Jonathan Clark is the Campus Minister at the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs.
I have one phrase that I think sells RUF well: “Churchmen and women are like charcoal.” RUF treats students like charcoal in a world and faith context that pressures them to be lighter fluid. When you ignite lighter fluid, it goes up in flames and is exciting, but quickly gone. It is all too easy to treat ministry and college students the same. Their energy, their willingness to perform, and the human proclivity to legalism means it is a simple thing to ignite an exciting burst of energy, be it conversion, worship, Bible study plans, or discipleship. But after a few years, it’s burned out and gone, and a student is left feeling used, tired, and disenchanted with faith and organized religion. I’d rather train students to be like charcoal, which, when you ignite, doesn’t do much. It’s boring. But when it grows and surrounds itself with more charcoal like it, it grows hotter and more useful with time. The point of RUF is the Church. We are a ministry of the Presbyterian Church in America, called and ordained by Christ’s bride to minister the Gospel, and to equip the saints for the work of ministry for 30, 40, 50 years and beyond in the church. “RUF is training wheels,” I tell my graduating seniors. Now, go ride the real bike in church as elders, deacons, lay leaders, nursery volunteers, evangelists, counselors, parents, and more. Not in one huge flash, but daily-bread faithfulness.
We are a commuter school at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. It’s one of the hardest contexts to do ministry because every day the campus fragments and students scatter home, to jobs, and other old high school hobbies, unlike residential schools which by nature gather and aggregate students with a fresh start on most of life. This makes community hard—especially sticky community that facilitates intimacy and fellowship. Small Groups are really hard here so most of our ministry is 1-1s and Large Group. Most of our group is fringe. The reality is, commuter schools like mine are probably the reality of higher ed in the US for a whole host of social reasons, so we need to figure this out. I’ve done a few innovative things, but at the end of the day, it’s telling students that Jesus loves them, inviting them to follow Him with me, and offering to train them to invite their peers to do the same. Reformed theology plays a key supporting role. I always joke with students that “Reformed theology is like underwear; it needs to be there, but shouldn’t be the first thing you see.” It sets the vibe, which is currently our top ministry goal. “What does RUF feel like when you walk in the room?” It’s at least seven things. 1) Welcome: “You are welcome here, no matter what you did last week; 2) God created laughter: “This is actually fun!”; 3) No performance reviews: “Unlike work or school, there’s no test”; 4) Belong before you believe: “You don’t have to believe what we do to eat the food”; 5) Love and challenge: “Jesus accepts us where we are but does not leave us there”; 6) Christianity is intellectually credible and existentially satisfying: “You don’t have to check your brain or your heart at the door,”‘ and 7) Life interwoven with christians is the good life: “We are happiest and healthiest when we follow God together.” We’re learning when we embody these—when these are felt, experienced, and non-verbally communicated to students—we get traction.
Most students leave UCCS or RUF after 24 months because of transfers credits and early graduation. Most students aren’t looking for the “traditional college experience,” so college ministry isn’t on the top of their list. Most are lonely, but not willing to adjust their schedules to do anything about it. It’s hard, but we push on. In that sense, I see Mark 4 happening, where Jesus tells a parable about the Kingdom of God’s growth. Verse 27 has four mysterious and comforting words: “he knows not how.” From the farmer’s perspective, seed germinating, plants growing, and fruit maturing is a painfully slow mystery. The Kingdom is the same way. It grows, and we don’t know how. But it grows. I feel like I take more hits than wins day to day, week to week. But somehow, over the course of a year, or a lifetime, the Kingdom comes, the Spirit sanctifies, and the Church grows.