In an effort to highlight the work and people of CBFNC, we are sharing ministry spotlights featuring our college/young adult ministry.
Meet some of CBFNC’s Campus Ministry Engagement Team and read the insights they have to share about working with today’s college students/young adults.
JAMES DOLPH
UNCG Campus Ministry Specialist
What energizes you most about campus ministry?
Campus ministry is an avenue for all types of people, in all walks of faith. I find it exciting to work with so many diverse students. Each person has their own story, and each story should be heard.
Why is campus ministry important for your context?
I am currently in graduate school, working toward my MDiv. Campus ministry is what I would like to do after I graduate. Working in campus ministry now allows me to explore and learn in a context that I am hoping to work in full-time in the future.
What do you envision for this year and the future of campus ministry?
This year, I envision building a strong foundation for Cooperative Baptist Student Fellowship (CBSF) at UNCG. In regard to future endeavors, I see CBSF working with other faith organizations on campus to create a more open and inclusive environment for students.
What would you want churches to know about young adults?
Churches should know that young adults want to go deeper in their faith. Sometimes, they just don’t have the guidance they need or want where they are. It’s important to meet young adults where they are. This period in life can be very different from one person to the next. It’s important to recognize and work with that.
TIERNEY BOSS
Appalachian State University Campus Minister
What energizes you most about campus ministry?
I am always excited to provide students with a safe space to explore scripture, ask difficult questions and challenge one another’s ideas. College students and young adults are generally deconstructing the faith that they grew up with or they are (re)constructing a belief system for the first time. They get excited about making faith make sense for them here in Boone, NC, and it’s an incredibly fun and significant process to journey alongside them.
Why is campus ministry important for your context?
Our students and young adults involved with App State refer to themselves as the “Island of Misfit Toys.” Our young people revel in our group’s diversity. In many ways, we have provided a space for the remnant- those who have not found a place where they fit in and those who have been displaced from other campus ministries. They feel secure with one another, even when they have little in common, and our community encourages them to become secure enough in themselves to become encouragers in Christ.
What do you envision for this year and the future of campus ministry?
In the near future, our students are going to serve alongside other faith groups in our respective communities. Students and young adults are remembering that the Christian faith is wider than their own traditions and experiences. There are a multitude of saints walking alongside them and a long history of faithful that have come before. I envision a return towards things like “The Book of Common Prayer,” contemplative and liturgical studies and a rich variety of spiritual disciplines.
What would you want churches to know about young adults?
Young adults today want to participate in the creation of a more welcoming, human-centric world, but often don’t know how. They feel a responsibility to care for marginalized groups, the earth and those struggling with mental and physical health. They take on too much, so nervous energy prevails. Still, they have already dreamed up a betterworld and are doing what they can to see that vision realized.
