New Books on Campus Ministry

New Resources:   Search Google Books for Youth Ministry and you get nearly 8,000 titles. Campus ministry searches yield only a small fraction of that number.  This month we highlight four new titles with relevance to campus ministry.  Each book comes from a different context, but with information beneficial to anyone in campus ministry.

Campus Voices:  a Student to Student Guide to College Life by Paul Buchanan & Paula Miller (Regal).  This book targets new college students with short meditations written by Christian students about navigating the shift from high school to college.  For the campus minister it is a little window into the minds of college students and the angst over that move.  For students it offers spiritual encouragement and practical advice on topics from making friends to doing laundry. 

From Jay-Z to Jesus:  Reaching and Teaching Young Adults in the Black Church by Benjamin Stephens III & Ralph C. Watkins (Judson Press).  This book specifically addresses young adult ministry in the African American church. Most of the book, however translates to anyone working with young adults, especially college students.  The authors offer up Biblical reasons to particularly minister to the young adult generation and trace some of the developmental shifts that take place during this strategic time of life.  They also offer helpful insights into teaching this generation including personal stories written by young adults themselves.  This is a very useful book, particularly for those working in church base contexts.

The Word on Campus: a Guide to Public College Ministry by Kirk King with Ron Pickell.  Drawing on a collective 33 years of experience in a variety of campus ministry settings on the public college campus, Kirk and Ron have created a practical handbook for campus ministry.  They offer advice and insight into the biblical basis and content of ministry.   They look at students today and the connection between the church and campus in ministry. The also lift up 7 successful ministry models in a variety of contexts including church based, campus based, military focused and conference oriented efforts.  Pickell and King are ministers with the Seventh Day Adventist denomination, but this book holds relevance far beyond their denomination. 

Reaching the Campus Tribes by Benson Hines.  During his college ministry road trip that cris-crossed the nation a few times, Benson visited more than 180 campus ministries in 44 states.  Based on hundreds of interviews and hours of listening, Benson has put together much more of an inquiry than a handbook that explores a vision for "what could be" in campus ministry.  This compelling electronic book addresses the strategic transitory time of college and calls for a comprehensive plan for the church to take seriously the mission of reaching this particular "tribe" that inhabits the campuses of North America.   The book is available for free download at http://reachingthecampustribes.com/