More on WHEN

I continue to be reading Daniel Pink's best selling book, "WHEN....The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing" and find it fascinating.

Those of us who have worked with students for very long will not be surprised by these facts.  But, I find it comforting to know that these trues I have learned working with couples getting ready to be married are actually backed up by scientific evidence based research.

WHEN SHOULD A COUPLE MARRY?

1.  Wait until you're old enough (but not too old).
-People who marry very young are more likely to divorce.
-Past the age of 32, the odds of divorce increase by 5% per year for at least the next decade.

2.  Wait until you've completed your education.
-Couples tend to be more satisfied with their marriage and less likely to divorce, if they have more education before their wedding.

3.  Wait until your relationship matures.
Couples that dated for at least one year before marriage were 20% less likely to divorce than those who made the move more quickly.  (I've (Arliss) been saying couples have to date at least a year to know what the other is really like, because we are so good at putting up a false face. 

HERE IS THE SURPRISING FINDING:
"The more a couple spent on the wedding and any engagement ring, the more likely they were to divorce."

I will be sharing a little more on WHEN next about "mid-life crisis" from Pink.

Arliss Dickerson is the author of five books on college ministry available in eBook format at amazon.com for 99 cents each and FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY is in paperback.

Solid Gold Time for College Ministry...."WHEN"

Those who have done college ministry for any length of time know that the first two weeks to three weeks is solid gold in terms of the best time to connect with and reach new students.  Freshmen have come to campus looking for connections, encouragement and help coping.  Some committed Christian students have come looking for faith connections.  I have said in the past that College Ministers don't go home much during these first weeks which offer opportunity that is gone when that start window closes.

Daniel Pink has written a New York Times Best Seller entitled, WHEN.  It is "the scientific secrets of perfect timing".  Quoting different scientific studies he at different points will make very practical suggestions as the best time to do something.  He tells best times to interview, the time of the day when most medical mistakes happen and therefore the best time to have a procedure done.  

He lists "Eighty-Six Days in the Year When You Can Make a Fresh Start".  These are days that people are more willing, open and likely to "re-set".  Here are some of those Pink lists:

-The first day of school or the first day of a semester (BINGO!)

-Mondays

-The day of an important religious holiday

-The first day back from vacation

Here are my applications for college ministry:

1.  We understand even more the why, how, and importance of that NEW BEGINNING.  This is the time to "Spend wisely extravagantly" in both plans and budget.

2.  The start of the Spring Semester or Winter Quarter is a new beginning.  Let's not assume that there are only opportunities to reach new people at the beginning of the fall semester or quarter.  Do outreach to new students at the beginning of each semester/quarter.

3.  Easter and Christmas events offer a time to reach students who have a faith background that have not been involved with a ministry.  Campus wide Easter worship services can be a rich outreach time.  For some this will be a time of realizing the need for faith or a realization that they have wandered from their previous practices.

4.  Every Monday is a new beginning.  Should you do something on some Mondays that is a chance for students to start over?  

I will share some more of Pink's "when's" in the next Blog or two.  He tells the best time to get married and the marriages that are more likely to break up.  I will share that next time.

Arliss Dickerson is the author of five college ministry books available for 99 cents each in eBook format at amazon.com.

Fund Raising in College Ministry....5 Truths

1.  The person most likely to give you money is someone who has already given money to your ministry.

2.  The Unforgivable Sin in fund raising is not enclosing an addressed return envelope with a written appeal.   It simplifies and makes a quick response more likely.  These envelopes can also serve as a reminder to give later.

3.  Some do not give because they feel they must give a large gift for it to matter.

4. A quick handwritten thank you note is always appropriate and increases the likelihood of another gift.

5.  Part of why someone gives to a ministry is because they believe in the leader.

Arliss Dickerson is a part time college ministry consultant for Lifeway Christian Resources and the author of five college ministry books in eBook and print available at amazon.com (type in Arliss Dickerson).  "ALMOST Everything About College Ministry" will be available in early summer.

Seven Things That Determine Maximum College Ministry Impact

I must admit at the outset that this is still a work in process.  What are the things that are the overall determination OTHER than the hand of the Lord, who sometimes just intercedes and moves despite our poor efforts?  My attempt is to begin to identify those things that are the overriding principles that cause (or keep) a ministry from being all it can be.

RESOURCES
Whether we like it or not, our resources are a huge factor in what happens.  It determines staff.  It helps determine the long time tenure of staff which is an on-going factor for the ministry.  It determines events, etc, etc.

LEADER FIT WITH THE CAMPUS SITUATION
This is a tough one.  Sometimes we see a college ministry situation not go well and we know the leader cares and is working hard....and has even been successful in other places.  Different campus situations and church situations call for different styles and personalities.  When looking for a College Minister for a ministry, we look for experience if possible.  But, even larger than past experience, does this person FIT THIS SITUATION?

TYPE OF STUDENTS REACHED
Campuses vary in the general type of student on different campuses.  There are different type students on all campuses.  But, each campus has a common type student.  Does the ministry's student leadership match the campus as a whole?  We will reach those most like those we have already reached.  This also goes back to the LEADER FIT, does the College Minister fit and connect with the type student on this campus?

SENSE OF MOMENTUM
Usually, this is the result of an on-going positive ministry over a period of time.  It grows with each year.  There are exceptions to this where a new leader/College Minister may be a "Rainmaker" type.  But, often this type of instant momentum disappears within three or four years....often as the "Rainmaker" moves on to another situation.  The best momentum is that which grows a year at a time.  Everything in the ministry does not get bigger and better every year.  But, as a whole the ministry continues to make strides and impact significant parts of campus life.

STRATEGIC PLAN AND NICHE
The plan is simply, "What are we trying to do and how are we trying to do it?"  On a campus with multiple college ministries, it is hugely important to know and operate within your niche.  Another way of saying it is, what is it your ministry does well and are you leaning hard into that strength?  No ministry can be all things to all students.  While I believe a healthy ministry will have a wide variety of students involved, each ministry has to be who and what it is.

STUDENT LEADER BUY-IN
Every ministry of much size has some sort of leadership group or team.  But, this is much more than that.  The student leaders of a whole are not just here because they are "good kids" or because they want to have a "position" in some organization.  The student leaders have a desire to honor the Lord with their lives and believe that He can and does use them on campus. They are bought into the idea and plan of what this ministry is trying to do. They will go way out of their way to do what they think God is doing and is wanting to do through them.  They believe in the leader and trust him or her completely.

TENURE/CAMPUS RECOGNITION
This has many sides.  A long term ministry leader gives stability to the ministry. The leader not just has a calling to minister to students, but loves this campus and is deeply dug into it.  A long term leader who has a positive relationship to the administration and various campus groups is a positive that is beyond totally understanding.  There is a general sense of good will on the campus toward that ministry.

What do YOU think is left out here?  What are the absolute must haves for a college ministry to be all that it should be?

Arliss Dickerson is the author of five books on college ministry available in eBook format for 99 cents each at amazon.com.  FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY is also available in paperback.

Speaking and Preaching to People of All Ages

As College Ministers we may speak one night to a group of college students in the 18-23 age category and the next day speak or preach to a church of all ages or even mostly older folks.  I was a Speech Major in college and my senior project was "Audience Analysis".  It was to look at and understand how our audience responds to us while we are speaking.  I continue to be fascinated by what affects an audience's attention and response.

Some of the things that affect how an audience responds to us can be affected by what happens prior to our speaking, which we often cannot control.  As I have always said, great music in a worship service can make a sorry sermon look good.  Some years ago, I spoke at a large youth camp in the morning sessions.  The music was high energy and fun.  My messages went super well.  One church asked me to come and do one of the messages I had done at camp.  The music prior to my speaking was to say the least....not high energy or inspiring!  The message was not well received.  Same message....different response.

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to speak for a Senior Graduate Sunday morning service.  It is my home church and they make a big deal out of it with a slide show about all the seniors, introductions and seniors speaking.  The music was great and it went well.  Everything about the service set me up to come across well.

In the days following it, people are kind enough to say nice things about my sermon.  It is the LITTLE THINGS they say that remind me that different age people respond to different things for different reasons.  An older lady yesterday told me how much she enjoyed it.  She liked the fact that I have people stand when I read the scripture.  Her husband said he liked the fact that I don't use notes....that I just speak out of the Bible.  She said with a negative tone that one of the other ministers who spoke used an iPad.  Let me say with full disclosure, I had a seven page detailed outline clipped inside my Bible that I referred to often.

We are without a pastor right now and we have an Interim Pastor/Preacher.  An older friend told me recently she likes how he just preaches the Bible.  I wondered what she meant.  Our former pastor, who was always well prepared (and preached the Bible) read his scripture and had his notes on a.....you guessed it.....an iPad.. It reminded me of a speaker I heard several years ago who quoted his scripture text from memory.  Later I heard him criticized for.....not using the Bible!

So, what's my point......the evils of iPads??  No, I don't use one because I would hit the wrong button and lose it all at just the wrong time.  I have no problem with speakers/preachers using iPads.   It is no less or more holy than my typed outline paperclipped inside my Bible.  It is the reminder that different age audiences respond differently to different things that help them HEAR or NOT HEAR our message.  I wear a tie in some places when I speak and in other places I do not wear a tie.

If we are working at being an effective communicator, we must analyze and think about our audiences.  Remember, your audience at a college event is very different than the audience in a Sunday service.

Arliss Dickerson has spoken to and bored audiences of all ages. Check out his five 99 cent eBooks on college ministry at Amazon.com.   His book, FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY, is available in paperback for $3.99 at Amazon.com/dp/B0741DM1CD

College Ministers and Suicide Prevention

I had the opportunity this week to attend a two hour workshop for College and Youth Ministers on suicide prevention. led by Dr. Meagan Medley and Dr. Blake Sandusky of the Arkansas State University Psychology Department.  Obviously, I did not suddenly become an expert.  But, I did want to pass along some helpful info that was given to us and encourage you to see what resources are available to you wherever you are.

-When there is a suicide that is widely publicized, there is a spike in suicides.  The death of Robin Williams, the well known comedian, caused a large spike.
-Talking about suicide and using the term with someone does NOT implant the idea in them.
-One of the most significant causes of suicide or considering suicide is a sense of loss.  In dealing with adolescents, we must realize that their idea of what a significant loss is may be very different than ours.  Being grounded or losing a cell phone can be huge to them.

A book that was highly recommended is GRACE FOR THE AFFLICTED:  A Clinical and Biblical Perspective on Mental Illness by Matthew S. Stanford.

We were introduced to the "Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale" which uses six (6) questions to assess the severity  of their condition.  Here are the six questions:

1.  Have you wished you were dead or wished you could go to sleep and not wake up?

2.  Have you actually had any thoughts of killing yourself? (If the person answers NO to #2, then go directly to question 6).

3.  Have you been thinking about how you might do this?

4.  Have you had these thoughts and had some intention of acting on them?

5.  Have you started to work out or worked out the details of how to kill yourself?
Do you intend to carry out this plan?

6.  Have you ever done anything, started to do anything, or prepared to do anything to end your life?
If YES, ask:  Were any of these in the last 3 months.

Here is the number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline:  1.800.273.TALK or you can text 741741

As suicides continue to be on the rise, we need to be more aware AND know who some professionals are available in our area which can help students AND you in dealing with this tough issue.

Arliss Dickerson is the author of five books on college ministry available in eBook format for 99 cents each at Amazon.com.  His book, FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY, is currently priced at $3.99 in paperback at Amazon.com/dp/B0741DM1CD.

How Do You Engage Older Church Members in Meaningful College Ministry?

1.  I believe the most effective thing we can do with students is get them into Christian homes.  So, "Adopted Families" is always my first recommendation.  So many students have dysfunctional families that seeing a healthy normal Christian family is huge.

2.  A monthly potluck meal at the church with a different Sunday School class or department.

3.  Multi-Generational Discipleship Groups - We promote them to our students and those that do it LOVE it!

4.  Panels - I am a huge believer in panels at collegiate events.  Older adults that would not be great solo speakers come across well sharing wisdom in a well done panel.

5.  Students serve at church wide events.  Some of our students serve at the annual Senior Adult Lunch and our older adults rave about them and their contact with them.  This opens other doors.

6. Testimonies in church.  College students can take up the offering.  Help the older adults see and hear the vision for college ministry in your church.

7.  When you speak or announce something at church about college ministry share some facts about the need for college ministry.  Keep sharing the vision.  Talk about 7 out of 10 active in church as seniors in high school making no spiritual connections in college, etc.

8.  One church in Florida held an annual Lunch where students were seated at tables by majors with older adults working in that field.  Pre-med students sat with doctors.  Engineering students sat with engineers.  Education majors sat with teachers, etc, etc.

And, don't ever forget that older adults make better home made desserts!  You can cater large group events....but getting home made desserts adds the special touch.


Arliss Dickerson is the author of five books on college ministry available in eBook format for 99 cents each at amazon.com.  All five of these books can be bought for $5.00 and read in about 6 to 7 hours.  That is a pretty good College Ministry Workshop price!