How a generation making a difference in Christian higher education

Today fewer divinity students are interested in traditional church roles such as senior pastor

. Instead they gravitate toward service work through organizations involved in an array of causes such as disaster relief, says Michael Palmer, dean of the divinity school at Regent University. He commissioned a task force to engage in a yearlong study of the trend after he began noticing more interest among his students and alumni in service work. The findings, presented this summer, were stunning, he says.

Well under half of Regent's divinity students aspired to traditional church roles. Regent already incorporates the theme of service work into some of its coursework, and the 6,000-student university in Virginia Beach, Va., offers service opportunities through organizations domestically and internationally.

Now, after the findings, Regent will revamp its offerings, adding academic programs, internships and missions trips that reflect the things students want to do, Palmer says. "For a seminary that's supposed to be preparing pastors, that's stunning," he says of the findings. "Compassion ministries, these not-for-profit organizations that are service-oriented, that is who the minister of the 21st century is."

Organizations such as the International Justice Mission and World Vision ACT:S are spreading across campuses. Events such as the Urbana and Passion conferences are attracting thousands of college-age youth.

A Faith and International Development Conference held in February and organized by students at Calvin College featured speakers that included Ron Sider, president of Evangelicals for Social Action. Azusa Pacific University has a department of global studies that sends students abroad on semester-long trips.

Fuller Theological Seminary has a School of Intercultural Studies and Indiana Wesleyan University offers an academic major in international and community development. Liberty University and Lee University also offer programs encouraging service work.

Technology and improved communications have led the way. Students today easily can reach across the globe through blogs, Skype and YouTube. They can observe the world as never before as it grows more multicultural. They want to be involved in this, and they feel their faith should be, too.

Religious leaders in developing nations also feel empowered to speak out and are doing so through better communications, better education and diminishing language barriers. Many students were raised in suburban communities.

They feel perhaps protected, and when they hear of problems through speakers at school or the media they want to be engaged in addressing those concerns. If you are looking for Christian schools in USA you can visit Christian Schools.

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How a generation making a difference in Christian higher education

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