The 2 Biggest College Minister Killers and Evaluation

 I have written  and spoken extensively on what I consider the two biggest College Minister killers.  They are COMPARISON AND FEELING ALONE.  As the semester has come to a close, it is evaluation time.  I am all about evaluation and think it is important to continue to understand your students, the campus, and your ministry. But, I think it is an easy time to get into one or both of these killers.

Let me quickly summarize the problem with each.

1.  Comparison - You never know all that is going on with another ministry.  You are just seeing things from the outside or even hearsay.  An easy metric to compare is NUMBERS.  But, even when numbers are accurate (and some are "estimates") that does not tell anyone all they need to know about what is happening in a ministry. It is not unusual for a ministry to have a quick, big year or two and the flash quickly wears off.  Long term faithfulness is always my choice.  Finally, campus settings are not identical.  Some campuses are just more friendly to a college ministry.  Some are tougher.

2.  Feeling Alone - Because College Ministers work crazy hours and times, it sometimes is difficult to connect with people in our own age group and do normal human things.  And lots of people just don't get college ministry.  So, they do not know how to talk to us about it.  

So, What do you do?

1. Evaluate against your own campus and your vision for that ministry.  What areas are you seeing progress?  What campus situations maybe new this semester (and in Covid times) have affected your ministry...for good or bad?

2.  As students have mostly left and gone home,  you will have more time.  Use that time to intentionally connect with some people outside your college ministry world.  Call a friend and go to lunch.  Talk about something besides ministry and college students.  Decide what football coach should go where, etc.

3.  Spend some extra time with your spouse and children.  It will be good for them and way good for you.  That is a little bit of a make up for some of those times you have been gone.  Take your kids for ice cream.  

4.  Ask the Lord to give you a reminder of your calling and His affirmation of that calling in your life. There is a reason you are doing what you are doing.  Re-visit your calling.  

5.  Plan out some time to read, pray, and think.  Pick out and order, if necessary, some books you will read over the break.

And oh yeah, be sure to write some thank you notes to people who have been a plus to the ministry.

Arliss Dickerson's college ministry books are available at amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX.