College campuses are mission fields that are ripe for harvest, but often our ministries reach less than 10% of the student population. I’ve heard stories of missionaries who lived for years in unreached areas getting to know the culture before they even began to share Jesus with the people living there. So, this week I’m posing the question: do you know the culture of your campus?
Just like a missionary must know the culture they are trying to reach in order to be effective, we will be most effective when we get to know those we are trying to reach. We need to spend time on the campus regularly getting to know the environment and to gain an awareness of the spiritual atmosphere.
If you’re a part time college minister or volunteering, finding the time for this can be difficult. However, there are ways to learn the environment of the campus. Are you on campus other than times when you’re running meetings or events? Take a student out to lunch on campus, spend your lunch break prayer walking, or plan to come to your weekly meeting a little early or stay a little late taking the extra time to walk around and observe student life.
If you’re a student reading this I think it’s just as easy to be unaware of what those who are unsaved on your campus need. If you’ve moved off campus or only spend your time with Christians it’s difficult to step outside of the Christian bubble and reach out to those around you without getting to know them first. Unlike missionaries to other countries you only have 4 years (or maybe a couple more for the super seniors) to learn the culture and start reaching out to those who are in need of hearing the Gospel.
During my time in college I was someone who spent most of my time with Christians and specifically those in my BASIC group. One day a student came through our dorm handing out invitations to a sorority party. As I proceeded to throw it in the trash like I normally would someone spoke up suggesting we go to the party and evangelize. After talking it over, praying about it and running it by our leaders we decided to go.
As we walked into that sorority house on a Friday night, water bottles in hand, I immediately realized how uncomfortable I was in this environment. Some of the people in our group had been partiers before they came to know Jesus, but I had grown up in a Christian family and never been to a party like this before. The floor was soaked with beer, people were funneling down the bannisters, and others were smoking pot upstairs. That night we sat in on many conversations as we spoke to the emptiness of what they were experiencing and shared the life that comes through knowing Jesus.
I share that story not to suggest that everyone should go evangelize at sorority parties. Rather, I share that story to communicate our need to know the culture of our campus. Getting to know your campus culture may not look the same for everyone. It certainly doesn’t mean we need to get caught up and involved in what is happening, but we do need to know the people that we’re trying to reach.
We only chose to attend that party after much prayer, consulting with our leaders, and putting protective measures in place. But it was in attending that party that my eyes were opened to the great need others have for God. Jesus spent much more time with the hurting and lost than He did in the temple.
The campus is a mission field that needs to be reached. So, as you take time to get to know your campus this next year let’s believe for our ministries to reach more than the 10% and let’s ask God to do great things as we reach out to the lost.
John 4:34-35 (NIV) “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”