BAPTIST CHURCH POLITY
LECTURE 40
COLLEGE & CAREER MINISTRY
Saddleback Community Church (Rick Warren, Pastor)
CRAVE--College-Age Service
When:4/29/2010 Where:The Refinery A Lake Forest Campus Event
Start Time:7:15 PM End Time:11:00 PM Price:Free
Description – Every week, college-age young adults from all over Orange County come together to explore questions and search for something bigger than themselves...something that's beyond their busy worlds of homework, stress, work and ideas of success. From our weekly worship experiences to trips that take you halfway around the world, we are a community of passionate young adults that journeys through life together. Whether you hate church, have never been to church, or grew up in Sunday school, just...come as you are to Crave!
We have TWO WEEKLY SERVICES, on Thursday nights, at 7:15 and 9:15.
Crave is a welcoming place for you to connect with others and seek answers to
life's most compelling questions. Come as you are!
First Baptist Church (Forney, Tx)
College & Career Ministry-
The College and Career Ministry is for ages 18-25.
The Reef – College Ministry at First Baptist - exists to offer a relaxed environment where you feel protected to worship freely, to be yourself and to converge with God through worship, teaching and authentic relationships. The whole purpose of the Reef Ministry is to draw you closer to a God who is longing to draw near to you, and to have you experience Christ in a way that you won’t ever forget again. Please come and see all that God has to offer you at the Reef.
The EDGE, the College and Career Ministry of Bethlehem First Baptist Church exists to connect with one another in such a way that we make the name of Jesus Christ famous. We do this by coming together in different elements, producing men and women who are ready to go back to there campuses and workplaces with a clear vision and understanding of reaching others for Christ.
The college years and those immediately following are a time when many things are coming together in your life -- your passions, your experiences, your talents, abilities, and gifts, your relationships, etc. – The Edge is an environment where you can express these God given life traits for the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ.
Southwest Baptist Church (Oklahoma City); Adults Ministries:
Real People's Class - Sam & Joett Binswanger
We are, by choice, called the "Real People's Class." The class is made up entirely of people who are from retirement age right on up to 95, and that age keeps moving from year to year. The class averages nearly 100 in attendance. Our members love to hear the teaching of God's Word, and are still growing in the Lord. We would love for you to let us show you how friendly we are, so please be our guest. We have many activities designed just for senior adults.
Landmark Bible Class - Charles & Janice Goforth
If you are a senior not quite to the retirement age, if you desire that solid biblical foundation, and if you are still active in church ministry, then the Landmark Bible Class is designed for you. Fellowship is a key to those living the Christian life. The Landmarkers have good Christian fun and fellowship. We enjoy the teacing of the Bible every Sunday morning.
Southwest Bible Class - Pastor Sam Davison
Adults of all ages are invited to attend this class which meets in our auditorium. If you are seeking strong Bible teaching that will challenge you to grow spiritually, you will receive a blessing from this class. A friendly welcome awaits you.
Harvester's Class
The Harvester's Class is a class of adult couples whose children are in their early teens through college age. Raising children is very difficult without the wisdom of the Lord. We gain wisdom by studying the Scriptures. The Harvester's Class teaches a verse by verse study through various books of the Bible. We enjoy singing, special music, and class activities. Come and join us.
Singles Class - Keith & Karen Hainline
Our Singles Class provides fellowship and encouragement of single adults, many of whom are "single again." Christ-centered teaching challenges our class members to serve the Lord and live for Him. You can experience full life through Jesus Christ. Come join us this Sunday.
Home Builders Class - Mike Blythe
This class is designed for married couples in the 'thirty-something' age bracket. We provide Bible teaching to help the Christian couple grow spiritually and activities to enhance Christian fellowship. Our Sunday school lessons are designed to be helpful and practical.
Family Foundations Class - Ted & Sammie Inman
This class is specifically for young married couples. Our goal is to build strong families through Bible teaching and fellowship. If you are looking for a class that is active and friendly, please visit us. We promise a sincere effort to teach God's Word. It would be an honor to have you as our guest.
Cornerstone Couples Class - Mark Dick & Chris Chandler
This class is intended for married couples in their late 20's to early 30's. If you are looking for great fellowship and teaching from God's Word this class would love to have you as their guest College and Career Department – Jason & Angie Gaddis
Our College and Career department is divided into three classes. The Heartland Singles Class is for all single Heartland Baptist Bible College students.
The Crossbearers Class is for young singles that are either in post-high school education or beginning their career in the working world. The focus is to prepare these young adults for their future and for a marriage relationship. Mike Savage is the teacher of the Crossbearers.
The Pathfinders Class is designed for young singles who have completed their college experience or are working in their career. The Pathfinders is taught by Jason Spivey.
The intent of this department is to build biblical spiritual foundations that will last through the hardest of times. Once the spiritual foundations are laid, spiritual growth can occur. Casual Christianity now, and in the future will not hold up. We need, like the wise man, to build our foundation upon the Rock, Jesus Christ. Ladies of Grace – Anita Couser
Ladies of Grace is a class for young single mothers or for ladies whose husbands do not attend church with them. Sometimes we find ourselves single and not sure where we belong. By the grace of God there is a place for us to come and fellowship and learn the truths of God's Word. Faith Bible Class - Sandy Davison
We welcome all single ladies who are 45 and older, and those who attend without their husband. You will find spiritual encouragement, fellowship, and friends who are commetted to pray for one another. The pastor's wife teaches this class.
First of all, is a ‘College & Career’ ministry necessary?
Is it something that is a must for a church? Is it patently unscriptural? Can it be a great help? Should we have one?
A ‘College & Career’ ministry is not a necessity, but it can be a great blessing to that age group. There is nothing in scripture that seems to support having one, but there is nothing prohibiting it either.
Usually, the ‘College & Career’ ministry is for singles only, but occasionally it includes ‘young married’s’. Singles have special unique needs and circumstances, and likewise do young married’s. Thus, ideally, they should not be combined, if possible. The age group covered is typically 18 – 30; though, if a person was ‘single’ and pursuing a career, I guess the age would be unlimited; but most limit it to 30. Sometimes there is yet another specialized ministry for the ’30 somethings’…
In a larger church (200+) there often is a fair number that would fall in this ‘College & Career’ bracket; maybe 10-20% of the congregation might fit in this. In a more ecumenical, progressive, liberal church, they might make up 25-35% of the congregation. Some smaller churches will only have 1 or 2 that fit this category.
It is reasonable to have a unique ministry like this if there are, maybe, at least 4 or 5 that would be involved in it and benefit from it. Some of the very large churches (1000 or more) will have a 100 or more in their ‘College & Career’ ministry!
What goes on in this ministry? Often it involves ministering in a S.S. class and then having special fellowshipping and activities throughout the month just for this particular group. Some will even extend the ministry to have their own unique preaching and worship service. Churches often do this for ‘Junior Church’ and then it can spread to the ‘Teens’, so why not one more step to the 18 – 30 year olds?...
Who should lead (head up) a ministry like this? Not just anyone, that’s for sure! It takes a very unique and qualified man for this endeavour. Ideally, he should be age 30 to 40, have a 4 year college degree, have a ‘good’ job, be happily married, have a heart for this age group, feel called to the full time ministry, be totally subordinate to the Senior Pastor, and have very strong conservative convictions and practices. However, a recipe for disaster is to have a 23 y.o., who has no college experience, who works part-time at Walmart, who is hopelessly single, who relates well with this age group but has no formal training or teaching experience, and who is one of the more ‘cutting edge’ liberal types in the congregation. A recipe for disaster, but often is the type of person that is chosen!
Potential difficulties or dangers of having a
‘College & Career’ ministry:
Yet another ‘separate’, ‘isolated’, potentially ‘autonomous’ grouping within a church body. One could argue much easier for having separate groupings amongst children, but amongst ‘adults’ is much more difficult. The ‘adults’ within a church (especially the males) are what is focused on by the scriptures for being unified. If the adults are broken up into 3, 4, 5, etc., separate indiginous groups, this will only hamper ‘full’ church unity (amongst the adults). Of course, there are ways to try and ‘bridge’ the unity between all these ‘separatist’ groups within a church body: a) the Senior Pastor could ‘control’ that which is being taught in each (to make sure it is going along with the ‘adult S.S.’ class’ topics); b) make sure that there is plenty of fellowshipping of this group with the ‘adults’; c) the same standards and philosophies and doctrines that the adults ascribe to should be readily assimilated in this group also.
A group ‘needing’ its own separate identity often has a very significant difference between themselves and the ‘larger’ group, and that is why they want to be ‘separate’…so they can be different. It is put under the heading that they have very unique and different needs and issues than does the larger group. This could be partially true; but it could be that they really just don’t like those ‘older adults’ and their old-fashioned ways, and that they want something a bit more contemporary, more what they desire church to be. And, the leadership in the church might very well go along with this in order to keep these ‘outspoken’ young adults in the flock, and not down the street at the much larger, more contemporary, ecumenical Baptist (so-called) church (so-called)!
So, what are some of ‘College & Career’ young adults’ unique needs and issues?
2 Chron 10:8 But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.
Newly found independency; no parents watching over them…is this a good thing, or is it a potentially disastrous situation?
Gen 2:18,24 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. This ‘in between’ ‘transitioning’ time between parents and wife is a very dangerous time indeed; it’s when most will ‘sow their wild oats’; many will ‘experiment’ with sins they were always prevented from pursuing.
Single life: finally free to go out on the ‘hunt’; free to date who and when they want to. They desire a godly wife, but in the meantime they might be desiring ungodliness in their dating.
1 Cor 7:1-2 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
Dating is all about ‘touching’; courting is not. Dating is all about not pursuing marriage; courting is all about marriage.
Judg 14:1-3 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
Money starts rolling in: many have never had more than $100 in their bank account, and now with their first job they have over $1000 and aren’t typically mature enough to handle it. Lots of foolish spending; money can buy a lot of things, including danger and sadness.
1 Tim 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.