Life On Mission After College: From Campus to Workplace
By: Scott Knecht, Resonate Cheney
Everywhere you go, people need Jesus. No matter what season of life you are in, you will always be around the lost. Obviously some places have higher densities of lost people, but I would bet you can always find someone to minister to. As a young professional in Resonate church, I’ve learned to fully embrace this fact. I’m always around the lost whether at work, the store, village, or even Sunday gathering.
It’s true that college is a unique time in your life. You’re learning to be independent while figuring out what you believe and what you’ll do with your adult life. As a church, we believe that college students are worth pursuing. Every college student should have an opportunity to hear the good news of the Gospel in these formative years. As an owner of Resonate Church, I believe this with all my heart. At the same time, I am called to cultivate and build in the workplace. I see the extreme value in pursuing college students yet I have a distinct call to work in the world where people are in different stages of life. These people still need Jesus, but their availability and curiosity are often different than college students.
I’ve heard workplace ministry referred to as the ‘long game.’ Things just move slower. People are often settled in their rhythms. They have families, mortgages, and a lot to juggle. The risks are higher for them to walk away from the life they have established for themselves. Getting coworkers to take time out of their routine can be hard and I’ve had my fair share of failures at engaging people. But I’ve come to believe it’s the day in, day out, doing life together that is building bridges to gospel conversations. Each day I’m around my coworkers doing life with them and we’re building relationships. I may be the only image of Christ in their lives. So daily I try to be the light to them, praying that the Lord will open up doors for conversation.
Being a part of a church that is directed towards college students can be uncomfortable for the full time worker. There are church events where I am the oldest person in the crowd. At times I have felt pulled in two directions. While living around college students and witnessing the power of Christ transforming young lives, my days are spent in the workplace around people who also need Jesus. It took a few years for me to realize that my time at work wasn't time away from the mission, it was just mission in a different location. Understanding that I can’t always be apart of events on campus was crucial for me. When I realized my mission looks different, it settled my heart.
While our focus is on college students, everything we preach is applicable to the entire world. The gospel is for all people, of all ages, of all backgrounds. And our call as believers in Jesus Christ is to go to the nations (Matthew 28:16-20). Jesus calls us to go out into the world to preach the gospel, and this includes the college campus, but also everywhere else. Our church equips and encourages me to be on mission in my community. Young professionals are challenged to go create community in their spaces and help people experience Christ through community. The mission of Resonate Church applies to every stage of life. College students need an example of life on mission outside the college campus so that they are equipped to continue the mission wherever they are called. The Christian life is not about being comfortable in a church community where everyone looks like you, it’s about being missional.
