A former student of mine who serves as a Youth Minister became concerned that there was no college ministry in his town at the branch of the area University located there. So, he gets about starting one. The branch campus has loaned him a space of 1500 square feet to start something. He is looking for furniture for it and how to use it.
He sent me the following message, "OK collegiate ministry expert.....what would be the first five things you would be doing, if it were you trying to get things off the ground?". He always did put it straight to the point. I hate it when people expect you to know something about what you talk about all the time!
Simply put, here are my answers:
1. Get some ping pong paddles and balls to go with the ping pong table that someone just gave you. I saw it on facebook that someone had just given him the table.
2. Put together a group of 3-5 students to be a leadership team.
He has been in the community a long time and knows everyone and has many of his former youth who attend classes there. It is a basic principle of mine that students do the best job of reaching other students. So, get some students in on this from the very start.
3. Ask if the school will give you any kind of religious preference list.
This may seem way out of the possible to some of you. However, the main campus of which this is a branch does so. Many of these totally commuter situations see the need of working with anyone that is helping their students connect. And, they just gave him the space to use. In the past, ACT information that each school received had a student's religious preference information on it. I would ask them if it still does and can they access it for him..
4. Set up an Information Table at a central point.
Give away information AND have a give-away for which they can sign up by filling out an Info Card or a Religious Preference Card. The give-away can be as simple as a gift card to Subway or more elaborate, if you have it to give.
5. Have a fun everyone invited type of event....could be some sort of welcome party or a free food event.
Make it very informal with no heavy message or program. It might be the "Grand Opening" of the new space that he is filling with furniture, etc. The point is awareness....again, I would do something to get names and contact info. Lunch time is often the best time on a totally commuter campus situation.
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