I am all about speaking to and using topics in college ministry.
First, topics are a part of speaking to specific needs. In our recent concerns about the biblical illiteracy of this generation, many College Ministers are doing more "preaching". I fear that we are not doing as good of a job speaking to some specific freshmen needs and concerns. Obviously, I am not speaking against biblical preaching. But, I do believe one difference in church as a whole and a college ministry is that we are addressing their specific concerns and needs. And, those are very different than a church congregation as a whole.
Second, I am about using topics and promoting them. Why should the average student, that is not a Believer or a committed Christian, want to attend something promoted as, "Worship Service" or "Large Group Bible Study". A survey of students who attended a campus Christian event the first time found that the number one most listed reason they went was, "someone invited me". In that survey, we also learned that students were most likely to attend if it were, "an appealing event.". It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure that your core students are most likely to invite someone, if it is "an appealing event". I think titles help make an event appealing and easier to invite someone to attend.
HERE ARE SOME TOPICS FOR FRESHMEN:
The Difference in Real Love and Hormones
Five Ways to Mess Up Your Life
4 Ways to Max Relationships
The 5 Most Common Mistakes of Freshmen
How do Decide What to do with My Life
5 Things Every Student Ought to Know About Sex
Making Peace with Your Parents (The Jerks)
Sex Isn't New...But You Wish it Was...Starting Over
How to Decide WHAT to Believe and WHO to Believe About God
Is DOUBT a Four Letter Word?
Defending My Faith with Professors and Other Skeptics
How to be the Best You
Dealing with Conflict in a Group
I Love Jesus, But the Party Life is Calling
Answers to Tough Questions About God
How to Take Relationships Deeper.
When I Have Messed Up...How Do I Get Past it and FEEL Forgiven?
Making Social Life, School, and Church Work
What Should I Believe About the Bible?
Speak and or preach the basics of the Bible....but make sure you address some of the specific questions and concerns that freshmen have. That is a key part of being a college ministry.
Arliss Dickerson's brand new book, A COLLEGE MINISTRY SUCCESS FORMULA, is available at amazon.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment