The Higher Education Presbyterian Ethos

I recently visited a PC(USA)-related college who is thinking about its church-relatedness in terms of developing a statement about faith and learning on campus.There seemed to be some concern by faculty and staff that such a statement would be constrictive and make them into one of the Christian colleges who require ascription to some common statement of belief.

I don't think that campus is unusual. I don't think we have done a good job in articulating and publicizing what it means for a campus community to be influenced by the Presbyterian ethos. Many corporations, especially those in the service industry, have an orientation program where the company ethos is presented and discussed. The PC(USA) has ordination requirements which help provide an immersion into the Presbyterian ethos. (Can much of the denomination's debates over ordination standards, presbyteries and synods, connectionalism, etc., be an indication that we are not doing a good job in this area either?)

Colleges and Universities should have some part of their orientation for new faculty and staff and students about what it means - as well as what it does not mean - for their institution to be in relationship with the Presbyterian church. The Chaplain would be the natural person to present this. A one-page take home sheet might be helpful to reinforce the campus ethos.

Campus Ministries might also find such a handout useful for those students and parents who wonder how the Presbyterian campus ministry differs from other Christian groups on campus.

The Spirituality of Emerging Adults

Christian Smith's Souls in Transition should be must reading for anyone engaged in college ministry.
In addition, a few recent articles have expanded and helped provide insights into our ministry with emerging adults. Here are a few to stimulate your thinking when you're snowed in!


The New York Times had an excellent article by Robin Marantz Henig in it's August 18,2010 Magazine, "What Is It About 20-Somethings? Why are So Many People in Their 20s Taking So Long to Grow Up?"

The Los Angeles Times recently ran an article on "Spirituality Finds a Home at College," using data from UCLA's Spirituality in Higher Education report.

Albert Mohler, the President of Southern Baptist Seminary, reviewed Souls in Transition on his blog, and encouraged evangelicals to read the book.

The Changing Spirituality of Young Adults Project, has a wealth of articles on the spirituality of emerging adults. The project is funded by a Lily Grant.

Christianity Today had an interview with Christian Smith after Souls in Transition was published. It is a wonderfully succinct encapsulation of his research.

Alexander W. ("Sandy") Austin, the author of Spirituality in Higher Education report mentioned above, published a book in November with his wife entitled, Cultivating the Spirit: How College Can Enhance Student's Inner Lives . I have it on order and will review it later this year.

The Numbers Game

I am of two minds about numbers in collegiate ministry. On one hand, tracking and reporting numbers is helpful in indicating trends. Is a certain program working? If the number of students responding has been decreasing for a couple of years, why? Is it time to reinvest the energy and resources into some other offering?

The danger is equating numbers with ministry. I have seen at least one evaluation by a middle governing body which used a numeric ratio as part of its evaluation. The number of students served by a ministry was divided by the total number of enrolled students at the institution, and then this figure was used to compare different ministries within the diocese.  For ministries, such as many PC(USA) college ministries, which emphasize hospitality, environments which encourage questions, and mentoring, numbers do not adequately reflect the impact of the ministry. Ministries gathered around worship or service might find numerical comparisons more useful.


I remember a synod campus ministry gathering early in my college ministry. A number of campus ministers were adamantly rejecting any numerical reporting of students served. It struck me as a response which might obscure a meaningful evaluation. I understand some of that reluctance, but also believe that we need to a better job of reporting and publicizing stories of students who have been changed by campus ministry. Numbers by themselves can't tell the story.

Adult Mentors

I've appreciated Chuck Bomar's continuing emphasis on having adult mentors as a basic component of a congregation's college ministry.

The recent Princeton Seminary's Emerging Adult Conference returned to similar themes of adult involvement again and again. Kara Powell, from the Fuller Youth Institute's College Transition Initiative reported that from their "Sticky Faith"(how can a young person's faith stick through the emerging adult transitions) research a necessary component of congregational life should be intergenerational experiences. Christian Smith, in Souls in Transition, listed the teenage years factors which correlated most strongly with stronger emerging adult religious practices. The top three: (1)the teen's personal faith commitment, devotion, and experience. (2) the religious commitment and practice of their parents, and (3) other supportive religious adults in the congregation.


Adult relationships and presence is important as young people try to discern how they are to navigate adulthood. I've always appreciated the faculty or staff member who "adopted" students and invited them into their homes, lives, and families. Their impact is significant, and many graduates still stay in contact with them.

Congregations near campus often try the "adopt a student" / "adopt a family" / "adopt a grandparent" of matching students and interested adults, often with mixed results. The thought of a long-term commitment (by both parties!) seems intimidating, and having more than one student with each family might reduce the anxiety of thee unknown.

Perhaps more modest opportunities for the generations to connect might work. A morning together building a Habitat House followed by lunch, a combined work project with the campus ministry group and one of the congregation's groups. A few families might be flexible enough to informally invite a couple of students to lunch after the Sunday worship.Pairing students and adults as church school teachers might provide some opportunities for intergenerational relations. (This means not seeing college students as bodies to help out in the church school, but mentoring as an outreach ministry in itself.) The congregation could invite the campus ministry group to join them on a mission project during Spring Break and provide some scholarship assistance to the students.


What other ways are there to give students the contact in faith with adults?

Student Representation on the Board

How are students involved in the leadership and vision of the campus ministry? I don't mean the leadership board elected each year which organizes programs and activities. I mean the governing board / trustees of the organization. How is the student voice heard?

How many board members have current insight into the student culture on campus? Not the alums, who remember how it used to be. Not the faculty member (as much as they think they might know the student culture on their campus). The campus minister can help, usually, but hers is often the only voice of folks engaged in the ministry. A student board member helps correct this deficiency.

But if the expectation is that one student can provide all that input, that asks a lot of the student. The student can help facilitate getting board members engaged with a range of students. Arranging for a board member to take two or three students out to dinner, or arranging for a student host when the board member comes to a programs or a residence hall bible study, provides board contact with students. (These types of encounters should be in addition to a yearly State of the Ministry report to the board by the student leadership.)

One way of helping the student rep is by intentionally overlapping the position. One student, who has some experience with the board, can help the new member feel more comfortable speaking up in meetings, and initiating conversations with board members outside the regular board meetings.

A student presence on the board helps ground the board's discussions, helps to provide a reality check, and provides a leadership experience for the student- which hopefully will pay off in the future when they move away and begin a career and become involved in a campus ministry governing board.

Early Assessment

Used to be that mid-term grades helped students see how they were really doing in college. Then in the recent past, retention studies indicated that First Year Students needed earlier feedback on how they were doing. Thus Early Assessment grades. Before Fall Break students would get an evaluation of how they were doing, so that they could make corrections before it was too late.

So now is the time for an early assessment of how our ministries are doing this year.

It's one of the aphorisms of collegiate ministry that you will never have more students at a regular college ministry function than you will at the beginning of the semester. But there are some students who came and have stopped coming. Why? Who has checked up on them?

Which programs worked and why? Which ones didn't and why?

Which student leaders have risen to the challenge of their ministry? Now is the time to affirm them.

Which student leaders haven't yet stepped up? Now is the time to check in with them and do a little mentoring.

Which governing board / oversight committee members don't yet have the big picture of what they are supposed to be doing?

Cultivating Student Affairs

The folks on campus who might come closest to understanding collegiate ministry are the student affairs / student life professionals. They, too, love students, want them to have rich and helpful experiences and develop a meaningful life. Their importance and impact are also devalued by the community. The first weeks of school are even crazier for them than for collegiate ministers!

So now would be a good time to stop by their office with some goodies and a thank you note for what they are trying to do in the lives of our college students. And sometime, after the dust settles, find some time to meet with a few of the staffers to build relationships.

If they know you are supportive of their efforts and that you are concerned about all students ( not just Presbyterians), and you're not going to coercion or badger non-Christians, they may begin to think of you as a referral resource. The activities directors can commiserate over planning events when few people show up, and the disconnect between students who say they are attending and never appear. Perhaps you know artists which would appeal to student populations not on the student activities committee's radars.

Most campuses now have crisis plans developed. Are you a resource for them?

Jennifer Martin, at the Koinonia House at the University of Oregon, reminded me of good information to share with student affairs folks. Recent studies, such as from Christian Smith at the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) , the  Higher Education Resource Institute, and the Fuller Seminary College Transitions Program,  indicate that the more the religious involvement of the student, the less likely they are to binge drink or to be "loners". Helping reduce those two campus cohorts will get the attention of the student life professionals! Perhaps you could offer to do an information session for the staff later in the year.

Are you routinely praying for the student affairs / student life staff? Do they know that?

Collegiate Ministry Through the Numbers

I’ve been trying to gather some factual information about the PC(USA)’s collegiate ministry efforts. The three most recent sources of data for PC(USA) collegiate ministries are: a report from all congregations in 1999 which gave a report of all congregations involved in student ministries and led to the development of the Campus Ministry Locator; a 2004 Presbyterian Panel Survey which asked primarily about church-related colleges; and a 2009 e-mail Congregational Survey on Collegiate Ministries which asked mainly about congregational involvement in collegiate ministry.

What they show:

In 2006, the Campus Ministry Locator listed roughly 350 established organizational groups doing campus ministry on behalf of the PC(USA). Some were ecumenical campus ministries which included PC(USA) support. There were roughly 700 congregations who said they had some special outreach to college students. All told, approximately 1000 campuses had some PC(USA) presence.

In 2009, twenty-two percent of congregations were located within a mile of at least one college or university. Eighty-four percent reported at least one college or university within ten miles of their congregation’s facilities.

In 2009, only one in four congregations near a college campus had their own direct ministry with students from that or other nearby schools. An overlapping one in four provided financial support to a campus ministry in their locality.

What they don’t show:

How many PC(USA) students there are. The denomination doesn’t request that traditional age group breakdown from churches. Any estimate is a guess. A rough estimate would be 20,000 – 70,000. (For example, here are three estimates. The Chronicle of Higher Education indicated that 2.9%, or approximately 40,600, Freshman in 2009 were Presbyterian. The Department of Education’s enrollment data of traditionally aged college students in 2007 was 668,426, and adjusting that by the Chronicle’s Presbyterian percentage gives 19,384. Assuming college age young people make up 3 % of the denomination, there would be 62,300 students.)

Whether or not the indicated ministry is viable. The 1999 data was self-reported, so if congregations y were “engaged in any outreach activities to college or university students other than members”, they were included as “campus ministry congregations”. There was no criteria about what would constitute a ministry to students beyond the congregation (e.g., an active student group of non-conregants, a staff member or designated lay leader, a specific program budget, a web site, mention of student outreach on existing web site, etc.). A number of congregations assumed that if they “offered church participation”, then they had a “ministry” to students. Clearly those same students would not agree. The 2009 e-mail survey has different results. (See below)

Whether the ministry currently exists. Remember that for other than congregations, this data ten years old. A number of ministries listed then are no longer functioning.

What Possibilities are indicated

At most, only 23% of higher education campuses have a PC(USA) collegiate ministry. This assumes 1000 institutions with a presence out of 4400 total institutions.

Many congregations close to higher education institutions do not have collegiate ministry programs. Why not? Why aren’t congregations not near institutions supporting the ministry of near campus congregations?

The number of PC(USA) students served is not that important. PC(USA) collegiate ministry is Presbyterian ministry to collegians and is not ministry to Presbyterian students! Let’s ask how many students have some connection to the ministry. Most college ministries involve the whole spectrum of college students, not just Christians associated with a mainstream denomination.

The PC(USA)’s Campus Ministry Locator is woefully and embarrassingly out of date. When ministries cease, or contact persons move, no one notifies the Office of Collegiate ministries. I guestimate you have a one in three chance of getting correct information. (My method is to pick two numbers- the first is the state and the second is the entry in that state. Pick three sets of two and then see if there is a college ministry and a working e-mail.)

The PC(USA) needs to conduct a more complete survey. The 2009 e-mail survey had a limited number of responses, but seemed to reflect the whole denomination. Some criteria needs to be established and contact information maintained for those congregations ( as well as organizations and chaplaincies) in order to be listed on the Locator. For example , twenty seven percent of congregations report that they “directly offer … ministry programs specifically for students who attend nearby colleges and universities”. This would translate to 2458 congregations. Fully two thirds of these congregations are not currently listed on the Locator. These congregations are also not part of the PACHEM network, and have not participated in PACHEM’s newsletters, resource sharing, or national conferences.

What next?

How do we get congregations excited about collegiate ministry?
How do we help congregations begin a college ministry?
How do we move them beyond thinking truncated thinking?
      Thinking what they can get out of it, rather than what can they can put into it.
      Thinking only Presbyterian students.
How do we get them cooperating with congregations nearest to campuses?
How do we get congregations and campus ministries / chaplaincies working together?
How do we get congregational campus ministry folks connected and empowered?

The Most Important Weeks

We're just about to start the most important two, three, and four weeks of the year - the beginning of school. What we do during those weeks sets the tone for the year. Here are a few suggestions.

Let folks know you exist
Update your information at the three national data bases. Consider having an e-mail just for the ministry and have it set up to automatically forward to your e-mail account. That way, inquirers will always be able to contact someone. If you’ve moved, it can be shifted to your replacement. If you have a 9 month contract, it can go to someone who can respond. E-mail is going to connect you with adults. Your students consider e-mail what the college administration uses. That’s why you need Facebook.

Have a Face book Page with a name which includes Presbyterian and Your institution, e.g. “Presbyterian Campus Ministry at Confused State” Then have a Face book Group with your group’s name, e.g. “ W-House” See PACHEM's web page on this.

Check that your web site is current. Remember that students will only visit your page just to get initial info. After that they will use Facebook. Mostly it will be parents of your students, institution faculty and staff, and your ministry mentors who will re-visit the web page.

Contact nearby presbyteries and ask them to ask churches to send you the names and e-mails of anyone from their congregations coming to your institution. It's not too late to do this! Some congregations may only now know their student's fall plans.

Have a visible on-campus presence at the beginning of the semester.
Meet new students and their families at Move-In Day and Activities Fairs. Some suggestions are : local churches bake cookies for you, bags have your Facebook address;  have stamped envelopes with a sheet of paper with encouragement to write home (and send cookies to their campus minister); give out cold bottles of water; rent a snow cone machine and let folks choose their flavors (all flavors are welcome at our ministry); have a bowl of Smarties with a sign making some connection with your ministry;  a small handout with dining hall hours, wellness center hours, and your ministry event times. …… others? Let's share!

Involve as many upperclass as you can in welcoming.  Have a few of your leaders specifically “friend” new students. Have them offer help and advice in settling in, and invite the new students to your opening meeting.

Consciously look to the margins. What students aren't getting the same welcome as the "typical" incoming First Years? Transfer students, older students, veterans, international students, differently-abled, etc. What can your ministry do to be welcoming to them?

Get your priorities right before you begin
You, your board, and your student leaders commit to praying for the in-coming students for their first two weeks on campus.

Have your Leadership Team agree upon a goal for the first two weeks (in addition to the focused prayer above)

 God bless you and your ministries during this most important time.

The Next Two Years

As a result of the actions of the PC(U.S.A.)'s 219th General Assembly, Collegiate Ministries has some new opportunities:
(1) The Office of Collegiate Ministries will return as a stand-alone office.
(2) A higher education strategy will be developed to be presented to the 220th General Assembly in 2012.
(3) A Presbyterian Student Organization will be formed.
(4) The Presbyterian Student Leadership Team will be rejuvenated with funding.
(5) There was significant support across the Assembly for Collegiate Ministry.

These are encouraging opportunities, but

(1) While the approved overture had funds for a full associate position, currently  the associate is about half time in Collegiate Ministries. What will the new organization look like? A half-time Young Adult Ministries (or will admit that we have no Young Adult ministry)- combined with Youth? (please, no. Youth ministry is not the same as young adult ministry) Will operating funds increase for a full-time office programs?

(2) Will the GAMC release sufficient funds to conduct a comprehensive, useful higher education strategy? If the office has only its current funds available, there won't be much of a strategy. Will there be enough time to gather data, involve middle governing bodies and other denominations and still have the report  finished in time to report to the 2012 GA? There is only about 15 months in which to work.

(3) The student organization was funded by the Assembly's Sunday Worship offering.(The amount has not yet been released.) As a student told the committee hearing collegiate ministry issues, "What happens when that offering money runs out?"  What will be the sustainable source of funding?

(4) What exactly is the purpose of a Presbyterian Student Leadership Team? How will that be communicated to the denomination? What sustained funding will there be?

(5) How will significant support translate in practical terms?

We have a lot of work to do to capitalize on this movement!