Developing "The IT Factor" in College Ministry - Part 1

 What is it that makes students listen to and be connected to a College Minister?  Is it Charisma?  Is it being beautiful or handsome?  Is it about being a talented musician?

"The IT Factor" in college ministry is RESPECT.  If you have to choose between being liked or being respected.....NEVER settle for just being liked.

How do you have or develop "The IT Factor" in college ministry?

    1.  Consistency -Be the same person in all situations...not two faced.  And remember, you are never off duty in terms of who you are and how you behave.

    2.  Time - As students see you live out who you are, your opportunities and how you are heard will just grow.

    3.  Don't just be one of the gang. - Students have lots of buddies.  You are to be a friend and mentor that has a different life perspective.

Ways you EARN Respect:

    1.  Demonstrate or model what you are asking students to do.  Don't do everything yourself, but don't hesitate to do whatever needs doing.

    2.  Don't play favorites. - Obviously, you will connect with some students more than others.  Don't always sit with or talk with the same students at events.

    3.  Be on time for meetings.  Respect students' time....just as you hope they will respect yours.

    4.  Be willing to stand up for what is right....even if its not popular.  We can disagree without being disagreeable.

    5.  LISTEN 

    6.  Don't try to impress students.  Be you!  Cool is way over rated.  It wears out at some point.  Forget pretending to be younger than you are.  If anything, students think you are even older than you are.

NEXT:  5 Things College Ministers with "The IT Factor" do.

Arliss Dickerson's book, A College Student's Guide to Spiritual Maturity is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0CXTCTNB1 and A College Ministry Success Formula is at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV.

UPDATED: 10 Things that Affect College Ministry Attendance

 Everybody in college ministry wants to reach as many students as possible for an initial relationship to Christ or to continue and grow in that experience.  

So, what are some things that affect attendance?

1.  Student Leaders - The abilities, commitment, and training of student leaders is a huge factor in how many students are reached.  Do they know what to do and how to do it?  Are they willing to invest in and reach out to new students?

2.  What other ministries on campus or relating to the campus are doing?  On some campuses there is only one really strong and functioning Christian ministry.  On other campuses there are multiple ministries that are serious about reaching out to students and that affects the number of Christian student leaders available and just how many students are available.  When there are multiple active ministries, it is even more imperative that a clear and workable strategy be central to all that is done.  What students are other ministries reaching?  Where are the unreached groups?

3.  Meeting Place - Where the ministries meets can be huge in terms of accessibility, attractiveness, how many it will accommodate and is it in the same place each week.  Many ministries must use school meeting rooms and often are forced to move around each week. Obviously, that is never a plus.  If the meeting space is yours, is it as attractive, student friendly, and functional as possible?

4. Momentum/Past History - When things are going well, they tend to continue to go well.  A ministry that has a strong and positive reputation is more likely to continue to do well.  When a ministry has a long term reputation for doing well, others recommend it.  Student leaders have seen it done well in the past and tend to emulate what they have seen.  Resources are more readily available to the ministries with a strong past history.

5.  Resources - Having the money to do attractive start of school events involving food, give aways, etc obviously is a positive factor.  It is much easier for involved students to invite others to events where there is food, etc.  Money does not make a ministry, but it can have a significant impact by what can and cannot be done.

6.  Quality, Time & Day of the large group event - A large group worship event does not have to be perfect or a "Hollywood Production" to be well done. Any event can be well planned and organized.  The schedule of a college campus changes from semester to semester.  Is your event at a time that is free for a significant number of students.  Does it start on time and end on time?  Is the message applicable to the students?  Is it addressing their needs and concerns?  Is the Christian message presented in a way that connects to the students?

7.  Follow-up - When a student comes for the first time, does someone connect with them to let them know they were welcome?  Are they a Believer?  The sooner a follow-up contact is made the better that is.

8.  Personality & Tenure of the College Minister - God uses our individual personalities.  Each College Minister must make sure they are maxing their personal gifts.  Most larger ministries are led by long term College Ministers because they know the ends and out of that campus, each year builds on the past, and their tenure opens many doors for the ministry.

Ryan Scantling, former BCM Campus Minister at the University of Arkansas, suggested these two excellent additions and reminders:

9.  Time of Year - If you expect the same attendance late Spring as you do in early fall, you will set yourself up for disappointment.

10.  Enrollment is a Huge Factor - When the school shrinks by 10%, the number of reachable students decreases.  I also had to  remind myself that I wasn't doing a much better job when crowds increased because the school was growing.  There were just way more students looking to connect.

Questions for YOU to Ask in Regard to Your Attendance:

1.  Am I or the speaker prepared each week and speaking to a student need?

2.  Is my meeting space as attractive (clean) and functional as possible?

3.  What can I do to make sure students feel welcome when they come?

4.  Do our student leaders know what to do, see how crucial they are and feel appreciated?

A Limited Time Opportunity:  Several of my college ministry books available at Amazon Books have been marked down to Amazon's lowest possible price for the next few days ranging from $9.85 to $5.75.  They can be accessed here:  Amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX.

College Ministry Position Available and Percentage of Students Reached at One Campus

 TWO THINGS:

College Ministry Position:  There is an opening for a BSU College Minister at the University of Central Missouri at Warrensburg.  This is a campus of 12,000 students with a BSU Center.  Jerome Stockert has been serving there and within the last month he has been named as the Director of College Ministry for Missouri.  You can go to Jerome's Facebook page to see more detailed information about the position.

Percentage of Students Being Reached:  I said in the introduction of my little book, Reaching MORE College Students, that national leaders of college ministry generally believe that across all campuses in America counting campus based and church based college ministries that about 6% of the total U. S. college student population is connected in some way to one of these ministries.  Obviously, that figure varies from campus to campus and regions of the country.

John James, College Minister at Fredonia Hill Baptist Church in Nacogdoches, Texas ministers to the Stephen F. Austin campus and he believes that the different ministries there are reaching about 13% of the total student population.  He indicates that he believes about 60 to 80% have a church background.

What percentage of students at your campus are connected to all the campus ministries combined?

I would love to hear from you.  How many on YOUR campus are connected to a ministry?

Arliss Dickerson's book, A College Student's Guide to Spiritual Maturity, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0CXTCTNB1 and Reaching MORE College Students is at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV.

3 Shaping Factors in a College Ministry

 1.  Identity - Are students on campus even aware the ministry is there?  If so, what is their impression of the ministry?  It can be negative through no fault or actions of the ministry.  But, usually the identity problem is students are not even aware the ministry is there.....and.....available and open to them.  Should you do something to promote the awareness of your ministry on campus?

2.  Ownership - Do students, especially student leaders, feel like the ministry is theirs?  Or, are they just observers or participants?  Of course, there will be many students who are just participants.  But, the more students who feel ownership, the more they will invest in the ministry, and the more effective the ministry will be.  Ownership comes partly from students, again especially leaders, feeling like their thoughts and ideas are heard and valued.  But, the College Ministers must continually do what he or she thinks is best for the ministry....once students have been heard from.

3.  Example - The example of the College Minister can never be over estimated.  Following that, the examples of the student leaders is huge in how other students perceive the ministry and their willingness to connect and be involved.  Be aware that whomever is given "platform time" is viewed as a leader whether they are in such a role.  There is no such thing as, "I'm just in the band."  Should students who are not in leadership roles be given opportunities to serve and do something before the whole group?  Absolutely!  But, the more a person is up front, the more they will be seen as representing the ministry.  And never forget when it comes to example, a College Minister is never off duty.

Arliss Dickerson's book, A College Student's Guide to Spiritual Maturity, Amazon.com/dp/B0CXTCTNB1 and Almost Everything About College Ministry, Amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX , are currently marked down to their lowest Amazon allowed prices.

5 Ways to ENLARGE Your College Ministry......Only #5 is Guaranteed

 Now at the end of the 2-3 weeks of intense outreach to freshmen and other new incoming students, some are celebrating some record numbers and others are a little frustrated that their efforts did not bear as much fruit as they had hoped and prayed.  

As you think through and evaluate your initial outreach, here are some possibilities that can help you reach MORE and Yes; #5 is guaranteed!

5 Ways to ENLARGE your ministry:

1.  Add another staffer (full or part-time) with the sole responsibility and job description of reaching out to a totally different group on campus such as a Freshmen Dorm, Greeks, the band, etc.  Or, could there be another ministry team formed for that sole purpose?

2.  Add a different time or night to your weekly big event.  Have a 7:00 o'clock worship and a 9:00 o'clock worship.  This is an obvious option to those that are seeing that their space is likely limiting their numbers. If you meet on Tuesday night, what about a Thursday night repeat of the same event.  But, beware that each of these take either more student leaders/volunteers or a greater time commitment on the part of your leaders, band, etc.

3.  Reduce your number of events to focus on one or two.  It is possible to have so many different events that the quality is diluted, as well as the promotion and preparation.  Should you drop something to bring sharper focus to your main event?

4.  Combine multiple events into one night.  Many ministries have small groups that meet at different times throughout the week.  What if your Discipleship Groups or Freshmen Family Groups met following your large group event?  All that energy is directed at one night.  BUT, that limits everything to students who are available on one night?  Does that increase or decrease your outreach?

5.  Lie about your numbers!  It works.  Everyone loves stories of huge crowds.  Several years ago there was a national program developed based on the huge success that a College Minister had developed on a small campus.  He was "promoted" to a nationally known flag ship campus and his method was touted and emulated nation wide.  No one had the success he had had.  Later it was discovered that he had lied about his fabulous numbers.  For the record, I don't recommend this method. 

Here is the bottom line:  Have you considered doing something different to reach more....not work harder.....not be on campus 24/7......do something different?  Remember, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

An Opportunity:  Right now several of my college ministry books are marked down to Amazon's lowest allowed price for the next few days.  They range in price from $9.85 to $5.75.  You can check it out starting here:  Amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX.

What Should a College Minister's Week Look Like?

 I am of the strong opinion that if you do not plan your week, someone else will.  Here are six suggestions for scheduling a week.

If you speak at your regular large group meeting, plan time in your schedule each week to prepare.  Lack of preparation or winging it will hurt your ministry and set the wrong example for your students.  I also am all about laying out your basic plan for each week for the whole semester.

Have a set time and or days to eat where students eat.  It may be be in a cafeteria, campus food court, etc.  It is great for mixing/mingling, meeting new students and just having a sense of the campus.  Sometimes have set appointments to meet one or more students and other times just go and see how God uses it.

Schedule weekly meeting with your student leaders.  I favor having a set time each week and that makes it more likely to happen.  When possible schedule these meetings in clumps instead of spread out all different days through out the week.  I believe this is some of the most important time of your whole week for the ministry and for their future and the future of the church.

Schedule a paperwork time or day.  There are reports that have to be done, thank you notes and letters to be written, etc.  Tuesday mornings somehow worked best for my campus routine and responsibilities.

Set a time following your main event to follow up with new students that have come.  On Thursday mornings, I followed up on new students who had been to our Wednesday Lunch Program.  On Friday mornings, I followed up on new students who had been to our Thursday night event.  The sooner the better is a strong belief of mine.

Plan to walk through the Student Center and across the campus EACH day.  This can be at random times and does not necessarily have to take that long.  It will give you a better sense of of the vibe of your campus.  You will have "bump visits" that God can and often will use.  Doing this at a class change time is usually the most productive.

Someone asked, "What about your own private devotional life?"  That is a home thing, not at the campus.

Arliss Dickerson's book, A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula, is available at amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV and A College Student's Guide to Spiritual Maturity is at amazon.com/dp/B0CXTCTNB1.

College Ministers to Lead Pastors

With the news that two well known Campus based Baptist College Ministers are transitioning to a Lead Pastor role, it is a reminder of a shift in how College Ministers operate and how expectations have changed.

In the past, when a College Minister went to a church, it was to be the Executive Pastor, Minister of Education, or Discipleship Pastor, etc.  Now, it is more common to hear this announcement of "Our new Lead Pastor is a former College Minister."  

One reason for this shift is in recent years is, many of those who hire College Ministers want someone who is an upfront speaker.  In past years, that was not the case.  Several years ago, some would say a College Minister was not doing their job, if they were up front.  They were to be training and putting students in up front roles.  So, College Ministers now work at and try to be good up front speakers.  It is one of the expectations.  It has gone from a negative to a frequent expectation.

Also, as churches struggle to reach young adults these days, why not get a pastor that is an expert with experience in reaching young adults?  Of course, there is always the question of whether the church will want to do some of the things that are needed to connect with young adults.  Several years ago, a College Minister was known for being a great speaker and speaking at large young adult events.  A big First Church contacted him and indicated they wanted him to be their Lead Pastor, but they would need him to make some adjustments....like not wearing jeans all the time.  His response was great, "You don't want me then." 

Another deep down issue here, that may be a part of the equation, in at least some situations, is a concern among many College Ministers about the future of college ministry.  Will they have jobs in the future?  Or, are they going to continually be asked to do the same or more with less? Those in Baptist life can point to many places where cuts have been made in college ministry due to declining offerings.  There is concern about the future.

I am not going to say anything about Lead Pastors making two or three times as much as a College Minister.  Large college ministries are usually led by long time, proven college ministry veterans and if we want large college ministries, we must pay salaries that make it possible for College Ministers to stay long term and provide braces for teeth and college tuition for their own kids.

The College Ministers I know that have transitioned to Lead Pastor roles have all been deeply committed and I have no doubt about their sense of God's leadership and direction in their decision. And, why wouldn't a church hire some of the hardest working, most creative people in the world.

  And this trend may be one of the ways God is going to redeem this generation to His church.

"See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."  Isaiah 43:19

Arliss Dickerson's book, Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9 and   A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula is at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV.