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Brad Baker
Orange County California
follower of Jesus, husband, father, pastor, teacher, adventurer, author
Interests: My wife, my kids, college-age ministry, books, exploration, adventure, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, writing, tea, travel, skiing, mountain climbing and hockey.
Recent Activity
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by Brad Baker ©CollegeMinistry.com 2012 Perhaps you’ve wondered why there’s been a 32 day gap between our last blog post and today. Granted the Holidays played into it, but the real reason for the silence is all the work going into the 2.0 version of CollegeMinistry.com. We are just a... Continue reading
Posted Jan 23, 2012 at collegeministry.com
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By Lisa Birle I might be the only person on earth who actually loves writing Christmas cards. (If I have your address, chances are you’re getting one—You’re welcome!) As I was writing, addressing, and stamping away, I came across the name of a student who I met earlier this year... Continue reading
Posted Dec 22, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Lisa Birle Campus outreach can be a tricky thing. How do you stand out among the other organizations and clubs on campus as one that's different? How do you get students to care about what you care about? How do you get them to care at all? How do... Continue reading
Posted Dec 12, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Brad Baker An integrated college ministry is a rare breed these days. We’ve seen countless young adult ministries take shape with little, if any, meaningful connection with the church as a whole. They function largely as an island and then wonder why students aren’t making the transition to ‘big... Continue reading
Posted Dec 10, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Brett Prouty There are some truths that cartoons can convey better than anything else. One of my favorites is when some catastrophic event is about to take place (a dam breaking, a nuclear plant about to explode) and there is the one hero who knows how to save the... Continue reading
Posted Dec 9, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Josh Pease We’ve all been there. You’re sitting on a plane, and the helpful flight attendants are helpfully helping you understand how to survive a water landing.[1]And what are you doing? You’re completely tuning them out. No, don’t lie, you totally are. You’re reading your book, or actively ignoring... Continue reading
Posted Dec 7, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Brad Baker Para-church organizations spring up wherever there is a void of local church leadership and initiative. They are sometimes led by people who are tired of dealing with the dysfunction of local congregations and church leaders. Although I sympathize on many levels, college ministries would ideally form and... Continue reading
Posted Nov 23, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Joy Hurlow Most of the time we aren’t naïve enough to say the five words, “It won’t happen to me…”, but more often than not we live like we believe the phrase is true. Last year nearly a million people ages 15-24 believed that they would not become HIV... Continue reading
Posted Nov 22, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Lisa Birle I just finished Drew Dyck’s book “Generation Ex-Christian: Why Young Adults Are Leaving the Faith…and How to Bring Them Back.” I’ve been involved in college ministry for eight years, and I recognize that young adults are continually leaving their faith, but this book explored why they do.... Continue reading
Posted Nov 21, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by LISA BIRLE We are blessed to be connected in a church community, but do you remember how scary and awkward that process might have been? Not knowing anyone, wondering if you belong? We must remember that not everyone who comes to our ministry is connected or even has meaningful,... Continue reading
Posted Nov 21, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Josh Pease “I don’t even care about sports right now, because this picture of good – of what I thought was good – has exploded.” -Jon Ritche, ESPN analyst & acquaintance of Jerry Sandusky Jerry Sandusky: former Penn State coach and architect of one of the most dominant football... Continue reading
Posted Nov 18, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Brad Baker 1 in 4 Millennials report not having a specific religious affiliation. What a perfect time to launch a ministry to reach and develop 18-25 year olds. If you wondering where to begin allow me to share some ideas (most of which come from my mistakes and what... Continue reading
Posted Nov 17, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Lindsay Kulick “As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 9:13 A relationship is like playing catch—one person throws the ball to... Continue reading
Posted Nov 16, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Lisa Birle I’ve been taking a seminary class this semester that’s challenged me to examine my leadership skills and think about my strengths and weaknesses. This isn’t the most fun thing in the world—obviously, our human nature and natural tendencies work constantly against our better desires and good intentions... Continue reading
Posted Oct 27, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Brad Baker After years of being under-resourced and poorly networked, the tide seems to be slowly turning in the college ministry world. It thrills me to see more and more quality books written on the topic and local churches finally understanding the importance of ministry to the collegians in... Continue reading
Posted Oct 27, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Lisa Birle What are the deciding factors in figuring out where to have your college ministry retreat? Finding the right place to hold your retreats is imperative; make sure you choose a camp or venue that provides a context for prayer and reflection, an environment for authentic worship, and... Continue reading
Posted Oct 25, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Brad Baker Take down the general and the troops panic and flee. It’s kind of a dramatic statement, but it reminds me that as a leader the target on my back never goes away. We don’t need to obsess over or live in fear of the enemy’s attempts to... Continue reading
Posted Oct 22, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Lisa Birle We’ve learned in our ministry that community is one of the biggest reasons students come to church—and stay at church. So every week, we make an announcement from the stage for our first and second-time guests to visit the “10-Minute Party” after the message. It’s ten minutes,... Continue reading
Posted Oct 19, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Stephen Lutz If you’re like me, you have conversations on a fairly regular basis where you explain to people why you value working with college students. I’ve used a simple acronym, PATHS, to remind myself and others why this ministry is so important. PATHS stands for Priority, Ambition, Trajectory,... Continue reading
Posted Oct 18, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Josh Pease I love talking with my friend Tim, if for no other reason than he asks the best questions. Tim isn’t a Christian, although he’s moving quickly in that direction. He’s also super brilliant[1] and seeking to learn as much as he can, which led to a classic... Continue reading
Posted Oct 17, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Josh Pease I hate being cliché. Hate it. Which is what makes writing this so hard. See I’ve had an epiphany recently, but it’s not the cool kind of epiphany, where the heavens part, and the voice of the LORD[1] speaks to me a new revelation that no human... Continue reading
Posted Oct 12, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Lisa Birle I am always blown away by the constant stream of new people that God brings to our community. I never want to take for granted that each week someone new is walking into our ministry for the very first time. It’s good to think through how they... Continue reading
Posted Oct 11, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Lisa Birle “Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 As ministry leaders, it’s important for us to be alert and have our eyes and ears open to what the enemy might be doing... Continue reading
Posted Oct 7, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Brad Baker We launched a new series tonight at Crave (Saddleback’s Ministry to College Students). ‘Create’ is a 4 week journey into the beauty and mystery of the created order and ultimately into the one behind it all. Here’s a breakdown of how the worship experience played out… 1... Continue reading
Posted Oct 6, 2011 at collegeministry.com
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by Josh Pease The plan for my volunteer team sat in front of me, sketched out in my journal, the random pockmarks in my penmanship a record of every bump that had occurred over the last hour of driving through Utah. My friend Zack and I were coming back from... Continue reading
Posted Oct 6, 2011 at collegeministry.com