One "awkward conversation" that has come up some lately is likely one we need to intentionally have in the college ministry family....particularly the Baptist Collegiate Ministry family. That "awkward conversation" is, "Are we emphasizing evangelism at the expense of other needed and proven ministries?"
No College Minister wants to come out "AGAINST" evangelism. It is contrary to the gospel, contrary to our calling and contrary to continue to be employed. Here is the "HOWEVER". In recent years due to the increasing number of non-believers on college campuses and non-believers being more reachable during college days, there has been a greater emphasis on one to one evangelism and gospel presentations at each large group meeting. And consequently, less time, energy and emphasis is often being given to other areas of ministry..
Some years ago a student came and asked if she could talk to me. She had been active in another ministry on campus and wondered could there be a place in our ministry for her. She was painfully shy. She barely looked at me as she spoke. She said the campus ministry she was involved in told her that she must go out on campus and engage strangers in conversations about becoming a Christian. That was totally foreign to her personality. I told her there was a place for her. She had what was likely the greatest servant heart I have ever seen. She enhanced our ministry greatly and was a "witness" to many with her service and loving heart. While all of us are called to be a witness, that calling will show itself in different ways.
Maybe our "awkward conversation" needs to at least partly be about teaching students there are different kinds of evangelism and personal witness. But, I also believe that one of the great strengths of Baptist Collegiate Ministry through the years has been that we do a lot of things well in our ministries. In the need for doing a great job in evangelism, lets make sure we keep doing and talking about other parts of life that students need to hear and develop.
Our "awkward conversation" is not whether evangelism needs to be done, it is about how we do it well AND do the other things we are called to do as well. My life verse is Luke 2:52, "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man." It is about balance. We won't get it perfect, but we need to have those "awkward conversations".
Arliss Dickerson's college ministry books are available at amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX.
Insofar as discipleship is a constant matter of being the presence of Jesus in all aspects of life and ministry - everything become evangelism - usually without the necessity of the word itself. In my experience people are powerfully drawn to lives transformed by the radical love of Jesus - the extreme generosity, grace, kindness, commitment to justice, humility, etc - they experience when in relationship with such people. The E word has become so narrowly defined and our stress on only certain ideas of conversion so strict - ministries have created their own false problems; evangelism vs ministry. To no useful effect, in my opinion.
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