The Quick Cheat Sheet for Repairing or Growing a College Ministry

A Cheat Sheet is a quick summary of a lot of information.  Here is my Quick Cheat Sheet for a college ministry revitalization.

1.  Look at and as honestly as possible, determine what issues are holding your ministry back.

2.  Listen to and get input from your core students. Get input, but do not ask them to vote on actions to take.

3.  Determine if any of "The Ministry Killers" are at work in your ministry.  (Playing favorites, Inappropriate Behavior by student leaders, No joy or fun in the ministry, Same old/Same old, Lack of excellence).

4.  Decide which of two basic approaches to take.  Is it "Do a complete overhaul and change everything."  or "Tweak some things within your current ministry.".

5.  Establish a starting point...this is FIRST! Prioritize it and move on it.

6.  Look at the common characteristics of large and growing ministries....what is one that could most quickly move your ministry in a positive direction. (Two are Effective small groups and Sense of Mission).

7.  Develop an overall plan.  A written plan or strategy is a plus to making continual progress.  Don't let the everyday tasks keep you from doing the things necessary for the change.

8.  Assess honestly the ministry's healthy or unhealthy "atmosphere".

9.  Be prepared for the push back and personal attack that often goes with change.

10.  Consider slimming down what your ministry offers to beef up the quality of your offerings.

11.  Make an OBVIOUS change or multiple changes that show this is a NEW day.

12.  Invest deeply in a few that can be difference makers.

13.  Clean up the ministry reputation where needed with outsiders.

14.  Understand how other ministries may be having an impact on yours.

15.  Determine how much more or less you need to be the up front face of the ministry.

16.  Begin now to determine your plan for connecting to and reaching freshmen in the fall semester.

Adapted from FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY, Amazon.com/dp/1521876665.

Arliss Dickerson's book, Almost Everything About College Ministry, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX and A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula is at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV