Lasting Influence form Short Term Experiences

Are summer mission trips worth the investment? Do they lead to lasting impact? Great questions!

Couple those with another set of good questions. What part does the ministry of compassion and social justice play when on a mission of gospel proclamation? How do you wed together good news with good deeds? What happens when you do?

How do these two set of questions relate?

As students are exposed to the needs of the world and experience the difference that the gospel (that is, gospel living and gospel proclaiming) can make, it prepares them for a lifetime of gospel ministry--whether in the U.S. or the world.

That reality is illustrated very well by the University of South Carolina Media Relations article: "USC Retailing Student is Clothed in Hope."

Go, Amy!

The Next Christian - Lyons Interview

If you haven't seen it yet, you might want to invest the 5 minutes and 36 seconds to watch the ABC News spot: Focus On Faith, entitled, "What's Wrong with Today's Christians?", an interview with Gabe Lyons.

Begins with a recounting of the rise of the Religious Right, including Lyon's "embarrassment" from peoples' perceptions of Christians (think, UnChristian). He also shares his perspective on the "attractional church".

But the greatest value (at least in light of my interests) is his brief insights into the emerging generation of believers as those "restorers". This begins BTW at 3:50 min into the interview.

We have continued to watch (with interest) this growing value among students over the last decade. The tsunami (Dec. '04) began to give initial motion within our movements, accelerating with the response to Katrina and now spilling into more and more campus movements, summer projects, partnerships and collaborative efforts.

Part of "The Changing Landscape of Campus Ministry".

Spring Break, Big Break & Help for Haiti

This news item...



A wedding of Good News (the gospel) with Good Deeds (acts of compassion, meeting real need.)

Barnardo's: Change a Child's Life

This is a convergence of a couple areas of interest. First, the story and legacy of Christ-centered, gospel-shaped individuals serving others with compassion. The second is creativity in telling a story.

Through the later, I became aware of this powerful commercial for Barnardo's:



Captured by the images, I wanted to figure out what Barnardo's is, which led to to who Barnardo was. Thomas Barnardo was an Irish doctor, who while preparing for the mission field to serve with the China Inland Mission, came upon his life work among the homeless children of London and the United Kingdom.

I really know nothing much about Barnardo's today, save what I just read on the web. But the legacy of Thomas Barnardo is challenging. Is it not?