5 Thresholds Training Toolkit
"When Doug Schaupp approached me with his idea for this project," says Craig Gartland, "I could not have been more excited." The word “evangelism” is often a non-starter with faculty we work with on campus. The university or college where they work is just that – a place of work - and the costs and challenges are thus very real for them. “We have found great traction with the Five Thresholds to faith as it focuses on being sensitive to where God is at work in a person’s life and starting there. Doug’s emphasis on genuine dialogue, building trust, and encouraging curiosity are on ramps to evangelism that help faculty engage their faith with others on campus in genuine and authentic ways. I believe the ‘5 Thresholds Training Toolkit’ has the potential to take our training of faculty in witness to a whole new level,” says Craig.
Based on the book, I Once Was Lost, Graduate and Faculty Ministries – in collaboration with 2100 and author Doug Schaupp – has created an evangelism training tool with your ministry in mind. The “toolkit” includes a leader’s manual, handouts, and two types of videos for each module: author overview videos, and interview videos with “real” faculty and who are connected with our ministry. The initial response from IV staff has been quite positive and we encourage you to try it out and share it with faculty you know on campus.
Scholar's Compass
Another tool for our partnering with faculty on campus is the roll out of an online devotional with professors and scholars in mind.
The Emerging Scholars Network is launching an exciting new writing/community-building project, and we’d love for the people you work with to participate. Here is the call for response:
Many Christian scholars struggle to link their faith and their academic callings: it’s hard to find time to reflect, and sometimes hard to find a community excited to integrate faith and academic vocation. InterVarsity’s new project Scholar’s Compass will build a community of Christian scholars to craft devotional reflections on scholarly vocation and encourage each other toward rich spiritual lives. ESN is seeking Christian scholars at all career points who are excited to do any of the following:
- Write for the devotional
- Join an occasional peer discussion group with other writers
- Introduce us to communities like university fellowships who can try out the devotional and give us feedback.
To start we’re creating an entire year of devotionals to post online, with a book to follow. We hope to embody the diversity of the church in terms of career point, academic interests, and cultural experience. We’re accepting contributions from now through March 2015. Like this example – from Dave Vosburg, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Harvey Mudd, leader of the Claremont Colleges Faculty Community, and husband of IV Staff Kate Vosburg. Each devotional entry will include:
- a quotation from Scripture or a Christian writer
- a reflection on how the contributor has found that quotation helpful in his or her scholarly vocation
- a prayer
- a question for further thought
See more at: http://blog.emergingscholars.org/category/scholars-compass/
This resource was published while Craig Gartland was serving as Director of Faculty Ministry and the Emerging Scholars Network in 2014. After more than 25 years on staff, in August 2015, Craig Gartland stepped down from this role and moved into a pastoral position at his local church. Previously, Craig has ministered to students and faculty at the U of Chicago and served as Regional Director for GFM Midwest. His wife Sharon, currently on the faculty at UW-Madison in Occupational Therapy, founded InterVarsity’s Women in the Academy & Professions initiative, including our outstanding website, The Well.
