Campus Ministry in Kansas

I am sitting around a table with all the campus ministry directors in the state of Kansas. I am quite surprized, this is really refreshing. It is beautiful to look around the group and hear where these people were born - to listen to their joys and their struggles. I am moved by Daisy from Uganda, a professor, a mother of 5, a campus minister at a small university. I want to invite myself to her home for dinner. I love that our TX friend, Matt Stone has moved to KS and is serving alongside us in campus ministry - even though it is at our rival school, K-State. I am thankful to see Katie Trinter, a student of ours from our time at SMU who has ventured to the heartland, exploring and exercising her innate gifts as a pastor. I am inspired by Steve, a religion professor at a Methodist college in Kansas. Such a humble person, yet he is intimately acquainted with Wesleyan theology. The other Steve is a jolly fellow, open and relational. As for Ashlee, I discovered that we know some of the same people from the seminary we attended. She and I are now friends on Facebook. Then there is Kurt, who knows every United Methodist person in youth and college ministry throughout the state; Natasha, who arrived in Topeka a month ago; and Linda, who in her 4th year is still learning but starting to experience the fruit of her discipling.
Creighton invited our friend Gregg Taylor to come share about his ministry at University of Arkansas. Wow, I love this man. I learn so much from him when I am around him, in conversation with him. Thing is, I have to pull it out of him. He does not force himself or his thoughts on people - but when asked, he just pours forth wisdom.
He challenged our paradigms.
Think, in the context of your ministry, about how you would answer these questions:
Where are we (what kind of world do we live in?)
Who are we? (What does it mean to be human?)
What's wrong? (What is the fundamental problem with the world?)
What time is it? (Where are we in the biblical story - God's story?)
What's the remedy? (What will fix the problem?)

God I pray for each of these campus leaders today. I pray they will be inspired, motivated, challenged, moved and strengthened by this weekend together.