I continue to hear College Ministers wrestle with how to do their ministry with the new guidelines announced by their campus. Some are still waiting for a final announcement of guidelines. A friend yesterday, who serves on a nationally known campus,said they had been told "no in person student events". That pretty well cooks Plan A AND Plan B!
If you know me, you know I like big crowd events. I love the energy at a crowd gathering of college students. I love how students can come to those and be anonymous, if they choose. I love how they get a sense of God's movement on campus. I love how they see, "I'm not the only Christian after all." I love....well, you get it. I like large group gatherings.
But, what if, you learn like my friend, no in person gatherings or they are limited in such a way as to really scuttle your normal ministry? Despite the fact that I am a lover and advocate of large group events, I believe the most transformative thing we do is meet with a student one on one. Usually, that is through and with our leaders. But, this year is different to say the least.
What if......
-you met with a different student for lunch each day of the week?
-you started, even now, inviting freshmen to lunch or for a coke or coffee?
-you tell that new student to bring their roommate?
-a meeting with a new student goes really well and you learn they have a heart for the Lord? Ask them to meet you next week and bring a new friend they have made.
- if you schedule morning, lunch and afternoon meet-ups? That would be three a day for five days a week. That's fifteen students. For fifteen weeks, that would be 225 individual meetings. Some of those would be on-going ones with core students who would have been in a leadership role, if all were normal. Maybe, some of those would be follow ups on a good first time meeting that went really well.
What do you do at that one to one with a brand new student? Ask what you can pray about for them and do it right then. In a couple of days, call them and see how they are doing.
When you meet with that core student, invite them to pray with you at the end. I believe one of the most important things we do with students is to teach them how and encourage them to pray out loud with someone. If it's a really public place and you don't want to put on a spiritual show, both of you can pray with your eyes open....it's ok. I've done it.
If you are a cheap skate like me, you quickly say, "that's a lot of money for cokes/coffee and lunch." But, if you cannot have your regular big welcome event, can that money be "re-budgeted"?
Let's not think about what we CANNOT do....let's think about what we CAN do. Let's pray, "God help me see things I've not seen or thought before. Help me see the positive in the new normal." We usually see what we are looking for, don't we?
WHAT IF?
Arliss Dickerson's new book, ALMOST EVERYTHING ABOUT COLLEGE MINISTRY, is now available at amazon.com.
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