Campus Frontline: Manual for Campus Ministry Work (Fellowship Committee Members Training Edition) (Issue 502)
Carmen Lai, Acting Director of Inter-school Department
[email protected]
The campus environment and the needs of students are constantly changing. IS (Inter-School) Department faces different challenges from time to time in meeting the requirements of campus evangelism. This issue takes a slightly playful approach, adopting a “manual” format to help readers understand our struggles and strategies while summarizing this year’s campus ministry efforts.
1. Getting Started
This section outlines the core principles and direction of our activities.
- Activate “Scripture-Led” – Knowing Jesus Christ;
- Focus on “Gospel Proclamation” – The primary goal of training;
- Mobilize “Discipleship Communities” – Practicing faith on campus.
2. Loading the Mediums
This section explains the training mediums and their intended outcomes.
• Five-Sensory Engagement
—Using diverse formats including visual, auditory, verbal, emotional experiences etc., to guide students into the world of Scripture, both intellectually and emotionally, addressing the perception that “reading texts is boring.”
• Contextual Connection
—Linking biblical passages to the current realities and concerns of secondary students, demonstrating that the Bible remains relevant today—dispelling the misunderstanding that it is merely an “ancient legend” disconnected from modern life.
3. Loading Scripture
This section provides practical examples of commonly used training passages, illustrating how message-driven activities can be implemented.
3.1 Christian Community Relationships – A Genuine Faith-Sharing Community (Mark 2:1-12)
☑ Passage Summary: Four friends bring a paralyzed man to Jesus for healing;
☑ Key Approach: “Jesus saw their faith.” The activity focuses on experiential peer interactions—sharing struggles and interests, group challenges, or doing awkward tasks—allowing students to “walk in the shoes” of the paralyzed man and his friends, fostering firsthand understanding.
☑ Possible Reactions:
- “This is exhausting, but we must hold on and not drop the paralyzed man!”
- “The paralyzed man also had to trust his friends for this to work!” (S3–S4 students)
☑ Expected Outcome: Learning to live out the importance of community relationships and mutual support in the diversity of unity in Christ.
3.2 Personal Faith Growth – Imperfect Christians (Luke 5:1-11)
☑ New Christian leaders are often recent converts or seekers, measuring their “Christian achievements” by self-performance;
☑ Key Approach: Experiential Bible study—participants must board the boat with their classmates and enter the scene where Peter is called by Jesus to the deep waters, experiencing the discontent, uneasiness and embarrassment of both Peter and the crew.
☑ Possible Reactions:
- “Jesus, if there are so many fish out there, why don’t You go Yourself?”
- “Fine, I’ll go because You’re Jesus…” (S2 students)
- Recognizing Jesus’ expectations for them as Christians: “I did it reluctantly, but maybe it’s worth trying…”—prompting self-reflection in the first person on the distance between themselves and the teachings of the Bible.
☑ Expected Outcome: Learning to be imperfect Christians who help others “see Jesus.”
3.3 Living Out Faith on Campus – Recognizing God’s Goodness (1 Thessalonians 5:12-15)
☑ Key Approach: First observe, reflect, then pray, act. Practice “Test everything; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thess. 5:21).
☑ Method: Use campus observations to connect with Scripture, discerning God’s goodness and learning to treat fellow believers with attitudes rooted in Christ—admonishing, encouraging, helping, and being patient, never paying back wrong for wrong.
☑ Expected Outcome: Cultivating care for their campus context. Younger students can extend care beyond themselves to their peers, responding not just through work but by upholding “goodness” as a lifestyle.
4. Troubleshooting
This is an era of “Yes, younger ones are stepping up—but no one passed them the baton”; “Yes, they’re talented—but lack experience”; and “Yes, they’re curious about faith—but full of doubts.”
Remember: Our goal is not to cater to preferences but to stay faithful to the mission, listening to lives while proclaiming the Lord’s Gospel.