What I Would Tell a Young Christian Faculty Member

Jesus has placed you in your academic position, and it is your mission field. He is there with you to be a light to your students and the entire academic community. I’d like to suggest three essential ways to make a difference in your academic mission field:

1. Know your students.
2. Let your students know something about you and that you have a Christian point of view.
3. Participate in CRU and Faculty Commons activities.

It has been my experience any student appreciates being treated as a person, not as a nameless face in class or faceless name on a roll sheet. Get to know as many students as you can by name and use their names in class and around campus. Also, learn something personal about each of your students, such as their favorite hobbies, sports teams, movies, etc. In general, connect with your students as persons.

Students also like to know about you. On the first day of class, take some time to introduce yourself as a person. You might want to create a PowerPoint that shows your hobbies, favorite movies, a picture of your church, you on a mission trip, etc. In this way, you tell them you have a Christian worldview without hitting anyone over the head with that view.

You might be surprised later in the term by a student who comes up to you and says, “I drove by your church on my way to a friend’s apartment.” When those interactions occur, you have opened the door for further discussions if desired.

I would also encourage you to connect with other like-minded faculty and staff. Attend Faculty Commons meetings on your campus and regionally in your area. You might be pleasantly surprised to meet other faculty from your department or other departments at these meetings. 

It would be time well spent to have coffee or lunch with them. You might want to invite each other to visit one another’s labs or research areas. These contacts are great for your own development, and they remind you that you are not the only Christian on campus.

I urge you to make connections with students, faculty, and staff without trying to push an agenda onto others. You could be pleasantly surprised with the outcome.