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.