Creating Communities of Welcome and Unity for Catholic and Protestant Students

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

- Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (John 17:20-23)

● How would you describe the way Protestants and Catholics relate to each other on your campus?

● What do you think the state of Catholic-Protestant relations communicates about Christianity, Catholicism, and the Protestant church? Imagine how the students from your ministries and from your broader campus would answer.

● What kind of picture does this paint of Jesus for our campus?

Creating communities of welcome and unity through…1. Our language2. Studying our Scriptures together3. Acknowledging and understanding our differences4. Worshipping together5. Doing outreach and evangelism together

OUR LANGUAGE● The labels we use can either welcome or exclude. Particularly, the language we use to

describe ourselves and our ministries will either make Catholic students feel included in the family of faith or our words will signal to them that they must leave their Catholicism at the door to be part of our community.

● TIP # 1 Educate yourselves as to what the labels “Christian,” “Catholic,” and “Protestant” mean.

● TIP # 2 Always use inclusive language that makes room for our differences in the midst of our unity. Put it in your mission statement that we are a family of faith for CATHOLICS and PROTESTANTS.

STUDYING OUR SCRIPTURES TOGETHER● We share the same Scriptures (for the most part). We both hold the Bible as the

authoritative, inspired word of God, but we have experienced the Bible very differently. To grow in unity, we should study our Scriptures together, discovering and learning together and from one another.

● TIP # 1 For Protestant students: Don’t ruin the drama of the narratives with spoilers or overwhelm your Catholic sisters and brothers with your wealth of Bible knowledge. Study the Bible together on an even playing field.

● TIP # 2 For Catholic students: Allow people to ask their honest questions and don’t feel the need to offer authoritative answers. Let the passage create tension for us, challenge us, and even at times scandalize us.

ACKNOWLEDGING & UNDERSTANDING OUR DIFFERENCES● The real differences in theology and practice that do exist between Catholics and

Protestants are rooted in the issue of authority. For Protestants, the source of authority is Scripture alone while Catholics hold both Scripture and apostolic Tradition as authoritative. From there, we differ as to how we interpret, articulate, and live out God’s authoritative word for his people and the world. Yet in the end, both Catholicism and Protestantism are forms and expressions of biblical Christianity.

● TIP # 1 We must acknowledge that real differences exist in how we understand and practice our faith. To ignore our differences is to minimize who we are and the richness of our experiences and traditions.

● TIP # 2 We must realize that no tradition is perfect. Each tradition has their own strengths and weaknesses and each tradition has something to teach us as followers of Jesus.

● TIP # 3 We must be willing to move forward together in discipleship and mission, knowing that in the essentials we are united, in the non-essentials we are free to hold to a diversity of opinions, and in all things we are knit together in love.

WORSHIPPING TOGETHER● We are building a house of Christian unity on our campuses. This means we are all

bringing our unique spiritual gifts to the community and that won't necessarily make it feel like the home we are used to. Expect to experience culture shock as you are experiencing each other's traditions of worship. Listen, ask good questions, and explore each other's traditions of connecting to Jesus.

● TIP # 1 Take baby steps in exploring each other’s traditions together, acknowledging people’s culture shock and progress.

● TIP # 2 As you start to worship together and learn the truth about one another’s worship styles and experiences, speak up for your brothers and sisters in the different traditions when people within your church start talking down on people from other church backgrounds.

DOING OUTREACH AND EVANGELISM TOGETHER● The ultimate goal of unity is to strengthen our Christian witness in glorifying the Father

together. As we take risks together to build trust with one another and to seek Jesus together, may that propel us to work together toward common expressions of the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, service, and witness.

● TIP # 1 Outreach on campus and evangelism might be new to Catholic students. Be encouraging to one another as you take risks on campus to share the gospel, pray for people, and make invitations to faith.

● TIP # 2 Serve alongside one another. Remember that seeing Christians work together communicates something to your campus, community, family, and churches.