BJU to change its Sunday morning format: "BJU will eliminate its Sunday morning service on campus"

Good for them.

Makes sense to me.

• 
  Students get out to local churches … opportunities to serve


• 
  Churches … wow … fine young adults out in local churches … worshipping with serving there

One of the reasons given for church on campus in the old days was the challenge of local churches absorbing thousands of BJU students into their buildings on Sunday morning along with providing transportation for those students. Today there are considerably fewer students than when I was there and many more of them have personal transportation. Personally, I think it’s a great move. Let’s pray that the churches will minister to these students and not just let them fill their pews.

And Ron, I think churches will rise to the occasion for students who have no transportation. Without that knowledge, I don’t think BJU would have made the change.

The pastors were consulted before the decision was made. I think it is a great step in the right direction of emphasizing the local church ministry, and it also lets the faculty and staff get more consistently involved in a local church.

I have often criticized BJU for this, so now it only fair that I recognize this major change. Great to hear BJU - great decision.

Kudos. A good opportunity for students to get more practical experience. Most upperclassmen were already doing this - morning services on campus were attended mostly by freshmen (required) and some faculty anyway.

This is fantastic. And Ron, the increase of students with cars not only cuts down on the number of people needing rides, it increases the rides available for those who still need them since students can ride with other students.

I am speaking as someone who has experienced very directly the problem this could create. For several years I helped a local (Greenville) church plant to a specific minority group. I was there to help them get a stable children’s ministry going. The problem was the students (and they were great) were only there when school was in session so at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and in the summer the ministry was not able to continue to reach the children. We had a ministry that was based on the BJU students being the workers. I know the criticisms of this, but in reality we didn’t have the people to fill in and work the ministry. Now the ministry has the people and also don’t have as many children coming. The problem could be that the students will fill the pews and the positions of ministry and then leave empty holes when they leave. Some of them will suck out of the church and never support the church in service, finances, etc. Having been involved with the students for many years in children’s ministries, as the BJU has lightened the on church requirements there have been fewer and fewer that sought to minister. Bad training and teaching by parents and pastors or were the one’s before only serving because they wanted out of church???? I don’t know, but what I do know is I think the churches’ first obligation should be to reaching our local community. I hope the students will become more involved then many currently are, but that they won’t overwhelm a church.

My experience in Bible college was just like that. Students get involved, which is good, but then a vacuum is created when students leave. Not good.

….will they be allowed to attend the church of their choice or will there be an “approved” list?

(I’m betting I already know the answer.)

[Dan Burrell]

….will they be allowed to attend the church of their choice or will there be an “approved” list?

(I’m betting I already know the answer.)

You know the answer, kind of. There is a non-approved list and there is a recommended list. There could be churches somewhere in between.

….will they be allowed to attend the church of their choice or will there be an “approved” list?\

Out of curiosity Dan, does a place like Liberty (where I think you teach some) allow students to attend anywhere?

I’d like to see the churches ministering TO the students that will be attending their churches by including them into the church community instead of seeing them as a fresh supply of choir members, nursery and youth workers, etc.