A Concern of Mine in College Ministry....YOU Are the Answer!

"Out of Sight...Out of Mind" is a well known saying that expresses a truth.  What people do not see or hear about goes away.

In these days of churches and denominations seeing shrinking offerings and hard decisions being made about budgets and personnel, that which is not in mind is likely to go away.  Some college ministry veterans believe that many of the cuts being made in college ministry are not aimed at college ministry.....it is just that college ministry is not at the front of their thinking.  It is not the first item that comes up in budget meetings, elders meetings and deacon meetings. 

If we believe that college ministry is important and matters in reaching our world, what are we doing about it?  One college ministry leader told me some years ago, "I tell my people to just keep their head down and do their own campus."  I think he meant to avoid controversy, etc.  

As different churches, denominations and other groups make decisions about where college ministry falls in today's decisions, YOU ARE THE ANSWER!  Scary, I know.  Now is NOT the time to keep your head down.  It is time to raise it up in the right way.

-Most only know about college ministry what they see locally.  Realize and accept the responsibility that YOU are the national face of college ministry where you are.

-Don't assume everyone knows what you are doing and the good that is coming out of it.

-Communicate what you are doing to alumni and friends.  Encourage them to be a voice for college ministry.

-Don't keep your head down to the point that pastors and others don't know what you are doing.  Be a FRIEND and PARTNER to other ministers during these hard times. They are making tough decisions these days that draw criticism, no matter what they decide.

-Be FOR college ministry....not just your ministry. Be an encourager.

-Remember that making people aware of your ministry is about way more than asking for money.  Some times we just need to inform and be a friend.  A pastor once said to me, "I would like to see a College Minister some time when he wasn't coming to ask for money."  There is a time to ask for money and there is a time to just be a face and a friend.

-YOU ARE THE FACE OF COLLEGE MINISTRY.  Put on your best face and be about it.

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

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