A Vision for Veritas
A lot of people have begun to ask, "What do you want to accomplish?", "Why are you doing this?", and so on. The first time I was asked this question was when I was new to Veritas. I was taken back--not because I didn't know the answers, but because I realized the great need to be able to answer these questions very well. I can't ever give a half-hearted answer to these types of questions.
Our team sat down and had a bit of a vision session two weeks ago. We asked ourselves some big questions: "Where do we want to be in two years? What will Veritas have become? What will the culture of campus be like? What impact do we want to make as The Veritas Forum?"
Then, even more challenging, were the short-term questions: "How will we get there? What are we doing now that will help us accomplish this?" The challenge of answering these questions proved healthy to keep our goals in the forefront of our minds. After several such sessions, I believe we really know what it is that we can accomplish and desire to accomplish as an organization.
Now, I know you're asking, "So what did you come up with, specifically?" So I'm going to share.
Our long term goal is to establish a culture of investigation and open dialogue among Christians and non-Christians on campus about the most challenging questions. We will put on events and provide resources that will allow people to interact with Truth. We want to be an organization that people look toward for hope (that they would see/feel the Truth of Jesus), and to be an organization that unites Christian ministries on campus behind a common initiative of spreading the Truth and brilliance of Jesus. We hope to be a pre-evangelistic ministry that would bring non-Christians to the point of realizing the plausibility of God's existence and the Bible's inspiration. Then we hope to hook these people in with a campus ministry where they can be ministered to and eventually have a personal and relational encounter with Jesus Christ.
Looking forward, our "Big Questions Week" in February will challenge our campus on a deeper philosophical level. We hope to coin the event "Big Questions Week" as an annual big event associated with Veritas. Alternatively, we hope to also engage students on a cultural level - a level where the truth of Christianity can interact with their emotions. We believe the truth of Christianity is not just intellectual, so, with that, we've planned an event in the fall about marriage. We are also trying to bring a drama to campus in the fall. It's really exciting to see where God is leading our planning.
Now when people ask us questions about our vision, it really becomes an opportunity to share our conviction, excitement, and love for truth. The results of expressing this well have already been remarkable.
In His Grace and Truth,
Stephen Kump
2008 Campus Director
Veritas Forum at Georgia Tech
3 comments:
'Conviction'-
I looked into my roommates eyes and saw this powerful feeling. Conviction that he had the right answer and anyone disagreed with him was wrong. You are hoping that these non-believers will be openminded in order to sway them, to win their hearts and minds, but if they had this 'conviction' it would exclude any of that. Practice what you preach.
The "conviction" expressed in the view for veritas wasn't a conviction from ones self, it is something given to us from Christ. So nobody wants you to look to any one for there own answers, but what Jesus has done to them and through them. The true peace and love that comes with an intimate relationship only with Jesus. Which can then be expressed to all, including non-believers. It is very recognizable and distinctive. Secondly, it isn't a matter of being openminded, it's just about dialoging between one another respectively. I can say this with "true conviction" because when I accepted Jesus at the age of 22 it completely changed my life. I don’t understand the last part of your comment "but if they had this 'conviction' it would exclude any of that. Practice what you preach."
It's not a matter of 'swaying' some people, it's a matter of saving some people. It is a message of Love, Peace and hope through forgiveness! I hope you’ll come to big question week!
I frame it like this:
You want me to be open-minded and accept your worldview, but I currently have my own worldview which I see as the greater of the two. If you wish to try to convince me you should bring with you an open mind for that is what you are calling upon me to do. The whole treat others as you would like to be treated philosophy.
Conviction excludes the possibility of an open-mind through the surety it implies.
Two hearts filled with mutual respect for one another's ideas can accomplish much more than two minds which are set in stone.
Whether you call it saving or swaying it's the same thing. You are trying to convince that person. Respect them.
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