Encouraging a Ministry Mindset in the Christian Liberal Arts College & University

Are Christian colleges capable of encouraging a ministry mindset? Can Christian liberal arts colleges inspire students to a compassion for people? Can a desire to evangelize and participate in the local church be cultivated in students at Christian liberal arts colleges? Do Christian colleges serve any purpose distinct from public universities?

If the answer to these questions is yes, then Christian liberal arts colleges must do more than offer an excellent education. To be sure, education is a gift from God and a tool to be used in His service. Academic excellence is a worthy goal honoring to the Lord. But there is more to the Christian college experience than this.

Christian liberal arts colleges must develop their students' ministry mindset. They must provide a wholistic educational experience, which develops students spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and physically. Such an experience builds on student's professed Christian faith and instills in them a confidence that biblical Christianity can and will make a difference in their lives and in the world.

Defining Ministry Mindset
Let's take a moment to define "ministry mindset". As I use the term here, I am not referring primarily to vocational ministry as in the pastorate or missions, what people call "full-time Christian service." Clearly the historic definition of the term "ministry" referred to the work of the pastor, and that's still the case today. When a person says, "I'm going into the ministry," he usually means the pastorate or missions. I'm not quibbling with this valid use of the term.

I am saying, though, that God calls all Christians to live and minister for Him. Consequently, I am using the word "ministry" more broadly to refer to any person's desire to testify for Christ in and through whatever he or she does in life. The theological basis for this argument is, among other passages, Matthew 5:13-16, where Christians are called to be salt and light, and I Peter 2:5-9, where Peter calls us a kingdom of priests.

While good Christian liberal arts colleges and universities provide an excellent preparation for vocational ministry, they also encourage a ministry mindset in students headed for other careers. A ministry mindset is a compassion for people who need salvation and spiritual, emotional, and intellectual encouragement. A ministry mindset is also a desire to exercise a biblically Christian stewardship in our culture.

Some five centuries ago, Martin Luther studied the Christian's "calling." He rejected the medieval classification that placed clergy on a higher spiritual plane than laity. He stressed that all Christians are "called" of God by virtue of the Scripture's moral commands. His ideas influenced American Puritanism, helping to develop the famous "protestant work ethic," and the foundational values of Western civilization.

In Luther's mind, no Christian possessed a more virtuous calling from God than any other. Pastors and missionaries were vital and expected to be faithful to their calling. So were farmers, printers, doctors, teachers, homemakers, and craftsmen.

Early American preacher Jonathan Edwards agreed with Luther but took his understanding of God's calling a step further. He believed Christians should make a career choice on the basis of public need so as to avoid covetousness and fulfill their stewardship responsibilities to the community. With his contemporaries like John Wesley, he shared the belief that men and women should not die with their treasures, but should give abundantly. Tithing was not enough to fulfill their stewardship responsibility; people were expected to endorse schools, colleges, and hospitals. They were even encouraged to publish.

So I am using the term "ministry mindset" to capture a whole philosophy. In the Christian college we frequently call this philosophy an integration of faith, learning, and living. Developing a ministry mindset in students should be central to what a quality, effective Christian college is all about, and we do this, in part, by integrating the Christian faith with the learning and living experience.

Some Criticisms of Christian Colleges
Christian liberal arts colleges are frequently chastised for not encouraging a ministry mindset among students. Sometimes this criticism is justified because many colleges that began as Christian institutions have long since departed from the faith. But a Christian college does not have to lose a ministry mindset. Christian liberal arts and a ministry mindset are not two polar opposites that can never be integrated, as the following responses to common criticisms demonstrate.

1. Sometimes Christian liberal arts colleges are criticized for abandoning a ministry mindset because the mission of a Christian liberal arts college is confused with the mission of a
Bible college.

Christian liberal arts colleges are built upon the philosophy that God calls men and women into all walks of life, that a Christian education prepares these people to think and act "Christianly" in their vocations, in particular the pastorate and missions. There are, thankfully, many fine Bible colleges in the United States and elsewhere in the world. Bible colleges own a wonderful history and possess a unique mission. They are a valuable part of this country's multi-option educational marketplace, and they serve the Church well. I support biblically faithful, quality Bible colleges. But Christian liberal arts colleges are not Bible colleges.

Some people, however, apply a Bible college expectation to Christian liberal arts colleges. People who use this approach sometimes think that colleges are not ministry-minded, indeed not spiritual, if students are pursuing any calling other than the pastorate or missions. This is an unfair test. Certainly we need more pastors and missionaries, and Christian liberal arts colleges help to produce vocational ministers. But there is much more ministry to be accomplished than pastors and missionaries can do alone.

In all my years of listening to sermon invitations, I have never heard the speaker call people to "full-time Christian service" as accountants, physicians, teachers, factory workers, farmers, etc. The "full-time Christian service" always focused upon pastors and missionaries.

Yet all Christians, no matter what their profession, should fulfill the Great Commission. That's one of the goals pastors and missionaries try to achieve. They teach their congregations to get out of the pews and into the world, to do the work of the Church, and not to leave the work to "professionals." According to the Bible, all Christians should be ministry-minded.

2. There is another reason why people sometimes criticize Christian liberal arts colleges for not encouraging a ministry mindset. People cite the fact that many college mission statements have changed from historic commitments to ministry training to contemporary commitments to liberal arts and professional studies education. This evidence is given as proof positive that Christian liberal arts colleges do not and cannot encourage a student ministry mindset.

But let's look at this in another way. The American culture has not remained static. In the last century, American culture has become much more complex, producing an opportunity for individuals to perform a variety of professional tasks demanding a college degree. Consequently, the number of Christian young people who desire and need a college education in a variety of fields has also increased.

While some of these students may have been motivated by less than Christian values, it does not necessarily follow that Christian colleges have been wrong for responding to this need by offering more majors based on a Christian philosophy of education. Should Christian colleges never change? Is vocational ministry preparation the only program a Christian college can legitimately offer? Are Christian students unspiritual if they enter some profession other than vocational ministry? Is it "less wrong" or "more right" for these students to attend a public university?

The answer to all of these questions is no. Colleges have sometimes changed their original mission, not in an attempt to minimize vocational ministry preparation, but in recognition that God calls and works through more than just clergy.

Another product of a developing society is the increased average educational level of the person in the pew. More highly educated people demand vocational ministers who are themselves more highly educated. Not only do churches increasingly expect a pastor to come with a seminary degree in hand, they also anticipate that he will be able to relate the Word of God to a socially and educationally diverse congregation. They expect him to be able to understand more than theology. This expectation influences students pursuing vocational ministry to opt for majors other than Bible at the college level and to acquire their concentration in theology via a graduate degree at a seminary.

In an agrarian society like early nineteenth-century America, preachers and teachers were among the few who needed and attained higher education. They were the principal gatekeepers of the culture. This has changed dramatically.

Today, preachers and teachers are among the many individuals who attain higher education and become influential leaders in the culture. If Christians expect to influence their culture for the cause of Christ, they must produce Christians in all professions who are capable of being "salt and light." The best way I know to do this is via the Christian liberal arts college.

3. There is a third reason that some people criticize Christian liberal arts colleges for not maintaining or encouraging a ministry mindset. It is the fact that some Christian liberal arts colleges have indeed lost their ministry mindset.

Some of the colleges that still claim a Christian commitment do not live up to their own advertisements. Practice does not match print. Students sometimes discover that there is no real difference between the attitudes, behavior and spiritual concerns found on the "Christian" college campus and those found at the nearby public university. These colleges deserve to be questioned.

Unfortunately, examples of spiritually dead Bible colleges, seminaries, and churches can be identified, too. Christian liberal arts colleges do not deserve special condemnation. Encouraging a ministry mindset is no more difficult in a Christian liberal arts college than it is in a Bible college, seminary, or church.

Encouraging a Ministry Mindset
What ingredients must be present to maintain and encourage a ministry mindset in a Christian liberal arts college? I suggest that there are at least five:
1) belief that the Bible in its entirety is God's Word.
2) leaders who are whole-heartedly committed to Jesus Christ and biblical Christianity, nothing more and nothing less.
3) administrators, faculty, and staff who are committed to Jesus Christ and who are
concerned about evangelism, discipleship, and service.
4) required chapels which regularly remind the campus community of ministry opportunities.
5) formation of a ministry mindset as an instructional objective in every course.

First, a college must have an anchor to keep it from drifting. A Christian college must affirm that the Bible is God's authoritative revelation. If this is lost, relativism will inevitably develop, and there will be no ministry mindset.

In a Christian liberal arts college, the Bible may be taught several ways: in Bible courses,
via biblical integration in all other courses, in chapel, and as a foundational value system for
co-curricular activity. It is important for students to not only gain knowledge about the Bible but also know how to apply it.

We know that God speaks through His special revelation, the Bible. But He also reveals Himself through general revelation, His creation. Christians can learn from both forms of God's revelation, although what we may learn from general revelation must be interpreted by what we learn from the Bible, God's propositional communication. In a Christian liberal arts college, administrators, faculty, staff, and students learn by using God's Word as a lens through which to interpret God's world.

Second, the leaders of the college must be personally committed to biblical Christianity, nothing more and nothing less. This phrase- "biblical Christianity, nothing more and nothing less"- is used frequently at Cornerstone. It captures our desire for this university to remember to "keep the main thing the main thing."

Perhaps it's trite to say that things rise and fall based on leadership, but history demonstrates that this is true. Leaders must set the tone, spiritually and in every other way. If trustees, presidents, and other administrators lack commitment to Jesus Christ and biblical Christianity, then a ministry mindset quickly disappears. It's that simple. However, leaders don't work alone; there's much more to the story, especially at a college or university.

Third, to encourage a ministry mindset, personnel must be vigorously committed to Jesus Christ and genuinely concerned for people. This concern begins with obedience to the Great Commission. Evangelism and discipleship must be part of all we do. These activities may not be solely or even primarily what we do in life, but they should always be central to our lives.
That's how the Christian attorney wins to Christ other legal professionals whom a pastor might never reach. That's how the physician or scientist disciples people for Christ whom the business man or woman might never meet. In this sense, all Christians, including the faculty and staff of Christian liberal arts colleges, are full-time evangelists. Part of caring concern is modeling and mentoring. Christian college personnel who model a servant's heart inspire students to do the same. Personnel must live their faith, not just talk about it.

Adhering to correct doctrine does not itself guarantee that a Christian organization or individual will maintain a ministry mindset. The presence of biblical truth is necessary for a true ministry mindset to flourish, but in itself it is not sufficient. In other words, one must believe right to live right, but right believing does not automatically produce right living. Faith without works is dead, James told us. So we must do more than sermonize. We must serve.

Fourth, a necessary ingredient in encouraging a ministry mindset in a Christian liberal arts college is required chapels. In regular chapels students are brought face to face with spiritual challenges. Students are reminded of people and problems greater than their own - and of a God who is greater still. It's true that students often complain about required chapels. Yet alumni surveys reveal that the two things alumni most often remember as spiritually motivating are chapel and individual faculty or staff members.

Chapels are not another church service, but they do serve as a means to point students toward goals worthy of the Body of Christ. Chapels unite otherwise isolated individuals in a community of faith. Chapels provide a forum in which to apply the unchanging principles of the Bible to rapidly changing issues of the day.

A ministry mindset is established when hearts are moved. And hearts are moved by presentations of people's needs, by accounts of God's blessing in personal testimonies, by music and drama that glorify God, and by attention to the two-edged sword of God's Word. While all this takes place in the Christian college classroom and in co-curricular activities, the chapel remains the single most powerful tool for communicating a biblical vision for the world.

Fifth, maintaining a ministry mindset must be considered an instructional objective of every course. This is part of the integration of faith with learning and living. Professors model and teach a ministry mindset in their approach to the subject matter of their courses. Faculty communicate not only a course's subject matter, but also its implications for ministry. We learn in order to use our knowledge to glorify God and to accomplish His purposes in His world with His people.

Christian Liberal Arts Colleges and the Church
Christian people are God's "called-out ones," the ecclesia. Together, Christians form the Body of Christ, the Church. It is the Church that will one day become the Bride of Christ, and until that day Christians are commanded by God to fulfill His creation and redemptive mandates in this world.

During New Testament times, God ordained the local church to help the Church accomplish His Will. In every century since, God has used the local church, and, according to the Bible, He will continue to do so until Christ returns.

Clearly the local church is God's primary vehicle for worship, evangelism, edification, education, and fellowship. But it is not an exclusive vehicle. Historically, the Church has developed, with God's evident blessing, a variety of other organizations for the purpose of furthering God's Kingdom. Among these organizations are hospitals, orphanages, mission agencies, and schools.

Christian liberal arts colleges are another one of these types of organizations. Christian colleges enable people to become participants in the Church's mission and productive members
of society. In this way, Christian colleges can reinforce the spiritual vitality and effectiveness of local churches.

Christian colleges are not churches.
A Christian college is not a local church. As institutions of higher learning, Christian colleges are communities of faith bounded by confessional borders, which are usually articulated in institutional doctrinal statements. Christian colleges cannot take the place of local churches, and local churches usually cannot provide the opportunities readily available on a Christian college campus.

Christian colleges, with their well-educated and mature faculty and staff, provide an excellent learning environment in which to explore ideas, even controversial ideas. Students need to hear faculty develop a Christian critique and rebuttal of unbiblical ideas and an evaluation of new ideas that may not be unbiblical, just new. This kind of modeling enables students to learn to think "Christianly" and to apply unchanging biblical truth in a rapidly-changing world.

Christian colleges teach students that "all truth is God's Truth." This is a biblically defensible statement if indeed something is objectively true. It's God's world, and He made everything in it. There's nothing that we can learn in any field of knowledge, which will undermine our faith if we evaluate what we've learned biblically.

While we embrace Christianity by faith, knowledge precedes faith (Rom. 10:17). One must know who Jesus Christ is and what He has done before one can accept Him by faith as Savior. Faith is dependent upon knowledge, and knowledge requires faith. Learning is built upon the interaction of faith and knowledge.

We affirm the truth of the Word of God, but we do not know everything there is to know about God's Word. We know that God created the heavens and the earth, and everything therein, but we do not know everything there is to know about God's world. Therefore, we hold our knowledge in humility. We ask questions. We seek to learn.

Christian colleges are learning environments. They must be free to ask questions even while affirming biblical truth. Consequently, they should enjoy more latitude in selecting appropriate speakers for campus functions than a local church generally considers appropriate for its pulpit. A college should be able to schedule individuals, like political, civic, or cultural leaders, who may or may not be Christians and who may even espouse controversial viewpoints. Such an invitation does not imply an endorsement of the speakers' views. It's an opportunity to ask questions, to make rebuttals, to learn.

Rarely does the typical local church possess either the resources to host such speakers or the opportunity to do so without people assuming that the church embraces the speakers or the speakers' ideas. This is one of the privileges of a college and a means by which the college can serve local churches. By interacting with a variety of speakers, scholars, artists, and thinkers, Christian colleges can assist local churches in vigorously applying a Christian worldview to the salient issues of the day.

Christian colleges and local churches make a team.
By working together with local churches, Christian colleges can contribute to the spiritual life of those churches and encourage a ministry mindset among students on their campuses. To do this, Christian colleges must continuously forge a connection with local, Bible-believing churches. This may be accomplished in a variety of ways, such as by:

o encouraging students to attend and serve in local churches to become part of a fellowship of Christian people.
o placing students in regular church-based ministries in order to develop students' faith and service experience.
o seeking the prayer and financial support of local churches enabling students to gain ministry experience by serving in traveling ministry teams (ie. music, drama, puppets, etc.).
o helping students identify and refine spiritual gifts.
o encouraging faculty and staff to minister in local churches, both in regular participation in their home churches and as guest speakers in other churches.
o presenting local church models of ministry in chapels.
o encouraging graduates to identify quickly with a local church and participate actively in its ministry.
o supporting an annual Bible Conference, weekly evening Bible classes, a Christian radio ministry, and other similar activities that minister to people in area churches.
o maintaining communication and supportive links with alumni in church-related vocations.

This list does not exhaust the ways Christian liberal arts colleges can reinforce the ministry of local churches, but it does illustrate what can be done. Christian colleges and churches represent sets of distinctive and valuable resources that should be mutually engaged in a common mission of carrying God's message to a needy world.
Christian colleges and churches are in, not of, the world.

We know that the message of Scripture does not change. God has spoken to all people in all ages in all places in the world. Methods change. And therein lies an inescapable Christian tension: to be in the world, while being not of the world (John 17). Christians must learn to discern where the line between being in and not of the world should be drawn, while never forgetting our creation and redemptive mandates to go into the world.

Christian liberal arts colleges and churches must work together on behalf of the Church
to meet this ongoing challenge. Christian colleges can assist churches in engaging the marketplace and the culture by going into the whole world and understanding what it means to be not of the world's latest philosophies (Col. 2:4-8).

Christian colleges can aid churches in applying a Christian worldview in business and industry; the arts; elementary; secondary; and post-secondary education; the sciences, health and health-related fields; publishing; the civic and political arena; and more. In this way, churches can work with Christian colleges to expand the cultural impact of both ministries.

Via the "body life" of the Church, local churches can assist Christian colleges in expanding students' understanding of "and use of" their spiritual gifts. Most churches are the "real world" in ways that college campuses are not, since churches minister to the whole range of human life, from babies to great-grandparents. This setting of the local church community provides students with an opportunity to develop spiritual gifts and helps Christian colleges accomplish "ministry mindset" goals.


Christian colleges and churches reach the world together.
Christian colleges and local churches can combine resources to address another Christian tension: the challenge of engaging the world in both a relevant and prophetic way. Relevancy demands that one speak in a way that meets the needs of the time and in a way that can be heard. A concern for prophetic impact demands that the message transcends time and place, calling people to higher ideals, in this case biblical values.

Both Christian colleges and churches desire to prepare people to do what God has called them to do. Whatever that calling is, God's expectation for stewardship of culture does not change, nor does His command to evangelize, edify, and educate people. To accomplish these divine expectations, both colleges and churches must know how to apply God's Word in a relevant and prophetic manner. Teaching how to do this is the mutual yet distinct responsibility of the Christian liberal arts college and the local church.

Conclusion
Contemporary culture is losing its moral parameters, and youth are maturing in a time of considerable ethical ambiguity. For the Church to continue as a bold, relevant, and prophetic voice to a lost and dying world, we need Christians who think and act with biblical values and who are capable of being salt and light. In a word, we need well-educated Christians in all walks
of life who have a passion for Christ and a compassion for people.

That's why I believe that the rationale for Christian liberal arts colleges is stronger than ever. Christian liberal arts colleges and universities that encourage a ministry mindset are among the best ways to produce Christian laborers for fields white unto harvest.