Monday, January 8
Campus Ministry + Church Planting =
We’re sitting in the Logan Airport in Boston waiting on our plane to arrive…(it looks like it’s going to be real close on catching our connecting flight in Charlotte…this could be a very long night)My thoughts keep going back to the excitement I feel when I think about Sojourn Collegiate Ministry and the vision they share with Reunion Christian Church, both here in Boston. Tim Hawkins (Sojourn) and Hank Wilson (Reunion) and their respective staffs are attempting something that easily falls into the category of a new paradigm of ministry.
Basically it is this…in a city where there are 50+ college and university campuses within a 20 mile radius Sojourn “exists to help college and university students in Boston on their journey back to God through a redemptive life in Jesus to make a difference in the city of Boston and the world.”
…and Reunion is a 7 or 8 week old church plant in the Back Bay/Fenway area of Boston “exists to help people find their way back to God through Jesus Christ. We are a people of faith, community, and generosity that seek to communicate God's story in the urban landscape of Boston.”
Here’s the new paradigm…even though they are separate ministry entities, in many ways, Sojourn and Reunion are going about their missions together. They share offices, their staffs work together to plan and prepare, the staff and their families have found great community together…it’s so amazing to watch God put all this together.
For me, and my past experiences in ministry, it is two worlds colliding into one. After 10 years of Campus Ministry and now this adventure into the world of church planting that is Crossings, I’m loving watching this come to fruition…
We should all be taking notes and watching closely to see what God wants to do in this city…there are so many other places, so many other cities, where I believe this paradigm could work. What a great dream…some of you reading this should probably dream this dream with us a little…
Post Script…since I began writing this we made it to Charlotte, but our flight to Knoxville had already left…we’re here til tomorrow morning….fun.
Mark Nelson at 12:03 AM 4comments
4 Comments
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at 11:18 AM
said... Hey Mark!
This is Kate Reuther (Miller)- I'm a CH has been, graduated in 2001, lived in 409. I was reading your blog and seeing that you were in Boston really caught me! Al and I live just outside the city. If you find yourself here again we would love to see you and hear more about all the exciting things going on for you and your family. I just found your blog last week, so I am still sifting through it!
God Bless!-
at 6:04 PM
Mark Nelson said... Kate...wow, it's great to hear from you! I hope you and Al are doing great...I have a couple of more trips to Boston in the next couple of years because I'm serving on a board for a Campus Ministry there...hopefully, we could catch up on one of my trips...Hope you like the blog...
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at 11:46 AM
said...
Mark, here in Albany, NY. Christ's Church has been partnering with Impact Campus Ministry at the University at Albany. We have been sharing offices, staff and resources for about 10 years now. We are seeking God's direction now as what the next phase looks like . . .
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at 12:49 PM
Mark Nelson said...
b rutherford...that's great, I didn't realize you guys were sharing resources...I guess it's not that new of a paradigm, huh...
mark