Reformission in University

First off, I think we have to acknowledge that it’s very hard to define a culture, because actually we’re talking about individuals – but I’m sure there must be some general traits that can help us. I want to think, based on my experiences of UK University life, the kind of cultures that are present there and how we can show those cultures that the gospel is relevant. I’ve been part of a mission team working at Sussex University for the last 3 years, perhaps my Uni was unique, but I think it will be similar in most places.

I reckon there’s 3 general types of people you’ll meet at University:

1. Success Driven – they want to get a first, looking for a career/well paid job
2. Idealistic – they want to change the world, there’s always a new cause to follow
3. Hedonist – they want to make the most of 3 years of freedom, live life with limits or rules

These categories are very broad, but I think most students to one degree or another will fall into one or several of these categories – nearly everyone will fit into category 3! So the question then is, how can we relate the gospel to these groups, these cultures? There’s two areas I want to think about doing this; how can we live in a way which models the gospel, and how can we speak about Jesus in a way which helps that culture to understand him clearly?