SEEK and the Campus Ministry Experience in Columbus: Renewed, Equipped, and Sent

by Rosie Chinea Shawver, MDiv

SEEK is always more than a conference. For campus ministers, it is a rare moment to step out of the relentless rhythm of the academic year and remember why this work matters so deeply. In the midst of packed arenas, reverent liturgies, late-night conversations, and thousands of students longing for truth, SEEK offered something essential: renewal for the mission and clarity for the moment we are living in on our campuses.

This year, three keynote voices for campus ministers in Columbus, spoke directly into the heart of campus ministry - naming our realities honestly and sending us back with courage, tools, and renewed hope.

Built for the Work We’ve Been Given: Pat Lencioni and Working Genius

Pat Lencioni offered campus ministers a deeply practical and affirming framework through his work on Working Genius. In a field where many leaders are stretched thin, often juggling pastoral care, administration, programming, fundraising, and team management, his message landed with relief.

We are not meant to be good at everything. Ministry thrives when teams are built with intention, humility, and trust, allowing each person to lead from their God-given strengths. Healthy teams are not a luxury in campus ministry; they are essential for sustainability, joy, and long-term fruitfulness.

For many, this was a reminder that faithful leadership includes building cultures where people can flourish, where collaboration replaces burnout and shared mission replaces isolation.

Suffering, Happiness, and the Students We Walk With: Arthur Brooks

Arthur Brooks spoke into one of the most pressing realities campus ministers encounter daily: students are struggling. Anxiety, loneliness, uncertainty about the future, and questions of meaning are shaping this generation in profound ways.

Rather than offering simplistic answers, Brooks invited us to rethink happiness itself, not as the absence of suffering, but as something forged through purpose, love, and hope. This perspective resonates deeply with the heart of campus ministry. We are not fixers. We are companions.

SEEK reaffirmed that accompaniment, listening well, walking patiently, and pointing students toward truth, is sacred work. Campus ministers are often the first people students trust with their deepest fears and biggest questions. That presence matters more than we may ever see.

Boldly Reaching the 1 and the 99: Fr. Lee Brokaw and the Field Hospital

One of the most energizing messages for campus ministers came from Fr. Lee, chaplain at the University of Illinois, who spoke about reaching both the one and the ninety-nine. His words offered something many campus ministers need to hear clearly: permission and boldness.

Permission to invest deeply in the student who feels far from the Church.

Permission to continue forming the faithful students who already show up.

And boldness to believe that the Gospel is meant for everyone on our campuses.

Fr. Lee reminded us that our campuses are field hospitals, places of real wounds, real questions, and real needs. In a field hospital, perfection is not the goal. Presence is. The call is not to wait until people are “ready,” but to meet them where they are with courage, compassion, and truth.

This message challenged campus ministers to resist shrinking their vision or playing it safe. The mission of campus ministry is expansive. Christ is already at work in every corner of our campuses, and we are called to show up boldly, trusting that the Holy Spirit does the real healing.

Sent Back on Mission: A Call to Action

As campus ministers return from SEEK to classrooms, student centers, parish offices, and late-night conversations, the call is clear:

Be intentional in how you build and lead your teams.

Be present to students in their suffering and searching.

Be bold in reaching the one and the ninety-nine.

Our campuses need ministers who believe that this moment—challenging as it is—is also filled with grace. They need leaders who are willing to step into the messiness of real lives, to build healthy ministry cultures, and to proclaim the Gospel with confidence and compassion.

If SEEK reminded us of anything, it is this: campus ministry is not optional to the life of the Church. It is frontline work. It is field-hospital work. And it is holy work.

As you move into the semester ahead, know that you are not alone. Stay connected. Stay formed. Stay bold. And keep showing up, because what you do on your campus matters more than you know.