Why Us..?

Fall BCCM Student Leadership Retreat 09

There are, in fact, other ministries striving to reach the campus. We all know it. So, what do we bring to the table? It was a question I asked of my friend, Reid Johnson, years ago as he sought to start something new at UBC, and it is one I had to answer for myself as I took his place five years later and enlarged paoc campus ministry onto other campuses. Why are we here...?

That's a good question, with various levels of answers. But I want to start here....

First...We are Comprehensive.  

We are not limited to one model. We are able to contextualize our approach to the individual campus based on need and opportunity. I call our  model  the C4 approach.

 Chaplaincy. Chaplaincy involves establishing a relationship with the administration of the university with varying degrees of formality. It opens doors that would otherwise be shut to a campus club. As a significant denomination, we are able to provide individuals with the appropriate educational and professional qualifications to serve at this level.

 Church. Where appropriate, we have the vision and experience to plant church communities on or near the campus. They are able to bring a level of ministry and stability that is often well beyond that of a para-church organization. Further, we provide tools for existing churches to reach out to nearby campuses as an extension of their ministry.


Club. The student club is a flexible model that establishes a relationship with the Student Council of the university. Our vision for student club ministry is multi-faceted and comprehensive. It is run and led by students, along with our oversight and accountability.

Church Based. This includes churches with active initiatives on campuses or outreach to students. It might include releasing a church staff person or worker to spend time on campus each week. It might be the development of a Third Space for students to hang out.

We are not limited to any one mode on any given campus. At UBC, for example, we have all four operating in concert. Further, we have outstanding examples of each.

 Secondly.... The Job has yet to be done….
If we were to add up all of the students involved in Christian clubs or outreach on any given Canadian university campus during the course of a year, the numbers commonly range between one and two percent of the student body ( it is usually much less on college and institute campuses) . That means that, collectively, all of the best efforts of church and para-church organizations combined are missing at least 98% of the student population.

 I have said in the past that even if we were to simply clone what another worthy group or organization did, it would justify our expenditure and efforts. It would bring additional resources onsite to fulfill the great commission. However, we do much more than that. We bring a fresh, dynamic and comprehensive approach to campus ministry that has been field tested and worked out in the crucible of Canadian universities and colleges.

 Let me provide an Illustration:

In 1998, a young graduating student named Brandon Malo approached certain chaplains at the University of Waterloo to tell them of a dream he had to plant a student church at the university. He was told emphatically not to bother because they “had it all sewed up”. There was no need for him. However, the fire in his heart did not go away. Starting with a handful of students, his group called The Embassy, quickly filled the largest meeting space on campus. With relevant messages and dynamic, multifaceted ministry, they became the “IT” event on campus. Even now, at a nearby community centre, they are running over 400 students every Monday night. While they were on campus they were running nearly double that.

The point of the illustration is this: The chaplains were wrong. It wasn’t “all sewn up.” There was room for a fresh vision of ministry that would reach this present student generation. There was a need for more resources to get the job done.

 I could give other examples, including ones from my own personal experience in British Columbia. However, the core point I am making is that we are uniquely positioned to bring hard earned experience and expertise to bear across the country. We do not provide a “cookie cutter” approach to ministry. We provide tools to adapt creatively to each context. We provide support and equipping for those who feel called to reach out to the campus. We provide a much needed combination of the Spirit’s mind and power.