Date of Award

3-2014

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Department

Seminary

First Advisor

Dr. Laura Simmons

Second Advisor

Dr. Guy Chmieleski

Abstract

"The Bible recounts how God has used people of all ages and backgrounds to advance His purposes. Many of the most remarkable events of the biblical story involved young people. It should not be surprising to find that in recent centuries, many of the greatest things God has done to fulfill the Great Commission have been done with university students." —David Howard

University students on campuses today will be leaders tomorrow. According to recent statistics, there are approximately 150 million college students in the world today, roughly 2% of the world’s population. Though this may be a small fraction of the planet, it is strategically important. Evangelizing students now will impact the future. As the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, Bill Bright, said over and over again, “If you reach the campus today, you will win the world tomorrow.” How can Cru in the Pacific Southwest best reach college students around the world with the good news of Jesus Christ? The answer is simple: send other college students to take that message to them. Currently, there are only 285 students involved in short-term missions each year from our region. How can Cru in the Pacific Southwest send more of the 4,500 students in our ministry into short-term international missions? This study will address why it is important to focus on sending students to reach students with the gospel, show how this has been effectively done in the past, and address barriers students currently face as they consider the practicality of short-term missions. Each chapter of this dissertation begins with a narrative of how young people have impacted global evangelization. Chapter One provides a basic introduction to the strategic nature of evangelizing university students, and an overview of the main obstacles students face as they consider short-term missions. Chapter Two explores theological and biblical foundations for reaching young people and sending them into the mission field. Chapter Three recounts a history of university students who have made a global difference in missions. Chapter Four addresses in detail the general barriers students face as they consider short-term missions. Chapter Five presents results found through qualitative analysis on how the barriers students face in missions affect those in the context of the ministry of Cru in the Pacific Southwest. Finally, Chapter Six offers tangible and practical solutions and resources for students who are going into missions. The results of this study not only provide key insights into the unique contribution university students have made in global missions throughout history, but give specific direction and resources Cru can use to help students participate in missions.

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