What Will it Take for College Ministry to Last and Survive Difficult Days?

This was originally part of a "Ted Style Talk" I was invited to give to the Alabama BCM and Church Based College Ministers.

WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR COLLEGE MINISTRY TO LAST AND SURVIVE IN THESE DIFFICULT DAYS?  (And, this question was asked "pre-covid".)

1.  WE MUST NEVER THINK WE HAVE IT ALL FIGURED OUT.....if you think you completely understand this business....you don't understand this business.  The campus is constantly changing.  We must keep learning and adjusting.

2.  DON'T BAD MOUTH OTHERS WHO ARE DOING COLLEGE MINISTRY DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU ARE (Remember, it is being done more different ways now than ever before.). We all have crazy uncles....but they are still our uncle.  When we bad mouth others in college ministry, it hurts college ministry as a whole.

3.  LOOK FOR WAYS TO COOPERATE WITH OR ENCOURAGE THOSE  WHO ARE GENUINELY TRYING TO HONOR THE LORD AND IMPACT COLLEGE STUDENTS FOR GOOD.  When we compete in a negative way, students sense it and students lose and it usually hurts our ministry as well.  BUT, don't ever be apologetic about what the Lord has called you to do.  One of the best compliments I ever got was, a friend told me once he liked the fact I thought I was as good as anybody.  I hope you feel that your calling and gifts are just as valuable as anyone else!

4.BE WILLING TO LEARN FROM THOSE WITH WHOM YOU DISAGREE....EVEN THEOLOGICALLY.  Baptists or nobody else has ALL the good ideas.

5.  MAKE A DECISION TO BE AN AMBASSADOR FOR COLLEGE MINISTRY.  Talk about it, write about it, mentor others starting out. Tell students God is calling people to college ministry.

6.  KEEP TELLING YOUR STORY AND THE COLLEGE MINISTRY STORY AS A WHOLE.  Never assume people know all the need and all that is going on in college ministry.

Arliss Dickerson's new book, ALMOST EVERYTHING ABOUT COLLEGE MINISTRY, is available at amazon.com.