Adversity in the Ministry

Adversity in the Ministry Free Online Research Papers As a pastor, you have to realize that ministry can be like walking on eggs at times. It does not matter what size church you might be part of, the problems you will have to deal with, will basically be the same. They are the same problems faced in the churches of the New testament. At some point, you will have to address issues of leadership, gossip, doctrine, immorality, lack of help, lack of finances and even color schemes. They might look a little different in each church setting, but are issues that had to be dealt with from the earliest times. The issues in their selves do not matter, but how you handle them means everything. How you come to handle adversity in you ministry can make or break a pastor. Paul is one of the best biblical examples to pattern after. He writes a road map for pastors in his book of Second Corinthians. Every pastor should at some point, study this letter in depth. In the first part of the letter you see Paul going through one of the most nerve wracking ,and make you want to quit, times in his entire life. He is insulted and taunted, accused of not being sincere, being prideful, and boastful. On top of all the insults they attack his preaching, his weaknesses, and call him a deceiver and cheat. Wow! , enough to make you want to turn tale and run. During all this Paul was in a lonely dungeon waiting to be beheaded, but he does not think of his problems or bemoan his lot in life, he only thinks of his beloved church at Cornith. Paul writes to Timothy about leadership and what he is telling Timothy can help all pastors today. In this letter to the Chorenthians Paul gives the New Testament’s best look at what life is like for a minister of the gospel. Paul knew that many of the leaders in Corinth wanted the glory, but only a few wanted to suffer for it, as Christ had. Paul was hurt, because his people, the people he ministered to and discipled, could not see through the self-seeking schemes of those around, trying to persuade them down the wrong path. Paul knew this could damage a church body and was dealing then with issues we still face today. In his book â€Å"Clergy Killers† G.lloyd Rediger says, â€Å"Abuse of pastors by congregations and the breakdown of pastors due to inadequate support are now tragic realities. This worst-case scenario, one that is increasing in epidemic proportions, is not a misinterpretation by a few discontented clergy. Rather,it is a phenomenon that is verified by both research and experience†¦. Pastors have become more vulnerable, parishioners more confused and less courageous, denominational offices more political, and our whole society more numb to abuse and conflict. Together these factors create opportunity for abuse of spiritual leaders and even encourage its development.† Paul faced the same dangers and knew he had to put an immediate stop to the discontent.Even though he loved the people, he knew he had to be firm, â€Å"We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us.†(2 Corin. 6:12).He loved them dearly, but he loved them so much he could not let them destroy themselves. Philip E.Hughes writes, â€Å"It must be emphasized that Paul is not moved by self-concern he willingly endures for Christ’s sake any number of affronts and indignities to his own person. But when the genuineness of his apostleship is called into question, that is something he dare not endure in silence, for it is no less a challenge to the authority of Christ himself†. (The New International Commentary: second Corin. Page 477) Today our churches are loosing pastors at an alarming rate. What keeps ministers from leaving the ministry? What kind of character does a pastor need to minister to parishioners, who on the most part, love to complain, provoke and ignore? Most pastors stay the course, as Paul did, their emotions might fail them, they might become weary, but their faith in Christ never fails. Two important things are needed in a pastor’s life that helps deal with unwelcome situations, a strong sense of their call and a deep love and concern for their flock. To go along with these two essentials you need to develop strong, godly team leaders, â€Å"Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of the church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devils trap.† (1 Tim.3:2-8), having Godly people you can count on will go along way in thwarting adversity. Paul told Timothy; be zealous, be courageous, be faithful and be enduring. Ministry is like being a Farmer; your reward will come at the end, after the work is done. It’s not unusual to want to run from adversity, we are weak in the area of endurance. In your bible, it clearly shows this is not the answer. If this response was practiced many of the dearly loved bible stories would have had a different ending and would have inspired no one. We can not accomplish much that’s worthwhile and not endure opposition. Think for a moment what your parents went through raising you? Anything for our good was â€Å"old fashioned† or â€Å"you just don’t understand† We did not care for anything that was good for us. There is always a purpose for adversity. It’s also two-sided, one side positive; stimulating you to spiritual growth; the opposite side has the potential to defeat and destroy your ministry. Sometimes, the purpose is to keep us humble and our egos in check. The main reason is to grow our trust and faith in God and his ability. When we turn to him, his promise to be our strength will carry us through. The way we respond to adversity shows our true view of God. Many times we ask â€Å"why lord†, sometimes God shows us and sometimes he never makes it known. At times God has to prepare our hearts before he shows us his purpose. Other times adversity comes because of some sin in our lives; pride being the biggest offender. If we search our hearts we can see this might be so and confess and repent; usually the adversity goes with the repentance. Sometimes adversity is the enemy’s doing. In the book of Job (1:6-12) satin brought temptation into Job’s life. Temptations are the underlying factor in much of our troubles. Satin is not allowed, however, to do anything God does not permit. All adversity comes from us, from satin, working around us and in others, or from what God allows in our lives. Nothing happens in our life outside the knowledge of God, who strengthens us to overcome all. Adversity reveals our weaknesses and our strengths. It reveals our willingness to forgive, and it increases our faith in god. Good advice in handling adversity is to face it and not run from it. We can never get far from it, as it always follows, wherever we may run or what church we may try to find. The goal is not to have a problem free ministry; this will never happen. Your goal should be to deal with problems, and problem people, in a biblical manner. Sometimes as pastors, we light the fuse ourselves, because of the way we deal with problems; we need to be skillful and biblical. Adversity is an accurate gage of our spiritual life. If we want to measure our level of faith, we need to look at how we handle our troubles. We need to ask ourselves; how am I handling my circumstances? Am I exhibiting patience, self-control and love? Am I relying on God’s strength and not my own? God has called you to minister to his beloved people; do not be fearful and do not give up. â€Å"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.†(Isa.41:10). Works cited Wilson, A.N. Paul, The mind of the Apostle. New York.W.W.NortonCompany Beck,KennethEditor.The NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids:Zondervan 2002 Bruce, F.F. The New International Commentary on the New Testament: second Corinthians. Grand Rapids Mi.: Eerdmans 1951 Stafford, John, Ministry Burnout.Louisville,Ky.Westminister Press 1992 Williams, Charles D the Christian Ministry and Social Problems. New York. Macmillan Co. 1917. Rediger, G.Lloyd. The Clergy Killers. Louisville, Ky. Westminster Press 1980 Londen, H.B. and Wiseman, Neil B. Pastors at Greater Risk. Ventura, Cal. Gospel Light Regal Books 2003 Research Papers on Adversity in the MinistryBringing Democracy to AfricaQuebec and CanadaThe Project Managment Office SystemAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesDefinition of Export QuotasRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia

These Are the Most Diverse Colleges in America

These Are the Most Diverse Colleges in America SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Going to a diverse college offers many advantages. At diverse colleges, you’ll be exposed to a wide variety of people and be given an opportunity to learn from people who are different from you. If you know you want to go to a diverse college, how do you find diverse colleges? Which are the most diverse colleges in the United States? In this article, I will provide you with a list of the most diverse colleges. Furthermore, I'll explain what makes a college diverse, the benefits of going to a diverse college, and how to determine if a specific college is diverse. What Makes a College Diverse? Literally, diverse means showing a great deal of variety. Usually, when people reference diversity at a college, they're referring to the racial and ethnic diversity of the student body. A diverse college will have a significant percentage of students from multiple racial and ethnic groups. However, racial diversity is not the only variable that determines whether or not a college is diverse. Here are other factors that contribute to the diversity of a college: Geographic diversity- Diverse colleges have a higher percentage of out-of-state and international students. Male-female diversity- Schools with more gender balance are more diverse. Faculty diversity- Diverse colleges have more racial and ethnic diversity in their faculties, and their faculties have more gender balance. Economic diversity- A diverse college will have a significant percentage of students from all income levels. There are some other factors that contribute to diversity, but there are fewer available statistics to definitively determine diversity in these areas. The political diversity of a college refers to the percentage of students from different political persuasions. A politically diverse college will have a significant number of conservative, liberal, socialist, and libertarian students. A religiously diverse college will have a large percentage of students from different religious backgrounds; it could have a substantial representation of Catholic, Protestant, Mormon, Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu students. Finally, the percentage of LGBT students contributes to the diversity of a college. A diverse college will have a visible LGBT community and students that openly express different sexual orientations and gender identities. What Are the Benefits of a Diverse College? There are numerous benefits of attending a diverse college. In college, you learn from your peers and fellow students. If you're exposed to more people from different backgrounds, you're likely to gain a better understanding of different types of people and their views. As our economy becomes more globalized, being knowledgeable about various cultures can benefit you in your professional life. Also, if you're a member of an underrepresented group, going to a diverse college can make you feel more comfortable, especially if there's a significant number of students at the college who share your background or beliefs. Similarly, if you come from a diverse high school or neighborhood, you may feel more at home at a diverse college. Furthermore, colleges with diverse faculties may offer a more well-balanced education. Course offerings and instruction at a college can be reflective of the backgrounds and views of the faculty, especially in the humanities and social sciences. Additionally, colleges with diverse faculties show a commitment to diversity and are likely to embrace diversity in their student bodies as well. The List of the Most Diverse Colleges I've given you a list of the top 50 most diverse colleges in the country. Hopefully, you can find at least a few that interest you if you want to attend a diverse college. Niche Niche is a website that provides reviews, rankings, and statistics about neighborhoods and schools. It provides many different college ranking lists from the overall best colleges to the top party schools to the most diverse colleges. The Niche rankings for the most diverse colleges are based on clear criteria that give a fairly accurate measurement of a college's level of diversity. Here's how Niche measures diversity: 20% of the rankings is based on the percentage of international students 20% is based on the percentage of the most represented ethnicity (a lower percentage=more diverse) 20% is based on students' survey responses about the quality of diversity at their colleges 15% is based on the percentage of out-of-state students 10% is based on the percentage of the faculty's most represented ethnicity 5% is based on the ratio of male to female faculty 5% is based on the percentage of students belonging to the most represented income bracket (a lower percentage=more diverse) 5% is based on the ratio of male to female undergraduates The List Many selective private colleges are in the top 50 most diverse colleges, including Pomona, Amherst, MIT, Stanford, Swarthmore, Yale, and Harvard. Interestingly, the entire top 25 is composed of private colleges. Possibly, the reason for this is because private colleges emphasize diversity more in their recruiting and admissions processes. Also, many public colleges have a much higher percentage of in-state students due to lower tuition costs for in-state students and targeted efforts to enroll more in-state residents. Some public universities in the top 50 include California State University-East Bay, Rutgers University-Newark, University of Hawaii at Hilo, and San Francisco State University. These diverse public colleges are located in diverse areas. San Francisco State University School Location Acceptance Rate 1. Pomona College Claremont, CA 14% 2. Amherst College Amherst Town, MA 14% 3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA 8% 4. Soka University of America Aliso Viejo, CA 43% 5. Hawaii Pacific University Honolulu Township, HI 64% 6. Stanford University Stanford, CA 6% 7. Brown University Providence, RI 9% 8. California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA 82% 9. Yale University New Haven, CT 7% 10. Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA 14% 11. Grinnell College Grinnell, IA 35% 12. Barry University Miami, FL 47% 13. Columbia University New York City, NY 7% 14. Chaminade University of Honolulu Honolulu Township, HI 84% 15. University of Miami Coral Gables, FL 40% 16. Wellesley College Wellesley, MA 29% 17. Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI 27% 18. New York University New York City, NY 32% 19. University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA 69% 20. California Institute of the Arts Santa Clarita, CA 31% 21. Rice University Houston, TX 17% 22. Emory University Atlanta, GA 26% 23. Nyack College Nyack, NY 97% 24. University of Chicago Chicago, IL 9% 25. Holy Names University Oakland, CA 57% 26. California State University-East Bay Hayward, CA 68% 27. Rutgers University-Newark Newark, NJ 54% 28. University of Hawaii at Hilo Hilo, HI 75% 29. The New School New York City, NY 67% 30. University of Bridgeport Bridgeport, CT 64% 31. Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA 25% 32. Washington Adventist University Tacoma Park, MD 45% 33. Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA 67% 34. University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu Township, HI 80% 35. Harvard University Cambridge, MA 6% 36. Wesleyan University Middletown, CT 20% 37. Princeton University Princeton, NJ 7% 38. University of Houston Houston, TX 58% 39. University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 12% 40. Manhattanville College Harrison, NY 77% 41. Santa Fe University of Art and Design Santa Fe, NM 100% 42. San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA 60% 43. Pace University New York City, NY 81% 44. Texas Wesleyan University Fort Worth, TX 46% 45. Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL 57% 46. Earlham College Richmond, IN 64% 47. University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA 20% 48. St. John's University-New York Queens, NY 53% 49. Berklee College of Music Boston, MA 19% 50. Clark University Worcester, MA 70% Massachusetts Institute of Technology Student Reviews Niche also offers student reviews of colleges. Here are some comments written by students of some of the most diverse colleges in the United States. I included comments related to the diversity at the college. Pomona College It gets more and more diverse every year in terms of students of color, international students, and low-income students! And the communities aren't completely separated like they tend to be at other schools- each person is a valued part of this community. Love the student body! It's diverse, inclusive, and just a melting pot of all sorts of identities and personalities, all of which come to create a wonderfully complex community on campus. You'll see a lot of variety- no typical culture here. People might think that Pomona is more laid-back than its peer liberal arts colleges due to its California location, but I don't think it is. It's a little bit more humble/mainstream than preppy New England schools, but students take their academics and their futures very, very seriously. Amherst College I feel as if there is a gap between the different races and ethnicities on campus. They seem to congeal together and don't venture out of their created friend groups based on their homeland. I come from a largely homogenous high school, so coming to Amherst was my first chance to ever meet so many people from different ethnicities and backgrounds. It is NOT just white and preppy. Well, it's pretty preppy. But definitely not predominantly white. Stanford University One of the most diverse schools as far as every aspect goes except for international students. But the school is not just ethnically diverse, but very socioeconomically diverse, thanks to the financial aid. The campus is extremely diverse in all aspects. This is fueled by the large number of international students at the school. However outside of Greek organizations the different groups tend to stick together within their own social circles and very few branch out. University of Miami My school is amazing when it comes to diversifying your life. Here you can meet people of different races, religions, backgrounds; you name it, we've got it. I don't regret coming to Miami at all- I love it here! I was a little hesitant coming to a school with so many wealthy people, while I am not at all. But it really hasn't been an issue at all! The student body is so diverse, I can always find people to talk to. University of Miami How Should You Use The List of the Most Diverse Colleges? If you want to go to a very diverse college, you should research the colleges that interest you on the Niche list to determine if they’re schools you should apply to or attend. There are many factors to consider to determine if a college is a good fit for you including location, selectivity, support services, and the majors offered.Look at the school’s website, and use guidebooks, college finders, search websites, and other ranking lists to help you in the college selection process. If possible, consult with teachers, counselors, parents, current students, and alumni. What Should You Do if You Want to Go to a Diverse College, But a School You're Considering Isn't on the List? Just because a school didn't make the list doesn't necessarily mean that it's not diverse. Many big public state universities didn't rank highly for diversity, but big public state schools often have large numbers of students from all different backgrounds, especially if the school is located in a diverse state. Look at the school's website to see if there are student groups that represent a wide variety of interests or yours in particular. Also, you can consult other sources that evaluate or grade the diversity of a college.If you look up a specific college on Niche, you can find its diversity grade as well as a write-up and student reviews about diversity on campus.If you look up a college on College View, you can find the statistics for the student body racial diversity, total numbers of male and female faculty, and the states and countries represented by its students. What's Next? If you want to check out more ranking lists that show a school's commitment to diversity, you can read about the most LGBTQ-friendly schools. Also, if you're looking to go to an elite school with very accomplished students, investigate the most selective colleges. Finally, as you're navigating the college application and selection process, I highly recommend that you read this post about how to do college research. 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