5 SECRETS of Successful College Ministers

 For a number of years, when I working as a part time college ministry consultant for Lifeway, I was privileged to travel around the country and see a number of different college ministries....large and small.  One thing I learned, many of those asking for help and new ideas were already doing a terrific job.

Here are 5 "SECRETS" of those doing it really well:

1.  They keep looking and learning.  They never think they have it all figured out.  They are even open and willing to learn from those with whom they disagree theologically, etc.

2.  They don't make major changes each year.  They just tweak it a little here and there.  They keep building on their campus situation and personal spiritual gifts. They continue to be students of their campus and situation (resources, etc).

3.  They build up their ministry by building up their student leaders (both spiritually and numerically).  They book look for and develop student leaders.

4.  They look for and enlist others to counterbalance their weaknesses.  They are not afraid to promote others or put them in the spotlight.  They are even fine to hire people that might outshine them.

5.  They understand that a ministry of any size must have at least adequate funding and they are willing to commit time and priority to develop relationships and communication that draws people to support the ministry.  They connect with alums and others who see a need for college ministry and have a desire to invest in ministry that is well done with a kingdom vision.

And they read my Blog…at least sometimes  

Arliss Dickerson writes college ministry books that some find helpful.  You can check out one here:  Amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN.

College Ministers and Fund Raising for Salaries - Part 2 Eric Reiber & Ben Neiser

 Eric Reiber serves as a College Minister at Penn State University and Ben Neiser started a college ministry at Brigham Young University and then transitioned to a church plant near the campus.  Each responded with their thoughts as ones who have raised their salaries.  These were their first thought responses to my previous blog and are re-posted with their permission.

Eric Reiber:

As someone who has raised his salary for years, it has confused me when conventions are reluctant to allow this.  A couple things come to mind:

1.  Campus Minister to Campus Missionary mindset.  We are not here for the 1,000 or so Christian students but the 45,000 on campus.

2. There is a lack of awareness that support self funded guys have been in our SBC ranks for years!  When they see the stats, ours are included, but most assume and may not be corrected, that we are salaried.

3.  In the SBC world, the North American Mission Board (NAMB) actually has put us in great position to fundraise.  They have a platform and cover the overhead to make it possible that our donating partners give 100% of what is donated to the specific ministry.  This is a part of the Cooperative Program giving.

4.  God will provide for those he called to a place.  Much of it is fear, fear of losing control, fear of coming off as a beggar, fear of letting God do more than our infrastructure can handle until we catch up.

5.  It may actually help relations with the state conventions.  As the worry of being cut for funding, or on the other side, taking away tough decisions to cut funding, allows for a space for good faith partnership to occur.  It will probably look different than what is currently  in place.  College Ministers are becoming a bit more autonomous as they have a slew of stakeholders in their ministry now, but trust and good contractual agreements can cover that gap.

Ben Neiser:

It is unfortunate to say but the most substantial work I have EVER done as a Southern Baptist happened when I was not held accountable by a Southern Baptist entity, ie. State Convention, NAMB, etc.

It happened when I was held accountable by local SBC churches and SBC individual partners.  I took seriously consistent reporting to my partners.  I was held accountable by them.  The local church that I was a member of, housed my finances that I raised.  So, they knew what my salary was and helped me set it.  I was 1099, not W-2

Whatever the setup is, financial partrners need to be confident that their gift is actually going to the individual they are supporting.  If an entity eliminates that position, then those funds need to roll into the operational budget of that campus ministry.  If an entity wants to  provide oversight and accountability, then THEY ALSO NEED TO BE TRANSPARENT.

In conclusion, set the bar high for ministers.  Provide clear training of how to raise funds and provide consistent and clear reporting.  Let the supporting local SBC churches and individuals hold a local minister accountable in their way.  Allow the entities to provide training  and encouragement - not oversight and control.

Arliss Dickerson writes college ministry books that some read and find helpful, if you might be one of those, go to Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV and you can start there.

College Ministers and Fund Raising for Salaries??

 Southern Baptists for many years proudly said, "We pay our people and they don't have to go around begging for money for their salaries."

In the area of college ministry, many nondenominational campus ministry groups have been raising their salaries for years.  And.....much of their money was coming from individual Southern Baptists.  In recent years, as giving has declined and expenses have soared, some Southern Baptist State Conventions have cut back on their number of BCM College Ministers.  Declining offerings and increasing insurance costs, etc are not a good combination.  So, we have seen the cutback of the number of BCM College Ministers in different states.

Did you know that Texas Baptist Student Ministry has 126 college ministry staffers raising all or part of their salaries?  As a result, there over 200 people doing college ministry in Texas. They still have people who receive their salary (about 40) without fund raising.  But, as college campuses have grown and more and more young adults have not confessed faith in Christ or are stepping away from church involvement, the need for college ministry has only increased.

Why are we afraid or reluctant to let college ministry staffers raise their own salaries?

1.  For Southern Baptists one of the main concerns is that it will affect people's giving to their local church, which will in turn affect the Cooperative Program and simply cause ministry funding to decline even more.  That is a logical argument.  Yet, some who have studied that issue say it is not accurate.  One factor is that more and more people today want to give some of their money directly to things they care about and see the need it is meeting.  So, they are going to do it and we can choose whether or not to offer them a channel or let them go elsewhere with their gifts.

2.  If people raise their own salaries, they are not answerable to anyone or "you can't control them."  Again, this is a reasonable argument.  I know the day I drove by a car wash and saw a sign that said it was raising money for the BSU Gospel Choir.  Yikes!!  I did not know anything about that.  But, many places outside of the south have been allowing Baptist Collegiate Ministers to raise their salaries and have established excellent working parameters and partnerships that have benefitted all.  It can be done.

3.  They can raise some outlandish crazy salary.  Somebody please point me to a College Minister who is getting rich raising their salary.  Surely, there is at least one.  Somebody point him or her out.  Usually, those who are working in conjunction with a Baptist ministry, their salary figure is set in accord with a formula.  And, many are working with only a part of their salary figure raised.  In those situations they are usually required to have a certain percentage raised before they can start work or be full time.

4. “But, we have a Baptist College Minister on our campus” is one response.  Hooray!  Glad that is true.  How large is your campus?   How many students are there?  Did you know that nondenominational ministries that do fund raising for salaries sometimes have as many as 15-20 staffers on a large campus?  One large denominational ministry (not Baptist) in Georgia that has  as many as 75  Interns raising their salary for one year of service has had as many as 1500 students at their weekly worship event.  The number of staffers with a solid strategy has a direct proportional effect on the number of students being reached.  Are you satisfied with the number of students that are being reached on your campus or in your state?

It is time for Southern Baptists, as a whole, to have a healthy conversation about fund raising for college ministry salaries.  It is uncomfortable, but NECESSARY!

Arliss Dickerson writes some college ministry books that a few read and find helpful.  If you might be one of those, go to Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV and you can start there.

"The IT Factor" - Part 2

 6 Things College Ministers with "The IT Factor" Do:

1.  Encourage - All of us need encouragement.  But, today's college students report high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.  A positive word often goes farther than we would even begin to realize.

2.  Affirm - Tell college students the potential you see in their life.  Affirm the gifts and abilities you see in them.  Many have never had anyone do that for them.  Most Christian college students will say they have no idea what their Spiritual Gift(s) is or are.  Yet, it is key to Christian living and service.

3.  Give them feedback.  - One of the most important things we can do for our student leaders is to give them feedback in their area of service.  What are they doing that is working?  How could they improve?  You can always brag on effort!

4.  Develop and Train - The two greatest impact factors in a college ministry is the College Minister and the Student Leaders.  We can't ask them to fill a role without training and showing them some ways to do it.  Our job is to help them feel and be successful.  If they are to serve in the church in years to come, they need training.  Many student leaders feel a sense of failure as a result of not knowing what to do or a clue how to do it effectively.  "IT College Ministers" coach!

5.  Pray with them and Teach them to Pray. - Every time you meet with them, pray with them.  Ask them to pray.  Many Christians have never prayed out loud with another person.

6.  Express Appreciation - Student leaders and any student who does anything in your ministry from greeting to setting up chairs is benefitting you and the ministry.  Make sure they know that you appreciate it.

Arliss Dickerson's book, Reaching MORE College Students, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN.

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.