If you’re with me so far, we’ve discussed engaging your campus with the Gospel as: understanding your campus culture, loving your campus with Christ’s love, and being willing to do battle with it for Christ’s cause. These are primarily attitudes and perspectives that provide a context for the Gospel.
The Gospel has two dimensions: proclamation and demonstration. The proclamation of the Gospel is evangelism. It simply means talking to people about Jesus and inviting them to receive Him as their Lord and Savior. Although this may be the easiest part to understand, it is the most difficult to do — we don’t want to look intolerant or super spiritual. We may also not know how to witness with integrity and spiritual sensitivity.
One way in which many InterVarsity groups have continued to witness with integrity and spiritual sensitivity is through “2+ evangelism.” This concept basically asks every committed member of an InterVarsity group to pray daily for two students who are not yet believers. The desire is that this daily prayer will lead people to befriend those two students and share the claims of Christ with them. Last year at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, l3 students became Christians as part of an intentional 2+ outreach of the IV chapter there. If you’re unfamiliar with this concept or want more information, get in touch with your staff member, who will gladly help you out.
The second dimension of the Gospel, demonstration, deals with our calling to acts of justice and righteousness. These acts are both a means and an end. They are a means for witness — they involve us with people and issues of great importance, like homelessness and racism. Through them, we can be salt and light to our campuses and attract people to the Lord. However, they are also an end in themselves — even if no one sees them, they are part of Christian discipleship in reflecting the character of our righteous and just Lord.
Desiring to demonstrate the Gospel, many InterVarsity chapters have joined up with local projects (soup kitchens, homeless shelters), Habitat For Humanity, anti-rape associations, and anti-pornography groups. For example, Harvard’s IV group took a public stand against the university’s progress on racial issues last year. Other groups have been involved in tutoring projects. Although we don’t have to start our own separate endeavors to demonstrate the Gospel, we must remember that it is important for members of the fellowship to be actively involved with social concerns.
The Apostle Paul said, in 2 Corinthians 4, that the Gospel is the treasure and we are the earthen vessels chosen to carry it. I am continually amazed that the Lord has chosen us to be His messengers of reconciliation to a lost world. Ultimately, however, it is God’s power that brings people to Himself.
Thus, campus engagement is both an act of witness and worship. It should be centered on the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins, and that there is “none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” I urge you to keep the person, teachings, and saving work of Christ central to all elements of campus engagement.