~Jeremy (old oozer)

I’ll concede that the most compelling argument I’ve heard for various Emerging churches is precisely what you point to, that those sorts of gatherings are likely the last ditch effort to bring folks disillusioned with traditional congregations into any kind of corporate worship. I’ll admit that the argument is compelling, but I suspect (not know) that such cases are rare relative to the people in high school and college groups who stay away from intergenerational congregations simply for distaste. Perhaps I should put away such suspicions and assume the best, but I won’t pretend that I don’t think that.

My main concern (and this comes mainly from my experiences as a high school and junior high helper–I’ll repeat that I don’t have any direct experience with university campus ministries) is that Christ’s Gospel, which is certainly more but nothing less than a narrative that joins together the groups of people that the world’s ideologies would separate, might fall captive to the age-demographic segregation that characterizes so much of late capitalist consumerism. I’d say that at least part of our witness to the nations in 2009 ought to be that true redeemed humanity, as you noted, involves living together with children and old people and junior high folks and 21-year-olds, and my fear is that high school youth groups and other such age-oriented groups are shooting that witness.

My short answer: yes and no / both and neither.

My longer answer: As a 3rd year college student pretty heavily involved in a campus ministry, I find much truth in this Stackhouse fellow’s concerns. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve talked to who, upon graduation, can’t seem to find any church that ‘fits them’ or that facilitates the experience/growth of their campus ministry. This is especially true of the larger, well-funded campus ministries. I think it’s a potentially dangerous trend that so many young Christians are choosing a para-church organization/campus ministry over Sunday morning meetings. Elders are nonexistent (save, perhaps, the director); families are absent (minus siblings or occasional visits from parents); children are nowhere to be found. (Duh, right?) I didn’t notice the problems of such an age (and, invariably, racial/cultural) homogenous congregation until I finally found a church in Athens where the “mission statement” isn’t to draw in the enormous college student population via lights and music, etc. Seeing Christ in the families and watching 1 Cor. 12 play out was so inspirational!
Without elders, where is the wisdom and discretion that grow from nothing but years and experience? Without married couples and families, to whom shall young dating couples, specifically engaged couples and newly married young couples, look for marriage counseling, advice, support, and encouragement? I think anyone/everyone can and should serve the Body within the Church and I think the Church needs all to function as it was originally designed. Campus ministries don’t offer “all”.

However, they do offer some… in the context of campus ministries, I’ve also seen radical growth in some of my fellow college classmates. I’ve seen guys and girls begin to seek out this Jesus character; dedicate and/or rededicate their lives to Him; be ‘wrecked’ by mission trips; change their major once they’ve realized God’s calling them to something else, etc. etc. etc., all within the context of services on campus. I’ve heard people say they’d come to a campus ministry event / meeting / service before they would attend a church service (which raises the question, is it better to be at BCM on Tues or Wesley on Wed and nowhere on Sun than nowhere any of the days?). I’ve seen people come back to the Church after having been so disillusioned by it at some point in their childhood, thanks largely to the feeling that at least some of these Jesus-loving folks are *relevant*.

I have mixed feelings. So I am involved with both a campus ministry and a local church, and can appreciate each considerably but for different reasons. My involvement in the campus ministry, however, is geared towards two things: (1) one-on-one discipleship; (2) leading/serving others via a specific outreach ministry I’m involved with within the larger campus ministry. At this point in my Christian faith journey, I value the weekday service much less than the discipleship and leadership / service opportunities.

I, too, have anxieties about this Emergent Church theme permeating the hearts and souls of otherwise very-well-intentioned young Christians. A name that comes to mind is Shane Claiborne. I loved Irresistible Revolution and I respect his concerns with the Church in America. But we cannot desert the modern Church as some new-age/alternative/emergent Christians might suggest. Of course you know the reasons for this. This post is already long and it’s already late and I still have more Chaucer to read. More next time

My reflections on the Stackhouse piece grow largely out of conversations I’ve had with Brad Warfield about the campus ministry scene, and he said similar things.