Teaching College Students About Character

I believe we have a crisis of character in our society.  There is it seems even more frequently stories about pastors (of big churches) being forced out, stepping away, or resigning over character issues.  In a recent survey of American voters, a large number said the character of a candidate did not matter to them, if they believed he or she would vote in accord with their priorities.

If you read any of my stuff, you know I am all about leadership development in college ministry.  And, I believe the most transformative thing we can do with students is meet with them regularly on a one to one basis.  Some College Ministers in their meetings with their student leaders have a list of topics they work through.  I don't do it that way.  I always say that we will meet for an hour and the first 30 minutes will be about you personally and the second half will be in regard to your leadership responsibility.  We talk about everything from grades to dates, parents, etc.  Some go very deep quickly and others stay pretty surface.  But, I do ask questions.

One day one of my best leaders said, "I'm writing a report right now on a book I haven't even read."  I said, "Do you think that is honest?"  She said something like, "I've never even thought about it."  I left it there and we went on to other topics.  The next time we met, she said, "I read the book."  It wasn't that she was intending to be dishonest or cheat, if you will.....it never occurred to her.  That is part of the change about character that is permeating our society.

If you speak regularly at your college large group event, should Character be one of your regular topics?  If Christians are not teaching and talking about character who will?  If you are planning your speaking topics for next semester, I hope Character will be one of your topics.  And, maybe it will come up as you meet with students individually.

"....we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character hope."  Romans 5:3

Arliss Dickerson's book, Almost Everything About College Ministry is available at Amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX and A College Student's Guide to Spiritual Maturity is at Amazon.com/dp/B0CXTCTNB1.

 

How Long Should a Christian Speaker Speak?

 There has been a trend in recent years for Christian speakers to speak longer.....some do 45 minutes regularly.  Some are of the opinion that if you do not speak long, then you are not being deep.  I lean to shorter because I would rather be heard than considered deep.

Is there a PERFECT time length to speak?  Maybe not perfect, but here is what some "experts" know and say.

TED Talks are 18 minutes long.  Nobody gets more than 18 minutes.  TED Talk Curator Chris Anderson says, "18 minutes is short enough to hold people's attention, precise enough to be taken seriously, and long enough to say something that matters.”

Biologists say the brain starts to tune out after 10 minutes.  So, it is at the 9-10 minute mark that a gear has to shift or something done to bring the audience's attention back again.  One motivational speaker who makes BIG money speaking says when he sees the audience's attention shifting,  he will say something startling or he holds up one finger and says, "Let me tell you a joke."

I am convinced that stories catch people's attention and connect them more than any other thing a speaker can do or say.  People relate to stories about other people or about you as the speaker and funny stories or self deprecating stories are really well received and draw people into what is being said.  One of my first Christian speaker heroes was a man named Ed Seabough.  Ed always told a story or two with maximum impact.  He told me he did not just tell them off the top of his head, but that he would practice telling them out loud.

I learned from Ed.  I practice not only a story out loud, but I do my public presentations out loud in a room by myself at least twice before I speak.  And, unless it is a workshop setting with give and take discussion, I speak about 20 minutes.  I would always rather people say, "I wish he had gone longer than I thought that was never going to be over."

You can find Arliss' books at Amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX or just search Arliss at Amazon books.

Just Some Quick Thoughts on Dealing with Criticism

I write occasionally on dealing with criticism because if you are in a leadership role, you will get some.  So, here are my Quick Notes on Criticism.

1.  If you are in a leadership role, you will get some criticism.  It just goes with the territory.  It is one of the free benefits!

2.  Consider the source.  That can determine how seriously to take it.

3.  LISTEN!  If criticism is not from a continually negative person, listen and evaluate.  You probably are not perfect. 

4.  Leaders sometimes have to make decisions based on less than perfect choices.  Just remember, when you did the best you could with the options available to you.

5.  Communication is key.  Often when people know why you did what you did and what your heart is about it, much of the criticism will disappear.

6.  Always try to treat people with the respect you would hope they would extend to you....even if they don't!

7.  Have someone to whom you can pour out your frustration from criticism.....other than dumping it on your spouse all the time.

8.  Sometimes criticism comes as a result of someone feeling jealously toward you and or your ministry.  Understand that may be their way of expressing their frustration with their own situation.

9. Remember, it is easy to hear the negative voices and give them more attention than they deserve.

When we are in a leadership role, we will be criticized.....some will be fair and some will be false or unfair.  Thank God every day for your calling and His use of you....even on the hard days.  It helps remembering why you are doing what you are doing.

A College Student's Guide to Spiritual Maturity is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0CXTCTNB1 and Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades is at Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9.

Which Style College Worship Event Do You Do and Why?

 Over simply put, there are two styles of college student worship events.  Which do you do?  Why do you do it that way?

1.  It is a Worship Service.

Of this type is held in a church setting and it is worship music and preaching with an emphasis on teaching scripture.  A few of these are verse by verse. Some college ministries today are using a team of students to speak at different times and helping them prepare and even helping them evaluate and learn when it is over.  I love the idea of teaching students how to do it.  Others focus on the College Minister speaking every week. Also, great emphasis is given to the quality of the music and may even include non-students who are excellent musicians and singers. These often utilize the College Minister as the speaker while some utilize area pastors and youth ministers.   In many ways, this style is a church service. 

2.  It is more casual and fun with teaching and worship led by a student band.

This style often features ice breakers, mixer games, and informal student testimonies.  The casual format can lend itself to more topical teaching.  The topics often come out of a student team that develops topics related to what they see as needs, questions, and concerns on campus.  The topics may be contemporary, but the teaching/speaking always has a biblical background or leads to a key biblical principle that is explained.  In the casual, fun format the music may not be of professional quality, but it is always student led and is used as a student teaching/training opportunity.

Which should YOU do?  

-Are there churches reaching out to the campus that do quality worship services for students?  Offering the same type thing may work contrary to their reaching students.  How can you be the best partner?

-Are your students very "churchy" or do they not have much church background?

-Is speaking one of your gifts?  Don't speak just because some think that's just how it is done.  Some of the strongest college ministries in the country are led by "non-speakers".

-If you are on a campus or at a church reaching out to a campus with multiple ministries aimed at students, what are they doing and should you offer a different alternative.  Beware of just copying the "It Ministry".  Find your niche is the advice one College Minister gave when it comes to being one of multiple ministries.

Every campus is different and the gifts of the College Minister vary.  Be YOU on the campus WHERE YOU ARE!

A College Student's Guide to Spiritual Maturity is at Amazon.com/dp/B0CXTCTNB1 and Reaching MORE College Students is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN.

Church Plants and Campus Based College Ministries

I am unabashedly an advocate of campus based college ministry and the value it brings to Christian witness and ministry to the college campus.  In recent years, there has also been a movement of planting churches for the primary purpose of reaching and ministering to college students.

I was visiting with a friend who is going on staff with a large church plant that started about five years ago to reach a nationally known college campus.  Within that five years, they have grown to an attendance of one thousand (1,000) on a normal Sunday.  That is a jaw dropping success story, which should be celebrated.  

In situations such as this, there has often been a campus based ministry that has not had nearly that numerical success.  Some point to this as evidence that the church plant is the only way to go.  That is not my conclusion, but it raises the interesting question,  what are the differences?

From the outside looking in from a distance on these church plants, I see four distinct differences from most campus based ministries.

1.  They start with a core.  In many of these church plants, a core group of people move there to begin the church. It is not just the pastor and family.  There are 20 to 30 to begin with.  So, the ministry and outreach is shared and there is something to invite people to join into.  I helped a friend once try to begin his school year with some specifically freshmen programs and topics.  One night we had enlisted some upperclassmen to be a part and then publicized it to freshmen.  At the last minute, all of the upperclassmen notified us that they could not come.  Two freshmen we had never seen showed up and it was me and the College Minister and the two freshmen.  We did what we planned to do and they never came back.  They did not feel they had come to anything.  Having a core to begin with is huge!

2. Resources - Most of these type plants have a sponsoring church or multiple churches and begin with some resources that they provide.  These resources not only provide needed equipment, funds for special events, etc, they give a message of the significance of this new thing. For a variety of reasons, campus based ministries often do not have any or much significant sponsoring partnerships, at least in the beginning.

3.  Multiple Staff - Many of these type church plants have more than one staff member as a result of people raising their own salary from other places in order to be there and minister there.  More campus based ministries are now moving toward having multiple staff raising their salaries,  It is a simple fact:  more staff reaches more students.

4.  Entrepreneurship - I believe THIS is the single greatest difference.  These church plant pastor/leaders usually see the issues, situation, etc and look at and develop new ways to address these needs.  They don't think it has to look exactly like something else.  One state wide College Ministry BCM leader said that one of his sharp young College Ministers left because the State Convention Business Office would not let him use a Square Reader to allow students to pay at their Lunch Program.  It didn't work in their system.  Hooray for entrepreneurship!!  

Many campus based college ministries are sponsored by State Baptist Conventions or other state or regional organizations.  They have guidelines and generally approved methods.  While these provide some obvious benefits, they also can be a hindrance, particularly relative to number 4.  

For campus based college ministries, we must see and maintain the advantages of our organization and templets, but also encourage new thinking and approaches.  I continue to believe there is both the need for and value of campus based ministry and church plants aimed at campuses.

Campus based ministry, church college ministry, and campus focused church plants are cousins, but not triplets.

Check out Reaching More College Students at amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN and A College Student's Guide to Spiritual Maturity at Amazon.com/dp/B0CXTCTNB1 .