Reaching MORE College Students: Next Level College Ministry

 I have just released a new book, Reaching MORE College Students:  Next Level College Ministry, through Amazon Books.  It is unapologetically about challenging ministries, and hopefully helping equip ministries, to attempt to reach MORE students.  There are 12,000,000 full time college students in America today.  The best estimate by college ministry leaders is that ALL evangelical college ministries combined (campus and church) are reaching about five (5) percent.  That would be 600,000 students.  In some parts of the country, the 5% figure would be low and in other parts, it would be way high.

A unique aspect of the book is the chapter, "What Can We Learn from Large and Growing Ministries" which lists 5 common characteristics of large Cru ministries, 7 characteristics of large BCM ministries and 11 Characteristics of all types of college ministries from charismatic to very traditional church ministries.  You may or may not be surprised at the commonalities.

Some of the Chapters Included:

Barriers to the Next Level

Your Ministry's Most Valuable Asset and Tool

Your Strategy

Asking the Hard Question

What is the ONE Thing for Reaching More Students?

What Can We Learn From Large and Growing College Ministries?

The "ONE Thing" chapter includes the thoughts of College Ministers who lead from medium to large ministries of what they have seen the one thing to be again and again. You may not be surprised at the common thread that runs through their comments about what they have seen to be true in their ministries.  I hope you might consider, if it might help you as you wind up this semester and look toward the start of the new semester.

You can check it out here:  amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T.......Is Your Ministry Respected?

 I have written that the "It Factor" for College Ministers is respect.....not charisma.  In working with college students for the long term God process in their lives, it is not charisma or how trendy we dress.  It is respect.  But, here is another dimension to that.

Do your ministry partners respect you and your ministry?  In the Southern Baptist world, a Campus Minister is responsible for not only having a ministry on campus, but they are responsible for working with, helping, and encouraging church college ministries.  It is a complicated mine field to navigate sometimes.  Some are very cooperative.  Some are eager for help.  Some are mildly cooperative and some do not interact at all or even seem to compete with the campus based ministry and other church ministries.  To that mix, we also have to add other ministries on campus....do we cooperate, compete or ignore?

A simple fact is, if your ministry and you are not respected, other ministries are less likely to cooperate.  Lack of respect toward a ministry is sometimes caused by poor behavior on the part of the professional leadership or students involved.  However, sometimes lack of respect is caused by either a poor job, lack of awareness, OR that the ministry is smaller than others and not considered "significant" by others.  That is unfair, but true.

So, how do we earn "ministry respect"?  First, we do the best possible job we can do.  Excellence is always a key to respect. Part of excellence is being what we say we are.  Also, it sometimes means working with those who will cooperate and going forward.  We don't wait for everyone to cooperate.  When some are not cooperative, we cannot let that keep us from being cooperative with those who will.  Some ministry leaders have to see the benefit of cooperation.  Some will cooperate, if they see it values God's Kingdom as a whole.  Others will only cooperate if they see the benefit to their ministry.  Some have argued, if we "give away our ministry" others will be more cooperative.  The opposite is often true.  A strong thriving ministry draws cooperation.

There is an unhealthy competitive spirit that is harmful to ministry to students and to God's kingdom overall.  But, there can be a "HEALTHY competitive spirit".  That is when other ministries do well and even do not want to be cooperative, we can let that drive us to do the best possible job we can do.  We are not angry or negative toward that ministry.  But, we work at our ministry being all that it can be.

The personal actions of the College Minister are a BIG factor in ministry respect.  

5 Things that Help Earn Respect:

- Always respond to and return messages as soon as possible and no later than 24 hours.  Not responding to someone is disrespectful to them!

-Express thanks and give credit where thanks and credit is due.  When a partner helps. do not take it for granted.  Spread the credit around.

-Communicate with ministry partners regularly and let them know what you are doing that might affect them or even benefit them.  Ask for any information they want to share with you.

-Highlight things that are happening through cooperative efforts.  Share the credit.

-Never bad mouth other ministries....even when they deserve it.  

My scripture when I wrestle with this issue is Mark 9:38-40.  Teacher said John, We saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop because he was not one of us. Do not stop him Jesus said, No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us.

If YOU are respected, your ministry will be respected.

Arliss Dickerson's book, Almost Everything About College Ministry, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX.  Coming soon:  Reaching More College Students....Next Level College Ministry.  

Winding Down the Semester

 One of the great things about college ministry is that there are clear beginnings and endings.  Semesters do that.  No matter how good your ministry has been this semester or maybe even how poor it has been, it is about to be history.  There are some thing you can do now that will benefit you and your ministry when the term begins in January.

PERSONALLY:  There soon will be some time for resting and catching up from all the very long days and even a few all-nighters on Retreats or at conferences.  Taking care of yourself in the right way is a benefit to the ministry.  If you are like me, you usually don't get much reading done during the semester.  So, now is the time to tack some fun reading that is relaxing for you personally.  Remember, exercise is one of the things that rests and renews us.  It is a time to do a little extra in family time.  Most likely you have cheated your spouse, children, and anyone else you love in time and focus.Is there something you promised to do with or for them that didn't happen?  Perhaps, it is not too late.  Some have found that it is beneficial to schedule a whole day away from everybody and everything just for reflection, prayer and being still.

MINISTERIALLY:  As a semester is ending, it is a good time to look through your list of regulars and realize who you didn't see the last few weeks of the semester and make contact with them.  You might also look at the list or pictures of your Freshmen Welcome events that first couple of weeks and see those that you had such a great impression of and now realize they have disappeared.  Perhaps, at the end of the semester they are realizing they goofed.  The last few days of the semester are a great time for evaluation and feedback from students.  Invite some of your core students for pizza and ask questions like, "What most impacted you this semester?"  Or, "Where did we goof this semester?"  Or, "How can I be more what this campus and you need next semester?"  Maybe you could invite 5 or 6 freshmen who became very involved this fall and have a coke or coffee and ask questions about what drew them there and what has made them feel connected.  If you are a regular speaker at your worship event, now is a great time to lay out ideas or topics for next semester.  It might even be some topics that come out of your listening sessions.  Write some personal thank you notes to some people who were a huge blessing and help to you and your ministry this semester.

SPIRITUALLY:  How is your personal Bible study?  Not study for speaking, but just YOU study?  Now is a good time to stockpile three or four books that you will read during the Christmas break.  There are so many special worship events during this season.  Resolve to go to them not as a professional religious worker, but as one who loves the Lord and want to honor Him with you life.  It may make a huge difference in what you receive.  And, take some time to review your calling to college ministry.  Why and how God called you and how you see that playing out in your life.  Remember to thank God that you have the opportunity right now to serve in your calling.  Finally, pray for friends in college ministry who are struggling with some big issue or those that are raising their salaries and working on that for the coming year.  Call a pastor or two and just tell them how much you appreciate them. 

Arliss Dickerson's book, Almost Everything About College Ministry, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX.  

God Called You to Love College Students.....Not be Famous or Lead a Large Ministry

This is a re-post from a Blog I did four years ago.  I think we all need to be reminded it of it...especially as the semester starts to wind down and lots of things may not have gone as you had hoped and prayed.

One of my students recently asked me jokingly, "Who is more famous, you or ____________?" and he named a College Minister who is well known for his ministry and for being super active on social media.  I do not remember what smart mouth answer I gave him.  But, later I began to think about it seriously.

One of the dangers of social media is we see what others are doing and sometimes feel that it is way better and more significant in God's kingdom than what we are doing. I have a friend who has led what I would characterize as a "top 25 Baptist campus ministry in the U.S."  As a result of some changes he felt called to make by the Lord, he is now on another campus, doing all the same things well he did at the other campus.....and.....not getting nearly the response he got on his previous campus.  The two campuses are significantly different.  The resources are different.  He is being faithful to God's calling on his life.  Some might wonder what ever happened to him.  But, the Lord know where he is.

Another friend serves on what might be called "the least Christian campus in America" and he has been having 35 students at his weekly large group meeting.  He is seeing some students come to Christ.  That is wonderful in the context where he serves.  He would be one of my nominees for Campus Minister of the Year.  But, he probably will not be described by anybody as "famous".

Right now in my "Fifth Season" I am leading what is the smallest ministry I have led in many years.  Sometimes I am frustrated.  Yet, I feel I am where the Lord wants me right now.  The other night I was frustrated by our drop in attendance.  But, I left excited by the conversations I got to have with some students that night.  It was not about the size of the crowd....it was about God's movement in their lives and my being privileged by God to be present to it.

God did not call us to be famous or to lead a large ministry.  He called us to love students in His Name and to be faithful to that.  Most of us will not wind up to be famous.....but that is not what we were called to be.  And, we nay not lead "a large ministry", but God knows where we are and He will continue to speak into the lives of students.  That is what he called us to.  A few of us may wind up leading large ministries and a handful of us may be a little "famous" in our tribe.

But, if we worry about being famous or how many likes our latest statement on Facebook or Twitter gets, we just need reminding, that was not what we committed our life to.  God is speaking into the lives of college students and we get to be part of it!!

Arliss Dickerson's book, Almost Everything About College Ministry, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX.

 

A New College Ministry Tool to go with an Old Favorite or Two

 A college ministry veteran and friend called me all excited to say I needed to let College Ministers know about Shane Pruitt's new book, Calling Out the Called.  Most of us are familiar with Shane from his role as Next Gen Director for the North American Mission Board.  In fairness, I need to add that Scott Pace at Southeastern Seminary is also one of the authors.

I have long advocated every College Minister having at least two or three copies of Dr. Jeff Iorg's book, Is God Calling Me, to give to students who are sensing, wrestling with, or clarifying God's call in their life to vocational ministry.  I spoke with a freshman today that I am going to give a copy of this book.  One of the concerns of many is that it seems fewer young adults are expressing or responding to a call to ministry. I have no doubt that God is calling, but for many, there is a reluctance to respond or to know how to follow up on their initial response.

One of the key roles for a College Minister is to not only share the news of God's Call to some to serve in ministry roles, but to mentor and help them as they prepare for where God may lead them.  This is one of the most important things we can do for now and for the church of the future.  So, Calling Out the Called, is meant to be an aid to us as we help students. Some of the chapters include: "Wrestling with the Call"; "Balancing Family and Ministry" and "Persevering in Ministry".  I must confess that I have not read the book yet.  But, my friend does not get excited about much.  So, check it out.Amazon.com/dp/B0BL2833PH.

I would also remind you to check out and use sbccalled.com which is a great tool.  A parent recently said his son felt called to ministry, but had no idea what kind of role he might fit.  I was able to point him to www.sbccalled.com which has a great list and description of all kinds of ministry positions.  Plus, there are tons of other helps there for the student or you.  You don't have to be Baptist to use it.  I won't tell anybody.

If you serve in college ministry and are aware of students in your ministry sensing a call to ministry or just beginning to ask the question, "Is God calling me?", I would encourage you to make it a priority to meet with them regularly and be a guide and resource to them.  Who knows, the next Billy Graham might come from your ministry and be a blessing to the world.

Arliss Dickerson's book, Almost Everything About College Ministry, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX and A College Ministry Success Formula is at Amazon.com/dp/B091F5S1RF.