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.