(S3:E4) Learning from the VMI ministry model to reach Generation Z

OCF Crosspoint Podcast

Show Notes:

CH(COL) Bob Phillips, USA (Ret.), joins us on the podcast today to speak from his 26 years of military service and his ongoing work as the chaplain to the Corps of Cadets at his own alma mater, Virginia Military Institute.

Bob shares his stories of coming to faith with his parents, “straddling the fence” in high school and in college, and meeting his wife Tracy, before diving into what his current ministry looks like at VMI. He observes that one of the predominant topics of discussion among cadets and college students across the country today is anxiety.

While anxiety can often seem unavoidable and unbeatable, Bob shares how he and Tracy use relationships and group Bible studies to address anxiety and point cadets back to Christ.

Bob also serves on the OCF Council, this ministry’s governing body, where he provides perspectives and input to shape OCF’s strategic goals, ministry-wide decisions, and more.

Interested in learning more about generation-specific ministry? Check out the following resources Bob mentioned throughout this episode:

• College Ministry 101: A Guide to Working with 18-25 Year Olds by Chuck Bomar
• Generation iY: Secrets to Connecting With Today’s Teens & Young Adults in the Digital Age by Tim Elmore
• Generation Z Unfiltered: Facing Nine Hidden Challenges of the Most Anxious Population by Tim Elmore
• Meet Generation Z: Understanding and Reaching the New Post-Christian World by James Emery White

If you have an idea for a guest, topic, or story that I should consider for a future episode of the show, send an email to [e-mail] or visit OCF’s new “Be a Guest” webpage.

As you listen to this conversation with Bob, here are a few questions to ponder in your personal time, with a small group, or with a mentor:

1. Bob shares that his family’s dining room table is their “greatest resource for evangelism… and discipleship.” How could you similarly use a seemingly everyday item to make an impact for the Kingdom?
2. What topic seems to “come to the surface” often in your own local community, and how can you engage with that topic biblically?
3. How does Christ address the anxiety many face today, such as the VMI cadets Bob serves?
4. How have you seen the power of relationships with other believers impact your own life?
5. Do you have a mentor?
   • If you do, how can you start preparing to mentor others in the future?
   • If you don’t, who in your local community could you ask to pour into you spiritually in that capacity?