I had the privilege of not only helping to plan but chairing the team that helped to put on a first ever UKirk National Gathering for campus ministers. There were 55 campus ministers who gathered across the United States at Zephyr Point on Lake Tahoe. (Fun fact: Zephyr Point purchased their property in 1918 for $6,000!) We gathered for worship, keynote, workshops, and free time to simply enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Here is what I learned: campus ministry is the best kept secret of the PC(USA). What do we mean by this? Well, it means that campus ministry is where the church is truly thriving. We engage with young people on a daily/weekly basis who care deeply about their faith, the world, and the church. They are helping us to reconceptualize what church looks like today. I do not have answers as to what church is going to look like in the future, but I know that college students are here to help shape and mold what church will look like.
I appreciated my time with other campus ministers because they understand the very transitional nature of campus ministry. We only interact with students for anywhere from one meeting to four years. All you are ever doing is planting seeds. Not only that, but students are beginning to connect UKirk campus ministries with safe churches. I heard one story about how a post-graduate saw that a church had a UKirk campus ministry, and she decided to join the church because she knew the reputation UKirk has of being safe and welcoming space. It’s incredible to think that young people out of college will find church homes simply based on if a church has a UKirk ministry! All we can do is plant some seeds and hope that somehow, God will make those seeds come to fruition.
