Commuters, Community, and Communion on the Commuter Campus

Although the words community, commuter, and communion might sound similar, they mean completely different things. Collegiate Ministry is difficult enough in the traditional context, but in the context of a commuter school it can be overwhelming, confusing, and more often than not, downright disappointing, especially if you expect to have a large group of 50 or more students attending your events every week. But I have good news! We have within our grasp a wonderful, truly Biblical, sacramental solution that can serve as the bridge between commuters and community. Communion. In this post, I’ll discuss how communion can serve as that bridge, and why it should be the centerpiece of any ministry on a commuter campus.

Commuter.

It’s a singular word, notice it’s individualistic nature. It’s about the individual.  It’s common on a commuter campus to walk into the student center, the library, the cafeteria, or any other building and see 30-40 students, sitting alone, furiously jotting down notes, listening to a podcast from a class as they study for an exam, inhaling a meal in between classes, or reading an obscure literary text with a look of frustration. Commuters are focused on getting to class, getting their work done, and getting on to the next thing. And in today’s increasingly interconnected, mobile driven, smart phone world – it’s getting easier and easier for this individualistic culture to exist.

Tracy Mouser, who serves as InterVarsity staff at Bakersfield College and Cal State University Bakersfield, wrote an article on “The Challenge of the Commuter Schools” in 2002 that once defined community as “a group of people who live in the same area; a group having a common background or shared interest within society.” She goes on in the article discussing the need for pre-existing community in order to establish a witnessing community on campus, and encourages collegiate ministers to do three things; first remain consistent, no matter the results. Second, focus on meeting with students individually rather than worry about the size of your group. And finally, live a life of faithfulness, no matter what.

Community.

Kennesaw State University is located 30 minutes north of Atlanta, Georgia. Not far from the “sanctuary” known as Bobby Dodd Stadium, home of the Wramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech, or the Yellow Jackets, depending on who you ask around here. Another hour or so up the road, and you’ll find yourself in Athens, Georgia. Home of the “sanctuary” known as “Sanford Stadium” or, home of “them Dawgs.” I’ve never really been a fan of anything that bites, but on both of these campuses, you’ll find two strong examples of community. From early September through late March, you’ll find Gold & Black, or Red & Black flags, pom-poms, and the like adorned on automobiles, houses, family pets, and more. These two large, state schools have an athletics program that provides a common background for building community.

A community is a place where people know they belong, where they know they are accepted, where they feel at home. It’s a place where intimate thoughts and feelings can be shared openly, and in confidence and trust.

Sadly, most commuter students don’t get to experience this as part of their college experience. Some of it has to do with context, not “moving away” to go to college and being dropped off in a new environment where you’re forced to make new friends in order to survive. But a lot of it has to do with the very nature of Commuter Schools. After countless conversations with students at KSU, I’ve consistently found that many of them are wandering around lonely, often depressed, feeling like they have no purpose in life, and they’re struggling just to go through the motions each day. They’re exhausted; taking 12-15 hours (or more) per semester, working part- to full-time jobs, trying to also balance family life (having never really left home), and they have boyfriends & girlfriends, or just friends from high school that they still hang out with. Their schedules are overstuffed. They’re always on the go, always “on” and never take the time to simply stop and rest.

In addition, I perceive much of this low-morale has much to do with a childhood of abundance (parents never saying no or forcing their children to give up one thing in order to receive another) that teaches them the more you know and the more you have the better you are, compounding an inner-felt need to join as many groups as possible, do as much as possible, and know as many people as possible, without ever really fully committing to anything. They are a multi-tasking, multi-media, master-of-nothing generation.

So how can we create a habitat for community to prosper in a commuter context? How do we move commuters, who are individualistic, to community where the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings can occur?

Communion.

Tracy’s advice in “The Challenge of Commuter Schools” is pretty sound. I’ve practiced it at Kennesaw State University for the past four years. But I would also encourage collegiate ministers to consider doing one more thing. Break bread with your students as often as possible.

Not only is The Lord’s Supper a sign and seal of eating and drinking in community with the crucified and risen Christ, but around the Table of the Lord, God’s people are also in community with all who belong to Christ. Breaking bread together, and sipping from the Cup of Salvation serve as important reminders of the sustaining presence of Christ in our lives, and in the world, and of God’s covenant promise. It also continually invites us to reflect on our own obedience.

Communion is a practice meant to be observed over and over throughout the life of a disciple of Christ. Considering that some experts claim this is the most formative period in any adult’s lifetime, why wouldn’t we regularly break bread with our students, especially those on the commuter campus? This single, Biblical, sacramental practice ought to be at the center of our ministry for this very reason.

The more often you offer Communion, the more likely you’ll have students accept your invitation. Especially if you consider their already over-stuffed schedules. Make it available at times, and in places, that are convenient to the students; those “in-between class” breaks, in the lunch hall, in the student center, in the parking lot, even out on the quad under a tree, so long as it’s not off the beaten path. And most of all, make it consistently available. As students become conditioned to know that you’ll be under the tree every Friday at three, you’ll be surprised at just how many of them begin to stop by to accept Christ’s invitation to remember Him, and amazed by how many of them will likely begin to slowly make time in their schedules to linger and talk afterwards – resulting in the genesis of a community. Remind them as they take the bread, and the cup, that in doing so, they are joining in community with fellow disciples all over the world who have done the same thing for nearly 2,000 years.

One other great thing about communion, particularly for commuter students…  it’s a fantastic opportunity for us to remind them of the importance of Sabbath.

If you are not ordained or authorized by your church and/or organization to administer Communion to students, invite a local pastor who is. And if that doesn’t work out either, use the Last Supper as your inspiration to offer students on your campus a Passover Meal. Israel’s escape from bondage in Egypt is often a great metaphorical illustration for the life of an exhausted college student.

Blessed be,
Dan W. Boles

Disclaimer: This post is part of a blog-a-thon series called “Back To School Blog-A-Thon” hosted by Guy Chmieleski, who runs the “Faith ON Campus” blog.