Week 7: Church vs. Campus>>>Trenton Prieshoff

1. I think the most blatant difference is the age gap. On campus, we have very few interactions with anyone very much older or very much younger than us. In church, however, we will need to be adept at communicating with everyone, from the very elderly to the smallest children.

2. Another one which is very closely related to the first is that on campus we are around people who have many of the same views and ideals as us. While we might all disagree about how to go about doing anything, because we are from the same generation, we generally agree on several key distinctives of the postmodern generation (ie, evangelism should not be forced and needs to involve relationship, tolerance and peace are of utmost importance) In the church, we will confront people of many worldviews, even ones we don't yet understand as the next generation is coming up.

3. Shared experience is another. On campus, we can (if we wanted to) strike up a conversation with anyone because if nothing else, we all have very specific shared experiences (ie, we don't like Baldwin, McConn is great, chapel was alright today, homework, professors, living in the dorms, UNV-180, etc.). In the church, we do not spend every waking moment with the same groups of people. We have to be very deliberate in creating shared experiences in order to have the same comeraderie.

4. On campus, there is a lot of drama and conflict flares up quickly. Because it is a generally small campus, you can't avoid someone you have a problem with forever. In the church, there is also a lot of drama and conflict flares up quickly. However, because of the limited interaction, that conflict can brew much longer to a point that when it finally does explode, it is nearly impossible to manage.

5. A common element is this: People are people. If you are bad at confronting people now, you will be bad at it in the church. If you cannot mediate conflict now, you will not be able to mediate it in the church. Everyone likes free food and everyone likes a chance to get out.