In my blog article, "The 3 Year Rule or Principle in College Ministry", I listed two college ministry truisms or principles that affect significantly all of our ministries.
LARGE COLLEGE MINISTRIES TEND TO HAVE LARGER BUDGETS. SMALL COLLEGE MINISTRIES TEND TO HAVE SMALL BUDGETS.
Money will not make a ministry. Throwing money at it is not a solution. BUT, it is hard to have much ministry apart from a workable budget. In response to my "3 Rule" Blog article, a friend commented this, "As with everything in life, invest for what you want, not what you have." That is a lot of wisdom in a few words. What sort of ministry does your church or campus based ministry need, want or aspire to? Does that budget reflect that goal or aspiration?
Obviously, a ministry of twenty students does not need a $50,000 budget. But, is the budget pointed toward where the ministry is trying to go. Or, has the budget helped to establish "the lid". A "ministry lid" can be established by the size of the facility, the size of the staff, the number of strong student leaders, etc. Lots of things go into establishing "the lid". Yet, budget just might be the most significant. Part of having an adequate budget for the desired ministry is having a vision and articulating that vision. Does the church have a picture of the vision that might affect how they budget for the college ministry? Do the churches and individuals who support or might support the campus based ministry know the vision which might encourage them in their giving?
Can you state the vision for your ministry in an "ELEVATOR TALK? An "elevator talk" is a short description that explains a concept in 30 seconds that any listener can understand. But, it cannot be some generalized, "We want to reach the whole campus."
Decide what budget it would take to do what you are trying to do and begin to work toward that budget. Developing budget is usually done over time. So, start now.
LARGE COLLEGE MINISTRIES TEND TO HAVE LONG TERM LEADERSHIP. SMALLER COLLEGE MINISTRIES TEND TO HAVE LOTS OF SHORT TERM LEADERSHIP.
Turnover causes disruption. Constant turnover in leadership causes greater disruption. Some ministries will never be large for a variety of reasons. Yet, they do not reach their realistic potential because of the continual turnover in leadership. The SINGLE BEST WAY TO GROW A MINISTRY is to get the right person in leadership and make it possible for them to stay long term. I believe the number one cause for turnover is DISCOURAGEMENT or FRUSTRATION. College Ministers often feel alone and that no one else cares. Part of that comes from people not understanding what a College Minister does and not recognizing the importance of it. Church College Ministers often tell of "additional duties" being added. My favorite is the College Minister who was put in charge of the Church Day Care. He did not stay too much longer after that.
College Ministers must look for friends and develop support groups apart from students. People who care about college ministry must be intentionally supportive and encouraging. Salary and benefits are another major issue. If we want long term leaders, we must pay them so that as families and expenses grow, they can meet those obligations without making a move.
THIRD, we must continually battle the idea that COLLEGE MINISTRY IS ONLY FOR THE YOUNG. College students have lots of buddies. They need and want mentors with experience, knowledge and know how. That is another reason that larger ministries tend to be led by older College Ministers. They have developed the skills and experience to develop and lead larger ministries. As a result, people tend to trust and invest in their ministries.
So if you are a College Minister, work on your "elevator talk" and get out and make another friend. And, whether you are a College Minister or not, be encouraging a College Minister. Sending a $25 check is always an encouragement! But, a phone call and kind work go a long way too!!
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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