EDITORIAL: MINISTERING TO STUDENTS
The Model of Ministry in this issue is about one faculty person's 25 years of advising a student Christian group. Think of the lives that have been affected for the Kingdom of Christ over those years. Think of the lives that pass your life each year in your classes, labs and seminars. And think how you can be an influence for Christ to these students.

From this professor's story I've isolated 10 activities that students remarked as being effectual in their lives:

1. He offered his services to the student group and attended most of their meetings.

2. Students valued his general availability to answer questions and give advice.

3. There were regular prayer times with individual students as well as with groups.

4. He occasionally went to conferences with the students so as to know them and their world better.

5. He spoke at their meetings on various topics.

6. Knowing students and faculty and other resources he could make connections between them that met needs.

7. Modeling for them, e.g. leading weekly faculty/grad students Bible Studies, high commitment to scholarly work and a spirit of service.

8. Teaching classes well also modeled Christian commitment to do work "as unto the Lord".

9. Students knew they were valued as he kept up with them after graduation by notes and sometimes visits.

10. Character/behavior traits they valued: faithfulness, initiative taking, wisdom, patience, sincerity, and humility.

A faculty person living this life with students, Christian or non-Christian, will bring the Kingdom of God into their lives.

KEEPING UP
Two very helpful books appeared this summer from InterVarsity Press. They will equip you in different ways to understand and more fruitfully serve in today's university and in our late 20th century culture.

REASON IN THE BALANCE, The Case Against Naturalism in Science, Law and Education, by Phillip E. Johnson. Dr. Johnson, Professor of Law at UC Berkeley, has also written DARWIN ON TRIAL. Speaking at universities all over the country on this theme, Johnson has achieved a deep insight into the values and ideas that dominate the world of higher education. He writes with great clarity and clearly has researched his judgements well.

He looks at our cultures' attitudes and beliefs about our laws and the law establishment, education and educational philosophy and the role of natural science in our thinking and other areas. His enemy is naturalism, "The doctrine that nature is 'all there is"'. An attack he makes in several places in the book is that believing scholars "maintain their respectability by tacitly accepting the naturalistic rules that define rationality in the universities". And particularly he takes out after believers in the sciences who make use of methodological naturalism as they practice their science. I believe he is wrong in his understanding here but it is a useful challenge. Just how much do we and should we conform to the world in its naturalistic dogmas? This is a subject worth much thought and discussion. Johnson's book is a useful voice in the dialogue.

When not focusing on the natural sciences his insights are even more useful. This book will help you look at the pronouncements of colleagues and culture formers with a clearer understanding. For instance, he has given the clearest short analysis of the recent writing of philosopher Richard Rorty that I have seen. I urge you to buy and read this book.

A much more demanding read but also very rewarding is: TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN IT USED TO BE, Biblical Faith in a Post-Modern Age by J. Richard Middleton and Brian J. Walsh. Here two humanities scholars look at the post-modern age. They have read widely and insightfully in the current literature and their analysis is very helpful.

Particularly helpful is a large section analyzing the Bible story as "a meta-narrative" fit for today's world. Happily they end with a chapter on hope. Perhaps it is the density of ideas in the post-modern age that makes their work more demanding to read, but I highly recommend this book.

MODELS OF MINISTRY: FACULTY ADVISOR FOR A STUDENT GROUP
Dr. Ed Yamauchi recently was feted by students, staff and peers at Miami University of Ohio on retiring from 25 years of serving as faculty advisor to the InterVarsity chapter. From an interview with Ed and from letters written by former InterVarsity students we have compiled a Model of Ministry for Faculty Advisors.

Dr. Y, as students have called him, has been in Miami's history department for many years. A Professor of Botany, Dr. Wilson, had helped bring about the first InterVarsity group and was the first faculty advisor whom Ed succeeded. When asked what training he had received to be a faculty advisor, Ed replied, "None", although John Alexander, then president of InterVarsity and an ex-academic himself, often gave encouragement and supplied helpful insights.

Ed's first step was to offer his services to the student group wherever needed and he began what became regular attendance at the InterVarsity chapter's weekly large group meetings. He also tried to go to student conferences so that he had a clear idea of what was going on in the students' lives. Of course at Miami it was expected of faculty advisors that they be the administration's link to the student group. In fact, the university held a yearly reception for the faculty advisors to all student groups. ( What a great idea! Why not suggest this to one of your deans?)

One of Dr. Y's chief delights, and one many students were so thankful for, was his regular prayer partnering with a student--a different one each year. He was so well known and appreciated by the students that he was regularly invited to speak on many different subjects over the years. In addition he kept up a weekly Bible Study for faculty and grad students over many of those years. Many students testified to his accessibility and value to them as an advisor and listener. A special ministry Ed has carried out was also mentioned with deep thanks by graduates writing back: he kept up with many of them after graduation, writing notes of encouragement and even visiting some on his own travels. He says one of his great pleasures was to connect people who were then able to help each other in various ways.

The correspondence for his celebration referred to him as a great model since he was a zealous Christian and a committed and productive scholar at the same time. They described him as: faithful, wise, patient, sincere, humble and an initiative taker for their good. That's what I (and they) call a model Faculty Advisor.

Thank you, Dr. Y. and we add our congratulations for 25 years of such effective service to the campus and to the Lord.