketball team exemplifies these traits and more. And when a group of students are gripped by the grace of Jesus, we have the delightful occasion of coaching and spiritually forming them into a group directed at working together in community, focused on their God-given gifts, living according to a Christ-like pattern of life, and unafraid of what is ahead through living by faith.
Go Panthers!!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Educated for What?
Talking to students every day about their classes, degree programs, and plans for post-graduation is an important part of ministry. Helping them to make sense of their education is a significant opportunity to guide them in forming a healthy view of school and in developing a solid Christian worldview.
Students generally place a high value on college. The reason for this is that they tend to view their education as instrumental in getting a good job, and going to college as a place to have fun. So, it really matters to them to obtain the degree so that they can have a rewarding, secure, and comfortable life. It is not very often that I hear students talk about the intrinsic value of education, but only in terms of the advantages an undergraduate degree will have for them. Yet, a college education affords the chance to be shaped into seeing a broad perspective of the world and become productive members of society and responsible citizens. In other words, education has the potential to have life-long worth even if a student never attains a high level job.
More than just obtaining information, knowledge of a subject, and a certain skill set, a good, well-rounded education can instill necessary critical thinking abilities and an expansive understanding of the world that will serve a student for a lifetime. So, rather than school being only a series of hoops to jump through in order to obtain respect, security, and a comfortable lifestyle, it truly has value in and of itself.
One of the great privileges of working with students is helping them to think through the value of their education from a Christian perspective, to see how their major studies and degree programs used for God can impact the world, and how they can take all their acquired knowledge and make sense of it through biblical categories. In doing this, we can help redeem a college education from only being a means to an end in a pragmatic society.
Here are some questions I typically ask students concerning education and work:
--How do you understand the working world?
--Do you see being a student as a calling? Why, or why not?
--Do you view a "secular" job as a calling? Why, or why not?
--How do you, or can you, connect your faith and your education?
--What do you think is the meaning and purpose of work?
--How does being a student reflect the nature and character of God?
--How is God transforming you through being in college?
--Can you think the thought that God wants to use your job as a means of sanctification?
--What ethical challenges do you face as a student?
--How does your education help you to be a better person?
Students generally place a high value on college. The reason for this is that they tend to view their education as instrumental in getting a good job, and going to college as a place to have fun. So, it really matters to them to obtain the degree so that they can have a rewarding, secure, and comfortable life. It is not very often that I hear students talk about the intrinsic value of education, but only in terms of the advantages an undergraduate degree will have for them. Yet, a college education affords the chance to be shaped into seeing a broad perspective of the world and become productive members of society and responsible citizens. In other words, education has the potential to have life-long worth even if a student never attains a high level job.
More than just obtaining information, knowledge of a subject, and a certain skill set, a good, well-rounded education can instill necessary critical thinking abilities and an expansive understanding of the world that will serve a student for a lifetime. So, rather than school being only a series of hoops to jump through in order to obtain respect, security, and a comfortable lifestyle, it truly has value in and of itself.
One of the great privileges of working with students is helping them to think through the value of their education from a Christian perspective, to see how their major studies and degree programs used for God can impact the world, and how they can take all their acquired knowledge and make sense of it through biblical categories. In doing this, we can help redeem a college education from only being a means to an end in a pragmatic society.
Here are some questions I typically ask students concerning education and work:
--How do you understand the working world?
--Do you see being a student as a calling? Why, or why not?
--Do you view a "secular" job as a calling? Why, or why not?
--How do you, or can you, connect your faith and your education?
--What do you think is the meaning and purpose of work?
--How does being a student reflect the nature and character of God?
--How is God transforming you through being in college?
--Can you think the thought that God wants to use your job as a means of sanctification?
--What ethical challenges do you face as a student?
--How does your education help you to be a better person?
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