Not For Beginners

So Advance has come and gone. This is only the second time we've even had a "BCM Advance" and I already feel like its become a tradition.

I hope everyone had as good of a time as I did. I lost a lot of sleep playing card games (Where my Mao players at?) but it was all worth it in the end.

When I think about the word "Advance" I can't help but think of "Advanced." It is, after all, a single consonant away. "Advanced" as in "Expert" or "not for beginners." Our topic this weekend was pretty advanced as far as retreats go. I've been to retreats on worship, on sacrifice, on nothing in particular, on evangelism, on general leadership, and more - but never have I been on a retreat about "Slingshot leadership." But maybe its not so tough after all. Maybe I've just made it too complicated.

It's pretty convenient that we would cover this on my (possibly) last Advance trip with the BCM. It makes me reflect on my three full years I've already had with the BCM and how things have changed. Did you know we were the Baptist Student Union when I first got here? I hope so. If not, then I really feel old.

This whole idea of propelling future leaders further than we can go in the first place has got to be instrumental to the idea of transient college ministry. One of our fundamental problems is that every four (or five) years, the BCM pretty much gets a brand new cast of faces. This has its pros and cons, but regardless, it is a reality. Since we know there will come a time in the near future when we are no longer a face among our peers, we must prepare those that come after us. This manifests itself in a number of ways: encouragement, small group leadership, mentorship, giving others an opportunity to lead, frienship, being a follower first, and more. We have come not only to make a mark on our campus now, but to prepare those that will one day make their own mark. It's a ripple effect, and we may never know the true extent of our actions (till heaven! woo!).

The key is, it's relational. Our ministry here can be fun, friendly, and still powerful. As we sharpen each other, we prepare each other for the rest of our lives.

I hope that the younger people at the BCM who came to the retreat were as encouraged by the weekend as I was. I realize that not all of you may have stepped into "leadership" roles just yet, but I wanted to say that you have our support. I also wanted to remind you that leadership can come without titles. I am continually amazed and encouraged by the enthusiasm, faith, and courage that you pump into our ministry. Your leadership can turn this campus upside down.

That's not to say that we're done here. There is much left to do, and many things left to learn. I look forward to doing so side by side with everyone.