Friday, October 06, 2006
I disagree with half of what you say
This is one of the best conversation starters I’ve ever come across. I often have strangers email wanting to see me. So I met up with one yesterday and this was one of the opening lines:
I read your blog and I disagree with half of what you say.
I never got told which half! And this person has never availed themselves of my comments. A silent dissenter, never allowing me the opportunity to grow! But it turned into a very stimulating conversation. I came away with 2 questions that I am enjoying pondering:
Here is the first one: We talked about the challenges that Christians face on campus. We wondered how local churches prepare their young people for work, and most especially for university?
So blog readers; what is your church doing to prepare your people for a tertiary study campus?
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Steve, I’d love to hear this as well. Could people commenting make a distinction between whether they’re in a university town or whether they are in a non-university town. I sense how we support these people is different in the 2 different contexts. Being in a non-university provincial town, I’d love to hear how other provincial pastors equip their people who’re leaving to go to university.
Comment by Andrew — October 6, 2006 @ 11:02 am
We are in a non university town but very close to a university city and we don’t actually do anything to prepare our young people for university/work. Having siad that I stay in touch with them, asking how it is going (theres not that many, about one every year or two).
You got me thinking though, we probably ought to have some kind of intentional approach for one of the biggest transitions that they will ever face in their lives.
Comment by Graham Doel — October 6, 2006 @ 9:08 pm
One of several transitions in short order.
Moving into tertiary education (sometimes away from home, taking on debt), and then 2-4 years later transitioning into the workplace.
That latter transition is also important. Now you have debt (probably), you may have job (and therefore income), you may have to move towns/cities again, the expectations on you are different, and there are no support groups around at the workplace (like the clubs on campus (sporting, religious, interest-groups)). Suddenly, you’re really on your own. That’s an age that I see needing to connect this new world with their faith but often falling through the gaps.
Comment by Stephen — October 7, 2006 @ 9:26 pm