A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF ADVENTIST CHAPLAINCY MINISTRIES ISSUE 4 2018 SEEKING HUMAN-TO-HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS PERSPECTIVE Terry Swenson, D.Min. Director of University Spiritual Care, Loma Linda University hen church members think The way we love and care for them is of Loma Linda University in the same way as Jesus did. Within W(LLU), many consider it and this verse, we discover that we can the surrounding locale as an Adventist love the world like Jesus did when Ghetto. As if everyone you meet there we see the world as Jesus did. How are Adventists. Reality is far different! we view others is how we will care Loma Linda’s student body represents for them. All too often, we make the 90 different countries, 60 faith groups, distinction between Adventist and and 69 different languages. We are non-Adventist. When we do this, our a microcosm of the world. Most very words reveal that we are placing students come from various Christian distinctions based on what we do and backgrounds with 50 percent of them believe as opposed to who we are. The being Seventh-day Adventist. How first categorizes and makes people does a team of Campus Chaplains care with differences the “other.” Which for their spiritual needs! inherently means they are not “us” nor LLU’s mission is “To continue the a “part of us.” teaching and healing ministry of Jesus Jesus viewed others differently. The Christ.” Therein lies the way to do Apostle Paul described it beautifully spiritual care and the power to do so in Galatians 3. “ There is no longer Jew effectively. Jesus lays out the method or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. in John 13. “So now I am giving you a For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”2 new commandment: Love each other. Just When Christ looked at people, He as I have loved you, you should love each saw people—men and women. The other. Your love for one another will prove other differences are secondary. That’s to the world that you are my disciples.”1 how we, as chaplains, need to see We are called to love everyone. people—that they’re just like us. They CONTENTS 2 I Perspective 20 I I and Thou 4 I Total Campus Engagement 21 I A Life of Faithful Service 24 I NAD Director’s Thoughts 8 I Learning to Lean 26 I An Answered Prayer 12 I God Made It Happen 28 I CAP Chaplains’ Response to 16 I ACM World Hurricane Florence 2 have dreams, heartaches, joy, pains, WHEN CHRIST etc. just like we do. When we focus on our commonalities, we are naturally joined together. If what we first see are LOOKED AT PEOPLE, the differences, then each difference will drive us further apart. HE SAW PEOPLE— Class was over, and the students were rushing out the door. As I MEN AND WOMEN. gathered my things to leave, I looked up and noticed one of my students THE OTHER still remained in his seat. He wasn’t approaching me, yet he wasn’t leaving. DIFFERENCES ARE At first glance, it would be hard to find two individuals with more differences: I’m Caucasian, he was SECONDARY. not; I’m American; he was far from his nation; I am an older man, he was a young man; I am the professor, he was a student, and I was a Seventh-day Adventist Christian, he was a Muslim. When we love we are aware of Yet he was hurting. He was searching. people and their needs. When we love My demeanor and the words I spoke others, we care for them. When they feel loved and cared for, they let us in class opened up a connection, enter into their life and journey with and he took a chance. I provided a them. And when we do that, Jesus is space where we could enter into a right there with us. “For where two or relationship—human-to-human. That three gather together as my followers, connection on a personal level pushed I am there among them.”3 aside all the walls of separation that the world builds. It allowed us to enter 1 John 13:34-35, NLT the space that God created us for, and 2 Galatians 3:28, NLT Jesus sacrificed for to re-establish. 3 Matthew 18:20, NLT WHAT'S Please share what is happening with chaplaincy in your part of the world. Send it to [email protected] . Copy your Union and Division ACM Directors. Include your email and phone number. 3 TOTAL CAMPUS ENGAGEMENT Compiled by Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries Staff 4 “I want to practically demonstrate the unconditional love of Christ to every student on my campus.” generation or two ago, students on my campus, I should students on Seventh-day practice what I preach. I should not be A Adventist educational a Christian on the Sabbath day only.” campuses were predominantly baptized believers. Although this may CAMPUS CHALLENGES be true of many Adventist educational The hurdles there are in reaching institutions today, a growing number this group brought a variety of of schools are experiencing an responses in the survey. One chaplain uptick in non-members enrolling to wrote, “Some of them have never complete their education. entered a church or prayed before in This offers both a unique their lives. So, they find it strange to be opportunity and a challenge to meet told about the saving power of Christ.” the needs of these students. It can Other chaplains have encountered test the ministry skills of campus resistance because the students have chaplains as they face infusing pre-conceived and incorrect ideas ministry to an increasingly pluralistic about Adventist beliefs and practices. student population. The good news Ndodanayothando Siwela, a chaplain is Adventist campus chaplains are at Adventville in the South Africa embracing this and finding new Union said, “They are afraid of their methods to serve this population parents who promise to disown them group on their campuses. if they change their beliefs.” Several chaplains shared the same WHY MINISTER? message of the chaplain who wrote, In a recent Adventist Chaplaincy “Students in my Bible study group Ministries survey among campus repeatedly point out the hypocrisy of chaplains, several shared their many Adventists on campus.” philosophy of ministry to students Others agreed with Andrés de Jesús who don’t practice Adventist beliefs. Ruíz Carballo, from the Asociación One wrote, “I want to practically Metropolitana Adventista Salvadoreña demonstrate the unconditional love of in the Inter-American Division. He Christ to every student on my campus.” said, “I want to reach the students The majority of survey responses with a relevant message according to included the belief that sharing Jesus their age.” with these students is imperative as a part of the ministry of the school. CHANGING TIMES CALL This is not unexpected. Sharing the FOR CHANGING METHODS hope that can be found in Jesus should Working with students today be uppermost in all of our minds and requires that you cannot assume hearts. One chaplain wrote, “I am they will have the same worldview convinced that to reach non-Adventist that students of previous generations 5 held. You must understand what their mentoring program where the student worldview is and then use relevant chooses a faculty or staff member means to address it. to serve as their spiritual mentor,” At Union College in Lincoln, says Carlson. “With the help of their Nebraska, Chaplain Rich Carlson mentor, the student chooses goals teaches a special section of the for four areas of their life to work on Christian Beliefs course that is during the year. Throughout the year, designed specifically for those who the mentor serves as the accountability may not be familiar with Adventist partner to the student.” At the end of beliefs. Adventist students aren’t all the school year, together they review allowed to enroll in this section. “I’ve the student’s progress. had atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, What do you do when students and Muslims as well as students from choose to pursue a degree, but have mainline denominations enroll,” says no interest in the spiritual component Carlson. “During the course, we of attending a Christian school. discuss each of the 28 fundamental “The situation on my campus is beliefs. As a class we explore how the peculiar,” writes Okan-Gbenedio Gift Adventist beliefs are the same and Okeoghene from Babcock University different than their faith tradition.” in Nigeria. “Our student population Carlson starts with the premise of over 10,000 is 90 percent non- that the Bible is the Word of God Adventist. Sadly, many of our Adventist and describes how the Old and New students are lost in the crowd.” Testaments complement each other. The student population at He explores with the students how Kettering College in Dayton, Ohio, you can walk into an Adventist church is similar. “Only 8-12 percent of our anywhere in the world and find a student population is Adventist,” says common worship experience. During Steve Carlson, the chaplain for the the semester, students are required school. “Our greatest challenge is that to visit two Adventist churches in the they aren’t coming because they want Lincoln metro area. to meet Jesus. They come because the All students at Union College have tuition is affordable, they live in the the opportunity to participate in the Greater Dayton area, and we offer the Heart Scan program offered each degree they are seeking.” academic year. “This is a spiritual Carlson takes the approach to make 6 "Our approach is to help them experience that God has wired us to serve others." the outreach so available that students 50-60.