This is from UCSB where our daughter attends and is involved in Cru. We are so thankful for the ministry there and how they have been a huge support for her while in college.
UCSB Cru Cardboard Testimonies from UCSB Real Life on Vimeo.
UCSB Student Testimonies
Fox News Picks Up Vanderbilt Story
Fox News picked up the story about Vanderbilt’s discriminatory policies aimed at Christian groups on campus.
Soularium Tips
This video shares how to use Soularium effectively.
Soularium: Going Deeper from Rick James on Vimeo.
Soularium: A Creative Tool for Sharing Christ
Soularium is a creative to open up conversations about God.
We have several tools that we use when sharing our faith with students. One of them is called Soularium. It is a large deck of cards with various images. Along with it is a series of questions you can ask people to help guide a conversation. It’s pretty simple: ask someone to pick 3-5 cards to describe their life right now. Listen to what they have to say. Then ask them to pick several more describe what they want their life to look like. After listening some more, and engaging in some conversation to get to understand them better, you can transition to talking about the Gospel.
In using Soularium, I’d say that it doesn’t make it easier to share the Gospel. You still have to take a step of faith to bridge the conversation and talk about Christ. What it does make easier is having a conversation with someone and go deeper into what they really think about life and God. Something about pictures, in our visually based culture, goes a long way in helping people communicate things we don’t normally talk about in regular everyday small talk. The images can evoke strong memories or feelings for many people, and often they open up and share stories about their lives. It is a very relational way to share the Gospel. People who would not be open to a may traditional approach of going through a booklet or letting you open up a Bible, might be open to looking at pictures and talking about God informally. It is non-threatening.
For you as the person introducing Soularium, it lets you learn to listen. You aren’t pressured to try to think up an answer or something clever to say. You can be relaxed, have time to think and pray for the person you are talking to. Later in the conversation, you can then transition ask their permission to share a clear Gospel message.
If you are looking for a creative way to talk to your friends about God, this might be a helpful tool for you to use and get to know your friends better, and open more conversations where you can share about your relationship with Christ.
Leadership Matters for Religious Organizations on College Campuses
This was produced by Vanderbilt students and alumni in response to a policy that encroaches on their religious freedom. Please pray for this group. These policies could easily spread to other campuses. Thankfully, we have not been affected yet, but you never know when it could happen next. Please pray!
Tuesday Prayer and Share
Students in Cru getting ready to pray and share their faith on campus
Students will gather on campus near the old stables (which are now offices), and either choose to pray or to go out and share their faith on campus. It’s an idea students came up with a while back, because they just like to go out and share their Christ with students sitting around outside for lunch. What’s nice is that a new person who maybe is afraid to share their faith, or not feeling well, can choose to pray or maybe go follow someone who is more experienced at evangelism. Plus, we do need prayer as we go and share our faith, as God is the one who changes hearts, not by the cleverness of our presentation or personalities. Prayer is probably the harder of the two things to do sometimes. Students at Cal Poly are pretty open to having a conversation about God or spiritual things and we often have some great conversations every week.
US Campus Ministry Update
This video is an update of what is God is doing through the Cru, the US Campus Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ.
Beyond Blind Faith
Is Jesus God? Did Jesus ever claim to be God? See proof from the life of Jesus Christ and why it’s not blind faith to believe in him.
It is impossible for us to know conclusively whether God exists and what he is like unless he takes the initiative and reveals himself.
We must scan the horizon of history to see if there is any clue to God’s revelation. There is one clear clue. In an obscure village in Palestine, 2,000 years ago, a Child was born in a stable. Today the entire world is still celebrating the birth of Jesus, and for good reason. Read more …..
Back from Spring Break
Everyone is back from Spring Break in San Jose. Here was a little chatter from Facebook. (BTW, red rum is backwards for the game “murder” everyone plays late at night before going to bed.)
Supreme Court Decides Not to Hear Religious Liberty Case
Today, the Supreme Court declined to hear a religious liberty case involving a ADX, a Christian sorority, and San Diego State. At stake if the freedom of Christian organizations to operate freely on a secular campuses. Groups affected so far are those that have specific requirements for leaders in their club constitution, such as requiring leaders to be a Christian or to live according to a moral code such as not having sex outside of marriage.
Of course this is ridiculous and discriminatory. The Campus Democrats were not required to allow a Republican to leadership, or the Vegan Club a meat-eater. However, neither it is a surprise that Christians would be singled out for this attack.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
(1 Peter 4:12-14 ESV)
Having a Christian presence on a secular campus is not going to be easy or without opposition. (Just ask our friends from Choices.) We do face this kind opposition from time to time in various forms, but other times we also experience favor from the university, such as the present. This year, Cal Poly Pomona has been very favorable towards us and for that we are thankful. We know in either case, whether we face opposition or favor, it is all in God’s plan. He is the one who continues to open doors for us to share the Gospel.
Please keep all Christian organizations on college campuses in your prayers. Opposition varies from campus to campus.
World magazine article: Supreme Court Declines Religious Liberty Case
Supreme Court Declines to Hear Campus Religious Liberty Case
