Lessons from Campus Ministry: Reshaping Congregational Life and Growth

This event is brought to you by the department of Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary

This live program will occur via Zoom meeting from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. eastern on November 12, 2024. Registrants can receive access to the recording afterward if the live session is missed.

Campus Ministry has always been one of the leading edges of change and growth in the Episcopal Church. That is certainly true today as we wrestle with the issues of congregational decline, cultural disinterest in the Church, and dissatisfaction with institutional structures in general. The ways in which campus ministries are reaching out to students, and the communities that young adults are building together, offer valuable lessons for how all congregations might live and grow in our changing landscape. 

The program will follow this outline: 

• The Entirely New Landscape in Which We Find Ourselves  (not just Nones, but Dones; Paul at the Areopagus)

• The Nature of Campus Ministry and its Lessons for Congregational Life 

• Embracing The Scientific Method of Ministry (The Way We’ve Never Done It!) 

• Building a Culture of Outreach and Evangelism

If the cost is a barrier for you, please reach out to our team.

The Rev. Dr. Donna McNiel has been the Missioner to Michigan State University since October 2018. She was the Multi-faith Chaplain at University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA, and the Episcopal Chaplain at Missouri State and the University of Delaware. She has served concurrently as vicar or associate rector in congregations near each campus. From 2011 to 2016 she was the Executive Director of the New Mexico Conference of Churches. 

Dr. McNiel grew up in New Mexico and still considers the Land of Enchantment her heart’s home. She received her M.Div. from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and her Doctor of Ministry from Episcopal Divinity School. She loves to travel and has lived and worked in Switzerland and India, both wonderful starting places for more travel! 

Host or Publisher Virginia Theological Seminary