1. Meet the Pastors and College Ministers. Meet the Pastors and Church College Ministers of your denomination. if you are campus based. Don't ask for anything in this first meeting. Ask questions and listen. Meet ALL the College Ministers on campus. If you are Church based, meet all the Church College Ministers in town. Ask what they learned there the hard way? Any tips or suggestions? Meet the leader of the ministry on campus connected to your church. How can you work together?
2. Meet the VP of Student Affairs or whomever works with student organizations. . Make sure your ministry is a registered student organization or how to become one. Ask about any guidelines you need to know AND have there been any previous problems with your ministry it would be helpful for you to know or to clean up. Is there an Organizational Fair or Welcome Events or Orientation events your ministry can be a part of?
3. Is there any sort of religious Preference List that is available? Some schools will give one to recognized ministries. Some campuses even sell them.
4. Look at the Welcome Week Schedule and see what days, times, etc might work for your ministry to do one or more Welcome/Outreach Events.
5. Have a coke and Chip & Dip session with any students who have been involved previously and ask questions and listen. What has the strength of the ministry been in the past? What is the reputation of the ministry on campus? What do they see as the overall campus vibe toward Christian groups? If there is an already set large group meeting time, is it the best or would another day and or time work better?
6. Put together a flyer, poster, postcard or whatever to hand out, pass out, hang up, etc when school starts. Pictures are always a plus!
7. Post on Social Media about your ministry and ask for names and contact info for incoming freshmen. Facebook is a source to reach parents, grandparents, etc while other forms of Social Media will connect more directly to students.
8. If you have a Center or Meeting space of your own, make sure it is at peak appearance and presentation. If it needs cleaning, clean it. If it needs paint, paint what you can. Adding a Feature Wall in some way or other can dress up the appearance and give it a new look. If it is a Center on or adjacent to campus, how does the yard and shrubs look?
If you are NOT a new Campus Minister, are any of these things calling your name?
Arliss Dickerson's book, Tips for College Freshmen: 124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9 and A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula is at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV.
No comments:
Post a Comment