"It takes three years for a ministry to become that of the leader and for it to begin to function at maximum effectiveness."
We don't know who said it first. But, those that have done college ministry any length of time and observed other ministries know that it is true. When there is an exception to it, it usually is related to a new College Minister being a gifted and charismatic speaker. And, the ministry is built around that.
So, what does "the three year rule" mean and why is it true?
1. Each College Minister has his or her own set of gifts and strengths that may be very different than the previous one. It takes some time and experimentation to find how they best apply in that situation.
2. Three years will bring in three classes that have come in under the current philosophy and function of the ministry. They are all on the same page. Continual change brings continual disruption.
3. It takes three years to raise up a strong group of leaders who have bought into the style and philosophy and have been trained and to lead and model what the ministry is all about. A college ministry is only as strong as its student leaders.
4. It takes three years for the College Minister to learn the uniqueness of that particular campus setting and church, if it is a Church College Minister.
5. If for any reason the ministry has had a negative reputation, it takes three years for that to be erased and for three classes to not know or hear of that negative.
6. It takes some experimentation and development to define and refine what the particular strength of that ministry with the current leader is and to begin to maximize it.
7. Resources are a definite factor in what a ministry can do. As a ministry grows and develops and individuals, a church, or multiple churches buy into what they see happening, they will begin to provide additional support. Most small ministries have small budgets. Most large ministries have large budgets. That is not a coincidence!
8. Many freshmen visit a ministry and do not stick for different reasons. But, when the ministry and ministry leader is the same over the years as when they first visited or attended, they are more likely to circle back in following years when they recognize the need.
9. The reputation of the ministry will spread and alumni, churches, parents, friends, and older brothers and sisters will start sending new students to the ministry. This is one of the "miracles" of a large on-going ministry.
10. Trust is built with campus administration and in many situations they begin to open doors for the ministry or at least not be obstructive as is sometimes the situation. College administrators like and help organizations that draw students and help them stay. Trust does not happen instantly.
So, at or after three years will a ministry be doing all that it can do and reaching the maximum number of students??? NO!!!! It is like shifting a manual transmission car. It is now in the gear that can get it to maximum speed. It is at its full function and can build on that for years to come. That is NOT to say that there will be no growth or positive ministry during those first three years. Those positive developments are part of getting to full speed. Several years ago, our ministry was having Freshmen Survival with a large number of students involved. A new College Minister from another ministry came in, saw what we were doing, and said, "I am going to do this just like this next year." I laughed to myself and thought, "It took me ten years to get to this point."
In many ways, three years is the starting point. Most strong college ministries are led by long time leaders. When there is a continual turnover of College Ministers, a ministry will continue to struggle or at least never get into third gear to go to maximum speed. The right person in the right place still takes time.
Arliss Dickerson's new book, ALMOST EVERYTHING ABOUT COLLEGE MINISTRY, is available at amazon.com. Type in his name or the title.
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