What Can One Person Do?

A few years ago I was speaking to a small group of people about our CLM ministry among faculty and staff on college campuses. One of the gentlemen who was there mentioned he had recently retired as a faculty member at a university in Michigan. After describing a bit about what he had accomplished during his career, he immediately inquired, "Mike, what would you have encouraged me to do when I was a professor? After all, what can one person do on a campus?"

I spent the next few minutes sharing with him some of the things we communicate with university personnel. I included some of the following items:

1. When introducing yourself and your background to your students at the start of each semester, you could mention that your faith in Christ is an important part of your life.
2. In your office, you could display on your desk or a wall a book or item or decoration that makes evident your commitment to Christ. Then, keep some appropriate reading material available to offer to students and colleagues if/when they express interest.
3. You could gather weekly or monthly with other Christian faculty and administrative staff over breakfast or lunch, for a time of sharing, study, discussion and prayer for God to be at work in your lives and on your campus
4. You could join with other like-minded faculty and staff to place an ad in the school newspaper identifying yourselves as a believer in Christ.
5. You could invite your graduate students over for dinner and begin to develop a positive personal relationship with them. This can be especially helpful to internationals.
6. You could disciple a younger faculty member, encouraging and mentoring him/her to become effective in their faith as well as in the academy.
7. You could show the love of Christ in the way you interact with colleagues and students, praying for them by name each week, and looking for ways to serve and minister to them.
8. You could be a voice of reason by demonstrating ways in which your biblically-rooted faith and your academic discipline are integrated -- showing how all truth is God's truth.

When I finished this admittedly brief list of many creative possibilities, the gentleman sat quietly for awhile. Finally, he said, "I wish I'd known some of these ideas before I retired. If I had taken advantage of them, my career as a professor would have been much more meaningful."

Of course hindsight is always 20:20, isn't it? May none of us look back and feel burdened by "what I could have done." But what *can* one person do? Well, with God's resources, we can do all things. Let's trust Him together for a great year where He is glorified.

Scripture: Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

Action Point: What are your plans this semester to make your faith known to those around you? Ask God for wisdom and the opportunity. He will give you both.

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