Newsletters

August 2004

Seeing and Savoring Christ in the Scriptures

It is a key value within Campus Crusade for Christ to develop all staff biblically and theologically so that we might be able to effectively carry out our mission to turn lost students into Christ-centered laborers. If our staff are not growing in their knowledge of the Scriptures or of the theology revealed in the Scriptures our organization will become an empty shell, easily swayed by theological fads and more concerned with “successful” ministry than in bringing glory to God through our ministry. This is one of the main reasons I went to seminary prior to beginning our ministry—I wanted a biblical and theological foundation that would help equip me for a lifetime of ministry and that would enable me to evaluate every aspect of our ministry in light of Scripture.

It is now a requirement for all staff to receive a core set of  Bible and theology classes. I was able to be a small group coach for the first Bible study methods class for new staff this summer in Orlando, Florida during New Staff Training. After doing this for two weeks I was then a teaching assistant for Biblical Communication, a class required for all staff during their first five years with Campus Crusade.

These classes, in addition to a Biblical Interpretation class, are foundational to the health of our ministry. In these classes staff not only learn  how to study the Bible but also are challenged to seek God Himself in their reading of the Bible. As Christians it is not our goal to fall in love with the Bible but to fall in love with the God of the Bible. The Scripture is not merely information to be amassed but the means through which we can seek and respond to God. So, while we do give staff important and practical tools for studying Scripture, it is our hope that we would not produce good biblical scholars as much as we would produce men and women who seek after God through the Scripture and do so in a way that is faithful to the intended meaning of the text.

From the evaluations of the class I think we met our objectives. Here are a few responses from the new staff:

“I felt that I have been equipped to study the Bible and ‘feed myself’ spiritually.”

"I will be more open to allow the Word to expose the real heart issue/sin in my life and be quicker to run to Christ as the solution to my problem.  I understand that Scripture is aimed at heart transformation—not giving moral codes to follow." 

"This class is not just about learning how to study the Bible, it’s also about how to save yourself from a mundane Christian life."  

Thank you for your support that makes it possible for us to be involved not just in reaching students for Christ at Michigan but also in helping these ministers of the gospel to become more Christ-centered, more biblically literate, and more theologically sound.

Nate with his coaching group; one of the 15 new staff workshops for the Bible Study Methods class.

Kids' Corner

This summer was fun! We got to go to the pool a lot. Lauren and I can jump off the edge without anyone catching us now. We played in the sand at two different beaches. The museum in Orlando was really neat—we go to pick “oranges” from a tree and send them down a conveyor belt.

-Andrew

Drew and I shared a bed this summer. But he didn’t want to talk at night as much as I did. So I would get in trouble but he wouldn’t. I can’t wait until Lindsey gets big enough to talk to me! We ate breakfast at our hotel every morning. The waffles were great! And so were the scrambled eggs and the yogurt and the bagels and the cereal and……..

-Lauren

Mommy never told me that I wouldn’t be able to sleep on my belly in the car while we were traveling. I wasn’t too happy about that and I decided to let everyone know. I loved the pool, but Mommy wouldn’t let me go so I could swim on my own. I don’t understand—Andrew and Lauren got to swim on their own. We went to lots of places, so I got to sleep all over Orlando—the library, the museum, Downtown Disney, the pool. As long as I was on my belly in the stroller I would sleep.

-Lindsey

The living situation was great for us this summer! Campus Crusade’s Institute for Biblical Studies provided housing for us at a Residence Inn just north of Orlando. Other staff couples were staying there so Shelly had some fellowship with other moms and the kids had a few friends to play with. I was very glad to have Shelly and the kids there with me. Many of the coaches were there without their families.

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