The Fabric of Faithfulness–Conversations with Steve Garber
A couple of weeks ago, when I was in Mexico City, one of our guest presenters was Steve Garber–the director of the Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation & Culture, an educational center in Washington DC. He led with the question, “How is it that someone decides which cares and commitments will give shape and substance to life, for life?” This was followed by “How do we help students learn and connect wht they believe about the world with how they live in the world?” “Do you have a telos (ends) sufficient, personally and publicly, to orient your praxis (what you do / how you do it) over the course of life?” Garber finds his answers in three “habits of the heart.” 1) Develop a worldview that cn make sense of life, facing the challenge of truth and coherence in an increasingly pluralist world, 2) pursue a relationship with a teacher whose life incarnates thee worldview the student is learning to embrace, and 3) commit themselves to others who have chosen to live their lives embedded in that same worldview, journeying together in truth after the vision of a coherent and meaningful life.
Garber’s thoughts are very important to us who have labored / are laboring in campus ministry. Life is more than ministry skills and Bible studies. I think Garber’s questions / answers could very well serve as the foundation for the reason Campus Crusade, IV, Navigators and others (like Martin’s Camp Christ Sports) need to be engaging students. So many students (and adults) compartmentalize their faith rather than integrate their faith in whatever vocation they choose.
Get Garbers book, The Fabric of Faithfulness. I honestly believe it is a “must-read” for all campus ministers. Available at:
