Four Summer Ministry Positions in Memphis

Send Relief Memphis Ministry Center has four positions available for May28-July22. The work of Send Relief Memphis Ministry is to serve alongside church planters and compassion ministries in establishing relationships to bring a holistic transformation of both individuals and whole groups through a Christ centered compassion ministry.

In Memphis there are some deep generational wounds between races, family members and neighbors in the community.  The work is to see churches build relationships that empower neighbors to thrive.  You can find program details and requirements at www.gensend.org/program-details.  

For information, contact Kevin Cox  at kcox@sendrelief.net or 508.215.8051. 

Arliss Dickerson's book, Reaching More College Students, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN and Almost Everything About College Ministry is at Amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX.

College Ministers Should be Fired, if They Don't Work with Alumni!

 "College Ministers should be fired, if they don't work with alumni." is a pretty way out there statement.  But, it is my way of saying how important I think it is.

 First, alums know the value of college ministry and are the best and often influential ones to speak into the questions of funding and the cuts that are being made or considered in some areas.

  Second, alums can pray and send students to our ministries.

  Third, they can give financially.  It does not take big gifts for alums to make a difference.

But, working with alumni is hard and time consuming.  Yes and Yes!  However, it can be done during time when students are gone such as Christmas or summer break and or with a few key events.

Homecoming is often the easiest event to build around. Yet, some have had success with a Summer Picnic or Regional Gatherings at someone's home or at a restaurant.  Have you ever been to an alumni event and there was not a single person there you knew?  I have and it is not the fun thing you had in mind when you went.

Ideas for an Event Alums Want to Attend:

    1. The biggest key is, "Will there be someone there I know and would like to see?"  Some have solved this by announcing that former much loved staff members will be present.

    2.  Enlist alums to be hosts for the event and announce in the advance publicity who the hosts will be.  They can be former leaders in the ministry.  Hosts could be enlisted from each decade.  When the invitation or publicity contains this information, alums know there will be someone there they know....and would like to see.

    3.  A new idea is to honor and recognize an outstanding alum that will be recognized as the "BCM Alum" of the Year".  This person could be picked by the ministry staff or ask for nominations from alums, etc.  Then, this person could be announced in advance or revealed at the Drop-In, Banquet, Luncheon, etc. Encourage those alums that are making a difference in the world!

    4.  Focus on a Decade.  "We will be recognizing the 80's Alums this year".  Yet, everyone is welcome to attend. Obviously, the key Hosts that year would be 80's alums.

    5.  Have a tailgate party with hot dogs and "whatever anyone brings".

    6.  Newsletters are an obvious, but they must contain lots of news about alums and not just be a fund raising piece.  Twice a year is best for maintaining current addresses, but once a year certainly beats none.  Keep a folder and throw tidbits of information in it on different ones you hear throughout the year and at newsletter time, you are not starting from scratch.

    7.  Make your Homecoming Gathering an "Alums and Parents" event.

    8.  When it is over, post pictures on social media that make people want to come next year.

Obviously, this is focused more toward campus based ministries, yet I believe that church college ministries should also connect to alums for the benefit of the alums and college ministry as a whole. Hey, do they come to town for Homecoming, what about coffee and sweet rolls before Sunday Church Homecoming Weekend?  You can spread the word on social media.

Sometimes, those who were active in a college ministry have not continued their growth in the Lord and YOU can be a factor in helping them turn back toward the Lord.  

Also, alums in leadership roles in churches sometimes need and look for wise counsel from ministry leaders.  You can be that wise counsel!

Arliss Dickerson's book, Almost Everything About College Ministry, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX and Reaching MORE College Students is at Amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN.

The Chairs Matter (and the Tables)

I like meetings.  I like meetings where people are glad to be there and things get accomplished.  There is a reason for the meeting and progress is made.

I like meetings where people participate.  If people are in a meeting and never say anything, I feel like they are not really present.  I think they did not contribute and possibly gained nothing from being there.

I was in a meeting recently where the one presiding did an excellent job.  He was warm and obviously had a plan for the meeting.  Different reports were given, but it did not seem that most present were involved. 

A deeply held belief I have is that the setup of the room can have a major effect on a meeting.  There were approximately 25 people at the meeting.  It was held in a room with about twenty tables and chairs around them for about 100 people or so.  People were seated all over the room.  Some were at the back and others were here and there seated in groups of two or three and even a few were seated alone.

6 Things I Believe About Room Setup:

1.  The setup of a room can kill the effectiveness of a meeting.  

2.  Just as a reason for the meeting and a plan or agenda are necessary, so is a setup that will promote people's interaction and involvement.

3.  Too many chairs has a negative effect.  It feels like lots of people did not come, whether that is true or not.

4.  The setup affects people seeing the expressions of those speaking as well as just hearing what is said and that affects their involvement.

5.  Different groups respond differently to different setups.  We sometimes have to experiment to find what works best with a group that has regular meetings.  Do they do better sitting in a circle or sitting around tables, etc?

6.  Chairs (and tables) pushed here and there in a haphazard way tend to project a negative feeling. Straight rows and angles make a difference.

As College Ministers, we need to not only have good and effective meetings, we need to teach our student leaders how to have and lead good and effective meetings.  That is part of our role in building up the church in the future.

3 Other Things That Improve Meetings:

1.  Healthy Laughter - When people can laugh they are more relaxed and real with each other.

2.  Taking 5 minutes or so to ask about everyone's day - Many people come to meetings after a full day of classes or work.  It might even call for then praying about one or more things mentioned.

3.  Snacks or Drinks - It helps people relax and it says, "We care and appreciate your time."

Arliss Dickerson's book, Reaching MORE College Students, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN and Almost Everything About College Ministry is at Amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX.

"Right-Size" Your College Ministry

 Recently, I was able to be on a Zoom Meeting with the New Campus Ministers Fellowship.  Steve Roper, who is a former College Minister and is a counselor in talking about "Self-Care" used the term, "Right-Size your college ministry".  I had not heard the term right-size used that way.  As some of you might remember, I have spoken against the idea of College Ministers just being "Happy with their 50" and my point being we need to commit to reaching as many as possible./ Yet, I believe it is possible to be trying to do too much.

Steve makes the very valid point that some College Ministers are not at a good point self-care wise because they are trying to do more than their ministry can reasonably do.

So, What does Right-Sizing Involve:

    1.  Resources - Whether we like it or not, our resources are a significant factor in what we can do. You have to pay the bills.  Having a free steak dinner for students every week on a once a month pizza budget is not workable.  Sometimes, College Ministers with a Center tend to spend all their resources on students and nothing is done to maintain the facility. People are more important than buildings is a strong argument. But, that will bite you at some point.  A building is a tool and to be used to the maximum benefit, it must be kept functional and attractive.  So, are you trying to do more than your resources allow?  How do you adjust?  Part of my answer is to share with others your vision for growing the ministry IF the resources can be grown.

2.  Staff is a significant factor in Right-Sizing a ministry.  A friend of mine was in a campus situation where he had a full time Associate.  Funding changes did away with that position and he was working by himself.  But, he continued to try to do everything that two had done.  That is a recipe for burnout.  What is your reasonable capacity?  Also, when a College Minister tries to do the work of two people, they often are not doing well what they are attempting to do.  I know many feel the pressure to produce numbers and to always show the ministry is growing.  Yet, it may be unhealthy to them.  The other side of it can be, "Is your ministry "Right-size" for a multiple staff?  In other words, is a multiple staff doing more or better than one person can do?

3.  The campus situation is always a factor in Right-Sizing a ministry.  Some campuses are easier to work on.  They just are more receptive.   Are you being honest with yourself in terms of your expectations for your ministry on that particular campus?  Or, are you comparing your ministry to the "Poster Ministry" of this year?  REMEMBER:  Comparison is one of the two most deadly killers of College Ministers!

Is your ministry "Right-Sized"?  How is your balance in work and self-care?

Arliss Dickerson's book, Almost Everything About College Ministry, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX and Reaching MORE College Students is at Amazaon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN

My Mother Made Deviled Eggs

 The church I grew up in did like many did and still do in providing a meal for a family the day of the funeral for their loved one.  Someone from church would call my mom and , "Earlene, we need your Deviled eggs."  and she would say, what time and what day?  Then, my mom made Deviled Eggs and took them to the church that day for the family's meal.  They didn't say would you or could you....they would say, "Earlene, we need your Deviled eggs."  She did this well up into her 80's.

A few years back I served on a key committee at my church.  There were 8 or 9 of us on the committee....most were very active in the church.  I was surprised at the number of them that never once showed up for a meeting.  I assume they had agreed to serve.  I decided some years ago that if my church asked me to serve in some way, I would try to say yes…..and then I would show up when they had the meeting or whatever the responsibility was.

Is there something your church knows they can count on you to do?  I do it partly because my mom made Deviled Eggs.

Arliss Dickerson's book, Almost Everything About College Ministry, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX and A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula is at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV.

Four Types of College Ministers by Tyler Hoffpauier

 Every Campus Minister I know has a somewhat different philosophy, but I think they fall into four main categories.  (You can probably think of more.)

The Evangelistic Philosophy 

Campus ministry is all about evangelism.  If we aren't leading students to Christ then we aren't doing our job.  After all, campus ministries are the evangelistic arm of the church on the campus.  We have to reach students in order to reach more students.

The Future Leaders Philosophy

Campus ministry is about preparing students to be contributors to the church after college.  Students in this ministry are future Sunday School teachers, deacons, and worship leaders.  Students are exposed to missions and evangelism because those are things future leaders of the church participate in.

The Relational Philosophy

Campus Ministry is all about real relationships.  It is the job of the Campus Minister to demonstrate life on life interaction.  The Campus Minister walks with a group of students from salvation to spiritual maturity.  They are a constant companion and a friend who students feel they can share their deepest secrets with.  The minister is a guide, role model, mentor, and counselor for students.  The student then invests in others.

The Big Event Philosophy

Everything is about creating the best and biggest event.  If it is not going to be big, I don't want to do it.

So, is it Evangelistic, Future Leadership, Relational, or Big Event best?  My answer is, YES!  I think to some extent Campus Ministers have to be all all four.  The context of the campus dictates what approach to take.

Tyler Hoffpauier is Baptist Campus Minister at Arkansas State University.

Arliss Dickerson's book, A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV and Reaching MORE Students is at Amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN.

19 Things I Know About College Ministry

 1.  Some things happen because of God and there is no other explanation.

2.  Student leaders matter.

3.  Students need affirmation.

4.  Your gifts and strengths as a College Minister are your greatest tools.

5.  Every campus is different (And every year).

6.  You can't make it alone.

7.  Some things will destroy your ministry (some quickly and some slowly).

8.  The WHOLE campus is your calling.

9.  Respect of a College Minister way beats adulation and cool.

10.  Expectations affect outcome.

11.  Examples build or destroy.

12.  Consistency is huge.

13.  What people on and off campus think of your ministry matters (Perception & Awareness).

14.  Freshmen need you....and you need freshmen.

15.  Students have to own it.

16.  You are not the only one doing it right (learn from others).

17.  Be grateful and show it!

18.  Take a walk across the campus EVERY day.

19.  You gotta have a plan.

Arliss Dickerson's book, A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV and Reaching MORE College Students is at Amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN.

Check out "Understanding Biblical Mental and Emotional Health 101"

 Darrin Crow has written a new book, "Understanding Biblical Mental and Emotional Health 101" that can be a plus to College Ministers in dealing with students who increasingly are struggling with mental health issues.  It is the second he has done in a Biblical Thinking series.  The first was "Understanding Theism 101".

Darrin is the founding pastor of HEART of Junction, a church in Grand Junction, Colorado and has worked with university students for his entire life. He served as College Minister at Mesa University and taught at Colorado Christian University. Darrin credits legendary College Minister Max Barnett with being one of the key influencers in his life.

In the Dedication, Darrin shares the story of Ondalan, a young man he met and who began to attend his church.  Ondalan was a young Native American who had dropped out of high school and had no real hopes or dreams for himself.  He was not a Christian, but connected to the young people at the church and attended regularly.  Tragically, Ondalan shot and killed himself.

Each of us in our ministries may have dealt with our own Ondalan or may in the future.

The book is divided into four sections:  The Foundation for True and Lasting Change; Biblical Thinking; A Plan for Moving Forward and The work of Becoming Whole.

Some of the Chapters are:

An Honest Look at my Starting Point

Soul Damage

A Biblical Understanding of Love

Traps that Ruin My Life

A Personal Vision of God's Plan for Me

Intentional Movement toward a Better Self

Becoming a Person of Value to Others

Go to Xulon Press or Amazon Books and check it out for yourself .  

Thanks to Darrin for his help to all of us in dealing with students and their mental health issues. Please let me know of college ministry books that we can add to our list and let the college ministry family know about.  We particularly want to highlight any books that members of our college ministry family have written. You can email, facebook, or call me.

Arliss

arlissdickerson@gmail.com

Arliss Dickerson's book, A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV and Reaching MORE Students is at Amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN.