A couple weeks back I was reminded of a blog one of my friends wrote during our time in college together. As I read back through some of the posts it was fun to reminisce of our times together and remember all that God did during those years. I read through worship song lyrics we had written, recollections of powerful prayer meetings, and humorous stories that brought back great memories.

As I thought about those college years and the close friendships formed among those in our BASIC group I realized just how much the culture of our group changed each of our lives. We were a unique mix of people from very different backgrounds, but we were all united by one thing - a deep desire to see God move on our campus.

We didn’t all come into college with that desire though. As one person started a prayer meeting, another challenged us to fast for 40 days, and we confronted each other in love when correction was needed, the spiritual atmosphere began to change. It was as if we experienced the closest thing possible to the community of the first church in the book of Acts.

Looking back I realize that getting immersed in a culture changes you.

As the new year begins students will either be immersed in the typical college culture of alcohol, hookups, and partying, or they will be a part of a culture that challenges them to live for something greater. So, as you plan for the fall I want to give you a few questions to ponder.

Have you been praying for the culture of your ministry?
Are you asking God to give students a burden to reach the campus this semester?
What are you doing to inspire students to form strong community?

My heart is that you would see students spurring each other on, growing deep in their faith, and leading many to Christ. Don’t underestimate the power of prayer and the impact you can have in setting the tone for your ministry’s culture!

Please share in the comments if there is anything you’ve done that has been especially beneficial for building community and setting the tone for your ministry’s culture.