Campus Crusade & Simple Movements

I have spent the past month in Colorado helping to train dozens of new Campus Crusade local leaders from across the country. These are godly, gifted and, in most cases, young new leaders that are trusting God to use them in reaching students here in the U.S. and abroad. One of the areas that I've been giving specific leadership to is the concept of launching and building spiritual movements on campuses.

In some respects I think that a number of us within Campus Crusade have lost a sense of why we exist and the unique role that we play within the body of Christ. We are but one organization and there are many other mission agencies, para-church ministries and denominations that also play a unique role in the expansion of God's kingdom. Dr. Bill Bright used to say that we (CCC) are but "a leaf, on a twig, on a branch, on a tree which is the body of Christ." As Campus Crusade I see our calling as reaching out to those places in society that the traditional church may not get to. We are about reaching those that don't know Christ -- pure and simple.

We define ourselves as a parachurch ministry and that is important to remember. We don't consider ourselves to be a local church, nor should we. For example, a given campus movement could have hundreds of students involved, but those students likely are in the same age bracket (18-23), come from similar economic backgrounds (they are in college), are probably of the same ethnicity and, though we are an interdominational organization, we do tend to attract students from a fairly mainline, Protestant background.

Considering this, a local CCC movement does not reflect the whole of the body of Christ, only a small part. As mentioned, I see our job as going into every nook and cranny of a campus and meeting people right where they're at so that they can hear about Jesus without having to jump over a bunch of religious and cultural barriers to do so. Within our ministry we talk about Winning people to Christ, Building them in their faith, and Sending them forth to do likewise. In the course of discipleship, we are not equipped to provide everything that a young person needs in their Christian development. A local church (with a bunch greater diversity of life experiences and availability) can help in a more complete way to meet people's needs. We help students to establish a relationship with God and grow in that relationship so that they can introduce others to Christ. We help to excelerate the mission of the local church by reaching those that the church isn't reaching, plugging them into those churches and infusing a heart for evangelism into its leadership.

Our movements need to be simple, transferable and easily replicated. When we attempt to be everything to everybody we fall into a subtle trap. Our staff are not pastors. We are pioneering missionaries. In order to take the gospel into these places where committed followers of Christ don't currently exist, we must be committed to taking the message of Christ in its simplest form so that it is easily understood and can be easily passed onto others. We have a history of being committed to the basics of the faith so that God can work in our lives and we can show others how to also grow in Him.

My friend, Jay Lorenzen, recently wrote a post on his blog entitled "Simple Movements." It addresses this need to not overcomplicate things so that the gospel can move quickly and effectively within people groups. You can read the post here. We are about "movements everywhere so that everyone knows someone that truly follows Jesus."

Technorati Tags: campus crusade, movements, simple movements, evangelism

Red Letter Christians

As we enter into another U.S. presidential election season, there is one thing that is becoming apparently clear. The Republican party is losing its stranglehold on one of its core constituencies -- evangelical Christians. A growing number of Christ-followers who are defined as evangelicals are turning their focus beyond the issues typically defined by the far-right wing of conservative Christians (e.g. gay marriage, abortion, etc). While acknowledging the importance of addressing these issues, there are a number of us that believe that the Christian faith affects more areas of life than just those that deal with sexuality.
As Democratic presidential candidates are becoming more vocal about their own faith, I hope that we can enter into a time of healthy dialogue whereas the issues that are most on God's heart, according to Scripture, can be discussed in a mature and helpful manner. Among this growing group of Christians that are dissatisfied with how the extreme Christian right represents our faith to the world are some leaders that noted author and speaker Tony Campolo has labeled "Red Letter Christians." Who are they?

"These people, named after the red ink some Bible publishers use to denote the words of Jesus, hold to traditional Christian beliefs and believe the Holy Spirit inspired the Bible, which they view as authoritative and relevant for faith and practice. But unlike many evangelicals, the red-letter Christians have broadened their agenda to include issues that, in the past, had seemed like the province of liberals: environmental protection, gun control and opposition to war and capital punishment. They also affirm a Christianity that sees Jesus as transcending partisan politics.
"We are people who want to assure that Jesus is neither defined as a Republican nor a Democrat," Campolo said. "When asked about party affiliation, the red-letter Christian is prone to answer, ‘Please name the issue.’"

If you want to learn more about Red Letter Christians and the rise of Christians not satisfied with the current discussions that revolve around American religion and politics, check out this article
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Technorati Tags: red letter christians, tony campolo, politics, religion

Are Dads That Important?

This past Sunday was Father's Day and, as a dad, it was a fun day for me. The kids greeted me with a barrage of balloons and their own homemade cards. And this year Father's Day was extra special since Lori and I just found out that we're expecting our fourth child in January. I'm also thankful that unlike many I know, I have a good dad that I love and think fondly of. It's so disheartening that for so many men and women Father's Day is a difficult day rather than one of celebration.

Unfortunately, many in our society have not been raised with what I see as a necessity -- a loving, caring and protective dad. Because so many were raised without a dad in the house, it has become all too common to think of dads as a luxury or an add-on. Many single moms have done a courageous and selfless job of raising their children without a husband in the home. But moms are not dads and vice versa. Young boys need a father to teach them to be a man and young girls need a father to teach them how to be properly loved by a man. There is no substitute.

As a father, I know that my wife cannot play the role that I play anymore than I can be the same kind of mommy that she can. Though many men have failed in their responsibilities to the children they have fathered, I was still concerned by what Albert Mohler recently reported on his blog. It seems that Hallmark, in its card line targeted to African Americans, has made a card entitled "For Mother on Father's Day."

As Dr. Mohler says,

"There is nothing wrong with honoring mothers on any day, but our society is not strengthened by confusing mothers and fathers. To the contrary, in doing so we not only sow the seeds of our own cultural dissolution, we bring undeniable harm into the lives of millions of children. This is all done in the name of sensitivity, of course."

You can read Dr. Mohler's full comments on this here. And in many respects, this is an indictment again of those of us that are men and how women have been forced to fill our shoes when we haven't stepped up to the plate in order to fulfill our God-given roles. This reminds me of the awesome responsibility that it is to be a dad and that this privilege should not be taken lightly. I have so much respect and admiration for the men that I know that didn't have a positive father figure in their life, but are still committed to being godly husbands and fathers themselves. May your tribe increase!

Technorati Tags: father's day, albert mohler, hallmark, african americans