It's Spring Time in Campus Ministry .... 2012



 

 

This video gives a wee overview of some of the inspiring  developments in PAOC campus ministry. We have the expertise, the passion and resources. When we can bring it all together... truly amazing things can happen.

A couple of points to be made here.

First, while we do not want to "oversell" ourselves, it is important to celebrate what God is doing in our midst. There should always be a combination of gratitude and a sense of holy discontentment - recognizing that there is so much more to be done. I hope that the video brings that across.

Second, our role as a national group varies depending on the context. With most of the new starts Campus Mission Canada has been directly involved. With others, not as much.  They have been the initiative of individuals, churches and/or districts. And that is simply fantastic. What we do not do is try to bottleneck everything administrationally ( is that actually a word?) but to support and network these campus ministries where at all possible. What that does is help create a genuine synergy as fresh vision comes on stream and connects with experience and wisdom. 

I love it when our campus tribe gets together. It is like inhaling pure oxygen. It keeps me young.   And again, I love the fact that we have some of the finest young leaders anywhere. The future of the Church is in good hands.

Finally, I do not want to engage in prophetic rhetoric. But I have a real excitement that we are in fact on the threshold of a MOVEMENT , an unfolding missional story that God is telling even at this moment. And it is humbling to be a part of it.

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Ode to a Friend ..... John Krueger

John Krueger

On Friday afternoon, March 23rd,  at his desk at Redeemer University College, my friend and colleague John passed away at the age of 58. It has been a huge loss for all of us who knew him. What follows are comments I  shared yesterday at his memorial service...

Within weeks of meeting him in September, 1999,  I  declared  John Krueger Redeemer’s best kept secret. Once I began to recognize the depth of the man and his quiet passion for helping students find their way into and  through University, I absolutely loved to bang the drum on his behalf. Especially, since I knew that he would never do it for himself. I felt compelled to do it…. I became a one man referral agency to his office.   I found his combination of depth and humility magnetic.

Because of this, one year, I lured John into doing a late night phone in TV talk show with me. It was wayyyy out of his comfort zone.  It was a huge learning curve for him.  I told him that I would get the ball rolling and throw him softballs. Well he need not have worried. He hit everything thrown his way out of the park. He came alive in front of the camera.   I can still remember some of the stuff he offered people flailing for direction. Some vintage John stuff. 

For example:    No you can’t be whatever you want!  No you can’t do whatever you want.  Translation. You better find out how God has wired you and then work with it. John knew that he would never be an NBA star nor would he be the next Canadian Idol. Any time soon….

But he was one of the premier student advisors in the country. Passionate, organized, systematic, wise, perceptive, compassionate , Christlike, and genuinely helpful.  I trusted him implicitly in almost every and any situation I could conceive. In fact, when you put the whole package together.. I would place him at or near the top.

On a personal note….He generously read through drafts of my thesis, giving constructive feedback about both content and grammar. In fact, if it were not for his support and encouragement I am not sure I would have finished it on time.  In fact, I know I would not have....  And, he was  there when I lost my boy...

We loved to talk about young adult transitions. Just a month or so ago, he gave me ( a typical spontaneous act of generosity)  a copy of a book he rescued from the used book bin written by an expert in the field….   His own book, DiscoveringYour Vocation is a small, priceless Gem filled with theological depth and spiritual wisdom. Just like its author. 

We usually had to avoid each other. Any stop for a chat would break into an extended discussion and we knew that we were not paid to hang out with each other during office hours, as nice as that would be.  Name the issue…..we agreed in broad strokes about all kinds of things yet always found things to disagree about. Yet I loved the way he handled it. Yes, I see your point.... and it is a good one....but I see it just a bit differently.

John brought both a depth and a breadth to the table, along with a wry, knowing sense of humor,  that could be quite disarming. Not only had he thought out his own position, but he had often thought out yours as well.  And he was almost without ego. He had little to prove to anyone.  And yes, Rachel, it’s true. I think he just might have had super powers….

To know John was to love John. Those who loved him loved him a lot.

See you later, my brother...