If you have ever been involved in a college ministry you have heard a "gray area" talk: most likely on drinking alcohol or dating :)
I listened to perhaps the best talk I've heard for CCC staff on gray areas today. I wish I could share the audio with you but since it was not recorded I wanted to share three elements that made it great.
1. Biblically-driven: this is a no-brainer to most campus ministry people, but in practice it can often get lost. I've been apart of many talks that start with the Word but end up espousing personal preferences and generational norms. I was impressed by the entire talk was tied to the Word, and not in a way that authorized man-made rules but revealed how rules and policies connect with God's heart.
2. Humorous: Rules and policy talks put everyone on edge; humor relieves a lot of that tension. It was helpful that the humor was spread out throughout the talk and intentionally placed at tension points within the talk.
3. Transparent: The reason this talk was so rare was that the speaker actually shared specific examples where upper level leadership made mistakes. It seemed to build a bridge between the "rule makers" and the "rule keepers". Especially with postmoderns this part is huge.
photo courtesy of kevinsteele
