Freshman Life Revisited

As I got into the elevator in my dorm, I started to wonder what the topic of conversation would be over lunch with Lenny. He had been having a tough quarter; he and his roommate had not been getting along too well, he wasn’t doing well in his classes and was feeling overwhelmed by his job and schoolwork. I had been meeting with him to hang out and eat lunch about twice a week to let him know I was there for support. After all, I thought, that’s part of my job as a small group leader. Walking to his room, I knew that he was probably in the middle of another tough week, and as I got out of the elevator to walk to his room, I began thinking about what his day had been like and how I would try to be a friend to him in a time of need. That’s when it hit me. How many freshmen, or sophomores or juniors for that matter, have someone nearby in their building to talk to or hang out with when they need someone? As I walked down to Lenny’s room, the realization that I was in a unique ministry stayed with me, and it still hasn’t left.

Living in a freshman dorm as an upperclassman is a difficult thing to explain both to one’s parents and to one’s peers. I can still remember the beginning of the year when my new neighbors found out I was a junior and asked, “Oh . . . are you an RA?” When I responded no, they were surprised. My dad was also surprised and confused by the news that I was leaving Isla Vista, the town neighboring UCSB, to go back to the cramped quarters of a dorm room and mass-produced food in the dining commons. After all, why would I want to go back to on-campus living after having an enjoyable taste of apartment living? It doesn’t make much sense to leave the comfort and independence of apartment living to return to the dorms. Drunk and noisy freshmen tend to get old after awhile, and although I recently discovered at Urbana 2000 that our food isn’t so bad (my condolences to those of you at the University of Illinois!), it definitely leaves something to be desired.

So why did I do it, and why do I think that it is such an important aspect of a strong college fellowship? Truthfully, at the beginning of this year, I didn’t think it was. Becoming reacquainted with dorm life was tough and it required a lot of prayer and work to get through the questions and difficulties that arose. Being one of the “odd ducks” on the hall isn’t easy, and losing the freedom and space of sharing an apartment with a few friends (as opposed to fifty) is tough to swallow. But as fall quarter went by, I realized that I was actually having an impact on my dorm and doing some things that mattered.

Going into the year, one reason I didn’t really know if moving back would make a difference was that as a freshman, I hadn’t had a “live-in” small-group leader. My leader did an awesome job, but she lived across town, a significant distance from the dorm. She and I would hang out, but because she was older and lived off campus, it was difficult to connect with her.

This year, our small group has about thirteen regular attendees and (in my humble opinion) is the best one on campus. To what can I attribute this? One reason is that we are near each other, and I can easily hang out with our group members. We are together in a loving Christian environment, complete with a goofy leader.

This past fall quarter I was able to watch the freshmen in the group (and a sophomore too) grow tremendously. The closeness and the sharing of common experiences makes relating to my small-group members and discipling them much easier. I have had amazing lunch discussions with some of my small group members, I’ve gotten to know them better through watching movies with them and I’ve helped them grow by just spending twenty minutes in their doorway asking them how midterms were going and shooting the breeze. There’s no doubt that all these things could be done if I lived off campus, but being a flight of stairs or a few doors away makes things much easier, including initial follow-up and ongoing one-to-one meetings. It’s hard for some first-year students to open up to older students, but being there builds trust and an awareness of what students in the dorms are going through.

My perception of campus ministry changed more than I could have ever imagined the past few months as a result of my returning to the dorms. I used to subscribe to the school of thought that figured any warm body could be an effective discipler for freshmen. Now I’ve seen for myself the power in living among those I disciple, and the positive effect it can have on a chapter. The people who will be taking our positions of leadership when we graduate are the freshmen and sophomores of today. What better way to insure that they get a wonderful start in ministry than by discipling them ourselves? Trials and discomfort aside, it is more rewarding than one could ever imagine and is a crucial aspect of a strong fellowship. With freshmen who have a good foundation and can appreciate and recognize the importance of good discipleship, no chapter is doomed to stagnate.

Moving back into the dorms took a leap of faith I wasn’t totally sold on making, and it definitely hasn’t been easy, but when I sit down and pray about my small group, it is hard for me not to realize what a wonderful ministry God has put me in. I know it took a lot of prodding and prayer on other people’s part to get me where I am, but now that I’m here, it’s wonderful. I would highly recommend that if you feel led to stay in or return to the dorms that you take the opportunity seriously. As far as I’m concerned, it’s one of the best callings God can give you in college ministry, and it’s a decision you’ll never regret.