This past week Campus Renewal Ministries staff spent several days together in New York City praying and planning toward the year to come.
We are a small team compared to many campus ministries, but God is using us to create a new paradigm for campus ministry – one where the Body of Christ partners together in prayer and mission to see their campus transformed by the gospel. Today, as I reflect on my role in CRM and the year ahead, I am thankful for two things.
I Get To Do What I Love
I love what I do. I was 16 years old when I caught a vision for uniting the Body of Christ in prayer and mission at my high school. I came to the University of Texas and started doing the same thing. It’s in my blood. It is what I love to do and what I am called to do.
Last month 22 college pastors at UT gathered for a full day or prayer and planning. Jim Herrington, our facilitator, asked us to name turning points in our history together – specific moments when God propelled us forward in our united vision.
Each of the four discussion groups listed me, Justin Christopher, as a turning point. They said none of what we have witnessed God do at UT would have been possible had God not called me to lead the united movement full-time.
We have witnessed this to be true on other campuses too. None of what we are seeing in New York City, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Pennsylvania would be possible without full-time staff giving their whole lives to God and their campuses.
My Partnership Team Makes It Possible
Thus, I am most thankful today for the partners in ministry that each of our staff have. We each have teams of people who partner with us through prayer and by giving financial gifts. Praise God for our partners.
Think about what the pastors at UT said: “Justin being called to our campus was a turning point.” That means my partners were actually the turning point because their support allowed me to be on campus leading this united movement of prayer and mission.
Personally, I have a fantastic team of more than 200 people who pray and give to the movement at UT. Their giving has increased from year to year, allowing us to do more and more. I am so grateful, and as you can see… so are the ministry leaders at UT.
Summer is the season when our staff spend more time growing and developing their partnership teams. This is not just something we do to be able to do the work. Developing a partnership team is actually part of the work.
Our partners are part of the work through their gifts and prayers. If you are one of CRM’s partners, then we want to thank you for being a part of all God is doing on our campuses!
Justin Christopher is the director of Campus Renewal Ministries at the University of Texas and author of Campus Renewal: A Practical Plan for Uniting Campus Ministries in Prayer and Mission. He gives leadership to the Campus House of Prayer and the misssonal community movement at the University of Texas.
