I've had a few people asking me lately if I'm excited about my new job at the University of Washington (what we in the northwest call U-dub). The answer I've given is that yes, it's an exciting opportunity, but I've been too stinking busy to think much about it. I forget how much I said about the position in previous posts, and honestly, I'm too lazy right now to go back and read them. Anway, here's a bit about it.

I will be a collegiate ministry strategist for the Seattle metro area, focusing on the UW campus. The local association of churches in my stream at some point in the past was given a large building right on Greek row adjacent to the campus, with 23 rentable rooms, meeting space, and a full commercial kitchen. The building was given for the specific purpose of collegiate ministry. Interns come to be a part of the ministry, and there is currently a new church start that uses the building for gatherings.

So, college ministry will be a big part of what I do. However, I'm not very interested in doing college ministry the way it's come to be known. I won't fire off blasts at other campus ministry orgs, in part because I think they do some good stuff. I just think they've developed some systems and approaches (styles of evangelism in particular) that are broken. It's my intention to get to know those people, pray for them, and be an encouragement . . . even while we set out to do something different.

One of the visions for this position that was described to me before I accepted it, is for us to develop a school of sorts within our building - a training and sending place for missional people of all varieties. Some will be future church planters, missionaries, and pastors, but my dream is for most of our "student" to be future accountants, travel agents, baristas, stay at home moms/dads, etc. In other words, normal folk with an intentionally missional framework. What the school will become is what I get to dream about and hopefully develop.

If this job were all about developing another nice campus Christian club where timid young believers go to hide out from the scary secular campus ideology, I would have walked away from the offer. Thankfully, there is more to it. I'm very hopeful and at times jump out of my skin with excitement. But it's scary too. There's no template in front of me, and there's a heckuva lot of work ahead to make it happen.

For now, I've got some administrative things to do to make sure that the dream can be a financially sustainable possibility. But in the near future, I want to assemble (physically or electronically) a team of dreamers that will help develop some ideas and motives for what we do. If you'd like to jump into the idea pool, send me an e-mail and I'll be in touch.