Responsibility and Opportunity

I attended a press conference today announcing our university's new basketball coach.  As I went in a former student and alum of our college ministry spoke to me and I asked about latest developments in his life.

He told me he was getting married and obviously how excited he was about it.  I asked if it were anyone I might know.  He said no and then told me, as a freshman at our Back-2-School Retreat, he had gone to my seminar, "5 Questions to Ask Before You Marry".  He said, "I went back and reviewed those notes."

Wow!  About ten years ago a freshman attended our Back-2-School Retreat, went to a seminar I led, kept those notes, and looked back at them in preparation for getting married these years later.  That is a startling statement...for many reasons.  Who knew freshmen took notes at Retreat seminars?  Who knew they would still have them and refer back to them in a life decision situation years later?

I was stunned, complimented, and reminded of the awesome opportunity and responsibility of college ministry!

I also wanted to look at his notes and see if I felt good about everything I had said.  But, even more it was a testimony to the opportunity we get to speak into young people's lives at a key time.  AND, we never know when or how those words we speak may be used later in life.

College Ministry matters and it continues to matter in people's  lives long after college.  We cannot overstate the value of ministry at the development point of college in young people's lives.  We cannot overstate the value of intentionally and continually working to impact the lives of freshmen.

A friend of mine gets large gifts to his ministry.  One of the people who gives to his ministry came to their events when she was a freshman.  She told him she did not continue to be involved after her freshman year due to some choices on her part.  But, she gives because she realized what he was trying to do in the lives of first year students who need help.  She did not respond positively, but gives now to help others make different freshmen choices.

The bottom line:

1.  You never know how God will use what you say in the lives of current and former students....and for how long.

2.  Pray and prepare the best you can every time you have opportunity to speak to students. God uses it way more than you know.

3.  Keep speaking to freshmen....even when you figure they are not listening!

4.  College ministry literally affects our world every day and much of the time we will not know about it, but individuals will and God knows.  Keep on!!

Coming in May:  FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY...an Amazon eBook.