Campus Pastors ZONE

How to Capitalize on CH09

 

We are all well aware of the great commissions command to make disciples and how that is not achieved by setting up a tent or throwing a big event to preach and then leaving the next day. Event based evangelism is not a value in our spiritual family, we know that it is authentic relationships built around the word of God that causes us to mature into disciples of Jesus. We are settled that events don’t make disciples. So what do we do about Campus Harvest SA 2009? It is an event and like all events has the potential of not producing lasting fruit…

 

Like you I am seriously not interested in putting so much effort into something that will produce no lasting fruit. However as I have been thinking around this big event I have some thoughts I would like to share:

 

As much as we don’t believe in event evangelism we must be careful not to throw  events out altogether. Events still have many uses IF we can put them in our discipleship strategy and capitalize on their advantages.

 

Here are some advantages of events:

1. They attract people who wouldn’t normally come to church

2. They initiate a God consciousness in a persons life

3. They change peoples perception of Christianity, Church, Campus, our nation – You name it!

4. They are defining moments in a persons destiny. Many people have heard the call to ministry, politics or missions when at an event of similar magnitude.

5. Life long Friendships can be made and already established friendships can be deepened.

 

So what can we achieve with campus harvest?

Here are some of my expectations:

 

1. Get students to see the BIG picture.

What a great opportunity we have to show our students that what’s happening on their campus is actually happening all over southern Africa! Seeing the BIG picture will build significance to what they are doing locally (leading cell groups, participating in discipleship, being involved in ministries etc), and if all works according to plan we will have report backs from our campus ministry on other continents as well which will further increase their vision of what God is doing in the nations. 

 

2. Expose them to the very best of teachers and preachers

Not sure about your campus ministry, but its not very often we get Jim Lafoon coming over for a preach. For my students the closest they have ever been to a great international preacher is when they bought that TD Jakes DVD. As the fathers of our movement step up to the pulpit at CH09 and share the word under the anointing I am expectant for God to move in amazing ways.

 

3. To build friendships local and national

Think about it, students will be on the bus together, staying together for three days in residence, engaging in group discussions, playing sports – what an opportunity for friendships to be made!

 

4. To come to any one of these turning points

- Salvation

- Lordship

- Call to fulltime campus ministry

- Call to nation building

 

5. Develop a heart for being involved in local campus ministry

I’m sure we all agree; we need more servants and leaders for our campus ministries. This event could be the catalyst that could take your average pew warmer and propel them into active service on your campus.

 

So there you have it. CH09 has tremendous potential to make disciples and thereby enrich and grow our local campus ministries – if we can capitalize on its advantages. Start thinking about how you can schedule now to have a PRE-CH09 meeting with all your students prior to departure to build faith and expectation. Also think about how you can have a POST-CH09 meeting where testimonies can be shared and follow-up initiated, put it in your campus diary now!

 

OH! Last thought: At the end of CH09 we will be handing out feedback forms for students to fill in – in there they will specify what they individually learned, what God spoke to them, what they plan on doing when back on campus and if they came to any one of the turning points mentioned in point 4 above. They should give you a good idea of what impact CH09 had on your students. We will sort these cards out and hand them back to you campus pastors so  you can further capitalize on this event when back home.

 

Peace 

Wayne & the Durban team