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Because of our nation’s commitment to capitalism and the desire to be technologically advanced and leaders in the global business market, across the political and theological spectrum, most parents are interested in and committed to having their children go to college/university. Those students are also enculturated into valuing and wanting to go to college/university. And because of the extensive increase in remote learning, around 61% of students in the United States enroll in college following high school. Also, because of the global economy, and because the colleges/universities in the United States are some of the best in the world, large numbers of international students seek to attend colleges/universities here.
While things are continuously changing on college campuses, and while there are adults who attend college later in life, or those who attend after serving in the military, or those who attend graduate school, a constant for the majority of the population of colleges/universities, including international students, is the post-high school 18-24 year old student. For that age group who choose to attend college on a campus, it commonly means leaving home and relying on themselves for a myriad of decisions for the first time. Developing the self-discipline to navigate those decisions is a part of the maturing process. Having some sort of community to assist and provide support in this maturing process helps. For those students who have a religious faith, a campus ministry, commonly sharing the same faith as the student, provides that community and support.
Because there is a constant in the student population related to age, there is a constant in both psychological and faith development. That provides a constant of experience in campus ministry over the years. However, due to challenges never faced by previous generations, campus ministry currently being provided on college/university campuses across our nation has substantively changed.
My guest for this episode are here to help us understand those challenges and changes and to help give a deeper insight into campus ministry as it is happening now in our nation.
Sarah and Daniel Patiño lead the Seek Christian Community at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, or Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg, Virginia. Both Daniel and Sarah are graduates of Virginia Tech. To learn more about the Patiños and their ministry, visit www.vtseek.org.
The intro and outro music for this episode is from a clip of a song called ‘Father Let Your Kingdom Come’ which is found on The Porter’s Gate Worship Project Work Songs album and is used by permission by The Porter’s Gate Worship Project.