Yesterday there was a historic strategy session regarding the possibility of giving every student at the University of Connecticut an opportunity to experience the love of Jesus Christ.



Impact Movements: Cornell, UCONN,

Impact at UCONN:
Sean: Growing up Catholic in Bridgeport Conn. Only Caucasians at mass. Saved in a ethnically diverse church. Crusade was too similar to all white. Sean wanted to see ministry at UCONN to be diverse. Years ago some black students were wronged by a Christian ministry. The African American Cultural Center is a hub of African American students on campus. The idea that Christians are unfriendly took root there. Sean was uniquely positioned to bridge the two communities.



We're doing a really good job of reaching out to white people, but we're missing significant people groups. We began Impact to address that. First semester was very difficult. Second semester it took off. 50-60 students.

There was a question of African Americans being segregated. But you cannot segregate what doesn’t exist. There was no ongoing structured discipleship of African Americans.

Impact at UCONN: trying to provide a home base for fellowship for African American and Urban Community

Our impact students are committed to reaching out to all students at UCONN. They were given a pledge about reaching African American Leaders. They couldn't sign it.

Our current Impact is urban and wants to remain so.

60% Black (American and Caribbean) ; 20% White;
Averages about 60-65

Urban = Hip Hop Culture; AACC parties; salsa, reggae; basketball, football; lower, middle class. Clothes, Hair. Micah was going to Urban events. When he started walking with the Lord he invited his friends in Urban culture to come to Bible study. They emphasized the word over worship and other culturally partisan forms.

Frat Parties feel comfortable with CCC.

Sean's church has many college students coming to a very small church. There is a teacher named Joe who has demonstrated love to Impact students and they trust him even though he is not an ethnic leader.

Diagram:
Contextualized ministry is a response to the world which is not unified. Contextualized ministry becomes the doorways into a Christ-centered community.



Policy of staff or intern placement in Orlando with Impact. What makes students not buy this strategy? They don't see why you would separate in order to lead. They also may be uncomfortable with the distance coaching strategy. Impact would say we have never reached African American Students. Also they would prove that this strategy is working because there are more Impact staff and movements now than 5 years ago.

Impact is the separate but connected African-American Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ.

One could envision an African American ministry culture in an AIA movement. Is it Impact? Or not?

If contextualized movements are critical, tools must be created and shared for contextualized ministry.

One danger would be to use UCONN as a flat model because the situation there is unique. Still principles may apply. The local staff team can be involved in bringing those tools.