By Julian Reese and Jonathan Warren
InterVarsity has long sought to build friendships with non-Christians and to introduce them to Christ. Jonathan Warren and I built on this foundation in an Evangelism Pilot Project and apprenticeship training model which we tested this year. The principles of this Pilot Project are intentionally focused on ministry for professors and researchers on our campuses.
God has called GFM to the whole university. We long to see the Gospel bring shalom to individuals and entire departments. (Jeremiah 29: 7) This project engages innovative thinking necessary to such a task.
As we seek to build missional communities, we must enter the world and culture of faculty departments. As we gain trust, we search for ways to help a department flourish. This gives the graduate students and faculty in our fellowships an opportunity to join us in shalom-building activities and relationships.
Below are three principles and detailed suggestions for your incarnational ministry:
- Ministry should be incarnational: Enter into the world of faculty members.
- Get out of the office and off your computer. Go to the people you want to reach. Remember MBWA: Ministry by Walking Around.
- Speak their language. Each department has its own language, culture, history, and tradition. Start with the departmental websites to begin to learn this.
- Be curious about their particular circumstances: How does tenure work?
- Respect and learn from their culture. Read about topics related to their field and ask informed questions.
- Ministry should be relational: Enter their relational web
- “Map” your relationships in the University. List, organize, categorize, pray over, and discern where God would have you invest.
- Networking – everyone is part of a network of relationships.
- Read websites to find strategic events for departmental immersion.
- Go to lectures, conferences, and symposia.
- Ministry should promote flourishing– Partner with others to build shalom
- Participate within the university in projects that promote flourishing in areas of social justice, environmental stewardship, educational excellence, civility, financial security, and more.
Christians can contribute to the common good of the University. We can be a blessing to the community.
Students and faculty recognize that they can make their department a better place through shalom-building activities. Departmental culture may gradually change to one more accepting of faith in professional academic life as our vision for “the renewal of the university” is enacted.
“Ten Habits of a Faculty Evangelist” is part of our apprenticeship training model. I hope you will find these useful as you meet faculty where they think and work.
