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United Campus Ministry papers, 1970-1972

Introduction

INTRODUCTION

   "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?" That is always the question of the church. How shall we do the ministry of the Lord in a land of hostility, of affluence, of practicality, where secularism and power are the realities of men's lives and everything is "disposable" --  even people? To do ministry -- that is the church's task. And in every age, in every place it chooses forms which will let it be heard singing the Lord's song.

   In Iowa the church has chosen as one of its forms the United Campus Christian Ministry. This  is the form by which United Presbyterians, United Church of Christ, Church of the Brethren, Disciples, and American Baptists seek to do their ministry  in higher education --  as one ministry. As representatives of the five denominations on a state level and expressing itself through centers at University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University and Drake University, UCCM is the church doing ministry to this people in this time.

   To focus that ministry, UCCM has appropriated four historical offices of the church and talks about its Prophetic, Structural, Pastoral and Priestly functions. With the rest of the church, these are the roles it plays, the hats it wears in responding to the Gospel and in meeting the needs of human beings.

   Inside each of these offices UCCM keeps asking the question of relevance and immediacy --  "How can we be prophets, today; how are we priests, today?" And we respond by laying out goals, ways of doing ministry which are responding to the present situation, measurements by which we can determine, "Has something really happened because we have been here?"

   And these lead us to specific ministry. Each goal is translated into program year and day by day. Counselling, studying, supporting, interpreting, challenging, praying, and all individual acts of ministry give immediate and personal expression of the offices to which we have been called and the goals which we attempt to reach. By this men will know that we have sung the Lord's song in this land!

Saving...

INTRODUCTION "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?" That is always the question of the church. How shall we do the ministry of the Lord in a land of hostility, of affluence, of practicality, where secularism and power are the realities of men's lives and everything is "disposable" -- even people? To do ministry -- that is the church's task. And in every age, in every place it chooses forms which will let it be heard singing the Lord's song. In Iowa the church has chosen as one of its forms the United Campus Christian Ministry. This is the form by which United Presbyterians, United Church of Christ, Church of the Brethren, Disciples, and American Baptists seek to do their ministry in higher education -- as one ministry. As representatives of the five denominations on a state level and expressing itself through centers at University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University and Drake University, UCCM is the church doing ministry to this people in this time. To focus that ministry, UCCM has appropriated four historical offices of the church and talks about its Prophetic, Structural, Pastoral and Priestly functions. With the rest of the church, these are the roles it plays, the hats it wears in responding to the Gospel and in meeting the needs of human beings. Inside each of these offices UCCM keeps asking the question of relevance and immediacy -- "How can we be prophets, today; how are we priests, today?" And we respond by laying out goals, ways of doing ministry which are responding to the present situation, measurements by which we can determine, "Has something really happened because we have been here?" And these lead us to specific ministry. Each goal is translated into program year and day by day. Counselling, studying, supporting, interpreting, challenging, praying, and all individual acts of ministry give immediate and personal expression of the offices to which we have been called and the goals which we attempt to reach. By this men will know that we have sung the Lord's song in this land!