Jon Nelson - Lincoln University
Jon Nelson
Lincoln University
Ministry: Rooted (a college ministry of Soma Community Church)
Campus Missionary
Mission Statement:
Vision: We exist to see students lives lives fully surrendered to Jesus.
Mission: Rooted exists to help students understand who Jesus is, why He came into the world and what it means to follow Him with their whole lives.
Vision: We exist to see students lives lives fully surrendered to Jesus.
Mission: Rooted exists to help students understand who Jesus is, why He came into the world and what it means to follow Him with their whole lives.
Tell us about your journey to becoming a Campus Missionary:
God called us to plant Soma (our church) a few years ago so we could build community of students and faculty who follow Jesus on historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) nationwide. We confidently anticipate that our students and alumni will become change agents in their neighborhoods, across the country and around the world. We pursue this calling by discerning and actively participating in what God is already doing on campus.
God called us to plant Soma (our church) a few years ago so we could build community of students and faculty who follow Jesus on historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) nationwide. We confidently anticipate that our students and alumni will become change agents in their neighborhoods, across the country and around the world. We pursue this calling by discerning and actively participating in what God is already doing on campus.
What do you love about doing ministry on your campus?
What we love about doing ministry on our campus is being on the forefront of planting seeds and rekindling a ministry that was planted here over 40 years ago. Our heart is to see our campus and HBCU’s like it transformed with the Gospel of Jesus.
What we love about doing ministry on our campus is being on the forefront of planting seeds and rekindling a ministry that was planted here over 40 years ago. Our heart is to see our campus and HBCU’s like it transformed with the Gospel of Jesus.
Tell us about yourself and your family:
I am a passionate communicator, innovative thinker, and the leader of communities that call participants to lives that make much of the glory of God. I grew up as a church attending atheist, and I received Christ after college. I endeavor to be a resource enabling people to effectively reach their community by leading Biblically faithful and culturally relevant lives. My greatest joy outside of Jesus is being married to my wife Heather and being a dad to our 3 children.
I am a passionate communicator, innovative thinker, and the leader of communities that call participants to lives that make much of the glory of God. I grew up as a church attending atheist, and I received Christ after college. I endeavor to be a resource enabling people to effectively reach their community by leading Biblically faithful and culturally relevant lives. My greatest joy outside of Jesus is being married to my wife Heather and being a dad to our 3 children.
What do you hope to see happen on your campus/within your ministry in the next few years?
We do not have a lot of programs, strategies and initiatives to fix the woes of the world we live in. We have built our discipleship strategy to develop healthy people who are growing in the GOSPEL in the context of FAMILY while living on MISSION. These 3 areas allows us to provided holistically healthy disciples of Jesus. We have begun to place our students in strategic residence halls to begin these holistic communities and spread the Gospel amongst their roommates and others within the hall. We also gather every Sunday to collectively celebrate what the Father is doing through us and worship Him.
We do not have a lot of programs, strategies and initiatives to fix the woes of the world we live in. We have built our discipleship strategy to develop healthy people who are growing in the GOSPEL in the context of FAMILY while living on MISSION. These 3 areas allows us to provided holistically healthy disciples of Jesus. We have begun to place our students in strategic residence halls to begin these holistic communities and spread the Gospel amongst their roommates and others within the hall. We also gather every Sunday to collectively celebrate what the Father is doing through us and worship Him.
What are some of the things your ministry does?
Connection Groups (a.k.a. small groups) are our primary catalyst for connection and community outside of our Sunday gatherings. This time allows use to deeply study God’s word while partnering in relationships to fulfill God’s purpose on our campus. We also try to have regular game/ movie nights while just getting away and enjoy the college experience.
Connection Groups (a.k.a. small groups) are our primary catalyst for connection and community outside of our Sunday gatherings. This time allows use to deeply study God’s word while partnering in relationships to fulfill God’s purpose on our campus. We also try to have regular game/ movie nights while just getting away and enjoy the college experience.