Last week I did a three post series on Why_We_Do: Campus, Church, and Community. Today I want to tie it all together with two addendum's.
Addendum 1: Campus, Church, and Community are a convenient way of organizing and talking about what we do as an organization, but it is helpful to think of these categories using a good-old Venn Diagram. Each one speaks to the others, informs the others, and, ideally, bleed into each other. These are not siloed values. In fact, a lot of times students can hide in one of these environments and that can be detrimental to their growth and health. For example, a student with an activist bent might be drawn to our "community" programs and avoid church. Or another student might "hide" in church to avoid engaging the scary campus. We try hold all three in tension, or in conversation, allowing each environment to inform how we approach and engage the others.
Addendum 2: This is what we do as an organization, but it is not who we are. This reality is especially important when dealing with students individually. Sojourn exists to help students on their journey back to God, to call them to tell a better story with their lives. A better story is defined and shaped by Jesus, by growing into his likeness. Yes, it is important to be engaged with the church, on campus, and in the community, but busyness and activities are not how we measure growth and maturity.
I find these disclaimers, or addendum's, to be helpful reminders that we are not (organizationally and individually) defined by what we do. Church, community, and campus help us organize and know what to say "yes" to, but they are not the ends to which we aspire.
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