Emphasizing the Campus on an Urban Program

  1. In any teaching situation (Jonah, Acts, John, other Bible studies, etc.), take pains to include campus-oriented illustrations, and specifics on the relevance of the topic to various aspects of campus ministry (e.g. racial reconciliation, evangelism, service, etc.)
     
  2. In any service program (e.g. painting, kids’ day, jail ministry, etc.), be sure to remind students that what we are learning can be applied in the dorms, in classrooms, etc. This can happen on the road to and from service programs, or in official debriefs.
     
  3. Throughout the program, stress that the training we are getting is focused on preparing them for discipleship after graduation. Application of what they learn is essential now, while they are students, for it to stick in the real world.
     
  4. Whenever possible, highlight the ways we are learning about and living out Biblical community on the program, and stress how this might prepare us to be a community back on campus, a context in which it has a tremendous impact. Emphasize the relevance of the Myers-Briggs data (if this is a tool you use) for community life on campus.
     
  5. During the Bible clubs (and during the response time at the end of the program) help students see how their continued involvement in the city (e.g. tutoring programs, Bible clubs, etc.) after the summer is over could be an evangelistic tool with their non-Christian friends on campus.
     
  6. Help students see that the difficulties/new experiences they have with Quiet Times on the program are similar to difficulties/new experiences they may have as a student, and even as an employee after graduation. Discuss tiredness, lack of privacy, inability to concentrate, helpfulness of doing it with someone else, etc.
     
  7. Help students fall in love with studying the Bible together, and stress accountability relationships on campus where they live out what they learn.
     
  8. In any situation where there is a sense of risk (e.g. jail ministry, rescue mission, recruiting for kids’ club, etc.) emphasize and illustrate the ways in which this is relevant for evangelism back on campus.
     
  9. Be aware of InterVarsity’s philosophy of urban programs. Read the paper entitled “Urban Programs in the life of InterVarsity”.