R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Do Your Ministry Partners Respect Your Ministry?

I have written that the "IT Factor" for College Ministers is R-E-S-P-E-C-T.  In working with college students for the long term God process in their life, it is not charisma or how trendy we dress, it is respect.  But, I want to add another dimension to that.

Do your ministry partners respect your ministry?  In the Southern Baptist world a campus based College Minister is responsible not only for having a ministry on campus, but they are responsible for working with, encouraging and helping the church college ministries.  It is a complicated mine field to navigate sometimes.  Some are very cooperative. Some are eager for help. Some are somewhat cooperative and some even seem to intentionally compete against the campus based ministry and other church ministries.

A simple fact is, if your ministry is not respected, other ministries are less likely to cooperate.  Lack of respect toward a ministry is sometimes caused by poor behavior on the part of the professional leadership or students involved.  However, often lack of respect is caused by either a poor job OR that the ministry is smaller and not considered "significant" by others.

So how do we earn "ministry respect"?  First, we do the best possible job we can do.  Excellence is always a key to respect.  Part of excellence is being what we say we are.  Also, it sometimes means working with those who will cooperate and going forward.  When some are not cooperative, we cannot let that keep us from being cooperative with those who will.  Some ministry leaders have to see the benefit of cooperation.  It has been argued that if we "give away our ministry" others will be more cooperative.  The opposite is often true.  A strong thriving ministry draws cooperation.

There is an unhealthy competitive spirit that is harmful to ministry to students and to God's kingdom overall.  But, I believe there is a "Healthy Competitive Spirit".  When other ministries do well and are not cooperative, we can let that drive us to do the best possible job we can do.  We are not angry or negative toward that ministry.  But, we work on our ministry being all that it can be.

The personal actions of the College Minister can affect the "ministry respect".
 5 Things the College Minister Can Do to Bolster "Ministry Respect":
-Always respond to and return messages as soon as possible and no later than 24 hours.
-Express thanks where thanks is due.  When a partner helps, do not take it for granted!
-Communicate.  Let them know things you are doing that might affect them and ask for any information they want to share with you.
-Highlight things that are happening through cooperative efforts.  Share the credit.
-Never bad mouth other ministries.....even when they deserve it.  It is hard...I know!

My scripture when I wrestle with this issue is Mark 9:38-40.  "Teacher, said John, we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop because he was not one of us.  Do not stop him, Jesus said.  No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us."

Respect can be lost instantly and earning it takes time.  Are you working at earning respect for your ministry?  A respected ministry can make more of a difference.


Arliss Dickerson is a part time college ministry consultant for Lifeway Christian Resources and is the author of five books on college ministry available in eBook and print at amazon.com (type in Arliss Dickerson).