Jerry’s Grill: Why Bother Reaching out To Students?
In the 26 years that Ptr. Jerry has been in full time ministry, prior to the last 3 years as ICS’ Senior Pastor, 5 were with the National Youth Department of PGC-AG. Overlapping these were the seven years he was Director of Book of Hope - Philippines, 2 years with Asia Pacific Campus Challenge (APCC). The rest were spent in Student Ministry, Agape Campus Missions. He is truly a youth minister at heart.
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I remember during my college ministry years, the most common question we had to deal with was: “Why bother to reach out to students?”
Campus ministers and missionaries almost always recite our ‘mantra’ which was offered by the famous Dr. John R. Mott: “The far-reaching influence which students…(will have) in the world should spur (deeply motivate) us on to win them. The soul of the student is worth no more in God’s sight than the soul of the uneducated man, but the trained mind of the university student will do far more for or against the cause of Christ in this world than the untrained mind. In winning students we are dealing, not (merely) with addition, but with multiplication.”
And so we say, “Think about excellent leaders”. Today they are just young people sitting in a classroom. Tomorrow they graduate and move into a place of influence in the community, the nations and even the world. History attests to the rich influence of the students in shaping the spiritual atmosphere of the nations. Student movements throughout the ages such as The Haystack Revival Movement, YMCA and Student Volunteers Movement - which shaped today’s foreign missions - have influences far-reaching even unto a worldwide scale.
John R. Mott went on to say: “If…students are not won for Christ before they leave the university, the probabilities are very great that they will not accept Him later in life. We have found impressive evidences of this in all parts of the world. A (student’s) university life is… a time of settling questions, and of determining one’s attitude and life tendencies. If, therefore, they leave the university with the books closed against Jesus Christ, it is most improbable that he will ever open them again. What a responsibility this imposes on us!”
Matthew 13 talks about the kingdom parables. One talks about the mustard seed which clearly picture the potentials the kingdom of God can extend. Another talked about the yeast which clearly depicts the penetrating influence of the kingdom of God. We believe that the youth of our churches are mustard seeds and yeasts who must extend their influence on their respective campuses. Churches must equip the youth and release their potentials.
Charles Habib Malik, a firm believer and former president of the United Nations echoed this unpopular call: “Wake up, my friends, wake up! The great universities control the mind of the world. How can the Church consider its task accomplished if it leaves the universities unevangelized? This is the task required loud and clear by the Holy Spirit, Himself: save the university and save the world!”
In closing, I want us to consider this final thought. Dr. Jose P. Rizal, in his epic “El Filibusterismo” penned these words: “Where are the youths who will dedicate their innocence, their idealism, their enthusiasm to the good of the country? We await you, come for we await you!”
If we have a ministry that would reconcile students to Christ, it means we are transforming the school, the universities, then the marketplace and finally the world.
Why bother reaching out to students? Because it matters.
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