Phil Bishop,
Professor of Kinesiology,
University of Alabama
[Feb.18, 2013] After reading the recent series of My Ministry Minutes, I feel like the beginner exerciser who is told to do the same workout as an Olympic decathlete.
In my role as a professor, I’m far from living out Ken Elzinga’s admonitions to be more of a servant leader like Jesus. Yet, as I grow in my faith, I’m slowly learning from Christian colleagues like Ken and others who are making a kingdom impact on the university. Teaching kinesiology, I’m comforted by the difference between “trying” and “training.” What I can’t accomplish now by trying, I can eventually achieve by entering a regimen of training.
Here are two things I’ve found helpful in my current training: I like to exercise my calling on campus AND in community.
On Campus First, as faculty who are Christ-followers, we have lots of places where we can exercise our calling. We’re often encouraged to serve in our local church. And that’s great. Many of my colleagues have found fruitful ministry in the church–serving as elders or deacons or Sunday School teachers. Encouraged by mentors years ago, I’ve found a better and more rigorous regimen of training by thinking of ministry through the church, but outside its walls. As a Christian faculty member, I’ve found the “campus” environment the perfect place to exercise my calling. It strikes me that we have a brilliant opportunity to minister in a locale where few outsiders have opportunities. The college and university are super missionary venues. We have large collections of young people, who are studying and learning; we have many colleagues who are seeking. Like indigenous missionaries, we are insiders who know the language, customs and traditions of higher education. So as you think about your calling, giftedness, and opportunities, consider ways to engage more on campus.
In Community Second, I found my “exercise” is more rigorous when I do it in community. It’s clear from Scripture that we need one another. A solo Christianity is foreign to the Scriptures. Jesus begins his ministry by calling together a community of disciples, reminding them over and over that they need one another. When he sends them out to do ministry, he sent them out 2 by 2, in ministry teams of 12 and 72. The apostle Paul describes us a body; God calling each of us to different expressions of ministry, even equipping us differently.
In our group of Christian faculty, we see a variety of “styles” of ministry. One person is very devout, attracting students and faculty who seek her out for prayer and personal words of encouragement. One of our business profs helped initiate a Christian fellowship within his professional society. Another faculty member travels around the world to speak apologetically on particular Christian topics. Several of my Christian colleagues disciple other colleagues or students by leading Bible and book studies. By exercising my calling in community, I’ve found a place where my gifts can contribute to Kingdom impact here on campus and beyond. Several years ago, I followed the example of colleagues exercising their gift overseas and joined one of Faculty Common’s summer projects in Haiti. I found, as the only professor on the project, that I could contribute in significant ways while also finding that the staff and students helped me grow in profound ways. I ran better in the company of others.
I’ve always liked Hebrews 12:1, which says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…”. For me, that race is on campus and in community. (c) 2013 Phil Bishop