This is just part of a blog post by Eric Swanson about how staff have traditionally viewed and treated seniors.  I like it both because of Eric’s wisdom offered, but also because an older article by him is still used in Crusade resources that talks about how we need to challenge every single student to ministry (w/ crusade) for a year or more after college. I would like to ask him if he still thinks that is a good idea…..  I left out the first part because I honestly don’t think this is true of our team. But, the part below is worthy of reading….

Now let’s create a different scenario….one that takes kingdom thinking and domain thinking into our equation.

Scenario #1

“What’s your major?”

“Journalism.”

“Wow! Do you know that it is ideas that change the world and there has never been a movement of God without those are able to cast the vision and articulate a plan. I’ve got a Bible study going with students who relate to the written and spoken word—Philosophy majors, English Lit majors, Communication majors, etc. Each week we not only study the Bible and pray for one another but we also take what we are learning in school and connect it to what God wants to do in our world. We’re working on a project that…”

Scenario #2

“What’s your major?”
“Engineering.”

“Wow! Do you realize that nearly every major problem the world is facing from clean water, energy use, housing, transportation, etc. has an engineering solution? I’ve got a group of students from different environmental, design and engineering majors. Each week we not only study the Bible and pray for one another but we also are working on a two-year project to design and build a simple house, that uses renewable energy that can be built, using local materials, in nearly any country in the world for under $2,500. You want to join with us?”

Most likely students could group their majors around the 7 domains (See ToTransform a City: Whole Church, Whole Gospel, Whole City. Swanson and Williams, Zondervan (2010)) of Business, Government, Education, Arts & Entertainment, Media, Family and Religion. Sometime during their Junior year (or earlier) they could be introduced to kingdom-minded leaders, from the city, from each of these domains that would serve as ad hoc mentors to these students. (Talk about building a robust alumni network!)

Students begin inviting their friends to be part of such groups. “…well the best thing I do during the week is a group I belong to that is changing the world. What are you doing on Tuesdays from 3-6?” (We also become their parent’s best friends as we are encouraging these students to excel in their majors!)

Eventually one of the students asks the staff, “Hey, what is it that you actually do?” The staff responds, “Oh, I’ve got the greatest job in the world. I connect passionate people from the different domains to fix everything that is broken in our world—everything that sin destroyed and God wants to restore—our relationship with God, with ourselves, to one another and to our planet.”

“Well, I think I’d like a job like yours…”

“No, I think you need to stick with business. You don’t want to raise your own support….”

“Yea, but I really think I do….”

Those that join with us really join with us with the majority of students graduating and figuring out how, not just to have start a Bible study for business people but how to transform business from a kingdom perspective.

Thinking in this manner reflects that we understand the difference between vocation and occupation. Vocation is our calling. Occupation is what we do to support that calling. The Scriptures tell us we have one triune calling. We are “called” to three things:

1. We are called to belong to Jesus Christ (Romans 1:6)

2. We are called to be holy—conformed to his likeness (1 Corinthians 1:2)

3. We are called to ministry (Acts 13:2)

The apostle Paul for instance had one call on his life but how he supported that call varied from time and circumstance. In Acts 18:3-5 Paul stayed with Priscilla and Aquilla and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

[BUT] When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

If he had to work as a tentmaker he did so and did his ministry on the weekends but when Silas and Timothy joined him he kicked up his involvement in ministry. One calling…several occupations.

The solution to the Great Commission is not more full-time laborers but rather it is teaching and helping people in every domain live out their kingdom calling.