Two Powerful Tools in College Ministry

 As February ends and March and Spring Break arrive, the outreach to high school graduating seniors begins to be more of an issue.  So, what works and what can the ministries with limited budgets do?

Two Tools:

Post Cards:  I continue to be a huge proponent of the value of handwritten notes.  One well known Head Football Coach who is known for his success in recruiting requires his staff to write five (5) postcards every day to athletes they are interested in to possible come to their campus.  That is FIVE A DAY!  You may say our ministry does not have many names yet.  First, start in by writing any that you have.  Second, write a card to a student as soon as you get their name.  It is easy to throw them in a folder and pull that folder out in July.

  If you meet a high school senior and they indicate they MAY come to your school, write them a note encouraging them to connect to a ministry wherever they may go.  Another great thing about sending a student a postcard is usually their parents will see the mail arrive and know that you are interested in and being helpful to their son or daughter.  I think the "Five a Day" indicates that these prospective athletes get MORE than one postcard over a period of time.  Of course, we do not want to over contact, but getting two or three cards over a two or three month period is not over contacting.  

Texting:  One College Minister on a large nationally known campus is a really good speaker and spends time preparing to speak.  He said that a College Minister ought to spend an equal amount of time texting students inviting them to an event as he or she does preparing to speak for that event.  Do you spend four hours preparing to speak? Do you spend four hours texting and inviting?  What is your ratio to prepping and inviting?

Some Text Facts:  One company marketing their services and different tech aids shared the following.

90% of text messages  are opened and read within 3 minutes.

45% of text messages get a reply.

Who are you texting?  Who are you writing postcards to?  If your ministry is supported by churches, has each of those pastors gotten a handwritten thank you postcard from you?  If you are a Church College Minister, has each of your adult volunteers gotten a handwritten thank you postcard or note from you?  Why not?  Have your student leaders gotten a thank you text from you...not asking them or reminding them to do something, but just saying thanks?  Why not?

What is your ministry or church giving to high school seniors?  Check out "Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades" at Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9.

Three (3) College Ministry Positions Available

 The BCM at Virginia Tech is hiring three staff members, each starting middle to late summer:

    - Associate Collegiate Minister - This staff member has traditionally served with us 3 to 6 years.  The Associate Collegiate Minister will raise the bulk of his or her financial support, but will receive a portion of built in support from our BCM alumni association.  The Associate will also have an apartment provided with full housing and utilities paid.

    -Two Collegiate Ministry Interns (Male or Female) - This is with our 10 month collegiate ministry internship program.  Interns will receive a monthly internship stipend provided by our BCM alumni association and will also have an apartment provided with full housing and utilities paid.

Each of these staff members will work as a team with the Senior Collegiate Minister as they give focus together to these areas:

    1.  Developing engaging discipleship materials and Bible study materials.

    2.  Training and encouragement of Bible study leaders.

    3.  Working with students to engage the campus in outreach and evangelism.

    4.  Leading students in specialized outreach to freshmen and transfers.

    5.  Discipling students and training disciplers.

    6.  Investing in students through leadership development settings and opportunities.

    7.  Working with entire staff team on projects and administrative needs, as well as communication and engagement strategies.

    8.  Strengthening Church relationships, engagement with International students, involving students on mission projects and break trips, and other elements of a comprehensive collegiate ministry.

Specific direct responsibilities will be divided according to individual gifts and experience.  To submit a resume or to get more information, contact Darrell Cook at info@bcmvt.org .

What do you give high school seniors as a gift from your church or a gift from your college ministry?  Check out Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades at Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9.  For tips on reaching MORE college students go to Amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN.

February Can be Discouraging in College Ministry!

 I have always believed and FELT that college ministry was the hardest and most discouraging in February!  The weather is cold....and I do not like cold.  Students are sick.  They will come in to an event and hug you.  Then, they will tell you they have had fever or been throwing up all day.  Or, "I just got out of bed to come here."  Oh thanks!  Excuse me while I sneak off to wash my hands.

The thrill of being back from the long Christmas Break has worn off and Spring Break feels a long way off. Plus, you find that some of your financial contributors are not continuing in this new year.  Attendance is down at night because it gets dark so early

So, what do you do?

1.  Remember, God's movement is not determined by how you FEEL.

2.  A crowd does not determine whether God is at work or not.

3.  Winter is a time of preparation.  Be building into the lives of those who are giving you their time right now.  Who are those four or five super promising Freshmen?  What are you doing with them every week?

4.  Thinking needs time to be done.  If you have a little more you time, are you looking at your campus and evaluating your strategy, etc?  WARNING:  Don't make big changes in the middle of February when you FEEL a total failure.

5.  Call another College Minister friend and encourage him or her  One of the ways to face and handle our own discouragement is by encouraging someone else.  AND, you may find their current mess is worse than yours and you can be happy....just kidding!  Call and encourage and just laugh about some of it with somebody who gets it.

6.  If you are married, beware of talking about your frustration ALL THE TIME with your spouse.  Sure, they are one you need to talk to and process with....just do NOT do it ALL THE TIME.

I have a Masters Degree in Guidance Counseling.  Crazy, I know. Sometimes, people ask me to tell them what I learned.  Here it is and it was well worth getting that degree.

"It is easier to act your way into a better way of feeling than to feel your way into a better way acting."

Know that is is ok to be and feel frustrated but that you are normal and God has not forsaken you.  Be faithful.  Go do the things you know that God has called you to do and that need doing.  Your feelings will catch up much quicker than if you just sit there waiting for your attitude to change.

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you.  I will uphold you with my righteous  right hand."  Isaiah 41:10

As you begin to reach out to high seniors seniors for this fall, what can you give them or use as a thank you for providing their contact info?  Check out Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades at Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9.

Full Time College Ministry Position

Shoal Creek Baptist Association is seeking a FULL TIME CAMPUS MINISTER.  This person will be responsible for leading the students of Crowder College in evangelism, discipleship and missions.  

Responsibilities include keeping the BSU area clean and presentable.  Crowder College is a two year community college located in Neosho, Missouri.  Crowder has nine athletic teams and four hundred campus residents. Applicants need to have a heart for college students with a call to campus ministry.

Send resume to abrock2485@gmail.com.

As you begin to reach out to graduating high school seniors for this fall, what can you give them or use as a thank you for providing their contact information?  Check out Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades at Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9.

The BE ATTITUDES of a College Minister

 1.  Be Intentional.  Have a plan for your ministry.  Be working that plan.  Don't just show up every day and see what happens.  The plan will adjust and tweak as time progresses, but there is always a plan.

2.  Be Grateful.  Never forget to express gratitude to those who give, help, and are just supportive.  A handwritten note communicates appreciation.  They do not have to be long.  Three or four sentences can be plenty.  

3.  Be Prompt.  Return messages within 24 hours (Unless you are on vacation).  When you tell a student you will meet them at a certain time, be there on time.  It communicates you take them seriously AND you are teaching them how to act in their relationships and work.  Apologize when you are late.

4.  Be in Contact with Alumni.  You can continue to be a spiritual influence and resource in their lives.  This is not just true of campus based College Ministers.  If you are a church based College Minister, consider having an "Alumni Reception" for alums on Sunday of Homecoming Weekend.  Lots of young adults have walked away from church involvement following college without meaning to do so.  Encourage them.

5.  Be Evaluating.  Always be thinking about why things are going well and why they may struggle.  Every success or FAILURE is an opportunity to be learn something.  Don't miss it.

6.  Be Tweaking.  As students change, campus schedules change, etc, your ministry must adjust.  What is perfect today may need adjusting tomorrow.

7.  Be the Best You.  You are the best tool your ministry has.  Keep growing, learning, and leaning into the best use of your gifts and strengths.

8.  Be Aware Student Leaders are Volunteers.  Never forget that your student leaders are FREELY giving their time.  Make sure they know that you appreciate it.

9.  Be a Witness.  Intentionally work at relationships with non-believers.  Your weekly times in the cafeteria, food courts, and at Intramural games offer great opportunities.  Don't miss them.

10. Be a Friend.  Too many College Ministers do not have a friend apart from work.  Make a friend or two that do not do college ministry.  

As you begin to reach out to graduating seniors for this fall, what can you give them or use as a thank you for providing their contact info?  Check out Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9.

#2 What Should Campus Based Ministries Learn from Large Church Weeknight Events?

 This is to continue the discussion about a handful of really large crowds (1400, etc) that some church college ministries have for their weeknight worship event and what can campus based ministries learn from it.  Thanks to those who have responded and I hope others will continue to respond.

Some Factors in the really large church weeknight events:

-Many of these do not have a denominational label.  It is just Pinelake, Salt Company or Cross Church.  So folks from multiple denominations and backgrounds are willing to be involved.  Ministries such as BCM, BSU, BSM, Wesley, etc indicate a tie to a particular denomination in their name.

-They make their biggest ask of students to be at the worship event and do not do a lot of special things outside of it.  They don't announce much.

-They do one thing and do it really well.  Everything points to that one event.  Everything funnels back to it.

-They draw from a plethora of different campus ministry groups.  While a campus ministry may focus on connecting with students, the churches draw together those various connections in one place.

-Sorority and fraternity groups seem to respond better to a church event than to a campus ministry event.  Part of this relates to the feeling that the campus based groups are "competition" to them for students and in certain campus events (Homecoming elections, etc).

Big budget and big staff ALWAYS wins.

Many students are substituting this weeknight event at a church which is way more convenient than a Sunday morning service.  The campus based ministry is not "church".

Churches pay way more than campus based ministries and therefore are able to draw some of the best college ministry people.

Let me hear from you.  What should all of us in college ministry learn from these super large gatherings? Are there things that are transferrable?  Email me at arlissdickerson@gmail.com, Facebook me, text or call me.

Should your college ministry be reaching more students?  Check out Reaching MORE College Students:  Next Level College Ministry at Amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN.

What Should Campus Based Ministries Learn from Large Church Weeknight Events?

I have been amazed at some of the really large crowds that some church college ministries have for their Wednesday or other weeknight worship event.  I heard recently of one this semester that had 1400.  That is a crazy number.  I heard of another church college ministry that had over 2,000 at their first  August Wednesday night event that they held on campus in an outdoor theatre.  There are only a small hand full of campus based ministries in the country that would come close to having these type numbers.

I want to try to address this some in the near future for the benefit of all.  Is there something campus based ministries or other churches should learn from this phenomenon?  If you are one of the fortunate ones experiencing this, would you tell us why you think it is...apart from a move of God's Spirit?  If you are a campus based College Minister and see this happening with a church reaching out to your campus, what do you see as the reasons for it?  What do they do differently than your campus based ministry?

FIRST THOUGHTS OF SOME HAVE BEEN:

-Some of these have 10-20 Interns.

-Large Budgets that few campus based ministries have.

-Professional musicians leading worship.

-Top notch equipment for sound and lighting.

-Focus on this one event and are not doing a lot of other events each week.

-Large facility to hold such a crowd or resources to rent a large campus facility.

-These church ministries hire "Speaker/Preacher" types while campus based ministries focus on those who are more organizers and discipleship oriented.

Message me at arlissdickerson@gmail.com, Facebook me, or you can respond here.  Or, we can connect by phone.

Should your college ministry be reaching more students?   Check out Reaching MORE College Students:  Next Level College Ministry at Amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN.