Posts Tagged northwestern
Ministering in Strengths
Posted by COM Blogger in Ministry Update on March 8th, 2010
I have been thinking a lot lately about ministering in my strengths. In our ministry, it could be easy for some staff and/or students to get the wrong idea of what ministry looks like (that you have to do it a certain way in certain contexts or else it is not really ministry). I don’t want to be misunderstood; The principles of ministry that our ministry models and teaches should be carried out in every context possible, but that doesn’t mean that ministry has to look a certain way.
To give you an example of what I am talking about I will tell you what I have been thinking about. I am not incredibly gifted with striking up conversations with people in informal settings and talking about their life and relationship with God or what they believe about the gospel. I am more gifted at engaging people in a one-on-one setting over lunch or time in the Word or something like that. One potential response to this would be for me to avoid informal contexts or just breeze through them and wait for God to drop a one-on-one context into my life. However, a better response would be for me to seek to use the informal contexts to fuel a context where I could interact with someone over lunch or time in the Word. So I am now making it a point to use game nights, playing sports with guys, hanging out in the dorms, or other contexts like these to hopefully set up one-on-one times with guys throughout the week.
So my encouragement to whoever is reading this would be to figure out a context that you are gifted in engaging people with the truths of the gospel, then think for how you can use every context you are in to help you maximize the time you have in the context in which you are most gifted.
North Winter Retreat: Misconceptions
Posted by Laura Watkins in Ministry Update, Retreats on February 22nd, 2010
Bethel and Northwestern staff and students just returned from our winter retreat last weekend. For many students this was the first big event they’ve ever been on with Campus Outreach. We had a blast! Between broomball tournaments, snow tubing “luge-like” trails, yummy food, and late nights everyone is tired but happy.
The theme of the retreat was “misconceptions.” We talked about misconceptions we have about the Gospel, about what it means to man or a woman, about why were in college, and what it means to grow in our faith.
One highlight for the girls was Samm Poteat, on staff at the U of M (and who had a significant impact on my own life as a student), who talked to the women about misconceptions we have about our image. She gave the girls the following questions to think through:
1. How do I compare myself to others – for the good or bad?
2. What is it that people commend or praise me for?
3. What am I afraid of losing?
4. What topics do I feel defensive about?
5. What am I hoping a guy will notice about me?
6. What am I insecure about?
Samm went on to talk about how the Gospel shatters our image by showing us 1) We’re seeking glory in the wrong way and 2) We’re each just a jar of clay (but we spend a lot of time trying to act and look like a pot of gold!). Getting our eyes off of ourselves and onto Christ frees us.
Girls were really helped by this topic! I pray that many good conversations will continue to follow this talk and the retreat in general.
BULLCOW – Pleasing vs. Trusting
Posted by COM Blogger in Resources on February 6th, 2010
We had almost 150 students attend a weekly meeting of Bethel and Northwestern students. Andrew Knight spoke about pleasing verses trusting God. He also taught on how that relates to the story of the men lowering a paralytic to see Jesus. There were 2 goals of this talk:
1. Which is better pleasing God or trusting God?
2. Which character in the story do you most identify with?
I Want More
Posted by Karyn Tomlinson in Ministry Update on February 2nd, 2010
Last Wednesday about 25 girls crowded into our Northwestern women’s ministry house (“Wilder”) for our freshman girls’ movie bible study. After visiting and snacking, we watched a couple clips from Disney movies–Ariel singing “I want more” and Belle lamenting her provincial life. We talked about how those themes resonated with us even as little girls because of our endless cravings. No matter how much it seems like we have going for us, it never hits the spot. God designed us with desires so that he could satisfy them, but we look elsewhere and love ourself or other things more than God…sin worthy of death. We looked at John 4 where Jesus engaged the woman at the well and saw how Jesus answers our desire problem: not only has he been perfect in this way for us so we don’t have to experience God’s wrath, but he also promises that all our desires ultimately can be met in him.
After working on the study, I realized that often in ministry when my good desires are unmet they reveal deeper desire-dysfunction in my own heart. A freshman isn’t able to go on a retreat, one of the girls in my group just doesn’t seem to get it, or a key conversation didn’t go the way I had hoped. I immediately get frustrated because I want them to know Jesus more and grow as kingdom laborers, and I think that because fill-in-the-blank didn’t happen, they’ll come short of that goal. If I’m honest with myself though, I’ll realize that that doesn’t make sense. If I really believe that God is going to complete the work he started in them (Phil. 1:6), that he’s way more committed to them than I am (John 10), and that he can use everything (even sin!) for their good (Rom. 8:28), then I don’t need to get worried or anxious over what I interpret as set-backs. So at the bottom of my frustration I realize that there are other desires lurking–I think I need accomplishment, influence in someone’s life, recognition, etc. But John 4 makes it clear that it’s dangerous to try to satisfy those cravings with ministry…or anything else. Like the woman at the well, I need to repent and find my soul stilled and thirst quenched and in Jesus Christ, the fountain of living water.
Leaders Retreat Recap
Posted by Charlie Brooks in Ministry Update, Retreats on January 25th, 2010
This past weekend we had Brett Barnes and Patrick Lewis from Campus Outreach Indianapolis come in and share some helpful things with our leaders. The theme of the retreat was “Advance.” We want to see the gospel advance on our campuses like it did back in the early church and has throughout history. There were many helpful things shared, but one of the most helpful was the idea of living “outside the camp.” Patrick shared this idea with us, taken from Hebrews 13:12-14, that we are called to live outside the camp.
The phrase “outside the camp” can be a little vague and hard to understand. The writer of Hebrews draws the parallel to how Jesus went outside the gate to be crucified for us. This paints the picture of giving up all comfort, selfish ambition, self worship, etc. for the sake of others. He gave up everything for us (Philippians 2:5-11). Therefore, we are called to live “outside the camp”, which I take to mean live not for our own comfort, but for the sake of others that they may know Christ. In the verses in Hebrews, the reason for which we should live outside the camp is because we have a lasting city. Therefore because Jesus gave of Himself for us so that we have the promised hope of heaven, we can be free to give of ourselves for the sake of others. Pray for us that the gospel will free us from the sins that easily entangle us and that we will be an “outside the camp” ministry.
If you were at the retreat this weekend and would like to contact Brett or Patrick with any thoughts or questions, they said that you are welcome to email them at bbarnes@campusoutreach.org or plewis@campusoutreach.org
All Campuses Up and Running
Posted by COM Blogger in Ministry Update on January 21st, 2010
The students from all three of our campuses are all back in school and taking classes. We have all had a few major events as well. Last night Bethel men had a broomball and meatball event where they got together and played a game of broomball and then went to the Williamson’s house for some spaghetti. The Bethel girls had their women’s Bible study last night. At Northwestern, we kicked off the men’s and women’s Bible studies. And finally, at the U of M, we had a pancake night to welcome students back to campus. It has been good to be back from the break and to get things up and running again.
This weekend we are having 3 staff from Campus Outreach Indianapolis come for our leaders retreat. They are going to talk to us about some of the things they have learned in ministry and what God has been doing through them on the campuses in Indiana. We will have the talks online after the weekend if you would like to hear them.
For info on campus specific events, check out the campus calendars:
-Bethel Calendar
-U of M Calendar
-Northwestern Calendar
Semester Kick-Off – Changes at NWC
Posted by COM Blogger in Ministry Update on January 13th, 2010
The semester started up again at NWC this week with students returning to classes on Monday. Hopefully a lot of what God did in the lives of our students at conference will carry over into the school year. At our kick-off meeting Sunday night, Elliot Stokes shared that we want our ministry at Northwestern to be a gospel movement. We are not primarily a group of people that get together just to hang out, but we want a movement of college students reaching other college students so that hopefully we can reach the world with the truth of the gospel. After that, we got into groups of 4 or so and prayed for our time on campus this semester and asked God to work through us.
We do have a few changes as well this semester:
-We are going to be having guys/girls Bible studies fairly regularly on Wednesday nights throughout the semester
-Consequently, we are going to have fewer BULL meetings this semester
Check our campus calendar to know what is going on this semester
Christmas Party
Posted by COM Blogger in Weekend Event on December 7th, 2009
We had our annual Christmas party for Northwestern students on Friday night. We had over 40 students in attendance. We had a white elephant gift exchange and an “ugly holiday sweater” competition. The party was at Dan Holst’s (worship pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church – North Campus) house. It was a good time to hang out with our students before the end of the semester.
Loneliness, the Gospel, Dance Parties, and Sleepovers
Posted by Laura Watkins in Retreats on November 21st, 2009
Last weekend, the Northwestern women had our Fall Women’s Retreat. It was a blast! 56 girls came… 25 of them were freshmen so it was a lot of fun for new girls to get connected to the ministry. And fun is pretty easy to come by when you gather over 60 women in one house for a night (thank you to the Larsen’s for letting us use your house!). Here most of us are right before our friday night talk (I’m the one with the curly dark hair and navy blue vest, my back to the camera haha):
Friday night I talked about the universal problem of loneliness and how it points us to an even greater problem of being separated from God. I also talked about ways that we try to hide our loneliness and how these false “cover ups” show our sin problem. Later that night girls had a dance party (we got almost everyone to do the cupid shuffle!). Saturday morning Jen, another staff woman shared her testimony in light of how searching for fulfillment in people and the next life stage (if only I was dating someone, if only I was married, if only I had a baby…) is empty apart from having a relationship in Jesus Christ. Then we attempted an all girls game of football:
Huddle up and strategize…
Charge!
Try to find the football in this pic! Haha the game was a struggle!
But no worries… girls always love to sit around a talk!
Then Karyn, another staff woman, wrapped up the retreat by sharing how the Gospel of Jesus Christ frees us to be authentic with one another, to forgive one another, and to love people, and not need them to fulfill us. Ultimately we can look forward to heaven when we’ll be able to perfectly relate to God and to one another.
It was a fun retreat! Thanks for all who prayed for us!
BULL/COW 11/18/09 Community
Posted by COM Blogger in Resources on November 19th, 2009
Ken Currie came and spoke at our joint Bethel and Northwestern meeting on November 18. He spoke about community.
Community is not arbitrary
Community is the context for Christianity
Community is a natural and normal result of knowing Christ
He then mentioned tons of verses from the Bible about what our community should look like. Verses about community in the Bible do two things:
1. They show us standards for what our community should look like
2. They show us how much we need Jesus
He finished by encouraging us to have mentors, peers, and those we are seeking to influence as part of our community wherever we are.
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