Help College Students do the "Non-Spiritual"

I believe with all my heart that good and healthy college ministry is about more than the spiritual.  We are in the business of teaching young people about life and how to do it.  In these days of dealing with so many who are not believers and young believers who have grown up in church, but know so little about the Bible, we are having to do a ton of "spiritual teaching".  But, I think we cannot quit doing the "non-spiritual".

During my ministry on two campuses, we were fortunate to have a nice Center.  In each of those situations, we had a dorm type room for "Live-In Caretakers".  They would clean, open and close the building in return for their living quarters.  Overall, it worked well.  I received a message today from one of my long ago Caretakers who said this, "In many ways this job taught me more about life than any other."  He went on to become a high level insurance executive.  He and others joked about how I made them sweep out the cracks in the floor and my other "admonitions" when they did not do well.

The  Chancellor of the University where I served for many years publicly shares that he came to Christ as a result of the ministry of a Baptist Student Ministry in Texas where he was given a job as a Caretaker. He says, he was the "worst janitor in BSU history".  I am sure that College Minister talked and worked with him on how to do his work.  This Chancellor is a much loved and hard working college leader today, who is the President of our conference.  The ministry of that Texas College Minister continues to reverberate.

I have helped students make their resume.  I have taught guys how to shave.  One of my guys shared with me his single mom had taught him how to shave and he cut himself a lot. So, he didn't shave regularly or looked cut up.  Today, he is a Christian attorney who always looks professional.  

All of us have worked with students on time management.  One guy told me he just could not get everything done.  We looked at his schedule.  He played video games until 4:00 a.m. and then got up at 10:30 to go to his first class and there just were not enough hours in the day.  Wow; what a surprise!  He was a good guy, a smart guy and committed to the Lord.  But, he was being lousy with his time.  

One critic of college ministry said all we do is "play ping pong and get Christian couples together for marriage."  That is a FALSE statement.  But, College Ministers are and should be a force in helping godly couples learn to do life.  So, we need to keep talking about dating, marriage, and how to do healthy relationships. 

Having done campus based college ministry long term and church based a couple of years, I believe that campus based has a bit of an advantage and opportunity to be involved in the daily "non-spiritual" activities of students lives.  As we share Christ, teach students how to have a quiet time and talk about going to the ends of the earth, let's not lose sight of being involved with them in the "non-spiritual".

Are you helping college students learn to do every day, "non-spiritual" life?  That is good and healthy college ministry.

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus....."  Colossians 3:17.

Arliss Dickerson's brand new book, A College Ministry Success Formula, is on sale in August for $4.99.  Almost Everything About College Ministry is $8.99.  Check them out at amazon.com/dp/B091F5S1RF