What is the Tipping Point for Connection and Involvement in Your Ministry?

Malcolm Gladwell in his best seller of a few years back, The Tipping Point, wrote about what it is that creates a trend or a social movement.  What is it that causes people to want to be a part?  In college ministry, all of us have wrestled with the idea of why some students connect and some do not.  Some stay and some do not.  Some we thought could be potential leaders do not stick.  Why is that?

The Law of the Few

Gladwell says that certain types of people are especially effective at spreading an idea or behavior. We all know of those students that others follow and want to be around.  One of our tasks is to get our best "People people" into the roles where they connect with new people.  Beware the danger of letting your "People people" get put in roles that don't exercise that special gift.

Connectors:  Social Butterflies

These are the ones that Gladwell says know everybody.  They connect to a wide variety of people and bring them together.  They are not limited to one group or type of people.  They cut across the social spectrum in their relationships.

Develop Your Few

You might say sure, "Where do I get a dozen of these  Social Butterfly students?"  For me one basic principle of college ministry is reaching and developing leaders.  Leaders multiply our ministry by what they do and connecting to people the College Minister would never be able to reach.  Some argue that their ministry targets leaders or influencers by reaching the Greeks. They then will influence the campus as a whole.   I would argue there are leaders all over campus and there are those who have the potential to be leaders, if we will help them develop it.  Be about developing and empowering student leaders.  We must promote and reward leadership in our ministries. Who do your students admire and respect? The Law of the Few: The few affect the masses!  

What are the things in your ministry that tip students from visiting to CONNECTING?  Or, what are the things that KEEP students from connecting?

Arliss Dickerson's book, Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades, is available at amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9.