I’ve been in campus ministry for just over three years now. When I started, I knew this was a very different context than parish ministry. I thought my assumptions, especially about worship, would be challenged, and they have been, although not always in ways I expected. So here is a countdown of my top surprises. (This will take two columns—yes, there have been that many.) Maybe these will surprise you as well, or maybe my age is showing!

#10 Young adults value tradition.

Think about a youth service. Are you picturing guitars, drama, and street language? Well, those things are still used. But most students also place a high value on tradition. I am repeatedly asked if we can have occasional services from the Book of Common Prayer. Don’t get me wrong—they’re not ready to throw out contemporary language, but they want tradition interwoven. (Don’t believe me? Check out the rap by my fellow columnist Kyle Wagner, which many students posted on their Facebook profiles.)

#9 Always sing the preface to the Eucharistic Prayer.

This connects to #10 but was a big surprise to me. Most of the students who attend worship are not Anglican. My musicians rarely have experience with Anglican liturgy. I had to teach the sung responses in the liturgy and my natural instinct was to say the remainder of the Eucharistic Prayer. But at the request of the students, I now always chant the preface. Their reason? “It makes us remember the tradition this liturgy grew from, and it’s a clear reminder that this is sacred.”

#8 A cappella singing works.

Okay, this isn’t unique to student worship. It was true in the parish also, but it continues to surprise me. In the spring term I had no students available to play for worship. So I announced we would sing a cappella for the summer, which was received in skeptical silence. A month later, students enthusiastically turned up early for “choir practice” before worship, and the singing had become more participatory than ever before. I have musicians again for the fall but the group has requested we continue an occasional a cappella service.

#7 The best time to hold worship is Sunday morning.

This seems counter-intuitive in a campus setting. Aren’t all students sleeping or hungover on Sunday mornings? Well, maybe not. For a time I offered Sunday afternoon services, but only a handful showed up and they were all students who generally came to the morning liturgy. Anyone new came out on Sunday mornings. Turns out that’s the time students still expect church to happen. By Sunday afternoons, most students are frantically completing assignments due the next day, so Sunday morning it is!

#6 Beware PowerPoint.

Early in my ministry here, I broached the possibility of installing a screen in the chapel. The older members of my chaplaincy committee were enthused. The students were appalled: “We get PowerPoint presentations all day long, in every class. Don’t let church become like that!” Since then, I have successfully used a laptop and projector for occasional multimedia enhancements to worship. (It’s a great way to include art.)

This decision was affirmed when a group of us recently attended a service at a local church that used PowerPoint for the hymn lyrics and readings. It was done poorly. The timing was off on the hymns. The translation on the screen didn’t match the one used at the lectern. The students were irritated, because each of them could have fixed the problems in short order. The lesson? Only use a screen and PowerPoint in creative ways that enhance worship—and do it well.

That’s enough for now. I’ll continue part two of the countdown in my next column.