College Ministers and Pressure

College Ministers often feel pressure.  It is not just the Senior Pastor with the big budget and the expectations of attendance, etc.  

So, what causes the pressure College Ministers feel?

Expectations of others 

Those raising their salaries can feel like others are sacrificing for me to be doing this and I need to show them it is worth it.  Or, you may serve on what is called a "Flagship Campus" where visibility is high and with that may go some resources, but the expectations are higher, it seems.

Competition

Multiple ministries can cause pressure.  Even when we are trying to "not compete" but work together for the best for God's Kingdom, there is a sense of pressure in trying to do what is best for your ministry and still want the best for another ministry.  We tend to compare and comparison is one of the killers of College Ministers.

Our Inner Demons

Someone has said that our inner voices are always negative.  So, often we hear the inner voices say we are not doing enough to reach more.  Or, if we do not have X attend our events, we have failed.  Sometimes, we let our desire to do our best get out of hand.  Most of us have inner demons....I know I do.  Be honest about your inner demons.

So, how do we deal with our sense of pressure?

1.  Trust the Lord.  I know; I hate that answer too.  You say, it is not that simple.  It is not, but it is.  Remind yourself that God is always doing more than you know.  He is.  I believe that!  Realize that when things are going well, it is not all your doing and when it is going not so well, it is not all your fault.  Trust in the Lord and ask Him to help your see yourself and the situation realistically.

2.  Set realistic goals.

Often, our sense of pressure is the result of unrealistic goals.  My wife, Sue, said to me one year when I was fuming over where the ministry was, "It is not possible for every year to be better than the year before."  No matter how good, how strong, or how large your ministry is, every year cannot be better than the one before it.  Student leaders change.  Campus situations change.  It snows, rains, or there is a big ballgame scheduled against our main event.  Ministries go through seasons of plenty and seasons of drought.  There are slower times and plentiful times.  I kept a chart through the years that helped me see that attendance always varied at certain times.  It is just the rhythm of the campus.  

3.  Have a sounding board.

All of us need one or two folks we can talk to....besides our spouse.....who get what we do and to whom we can be totally honest.  Sometimes, we are placing more pressure on our spouse by them being our only sounding board.  Of course, talk to your spouse about it, but don't let them be the only one and let that drive your relationship all the time.  Have a couple of friends in ministry you can and do sound off to regularly and can even talk about your inner demons.  Get feedback.  And just spitting it out helps!

4.  Practice a healthy lifestyle.

If we work ALL the time, we are more likely to be unhealthy!  Exercise;  do something fun.  Take a night or day off.  Don't say, "My work is my play."  I hope you love your work, but it is unhealthy if that is all you have.  If you have children, don't cheat them to benefit the ministry.  Time with them also renews you.  Invest in your own spiritual development.  If you are a preacher, maybe you don't need to preach somewhere all the time and go to church some just for you.  Oh yeah, you need church and spiritual community too!

5.  Look for and celebrate what God did this week.  

Look for it and celebrate it whether it is big or small.  Intentionally look for some things to celebrate and thank God for EVERY week.

Arliss Dickerson's book, A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV and Reaching MORE College Students is at Amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN.