cover page
Table of Contents
Some Basics
Who We Are and Why We're Here
The Learning Culture: Tangent Surfing
The Community Culture: Building a Front Porch
Gift-Skills-Passions Assessment
TFB College Leadership Team
Leadership Application
NOTE: If you have any comments, corrections, additions, questions, whatever, please use the comments link at the bottom of this page, or email the author.
Some Basics
The College Group meets on Sunday mornings at 11am for Collegium (a.k.a. Sunday School) and on Tuesday nights at 7:30 pm for the Bible Discussion small group. New small groups are formed as often as desire and leadership permit.
On Sunday morning time there is a teaching time led primarily by collegians (1 hour total). The Tuesday Spiritual Discussion small group is guided by a teacher-facilitator and often resembles Mr. Toad’s wild ride, but with bibles.
The weekly online newsletter allows away students not only to know what is happening, but also to participate and “distance learn” if they so choose.
Leadership is provided by college ministry staff and a student leadership team.
Who We Are and Why We're Here
The goal of the TFB college ministry is to guide collegians to know the story, be the people, and expand the kingdom.
Knowing the story. The story is much more than a timeline or a series of bible lessons. It begins with everything in the Bible, and includes all we do in God’s Kingdom. Knowing the story is understanding the truth about life this side of eternity and the truth about God’s work in the world.
Being the people. Follower-learners today are part of the people of God that includes all follower-learners of all times and places. The people of God are unified not by their similarity to each other but by their relationship to God in Christ by the Spirit. Son, in the people of God unity is primary, diversity is celebrated, and division is unthinkable.
Expanding the kingdom. The kingdom expands when follower-learners go deep, becoming more and more like Jesus. The kingdom expands in when follower-learners go wide, telling the story to all who will listen and challenging listeners to become follower-learners.
Three intentions flow from these understandings.
We intend to be so certain of Jesus’ continuing presence that we are free to tell God and each other the true story about ourselves.
We intend to expand God’s kingdom by recognizing, preparing for, and participating in God’s continuing story.
We intend to expand God’s kingdom by working together to tell God’s Story to all who will listen and by challenging listeners to become followers.
The following chart summarizes the TFB College Ministry goals and intentions.
Ministry Model
The Learning Culture: Tangent Surfing
TFB College Ministry learns by tangent surfing. Another name for tangent surfing might be ‘discussion’, but compared to ‘tangent surfing’ that simply sounds much too droll. The chart below explains the basics of tangent surfing, but for those who prefer words:
The first key to tangent surfing is to ensure that the main point has sufficient gravitational force. The main point has sufficient gravitational force when it is compelling, challenging, and intentionalized.
Basically, tangent surfing leverages distractions by using them to obtain alternate perspectives of the main topic. Tangents do not include side talk and interruptions. Both of these are disrespectful and rude, and members are expected to hold each another accountable. Tangents are parallel ideas, clarifying questions, and side road explorations.
The second key to tangent surfing is listening. Listening is an important show of respect for others. It honors them and their ideas. It is also absolutely necessary. In a group of five, each person should be listening 80% of the time. That’s a lot of listening, and listening is tough.
Now, all this explanation only scratches the surface. Practice brings true understanding, and even then it is a work in progress.
tangent
Building a Front Porch: Some Theory and Theology
Anyone who has ever watched the Andy Griffith Show knows the value of a front porch. On that porch Andy, Aunt Bea, Opie, and their friends shared life and community. The porch was a comfortable place where family, friends, and passersby were comfortable. People are still looking for front porches, and church is one place they look.
A front porch has two sides. One side is toward the house and the other is toward the street. This obvious architectural feature of a front porch is much like relational space. In his book, The Search to Belong, Joseph Myers describes four relational spaces: public, social, personal, and intimate. Public and social spaces take place street-side. In public space people connect through outside influences, such as hobbies or work interests, while in social space, they connect as neighbors. Personal and intimate spaces take place house-side. In personal space people connect through private experiences, feelings, and thoughts, while in intimate space they connect through (physically or emotionally) naked experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
The front porch is a transitional space between the public/social space of the street and the personal/intimate space of the house. Front porch activities provide opportunities for connection with no strings attached; on the front porch people are treated as an end in themselves. Some front porch activities lean toward the house, while others lean toward the street. On the front porch, this comfort is created by the mutual love, wise conduct, and gracious speech of the persons belonging to the house.
Love is the distinguishing feature of house-side conduct according to John 13:31-35. In verses 34-35, Jesus gives a new command: he tells his disciples to love one another as he has loved them. Jesus tells his disciples that this love is the ultimate evidence for their discipleship. Mutual love helps make church an honestly comfortable place house-side.
Wise behavior and gracious speech are the distinguishing features of street-side conduct according to Colossians 4:5-6. Those not yet belonging to the house are to be treated in a way that shows practical and realistic knowledge of them as persons. Such conduct makes the best use of each opportunity and respects persons as persons. In addition, the words spoken by those belonging to the house must be pleasant and attractive, consisting of gentle answers that are relevant and make sense. Wise conduct and gracious speech help make church an honestly comfortable place street-side.
So, how does one go about building a front porch? The first priority is the spiritual maturity of those belonging to the house. Those who are mature will practice mutual love, wise conduct, and gracious speech. The second priority is to design social events that create space for relationship to happen naturally, where relating is an end in itself. When loving people is our highest priority, community will naturally follow, because humans were created for relationship (Gen. 1:26-27).
References
Myers, Joseph R. The Search to Belong: rethinking intimacy, community, and small groups. Grand Rapids: Zondervan/EmergentYS, 2003.
Front Porch Diagram
Gift-Skills-Passions Assessment
We encourage everyone to complete an assessment; those in leadership must complete an assessment and meet with staff in the first month of participation.
1)Spend some time in prayer.
a) Thank God for making you in his image and for gifting you to do his work
b) Ask him to help you to remember and to think clearly as you work through the questions.
2)Write out short stories or descriptions in answer to the following.
a) What are some things you enjoy doing?
b) What can you talk about for hours without being bored?
c) What do others say you do well?
d) What are some of your accomplishments that have produced great satisfaction?
e) What things do people seek your help on?
f) What have you done that helped others be more like Jesus?
3)Read through your stories and descriptions. What trends do you notice?
4)Spend some time in prayer.
a) Tell God what you’ve found.
b) Thank him for those gifts, skills, and passions.
c) Ask him for wisdom to know how he wants to use them.
Once you have worked through the assessment, meet with a college staff person to share what you have discovered and to think through how you might practice and develop your gifts, skills, and passions.
Which do you think needs developing? Agree to read one ministry book this year and write a one page response paper (summary, impact on you, plans).
TFB College Leadership Team
Why a leadership team? First, the TFB College ministry is not run by staff (though the staff participate as part of the leadership team). Second, and more important, God called us all into community, to walk together in the way of Jesus. We have a leadership team because it is a very important way that we walk together.
As in any organized group of human, certain tasks must be done. Leadership does not revolve around these necessary tasks, though, but around the gifts, skills, and passions that staff and leaders bring to the team. The gifts, skills, and passions assessment in the back of the handbook can help you determine how you can serve.
Relationship is the core of leadership, so students should be members of TFB College Ministry for three months before applying for leadership. This gives the group time to know the individual and the individual time to know the group.
Another important part of relationship is participation. Those on the leadership team are expected to participate in a College Ministry small group and the Sunday Collegium. Also, leaders should participate in at least one-third of activities outside of Collegium and small groups.
The leadership team meets monthly for at least one hour. The normal agenda is as follows:
Prayer and devotional
Evaluation: How well are we meeting our intentions?
- As individuals
- As staff
- As a leadership team
- As a ministry: People and Programs
Leaders help others participate by gathering task teams to carry out ministry. Many must belong before they can believe, and a good way to introduce people to Jesus is to live life in front of them. Ministry is one way to do that. Everyone, including those who have not decided to trust and follow Jesus, are encouraged to participate in tasks that do not involve direct, person-to-person ministry. We limit the participation of those who have not decided to trust and follow Jesus, because knowing the story, being the people, and expanding the kingdom is central to our ministry. All who have decided to trust and follow Jesus may participate in person-to-person ministry.
Team members agree to a specific length of service (school year, summer, calendar year, or school term). Early departure from term results in team-agreed consequences.
Leadership Application
If you are interested in joining the leadership team, you must provide an evidence report. The report should be a typed, double-spaced, 12-point font, one-inch margin paper with good grammar and spelling. The report will be prayerfully considered by the college leadership and staff.
1)Write a one page description of your BOLD current God story.
2)Evaluate how well the college ministry is living out our three intentions.
a) In at least a half-page, evaluate how well you think the college group is fulfilling its intentions.
- To be so certain of Jesus’ continuing presence that we are free to tell God and each other the true story about ourselves.
- To expand God’s kingdom by recognizing, preparing for, and participating in God’s continuing story.
- To expand God’s kingdom by working together to tell God’s Story to all who will listen and challenging listeners to become followers.
a) Someone you are coaching.
b) Someone who is coaching you.
4)List three fellow collegians and describe the gifts, skills, and passions of each.
5) For each of the following, write two questions that you think the church must answer. (Note: this is NOT a test, so relax.)
a) Holy Spirit
b) Christ
c) Salvation
d) Church
6) In a half page or less, describe how you read and study the bible.
a) How?
b) How often?
c) Why?
7) Describe any TFB participation beyond college group
8) It is important to have a good reputation in the local church. Please provide the name and contact information of a non-college ministry, non-family TFBer
9) Complete the Gifts-Skills-Passions Assessment and meet with staff in the first month of your participation on the team.
a) Which do you think needs developing?
b) Agree to read one ministry book this year and write a one page response paper (summary, impact on you, plans for further development).
10) Who helped you gather this evidence? At the end of your evidence report, fill in this sentence: “Thank you to ___________________ for helping me gather my evidence.
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