A friend shared a story yesterday about a 40 year old active in church who said she was doubting her salvation. After visiting with her, he told her he felt what she needed was someone to disciple her. So, he connected her with a very mature Christian woman who visited with her and gave her some scripture to look up. The first lady came back so excited. She said, "This is the first time I have ever looked up a Bible verse."
Many of us would say, "How do you be a Christian and active in church and NEVER have look up a scripture?". But, I think we might be surprised if we knew many people's honest answer. Yesterday I raised the question, Is the growth of large group worship events among students and the lack of personal discipleship of students related?
Almost anytime I hear someone say they want to start a collegiate ministry or increase what they are doing in reaching out to university students, the next thing usually mentioned is a large group worship event or an additional large group event. Obviously, there is a need for group worship. Obviously, such an event can be a great entry point. But, my fear is we are letting that become the all in all. In the past when I spoke in a weekly collegiate worship event, I would not let the tech team put the scripture on the screen. You can't look it up or underline it on the screen.
Dave Jobe, formerly a Baptist Campus Minister in Texas, was the father of the Freshmen Ministry movement among Baptists. Dave always said, "The big attracts; the small keeps". Lots of truths there.....but one is we need both the big and the small group discipleship as well as one to one mentoring.
How many students in your ministry have never looked up a Bible verse?
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