Blog | Topic: Events
Apr 9, 2013
CPYU President, Walt Mueller, recently blogged about why CPYU started the College Transition Initiative and reminds readers to sign up for the FREE webinar being held on April 10 at 1:00pm (EST): “Helping Students Transition to College.”
Here’s an excerpt from Walt’s post:
“As parents, what messages do we want to intentionally pass on to our kids? And are we choosing those messages in ways that prepare them to follow, serve, and glorify God in the next chapter of their lives? Or, are we simply letting nature takes it course? We all know that they are swimming 24/7 in a soup filled with messages that shape what they think and how they live. . . not only what they think and live now, but what they will think and live for the rest of their lives.
One area of hindsight-fueled regret that I hear over and over and over again is related to how parents, youth workers, and churches have failed to prepare students for the transition from high school to college. Consider these little research snippets:
Only one in seven high school seniors report feeling prepared to face the challenges of college life.
Forty percent of college freshman report finding difficulty in finding a church or Christian fellowship group.
More than half (60%) of all Christian teens and twenty somethings leave active involvement in church.
It seems that all of us. . . in unison. . . are asking, ‘How can we do a better job to help students be more spiritually prepared for college. . . and the life that follows?'”
Read the rest of Walt’s post here.
Register for the FREE Webinar “Helping Students Transition to College” here.
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Apr 5, 2013
It’s that time of year… the College Transition Seminar will be making the rounds this spring, seeking to be a catalyst for more meaningful conversations about life and faith after high school. The “Seminar Tour” will kick-off in State College, PA (same place it started last year!), and eventually find its way to Ohio, Oklahoma, Connecticut and New York. But that’s not all, there will also be a tour stop in Alymer, Ontario, making this year’s tour INTERNATIONAL! Whoa.
There are still plenty of dates available. Please contact me if you have any questions about hosting a seminar at your church or school. If you already have a date in mind, go ahead and fill-out the Seminar Request Form.
Here are the scheduled events for 2013:
April 10: Webinar, “Helping Students Transition to College” (register)
April 13: Abba Java House, State College, PA (details)
April 20: First Friends Church, Canton, OH (details)
April 21: Asbury UMC, Tulsa, OK (details)
April 27: City Church, Williamsport, PA (details)
May 3-4: Mount Salem E.M. Church, Alymer, Ontario (details)
May 18: Black Rock Church, Fairfield, CT (details)
June 1: Argyle Presbyterian Church, Argyle, NY (details)
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Apr 2, 2013
Wednesday, April 10: 1:00pm – 1:30pm (EDT)
According to recent research by the Fuller Youth Institute only 1 in 7 high school seniors report feeling prepared to face the challenges of college life. The mission of CPYU’s College Transition Initiative (CTI) is to help students (and parents) to be more spiritually prepared for life after high school. This webinar conversation between CPYU president Walt Mueller and CTI director Derek Melleby will help you better understand the resources CTI provides. Derek will also suggest a 3-week youth group meeting curriculum to use with high school seniors.
REGISTER HERE
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Feb 20, 2013
The annual Jubilee Conference was held this past weekend in Pittsburgh, PA. The conference brings together college students (2,000+) to explore the implications of the Gospel for all of life. And by all of life, I mean, well, all of life. There were breakout sessions on just about everything: education, business, history, art, dance, social sciences, athletics, weather forecasting… And that’s just looking at one page of the program (p. 25)! But that’s not all. The main sessions of the conference challenged students to consider the biblical story as the True story of the world. Each gathering took a closer look at the key chapters of the Story (Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration) and then invited students to find their place in the biblical story. “Inviting students to find their place in the biblical story” is currently in vogue, but the Jubilee Conference and the college ministry (CCO) that sponsors the event has been doing it for many years. This was my 12th Jubilee overall, and for the second straight year, I had privilege of being co-emcee with my good friend Dave Bindewald.
The conference never ceases to amaze me. Words can’t express how much of an honor it is to be a part of it. The students are always eager to learn and energized to serve. The speakers are remarkably gifted at taking complicated concepts and making them accessible to young adults. Stories of redemption are told that encourages and equips students to want to make a difference in the world, but not without first talking honestly and openly about the reality of sin. In fact, an entire main session is devoted to discussing the Fall. The worship music is as good as I’ve ever heard. Not only is the quality excellent but the depth and diversity is profound. And, of course, Byron and Beth Borger of Hearts & Minds provide the biggest and best bookstore I have ever seen, reminding students that the “Jubilee vision” is not just a weekend experience.
Every year, amidst the splendid chaos of it all, I find a few minutes to reflect. This year my reflections took me to my work directing the College Transition Initiative, particularly to the students (and parents) I meet right before they head off to college. During the closing worship of the Saturday evening session, I was praying for high school seniors heading to college this fall. My prayer is that they catch a vision like the one provided by Jubilee early on in their college experience; that they know that it is possible to live-out their Christian faith on campus; and that they find a community of friends and mentors that will bring them along in the faith. I found myself, once again, reciting one of my favorite prayers from the Book of Common Prayer (For Young Persons):
God our Father, you see your children growing up in an unsteady and confusing world: Show them that your ways give more life than the ways of the world, and that following you is better than chasing after selfish goals. Help them to take failure, not as a measure of their worth, but as a chance for a new start. Give them strength to hold their faith in you, and to keep alive their joy in your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen. And, Amen!
*Photos courtesy of Andrew Rush.
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Dec 6, 2012
On Tuesday evening, CTI hosted a “Christmas Shoppin Drop-in” fundraiser. Byron and Beth Borger of Hearts & Minds Bookstore provided an opportunity for friends to purchase books with the proceeds going toward the ongoing ministry of CPYU/CTI. A good time was had by all. (The picture is a stack of books from one happy customer!) During the evening someone said to me: “I love getting a book for Christmas. And, you know, I love giving a book for Christmas!” It’s true for me too. I love when I see a book under the tree. And, I love deciding on books to give to friends and family.
I’ve been thinking about the best books I’ve been given and have given. The first book that comes to mind was from my brother-in-law. He was studying in London, England for a semester and made a special trip to Westminster Abbey to have N.T. Wright sign a copy of The Challenge of Jesus (European edition). This was before Dr. Wright became the mega-seller-author (and somewhat controversial theologian) that he is today. It’s one of my favorite possessions.
As for books I’ve loved to give as gifts, three come to mind rather quickly: the novel Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry (I even gave one to my barber); Finding Calcutta: What Mother Teresa Taught Me About Meaningful Work and Service by Mary Poplin; and To End All Wars by Ernest Gordon. I have easily given dozens of copies of each of these books as gifts over the last ten years. Wow. That’s a lot of money come to think of it!
Tis the season for giving gifts and I’d like to give away a FREE book. Here’s how it works: Answer the question below in the comment section. There needs to be at least 5 comments to qualify. Winner will be chosen randomly from the list of participants on Tuesday, December 11.
What is one of the best books you have received as a gift and what is one of the best books you have given as a gift?
(Only one comment per person, please. The winner will be given a list of FREE books to choose from!)
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