"5 Steps to Working with Called to Ministry Students"...... by Ryan Scantling

College is a key time for students to hear and respond to the call to ministry and missions.  Here are 5 steps to working with Called to Ministry Students:

1.  Extend the Call to Ministry/Missions Often and Early to Every Student.

I believe there are scores of students who would readily respond to God's call to vocational ministry or missions, if only someone would voice that call to them.  It does not have to be complicated and it does not have to be formal.  In my ministry it has often sounded like, "If you are interested in Exploring a Call to Ministry or Missions, join me at dinner next week."

2.  Give them Space to Explore

Have you ever met a student who is the only one in an academic program or particular field of study....its awkward.  It can also be awkward being the only one who is exploring a call to missions/ministry in a crowd.  Try to give students exploring a call to ministry a space to explore their call and ask questions together.  They will learn as much from each other as they will from you.  During my time at Conway BCM, we did a dinner especially for Called to Ministry students called "Explore Your Call" once or twice a month before our weekly meeting.

3.  Connect Them With Mentors

Universities keep including their student to faculty ratios in recruitment materials because university recruiters keep finding that the next generations want experts who will guide them in a specific field of study.  The same is true with students exploring a call to ministry.  Connect them to ministry leaders, church planters, pastors, missionaries, and academics.  Help the next generation explore their calling by exposing them to older mentors who are living out theirs.  Conway BCM's Explorw Your Call dinners almost always include a local guest minister or stateside missionary that students can interact with and learn from.

4.  Expose Them to Opportunities

Internships, Seminaries, Ministry Jobs, Mission Trips, Volunteer Opportunities.  Start a GroupMe, put all your Called to Ministry Students in it and help them get connected to possibilities.  One of the most common questions I get from students exploring a call to ministry is, "How did you become a campus minister?"  The honest answer:  mentors in ministry just kept connecting me with opportunities.

5.  Answer The Questions They Are Asking

There are a lot of things called to ministry students need to know, however there are some things they are dying to know.  Ask your Called to Ministry students what questions they have....then answer them or bring people in to answer them.

For the last 6 1/2 years Ryan Scantling has served as BCM Campus Minister in Conway, AR.  In that time 42 of their BCM graduates are either serving in paid vocational ministry/missions or are currently enrolled in seminary.  Starting this summer, Ryan will be the BCM Campus Minister at the University of Arkansas.

Arliss Dickerson's brand new book, A COLLEGE MINISTRY SUCCESS FORMULA, is available at amazon.com.