Author Archives: G. David Boyd
Christ and Keg Stands – An article on College Binge Drinking
I came across this article that I wanted to share with my readers. It is a great read for students who are making choices about drinking on campus, and for parents.
Here are my top three lines from the Article.
1. If you think not drinking gets you closer to God, get a better reading of Scripture.
2. If you think drinking gets you closer to relevance, get a better understanding of ministry.
3. Even when there are intellectual objections to Christianity, these are often just cover for a debauched lifestyle.
I was going to say something about them, but the article says enough. Enjoy!
Kevin DeYoung is senior pastor of University Reformed Church (RCA) in East Lansing, Michigan, near Michigan State University. He and his wife Trisha have six young children. You can follow him on Twitter.
A Guide for Setting Expectations on Emerging Adults in Your Church Community
Thank you for believing in emerging adults! May God guide you as you seek to set expectations on emerging adults in your community.
Before you begin:
- Include church leadership from the highest level.
- Include emerging adults in the discussion (participation will cause ownership).
- Educate participants on the current challenges and characteristics of emerging adults.
- Hand out discussion questions before the meeting.
Discuss Questions:
- What characteristics do we desire for our emerging adults to have? How are we going to help them develop those characteristics?
- Is it our goal to provide an extended “youth group” experience that will keep them interested in church?
- How will we assimilate them into the adult population and activity of our community?
- What are the needs of emerging adults in our community? How are we specifically designed to meet any of those needs?
- What roles do we desire for our emerging adults to have within our congregation? How are we going to identity and create space for them within our community to help them fit those roles?
- What kind of relationships are important for emerging adults? What can we do to provide ways for these to be established?
- What problems are emerging adults facing? How can we empower them as they face these obstacles?
Before you leave:
- What are some actions steps to take because of your discussion? Who is taking responsibility for each step?
- When will we meet again to check in about progress in this area of our ministry?
- Are there any key players that were not able to attend, but need to brought into this discussion?
This is just the beginning of issues that need discussed by churches. Add your thoughts or questions to the article by commenting below.
Dr. G. David Boyd is the Founder and Managing Director of EA Resources. If he can help your community minister to emerging adults, you can contact him at gdavid@earesources.org.
Teen who Sued Her Parents is Back in Court.
Rachel Canning is back in the news again after filing a lawsuit against her boyfriend for choking her. Her boyfriend also filed a restraining order against Rachel, but both sides dropped their lawsuits in order to have a clear record for college.
Maybe her parents were wise when they asked her to break up with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend was one area of disagreement between Rachel and her parents before she moved out and filed a lawsuit asking for money to support her lifestyle and future education.
It seems that the national attention was profitable for Rachel. She landed a $56k scholarship to Western New England University based upon her merit. I am sure that many readers are wondering what part of her merit does the school most admire? Her ability to conjure lawsuits? Her proclivity to excessive partying? Her sense of entitlement?
I am definitely disappointed that if the money was based upon her time in the spotlight that an academic institution would use the situation for media attention – especially appearing to reward and support her values.
I am wondering whether Rachel will look at her parents and say, “Mom – Dad. You were right.”
I am not holding my breath waiting for that to happen, and I doubt her parents are either.
Eating Disorders – Co-traveler on my Daughter’s Journey
As a woman, you can either face your struggles by turning into them, or running away. But as a mother when your children struggle, you face, feel, and are oppressed by the same pain; and yet cannot fix it.
Continue reading
My Eating Disorder – a Story of Fear and Faith
© 2010 Rega Photography, Flickr | CC-BY-SA | via Wylio
It is easy to look back and see I how got there. It is easy to look back and see how I started the journey back. Although at the time, I didn’t see the signs that led me in, or led me out. Somehow when you are in the midst of a struggle, all signs seem to vanish. Continue reading
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Starting a College Ministry
Whenever I talk to people about what I do, they usually respond in two ways.
1. “Our church doesn’t have anything for young adults.”
2. “Our church would never be able to start something.”
And when I hear these responses, it reminds me over and over again, why I love what I get to do.
I first want to clarify what I mean by college ministry. College ministry is finding ways to minister God’s love and grace to the emerging adults within and outside our church community. Your church may not be able to build a huge, thriving, spiritual “hang-out” community for young adults, but you can create ways to minister to emerging adults in your community.
I also would never call it a ministry to college students because not everyone who graduates from high school goes to college. I gave it that title becase those are currently the words that people type who are searching the internet for answers. They should be called Emerging Adults (or at least go old-school and use the title “Young Adults”).
So before your community develops ways to minister to emerging adults, ask yourself three questions.
Who is your audience?
There is a reason why this question is first. You cannot answer the second two questions until you have the first. A ministry should not be launched by local demographics, but by who do you currently have committed to your community.
This is not because I don’t believe in reaching out, but because I believe that evangelism is best done through current social circles, rather than slick posters and hip events. So start with who is attending your church already. If you have no one currently attending, then ask who in this age demographic has had previous contact with your church.
As you identity both leaders and attenders of this new ministry, invite them to join you in answering questions two and three.
What is your mission?
![ftflagler-washington-pictures-4376127-h[1]](http://www.earesources.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ftflagler-washington-pictures-4376127-h1-e1377712949724.jpg)
I am not that you need to write a purpose statement/missions/values and objectives before you do ministry. While there may be some merit to the business-oriented “Purpose-Driven” method, I have found that its values have been overstated (although greatly appreciated by modernistic baby boomers and baby busters).
It is essential to know what we want out of this age group. Do we want to provide an extended “youth group,” or what do we hope to accomplish through trying to start this ministry? I believe that the purpose of any emerging adult ministry should be tailored to the values and vision of your church. Don’t launch a college ministry to appease a vocal parent whose child didn’t go to college. You shouldn’t do it because it is a missing program in your portfolio. You shouldn’t do it because you somewhere to recruit more youth workers.
One right reason is because you have a passion to see emerging adults shepherded, and parents loved as they walk through these years. However, there could be other reasons.
What are your resources?
After feeling God’s direction to your ministry, take a look around you and see what resources you possess in order to make it happen. The three main resources are money, people, and possessions. Think through each of these areas: money, possessions, and people.
Money – You are probably asking, “What money?” When I first started our college ministry, we didn’t have much money. I had to borrow from the youth ministry budget in order to buy so much as a pizza. It took time to build this resource, and to convince people that financial support would make an impact. Acquiring money takes time, and therefore requires planning. However, don’t make money an obstacle. Remember that the church budget isn’t the only source of funds. Some emerging adults have money, and don’t need you to pick up the tab on the pizza.
Possessions – Launching a ministry doesn’t require a lot, but some tools in your toolbox might help your work progress faster. Does your community have a building or a space to meet? If it doesn’t, are there people in your congregation that would open up their house to the group? After you have the basic necessities met, you might start looking to see about other possessions, like vehicles, cabins, or boats that would be available to the group.
People – This is the most important, and I save it for last. A good team will be the best indicator as to whether or not your group is going to grow. Remember that your team should not be all from the same age group. Make sure that your team does include some emerging adults. Look around your current community to see who might be available, and have a willing heart to commit to helping them.
Dr. G. David Boyd is the Founder and Managing Director of EA Resources. Contact him at gdavid@earesources.org, if he can help your community to better minister to the challenges and needs of emerging adults.
Life with big student debt: tales from four college graduates
I wanted to share an article with my readers about living life with student debt.
The average debt for a graduating student in 2013 was $32,500 (Source). This number continues to escalate with the rise in college tuition. This number includes an average of $3,000 in credit card debt.
If you don’t have time to read the whole article, here are a few notes:
1. Big-name schools are not always worth the big price tags.
It is important that you know that universities want your money. They NEED your money. As you step onto campus, please know that they are trying to sell you on their campus, their classes, and their reputation. Many schools say that their rankings or reputation will instantly open doorways to higher-paying jobs. In many situations, this is a marketing tool, and is not based upon real data. Jenny Hecht says, “I didn’t know that once I had my [master’s degree] nobody would care where it was from.”
2. Don’t take every loan that comes your way.
© 2007 Quazie, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio
Education financing is a big business, and there are many people who will gladly give you loans that you feel will lead you to your dream life. However, many students are waking up from the dream, and realizing that being buried by debt is a nightmare. Before you accept a loan, make sure that you have done your homework.
“At 18 years old, you don’t really know what you’re getting yourself into,” says Gorden, who wishes more advice had been available then. “Those last two years, I was approved for over $60,000 – for a 20-year-old, without a cosigner, with no job, no sense of a future job – and they just gave it to me.”
As a emerging adult, you will be showered with money; however, none of it is free.
3. Educational Debt can grow even after college.
While you can request loan deferment or refinance, your debt will continue to grow if you are not able to make your payments. One student wrote that she owes about $5,000 more than she did when she graduated, due to a few years when she couldn’t cover all of the interest payments. Delaying payments on a loan is a serious decision, and should not be based solely upon your dream of one day landing a higher-paying job.
4. Take time to think about how your debt will affect your future.
It is important that you take responsibility to think through your financial future. Many students bury their heads in the sand, and ignore how debt will affect them. “But you don’t really think about what it actually means to have a house worth of debt, on a higher interest rate than a mortgage, until you’re getting close to graduating and thinking about having to repay them.” There are financial on-line tools available to you to help you understand what your future loan payments will be, and how they will affect your budget.
Education is an investment. Make sure that you make a wise decisions during the journey.
School Debt Consolidation – Don’t Get Fooled!
© 2013 Simon Cunningham, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio
Thieves will always follow a trail of money. In today’s world, educational debt is a big business; therefore, it should not be a surprise us that people are making a living off stealing from those who are buried in school debt.
The average debt for a graduating student in 2013 was $32,500 (Source). This number continues to escalate with the rise in college tuition. This number includes an average of $3,000 in credit card debt. Debt is difficult to repay for students who graduate, but we must also remember those who are not able to finish their education.
Feelings of desperation causes people to run towards news that sounds too good to be true.
Here is the article that explains the scams.
Debt is not a game. It is real, and will affect your life. Proverbs 22:7 says, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” As Christians, we must use wisdom as we make decisions about educational debt.