It's NORMAL for College Ministers to be Discouraged in February!

 I have always believed and FELT that college ministry was the hardest and most discouraging in February!  The weather is cold....and I do not like cold.  Students are sick.  They would come in and hug me and I would ask, "How are you doing today?".  Then, they would say, "I've been sick all day with fever"  Or...."Been throwing up all day....I just got out of bed to come here."  Oh, thanks so much! AND, throw normal February into Pandemic February and just wow!

The thrill of being back from a long holiday has long worn off and Spring Break seems another world away...IF....there will be one this year.  Plus, you are discovering that some of your contributors are not continuing this year.  Attendance is down at your night events because it is cold and dark outside too early. You started out doing two events on your event night in order to meet the school's required attendance max and now you don't need two.

So, what do you do?

1.  Always remember, God's movement is not determined by how you FEEL.

2.  A crowd does not determine whether God is at work or not.  I love crowds.  But, Beer Busts draw big crowds.  Is that a sign God is blessing them?

3.  Winter is a time of preparation.  Be building into the lives of those who are giving you their time right now.  Who are those four or five super promising freshmen?  What are you doing with them every week?

4.  Thinking needs time to be done.  I always felt short of thinking time when the ministry was "booming".  If you have a little more you time, are you looking at your campus and evaluating your strategy, etc.  WARNING:  Don't make big changes in the middle of February when you feel a total failure!

5.  Call another College Minister friend and encourage him or her.  One of the ways to face and handle our own discouragement is by encouraging someone else.  AND, you may find their current mess is worse than yours and you can be happy....just kidding!  Call and encourage and just laugh about some of it with somebody who gets it.

6.  Beware of talking about your frustration ALL THE TIME with your spouse.  Sure, they are one you need to talk to and process with......just do NOT do it ALL THE TIME.

I have a Masters Degree in Guidance Counseling.  I know that's weird right.  Sometimes, people ask me to tell them what I learned.  Here it is and it was well worth getting that degree.  

"It is easier to act your way into a better way of feeling than to feel your way into a better way of acting."

Know that it is ok to be feel frustrated but that you are normal and God has not forsaken you. Be faithful.  Go do the things you know that God has called you to do and that need doing. Your feelings will catch up much quicker than if you just sit there waiting for your attitude to change. 

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  Isaiah 41:10

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