In the different personality tests I have taken through the years for work, fun, and team building, one characteristic that always comes out for me is loyalty. I am all about being loyal to whomever and whatever that relates to me. I am all about being for the school you went to. That just seems a natural instinct to me. But, in doing that in our ministry, just out of my personality, I learned something valuable.
Leader type students on campus tend to be about school spirit. They choose a school. They don't just go there because it is their only option. They choose it. So, they are for it and all about it. Some college ministry gurus advocate reaching Greeks because they are leader types and that will build your ministry and reach more students in that other students follow leaders. I agree with that fifty percent. I am all about reaching and building up leaders which builds up your ministry. My other fifty percent is that not all leaders are Greeks and for many reasons Greeks and non-Greeks do not seem to mix well as groups for a variety of reasons. That is a topic for another day.
I believe strongly in a ministry that is aimed at one campus being all about that campus and the school spirit attached to it. Obviously, a ministry reaching out to a multiple campuses has to operate differently. Our ministry tee shirts usually had something related to the mascot or the school as a whole. Sometimes, we were able to use official school images and sometimes we had to create our own. We encouraged students to attend school wide events, ballgames, etc. We built our Back-2-School Retreat around the first home football game, if the date worked. We talked about "fun and exciting college weekends". When I did a church college ministry later on, I learned that Sunday morning attendance was best on home game weekends....especially when we were winning. We tried to build on that even more with our special events such as Welcome Lunch, etc.
Leader types are spirit types. Yes and I do believe that leader types bring other students!
One day a new church staffer who had been given the responsibility of doing college ministry in addition to his main responsibility showed up on campus the first time wearing a jacket with the logo of "that other school". He had not graduated from it. He just was a fan. Some would say, "no big deal". I say it matters to some.....and that some are leader types.
I have a friend who is serving at a "mostly commuter campus" not known for its school spirit. It is a large school. He has adopted the motto, "We love our campus!". He promotes school spirit. Funny thing: the administration loves him! Doors open when an administration loves you and your ministry....AND see you as a partner. A school that may not be a magnet to Type A students has SOME Type A students. We all need some Type A students in order to reach more "Non-Type A students".
How is your school spirit? Does your ministry relate well to your campus? How are you doing with leader types? A College Minister friend tells of a meeting with a group of church staffers who were meeting together to talk about their ministries, learn from each other, and encourage one another. Most were lamenting their ministries not doing well. He asked, "How many of you went to the football game this weekend?" None of them had. He said, "How do you expect students to be interested in you, if you are not interested in them and their activities?"
Loving a campus helps students and campus administrators know you love and care about them. Go Team!
Arliss Dickerson is a college ministry coach, blogger and author. His new book, ALMOST EVERYTHING ABOUT COLLEGE MINISTRY, is available at amazon.com. Type in his name or the title.
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