News > North America

THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL

Prospects: Challenges and Vision for Campus Ministry

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” (Mt 9:36-38)

Good evening. It is a great privilege for me to share a few words with you on this campus night regarding the challenges and vision for campus ministry. Campus ministry is very close to my own heart. It was through the UBF campus ministry at Oregon State University, led by Pastor Abraham Kim, that I was guided to a deep, personal relationship with Jesus Christ through Bible study. Though I grew up in a stable Catholic family, I did not engage in deep Bible study. I tried to read the Bible by myself. But it did not seem to make sense. I tried to find Bible study in my church, but never did find one. Nevertheless, I tried to stand up for Catholic values and a godly lifestyle even through my high school days. But my own sins of pride, lustful desires and selfishness grew in my heart uncontrollably. During my college days, I stumbled into sin and was deeply involved in a relationship that did not please God. When it did not end well, I was broken-hearted and filled with guilt. My self-righteousness completely collapsed. In desperation I cried out for God’s help. Soon I met P. Abraham Kim and began Mark’s gospel study under his guidance. Mark 2:17 touched my heart deeply. Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.” I knew I was a sinner. I was surprised to learn that Jesus came to call sinners. I found hope and studied Mark’s gospel with all my heart. The word of God was like living water that brought new life and healing and deep satisfaction to my soul. By the time we studied Mark 8, I confessed Jesus as my Savior and Lord, just as Peter did. My burdens of sin were lifted. I found a peace and joy I had never known before. I found new hope and meaning of life. Almost immediately, I felt the Lord was calling me to be a shepherd for college students as my life direction. About the time I graduated, P. Abraham had to return to Korea to fulfill his obligation. At that time, Dr. Samuel Lee invited me to Chicago for intern shepherd training. I served UIC ministry for about ten years and then moved to Loyola University for another ten years. When Dr. Lee went to be with the Lord in 2002, the Lord called me to follow him in serving Chicago UBF. By God’s grace I have been the senior pastor here for the last 13 years.

Like me, many UBF members have received a specific calling to serve campus ministry as their mission from God. We are here, not because we chose God, but because God chose us and appointed us to serve his purpose in campus ministry. As we know, there are many challenges facing us, both from without and within. But the challenges from within may be the most significant. I want to consider just two of these challenges and also catch a glimpse of God’s vision for campus ministry based on Jesus’ words.

One challenge: developing a Christ-centered, loving Christian community. Or stated differently, “practice what you preach.” As we have experienced the transition from a modern to a post-modern culture, the mindset of young people has changed. They no longer trust authority figures easily, nor do they accept philosophies that seek to explain the world around them in comprehensive terms. They have been disappointed by theories that sound good but end in disaster. They want to experience the reality of a message and test its integrity. After hearing the gospel message, they want to know the character of leaders and relate to them personally. So, we need to be deeply concerned about the character and integrity of our leaders. As Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life for others, so UBF leaders should follow Jesus in self-sacrifice, service and genuine love. This is how Jesus laid a good foundation for the early church.

Furthermore, to reach the young people of our times in a meaningful way, it is imperative that we demonstrate the gospel by the way we live in our communities. In his book, “The Gospel” from the Nine Marks of a Healthy Church series, Ray Ortlund shares that gospel doctrine without gospel culture leads to hypocrisy. Gospel culture without gospel doctrine leaves believes shallow and fragile. But gospel doctrine and gospel culture together are the basis for a healthy church. Actually, we all know this. But we need to improve in our practice. We need to grow in the grace of Christ in our community life. While discipline and training are necessary to raise mature Christian leaders, the underlying truth is that we are all sinners who are saved by God’s grace alone, through faith alone for the glory of God alone. As Jesus taught, we need to confess our sins based on the truth and carry one another’s burdens. We must love one another deeply, forgive one another endlessly, and trust one another because we trust God. We need to learn to understand each other better despite our national, cultural and generational differences by putting ourselves in each other’s shoes. Instead of demanding to be understood, we need to understand others better. Then we can grow deeper in the love of Christ in our community. When we invite college students to study the Bible and worship with us, they can see and experience the genuine love of God, not only toward them, but in our community as a whole. Then many will grow as good disciples of Jesus.

Another challenge: exercising the whole body of Christ. One metaphor for the church is the body of Christ. This was initiated by Jesus and developed in more detail by Paul. Each Christian is a part of the body and the body is made up of all the members. We are interdependent by God’s design and wisdom, and we need each other under our Head Jesus Christ. I believe that the Lord is developing the UBF body as a church dedicated to campus mission. The focus of our ministry should be developing sound evangelism and discipleship on college campuses. God has called and gifted some people particularly to work on the campuses. But these workers need many kinds of support. Moreover, there are ever increasing needs of other kinds, such as children’s education ministry, high school student ministry, house church establishment and development, and community outreach, to name a few. At the same time, we need to network on both a national and international level all the more to support house churches and missionaries in fulfilling the great commission to take the gospel to the whole world. I believe that God wants to accomplish great things through us and that he has raised and is raising many gifted people to serve him in various capacities. While keeping our ministry focus on college campuses we are also faced with meeting newly developing ministry opportunities. It is imperative that we have a New Testament concept of the body of Christ both locally and internationally. There is much to be done. Each member is very precious. No one is unnecessary. Only when each member of the body finds its role and it works together as one can we accomplish the task of being a church dedicated to campus mission and world mission. For this leaders need to pray a lot and discern God’s leading to mobilize and equip members of the body. Each member should pray and stand before God with open hands ready to do what the Lord leads us to do, trusting him in faith to lead us in the best way.

In closing, I want to remember the words of Jesus that the harvest is plentiful. When our Lord Jesus looks at students on our campuses, he sees them with deep compassion. He sees them as sheep without a shepherd. They are vulnerable and in danger. They are directionless. They need his truth and his love more than anything else. And he sees them as his own. He shed his precious blood to ransom each one. He overlooks no one and is ready to sacrifice and labor for each one, one by one. But he is calling for workers who share his heart to help harvest their souls for eternal life. At the beginning of the fall semester last year, campus leaders began to pray for the raising of 120 students as disciples of Christ in this year. It seemed like a very challenging prayer topic. But as we have prayed and sought to reach students, we are finding so many thirsty students. They have been waiting for shepherds who will listen to them and understand them and love and serve them with the living words of God. There are so many thirsty students and not enough workers. The time to reach them is now. Can you hear our Lord’s call to pray for workers? Will you answer his call? Let’s ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field until all the campuses in Chicagoland and throughout the Midwest have vibrant student ministries through which Jesus’ disciples are growing and being sent out into the world.