Hot Off the Press: Shaping Their Future, a book for those who mentor young adults

This was originally posted on my personal blog.  Check it out here.

When I look back on how I ended up in ministry, I see many things in play:  first and foremost, God called me and by God’s grace, I said yes to little steps and then big steps of faith.  But, those steps were taken in large part because I had many mentors around me who helped me make sense of my gifts, my passions, my opportunities and my experiences.  It’s no surprise to me now, more than 10 years into campus ministry that one of my favorite parts of my job involves aspects of mentoring.  I recognize that conversations where someone can learn more about God, more about him or herself, can lead to conversations about what God is calling one to do in the world.[1]

I’ve worked with several different versions of formal mentoring programs and lots of informal programs and have checked out various resources over the years.  There is now a fantastic resource by Guy Chmieleski that is a great answer to anyone who works with college students or other young adults in either a formal or informal way.  Guy is a friend of mine and former colleague in campus ministry.  He asked me to write an endorsement of his book, which I was thrilled to do!  (My endorsement is below, but read more endorsements here.)

Guy Chmieleski has provided a welcome guide in a time when mentoring relationships are more important than ever!  This book is great for campus ministers, pastors of college congregations, and other mentors who work with college students.  Guy draws from the best scholarship related to the changing needs of emerging adults as well as his own personal and ministry experiences.  He identifies the central role of mentoring relationships in the faith development of young adults and is spot-on in describing the changing relational skills of college students.  The chapter topics are relevant and clear, the “Mentor’s Toolbox” provides excellent applications, and he gives handles for those seeking to navigate a mentoring relationship.    It is a great resource for both experienced guides and those who are only beginning to be a positive presence in the life of young adults.

Seriously...it's a great book!  Buy one for a campus minister, your pastor, or anyone else who cares about young adults.

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[1] I call these three questions—Who is God?  Who am I?  What is God calling me to do in the world?—the three questions of vocation.  Vocation is a significant aspect of mentoring.

Summer Happenings in Campus Ministry

I've been busy this summer with some campus ministry things that are a little broader than the SC campus and I wanted to share. Here are two things that are happening in the upcoming weeks in the world of campus ministry. I hope that you'll be able to join in the ministry.

1. I've written several times about my involvement with a prayer campaign for campus ministry in the United Methodist Church. Well...we're counting down. Read this article from The United Methodist Reporter and then click on over to our website. It will launch on August 2 and the prayers will be available in time for our August 23 start date for prayer.


2. My former Asbury colleague, Dr. Guy Chmieleski, has organized an online conference blog--a-thon for next week, August 3-5, on his blog, Faith On Campus. He writes about his blog here. He's got an incredible lineup of campus ministry types from all over the country who are going to be writing and weighing in on other posts during the three days. If you can, check in (and chime in!) during between Tuesday and Thursday. I've even written a blog for one of the days.

So...between preparing for the new school year and getting a little bit of rest, there is much going on! I hope that you'll join.

PS The picture is one painted by a SC student in our campus prayer room. It has been my prayer this summer.

PPS This was posted by Ashlee

Chapel 1/20/10 -- Christopher Ames

At SC's chapel on January 20, 2010, guest Christopher Ames shared his gifts of worship with the SC community! Using his creative music style, he led the community in worship and also preached the Word using scripture from the book of Matthew. To check out his style, click here!

Chapel 1/13/01 -- Rev. Ashlee Alley

On January 13, 2010, Rev. Ashlee Alley brought the Word in Chapel and preached from the book of Acts! To check it out, listen here

10/14/09 Chapel -- Rev. Rick Just

October 14, 2009, the Rev. Rick Just from Mulvane United Methodist Church came to SC Chapel to speak to students about overcoming obstacles. He preached from Luke 9:51-56 and reminded SC Students to focus and go straight to the heart of God in times of sorrow, need, stress and joy! To listen, click here

Chapel 9/30/09: Rev. Kevass Harding

September 30, 2009, the Rev. Kevass Harding from Dellrose United Methodist Church in Wichita, KS gave the SC community the formula to "Sweet S.U.C.C.E.S.S." derived from Philippians 3:12-14. Happy listening here!

Chapel 9/23/09 -- Dr. Matt Thompson

September 23, 2009 our very own Dr. Matt Thompson preached a sermon titled "When the Dream Becomes a Nightmare." He preached from Job 7:11-21 and reminded the SC community to lean on one another and God even when times are tough! Listen here

Taking a Look Around

I tend to be one of those people who stays busy. If I'm truly honest, I really like it that way best, I suppose. I do recognize, however, that there are times in the year that I'm too busy. These last 6 weeks definitely fit that scenario. School starting involves all of the excitement, emotion, and stress of setting an inert machine into motion. The potential for great power is there, but so is the potential for numerous malfunctions. But by now, we are up and moving. The rust has worn off, the new pieces have been broken in, and we're moving.

And so, I stop. Yes, I stop and take a look around. I look back to these last 40 days and see that lots of great things have happened:

• I participated in a prayer effort that started on August 10 and finishes up tomorrow (Friday, September 25) that intentionally lifted United Methodist Campus Ministries in prayer. There were days when I felt like I was a hamster running on a wheel and when I prayed these prayers, I sensed camraderie, understanding, and provision in a significant way. There were some days when these prayers were the substance of my static prayer time, but even in those days, I was surrounded by prayers.
• We've initiated a new group of leaders for campus ministry at Southwestern. Both the Shepherd Team of Discipleship (affectionately known as the Disciple-Sheep) and the leaders for our Campus Ministries are leading others in ministry! There truly is nothing more exciting than when students that you love are ministering to others! Love it!
• Chapel at SC. Wow! I have been blown away by the chapel services this year so far! Each preacher (all from within the SC community so far--and I'm counting Steve Rankin as still being from within the SC community) has spoken words of challenge, comfort, and truth to our campus. The worship teams are learning what it means to lead their peers, and the support ministries are creatively engaging the community in worship. I can hardly wait to get to chapel each week.
• I've had a couple of conversations with current students and alumni this fall that have been incredibly affirming...not necessarily of me, but of what I sense that God is doing and wants to do in our midst. Many seeds have been planted in years past here at SC and things are coming together for fruit to be borne. It's exciting.

From reading this little glance around, it would seem that Southwestern is heaven on earth. Well, it is pretty great, but we have our own struggles, too. But through it all, we know that God's presence is guiding, sustaining, and empowering us to meet those challenges. As I look around, I see places where God is asking me to trust and keep going, places where I need to ask forgiveness, and even places where I may need to just stop what we've been doing. So whether we move forward, or stop, we trust all of it for God's glory alone! And that's actually the best place of all to be.

Posted by Ashlee Alley

Chapel, 9/16/09--Rodney Worsham

Rodney Worship preached in Chapel last Wednesday about "Living the Dream," a continuation of our theme for the year! He shared with us the story of Peter walking on water and reminded us to get out of the boat! You can listen here.

Chapel 9/09/09--Steve Rankin

Steve Rankin preached a sermon, "Delight," as we honored him for his 14 years of service. Listen to the service here.

SC Chapel 8/26/09

You are invited to hear the audio from SC Chapel! Here is the link for Wednesday, August 26. Rev. Ashlee Alley preached "Living the Dream" based on Acts 2:1-4, 14-18. Listen here! Feel free to leave your feedback here!

A Prayer for Southwestern

Gracious God,

As we enter another school year, we lift these prayers to you:

Bless our students, God, as they study and learn in their classes, but also bless them as they discover more about who they are. May they be people who seek excellence and ways to serve others around them. Give them wisdom in their decision-making and peace in their challenges. And may they do all of this for your glory.

Bless our faculty, staff and administrators, God, as we invest our lives in our students. May we be diligent, wise and compassionate as we interact with students and continue to grow as a learner ourselves.

May this place, Southwestern College, be a place that sends forth people who understand the challenges of the world and seeks to meet those challenge. And may we do that with wisdom and grace.

Lord, bless us, guide us, protect us, and use us to accomplish your purposes here on earth. We humbly ask this in your name, Amen.

Posted by Ashlee Alley

"I'll be praying"

“We should have lunch sometime!” “I owe you one.” “I’ll be praying for you.” These well-intended phrases often flippantly roll from our tongue without much thought. I remember when a good friend taught me about the power of phrases like this.

“We should have lunch sometime!” I said casually.

“When?” she
asked specifically.

Well, truth be told, I didn’t really have a day in mind. I was just being polite, expressing that I’d had a good time hanging out with her and her friends and I hoped they invited me to hang out again. But her request reminded me not to throw around comments like that, devoid of intention. Such it is with the phrase: “I’ll be praying for you.” When? What will you pray? For how long?

Today is Day 1 of an intentional, shared, and specific prayer campaign set aside to support United Methodist campus ministry in prayer. My friend, Creighton Alexander, and I, along with 38 other people who care about campus ministry, have written prayers that provide an answer to some of those questions.

• When should we pray for campus ministry? Starting today.
• What will you pray? A prayer written by someone who cares about campus ministry.
• For how long? 40 days.

Each day the prayer will be made available here. If you are on Twitter, follow us at: www.twitter.com/collegeunion and we will send you a link to the prayers daily. Finally, if you would like to download the entire collection of prayers, you can download it here.

We ask you to join us in these prayers, lifting up in general the ministries for college aged young people around the UMC connection. We also ask you to specifically pray for the ministries or young people with whom you are acquainted. Let them know that you’re praying for them. And if through your prayer time, you feel inclined to do something, do it in the knowledge that you are being sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit. We don’t have a hidden agenda for these prayers. We simply want God to bless the ministers and students of our college campuses around the world. And we think that it is important enough to involve others in this season of specific prayer. Won’t you join us?

Posted by Ashlee Alley

Some Changes at SC

Well, it has often been said that change is inevitable, and we find that to be true at Southwestern College. After 14 wonderful years as the Campus Minister and Chair of the Philosophy and Religion department, Steve Rankin has felt the call of God to minister in another community. As of July 1, he has accepted an invitation to become the Chaplain at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. We are certainly sad to see him leave Southwestern, as his ministry is keenly felt on campus at this time. I was a sophomore the year that Steve started at SC, which means that during my freshmen year we were absent a Campus Minister. The impact that he made, even in the next 3 years, was significant. He redesigned chapel involving student worship teams. He started Discipleship Southwestern, a program that has now involved over 150 students (and of which I am currently the director). He nurtured the call to ministry in a number of students (including myself). And he poured his life into his students. In the 11 years since, he has continued on that initial impact in incredible ways. I have been honored to join him in the work at SC during the last four years. Keeping up with him is at times dizzying, but always significant. I cannot begin to express the impact that Steve has made on my own life and on the lives of many other students in the last 14 years.

Steve will be significantly missed on campus, but, as has been his goal, he is about the work of the Kingdom of God. He has simply chosen to be obedient to that goal through another arm of the United Methodist Church. While I'm sad for us at SC, I'm very excited for him and for SMU! I believe that he will make an impact for Christ in that community as well! Here is his take on the move. Please join me in praying for Steve and his family as they all adjust to life outside of Winfield.