September VERTIGO

The first weeks of September for anyone involved in campus ministry brings to mind the condition or state of Vertigo. It is a manic dash for equilibrium when everything is in flux. Our best efforts and resources are poured into these weeks as students establish the patterns for their term and possibly their school career. It is important for us to be there while they are making up their minds.

Clubs Days  CCM @ BCIT

These are exciting times at CMC as we work with individuals, churches and districts to establish and strengthen campus ministries of various kinds. As I have shared with people across the country, the campus is, to my eyes, the most strategic mission field in our nation...

New ministries on the docket include: Psegga Jones in Montreal on the urban campuses of Concordia, McGill and Dawson. Gary Wilson and Jedidiah Armstrong at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Tamera Thibodeau at John Abbot College in Montreal. Ones that are in gestation as we speak include: The University of Saskatchewan, Humber College ( Lakeshore) and Laurentian University. At BCIT in Vancouver, I am excited about the addition of Cal Weber, who brings a ton of gifting and experience to the task of directing Campus Christian Ministry in that booming institution.

(l-r)     John Engels    Cal Weber    Rachelle Fulford

There are things I am forgetting, but it is a start. In an email chain, a number of campus directors weighed in on the creative ventures they have done in the past week in kickstarting their ministries for a new term. Below you can see scenes from University Christian Ministries at UBC and their annual welcome BBQ. Their director, Arthur Howard, wrote that they fed over 300 students, over 140 of which remained for an outdoor worship service.

UCM @ UBC Welcome Dinner

UCM Welcome Dinner

We are slowly and surely spreading our wings and establishing missional communities on our campuses.

One ministry that I am familiar with up close and personally is Lift Church at McMaster. I have the privilege of serving in an adjunct capacity as an advisor to their young, passionate leadership team. Tonight I went to their opening service at the 1288 Pub in the Student Centre. It was hopping. Complete with a free BBQ before the service, it was filled with first year students who had responded to the invitations to come and check it out. Andrew Masters, their new pastor spoke about serving Christ in the context of the University and John Balt and team led worship. The whole thing was solid.

Lift in 1288

Andrew with mic.  John and Micha lead worship

At a personal level, I am working in a part time chaplaincy capacity at Redeemer University College in nearby Ancaster, ON. It gives me an opportunity to work directly with an outstanding group of young leaders and minister to a broad cross-section of Christian students. This includes teaching a course on practical discipleship, leadership training and speaking wherever and however needed. It is all good and it is also all Vertigo right now. I am looking forward to things settling into a rhythm in the near future.