My two favorite groups to speak to are college students and those who work with college students. I have been fortunate the last few years to get to speak for lots of college minister workshops and seminars. They are my tribe. I like speaking to college students because I believe that is the sweet spot of ministry.
I call it the sweet spot of ministry because there is no other time that has all the positive possibilities as that age category. They are young enough to change, if necessary, the whole direction of their life. They are old enough and in the spot where they are making the decisions that will determine the whole trajectory of their lives. Wow...what an opportunity! When I retired from the ministry at Arkansas State University, I no longer was speaking to a large group of students on a weekly basis. Since I am now in my second year as a College Minister at a church, I am now speaking again to a large group of college students on a weekly basis.
Here are things I have learned again or am reminded of when preparing to speak to students.
1. There is a fine art to it and therefore it must be done on a continual basis.
I realized quickly that after going a significant period of time not speaking to students on a weekly basis that I was not as good at it. If we want to speak well to students, we must do it regularly and as often as possible. Keep at it.
2. Being with students on a regular basis helps you speak to them more effectively.
College students have a certain vibe and being with them helps you connect to what they are thinking, asking, and needing to hear. I am occasionally in a setting where I hear very competent preachers speak to students....and the students don't connect to what they have to say on a deep level. Why? They are good speakers and prepared. But, they are not connected to students on a regular basis and their messages don't resonate all the way.
3. You have to talk it out loud before you present it.
I will confess to having been a Speech Major and even taught speech one semester many years ago. I am totally committed to the idea that it is necessary to do a talk out loud by yourself BEFORE it is presented to a group of students. I lock myself in my office and I do the talk standing up exactly as if there were a group of students present. Here are some reasons:
-Some things I have written down don't sound right when they are said out loud. Maybe, that is just me...but I think not. Often that brilliant thing I wrote down or typed out sounds stupid when I say it out loud.
-My fluency is better after having practiced out loud. I am more relaxed in what I have to say and I have found the best words that say the thought.
-Speaking it out loud in practice helps me see the need for better transitions from one point to another. In preparing, I usually write down my main points and then go back and develop each one. When speaking it out loud, I am able to see better how to get from one point to the next.
4. Speaking it out loud gets it more locked into my head.
I am less dependent on my outline when I have practiced it out loud. It is just more there!
5. Speaking it out loud helps me have a realistic understanding of how much time the talk will take.
I am sometimes surprised by either the brevity or the length of it. I just don't know how long it will be until I actually do it. The shorter the length of time allocated to me means I have to know how long it takes to say it. Then, I can adjust as need to be to fit the time. I have been in charge of more than one program where the whole schedule was ruined by one "way over time speaker".
6. We owe students our best!
How do we challenge students to give their best to the Lord, if we are not giving our best. Yes, I really do say it out loud.
Arliss Dickerson is the author of five books on college ministry in eBook format for 99 cents each on Amazon.com. His best selling book is DOING COLLEGE MINISTRY BETTER.
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Monday, August 27, 2018
Best New Awareness/Outreach Idea
All of us are always looking for new outreach or ministry awareness ideas. There are the old faithfuls that most have used through the years. There are breakfast bar give-aways, million dollar shot, hot coffee on a cold day, huge water slides, etc.
Just this last week I have seen one I have not been aware of before. Both Gary Stidham at UT-Arlington and Mark Whitt at Middle Tennessee have utilized it. It is the "First Day of School Picture". They are out on campus with a huge sign making pictures. Mark Whitt says in his promo, "You know your mom wants to see your first day of school picture.".
Gary Stidham's promotion of it showed students holding different signs. Even if your first day of school has passed, it might still be an idea worth trying.
If you have seen a new or different idea, please send it to me.
Arliss Dickerson is the author of five books on college ministry available at Amazon.org in eBook format for 99 cents each. FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY is available in paperback format also.
Just this last week I have seen one I have not been aware of before. Both Gary Stidham at UT-Arlington and Mark Whitt at Middle Tennessee have utilized it. It is the "First Day of School Picture". They are out on campus with a huge sign making pictures. Mark Whitt says in his promo, "You know your mom wants to see your first day of school picture.".
Gary Stidham's promotion of it showed students holding different signs. Even if your first day of school has passed, it might still be an idea worth trying.
If you have seen a new or different idea, please send it to me.
Arliss Dickerson is the author of five books on college ministry available at Amazon.org in eBook format for 99 cents each. FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY is available in paperback format also.
Thursday, August 23, 2018
Why Do College Students Disappear from Your Ministry?
All of us who do college ministry have had the experience of seeing students become involved in our ministry and being very connected and then they disappear after a while. What happened?
Nine Common Reasons College Students Drop Out of a Ministry:
1. Their survival needs have been met.
One reason many students first become involved in a Christian campus or church group is for a sense of belonging and as an avenue for finding friends. As the school year develops, those needs are met by other groups and other friendships have been developed. Many of these have come as a result of your ministry casting a wide net. Their primary motivation was not a relationship to the Lord. However, some who came like this have made commitments to Christ or are now growing in what was a dormant relationship. Keep casting the wide net.
2.They do not find a personal group within the ministry that holds them.
No matter how good the teaching or music is, etc if they do not make some personal connections within the group, they likely will disappear. Every effort has to be made to help each student find a place of belonging and someone who notices and cares when they are not there.
3. There are personality clashes or a change of friends.
Just as relationships will help hold students in a ministry, a clash in relationships can run them out. Likely all of us who have been in college ministry long have experienced the breakup of a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship where one or both then would drop out. Occasionally, it even has wider implications when friends of theirs take sides and are affected.
4. Schedules become more complicated due to work, labs, etc.
The farther students go in school the more likely they are to have their schedules more and more crowded with work, labs, observing, internships, etc. Make sure that students knows your is not "an all or nothing" ministry. Some students feel guilty when they cannot attend as regularly and as a result stop attending completely.
5. They feel they have done all the ministry has to offer.
If a student can participate in everything a ministry has to offer in one or two years, why should they stay? Some things in your ministry ought to be for juniors and seniors only. Just as you meet some specific needs of freshmen, are you doing anything to meet the specific needs of seniors?
6. They feel pulled between the good and the good.
In some collegiate settings, a variety of groups or churches may be providing a variety of ministries and training options. Sometimes students drop out because they feel pulled between the demands for more of their time from more than one group or ministry. Sometimes, students feel this pull and tension between a campus based ministry and their church. Often, they wind up having to choose between the two rather than seeing them as complementary. Every effort should be made by campus and church based ministries to communicate and cooperate for the overall good of the student.
7. A student may drop out when they sense their beliefs and those espoused in the ministry are different.
A student may become involved in a ministry for a variety of reasons but they drop out because they sense their own beliefs are at odds with those the see as taught or represented in the ministry. No ministry can be all things to all students. Help those students to find a group or ministry whose beliefs are consistent with their own.
8. Some students drop out when "reality" hits.
I call the third week of school "reality week". That is when the first round of tests begin and the welcome events and free pizza events have pretty well ended. This is the point when they realize this is not summer camp and some study will have to happen.How students feel after their dropping out determines the possibilities of their coming back. Was their absence noticed, accepted, or seen as a sign of their lack of commitment....therefore....good riddance?
9. They drop out due to guilt over personal behavior.
Sometimes a student will do something way outside of their commitment to the Lord and their moral character. And even though they have repented and asked the Lord's forgiveness, their sense of personal shame and guilt pushes them away. It is important that we continually speak of God's forgiveness. This is not to make light of behavior or moral standards, it is rather to believe in and offer the grace of Jesus Christ offered again and again to all of us.
Any ministry has drop outs. Any good ministry has drop outs. An extra strong ministry may have more drop outs because students have been attracted because of the excellent outreach that is done and the reputation of the ministry on campus. It is important that we never make students feel once they have left that the door is not open for them to come back. We must work at keeping our relationship to them warm and caring. In Luke 15 it says the Father was looking down the road and saw the son coming back and ran to him. That door was not just open; it was wide open. Students drop out for many reasons. Is it obvious your door is wide open for their return?
Arliss Dickerson is the author of five books on college ministry that are available for 99 cents each in eBook form on Amazon.com. FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY is also available in paperback format.
Nine Common Reasons College Students Drop Out of a Ministry:
1. Their survival needs have been met.
One reason many students first become involved in a Christian campus or church group is for a sense of belonging and as an avenue for finding friends. As the school year develops, those needs are met by other groups and other friendships have been developed. Many of these have come as a result of your ministry casting a wide net. Their primary motivation was not a relationship to the Lord. However, some who came like this have made commitments to Christ or are now growing in what was a dormant relationship. Keep casting the wide net.
2.They do not find a personal group within the ministry that holds them.
No matter how good the teaching or music is, etc if they do not make some personal connections within the group, they likely will disappear. Every effort has to be made to help each student find a place of belonging and someone who notices and cares when they are not there.
3. There are personality clashes or a change of friends.
Just as relationships will help hold students in a ministry, a clash in relationships can run them out. Likely all of us who have been in college ministry long have experienced the breakup of a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship where one or both then would drop out. Occasionally, it even has wider implications when friends of theirs take sides and are affected.
4. Schedules become more complicated due to work, labs, etc.
The farther students go in school the more likely they are to have their schedules more and more crowded with work, labs, observing, internships, etc. Make sure that students knows your is not "an all or nothing" ministry. Some students feel guilty when they cannot attend as regularly and as a result stop attending completely.
5. They feel they have done all the ministry has to offer.
If a student can participate in everything a ministry has to offer in one or two years, why should they stay? Some things in your ministry ought to be for juniors and seniors only. Just as you meet some specific needs of freshmen, are you doing anything to meet the specific needs of seniors?
6. They feel pulled between the good and the good.
In some collegiate settings, a variety of groups or churches may be providing a variety of ministries and training options. Sometimes students drop out because they feel pulled between the demands for more of their time from more than one group or ministry. Sometimes, students feel this pull and tension between a campus based ministry and their church. Often, they wind up having to choose between the two rather than seeing them as complementary. Every effort should be made by campus and church based ministries to communicate and cooperate for the overall good of the student.
7. A student may drop out when they sense their beliefs and those espoused in the ministry are different.
A student may become involved in a ministry for a variety of reasons but they drop out because they sense their own beliefs are at odds with those the see as taught or represented in the ministry. No ministry can be all things to all students. Help those students to find a group or ministry whose beliefs are consistent with their own.
8. Some students drop out when "reality" hits.
I call the third week of school "reality week". That is when the first round of tests begin and the welcome events and free pizza events have pretty well ended. This is the point when they realize this is not summer camp and some study will have to happen.How students feel after their dropping out determines the possibilities of their coming back. Was their absence noticed, accepted, or seen as a sign of their lack of commitment....therefore....good riddance?
9. They drop out due to guilt over personal behavior.
Sometimes a student will do something way outside of their commitment to the Lord and their moral character. And even though they have repented and asked the Lord's forgiveness, their sense of personal shame and guilt pushes them away. It is important that we continually speak of God's forgiveness. This is not to make light of behavior or moral standards, it is rather to believe in and offer the grace of Jesus Christ offered again and again to all of us.
Any ministry has drop outs. Any good ministry has drop outs. An extra strong ministry may have more drop outs because students have been attracted because of the excellent outreach that is done and the reputation of the ministry on campus. It is important that we never make students feel once they have left that the door is not open for them to come back. We must work at keeping our relationship to them warm and caring. In Luke 15 it says the Father was looking down the road and saw the son coming back and ran to him. That door was not just open; it was wide open. Students drop out for many reasons. Is it obvious your door is wide open for their return?
Arliss Dickerson is the author of five books on college ministry that are available for 99 cents each in eBook form on Amazon.com. FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY is also available in paperback format.
Monday, August 13, 2018
Most Recent Southern Baptist College Ministry Statistics
The most recent figures for Southern Baptist College Ministries for the previous school year were just released. Four states were not listed in the totals (Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Texas) with Texas being the largest in Southern Baptist College Ministry with ministries on approximately 114 campuses.
398,002 students were impacted by ministries on 583 campuses.
9,530 people (both student and non-students) accepted Christ thru BCM ministries.
11,812 students were involved in leadership roles.
24,735 students were in 4,811 Bible Study groups.
3,229 students involved in BCM ministries are preparing for full time Christian vocations.
6,239 students served on short term missions teams (Spring Break, etc).
135 men and women serve in full time campus ministry roles
257 serve in part time campus ministry roles.
189 churches reported having a full time College Minister with no other responsibilities.
Arliss Dickerson is the author of five college ministry books in eBook form available for 99 cents each at Amazon.com. FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY is also available in paperback format.
398,002 students were impacted by ministries on 583 campuses.
9,530 people (both student and non-students) accepted Christ thru BCM ministries.
11,812 students were involved in leadership roles.
24,735 students were in 4,811 Bible Study groups.
3,229 students involved in BCM ministries are preparing for full time Christian vocations.
6,239 students served on short term missions teams (Spring Break, etc).
135 men and women serve in full time campus ministry roles
257 serve in part time campus ministry roles.
189 churches reported having a full time College Minister with no other responsibilities.
Arliss Dickerson is the author of five college ministry books in eBook form available for 99 cents each at Amazon.com. FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY is also available in paperback format.
Saturday, August 4, 2018
The Scariest Question in College Ministry
The scariest question in college ministry is, "What are we going to do about college students who go to school totally on the internet?".
The campus where I served as BCM Campus Minister and now serve as College Minister at a church that reaches out to that campus recently announced some startling figures. The enrollment for this past school year was 13,594. That was a pretty normal number for the past few years. Of that number 64% took at least one online course. That was not surprising to me just in what I hear from my students.
But, then there was the block buster number for me. Of the 13,594, 37% take ALL of their courses on line. That means they never have to walk across campus. And it may even mean they are not within a thousand miles of our ministry. That is often the first thought when we hear of students going to college all on the internet. But, this past week a friend told of her niece who is on the track team and lives on campus. Her coaches asked her to take all of her classes on line because that way she would be more available for training, travel, etc.
In my neighborhood, a single mother and her son moved in with their mother/grandmother across the street. I would see him twice a day walk off to high school and walk home afterward. Last year he graduated from high school and started college on line. Then, I would see him come out of the house about once a week.
How do we reach and minister to students who are more and more isolating themselves? I think this is the scariest question for two reasons:
1. This does not fit any of our models of successful college ministry.
2. But, to me this is the "More Scary" part.....I don't hear anyone asking the question.
We only get answers to questions and develop solutions to difficult issues when we begin to ask, ponder, and discuss the question.
So, here is the question: "How do we reach and minister to all these college students who are doing ALL of their college on line?". Let's start talking about ideas. It will be less scary then!
Arliss Dickerson is the author of five books on college ministry available in eBook form on Amazon.com for 99 cents each. FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY is also available in paperback format.
The campus where I served as BCM Campus Minister and now serve as College Minister at a church that reaches out to that campus recently announced some startling figures. The enrollment for this past school year was 13,594. That was a pretty normal number for the past few years. Of that number 64% took at least one online course. That was not surprising to me just in what I hear from my students.
But, then there was the block buster number for me. Of the 13,594, 37% take ALL of their courses on line. That means they never have to walk across campus. And it may even mean they are not within a thousand miles of our ministry. That is often the first thought when we hear of students going to college all on the internet. But, this past week a friend told of her niece who is on the track team and lives on campus. Her coaches asked her to take all of her classes on line because that way she would be more available for training, travel, etc.
In my neighborhood, a single mother and her son moved in with their mother/grandmother across the street. I would see him twice a day walk off to high school and walk home afterward. Last year he graduated from high school and started college on line. Then, I would see him come out of the house about once a week.
How do we reach and minister to students who are more and more isolating themselves? I think this is the scariest question for two reasons:
1. This does not fit any of our models of successful college ministry.
2. But, to me this is the "More Scary" part.....I don't hear anyone asking the question.
We only get answers to questions and develop solutions to difficult issues when we begin to ask, ponder, and discuss the question.
So, here is the question: "How do we reach and minister to all these college students who are doing ALL of their college on line?". Let's start talking about ideas. It will be less scary then!
Arliss Dickerson is the author of five books on college ministry available in eBook form on Amazon.com for 99 cents each. FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY is also available in paperback format.
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