An Idea God has Used in College Ministry

 In 1988 a group of Baptist Campus Ministers met for 3 days to share ideas, laugh, encourage one another and even play bad golf.  That gathering developed after a regional College Ministers Meeting at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth.  One night after the session was over a group went to a Grandy's Chicken and Cinnamon Rolls and sat around a table sharing ideas.  Someone said, "This is even better than the conference, wouldn't it be great if we could do this for 2 or 3 days.  So, in 1988 a group met in Jonesboro, Arkansas and did just that.

There was no program, just how do you do this and that.  Two of the College Ministers that came were Dave Jobe and  George Loutherback from Texas.  Jobe shared how the campus where he was in Texas was opening the dorms a week before school started and freshmen would move in, but there was very little for them to do.  He came up with the idea of having a 3 Day Event called Freshmen Survival.  It included get acquainted games, Family Groups, Breakout sessions on Growing as a Christian, Dating College Style, How to do a Personal Devotional, Getting Along with a Roommate, etc.  Freshmen flocked to it and his ministry boomed.  George Loutherback served at Baylor and he shared a much larger version of that idea that he was doing at Baylor.

All of us that were there thought it was the best idea we had ever heard and each of us said we were going to do some version of it.  Some did a weekend version of it just before classes started and others did a one day or a 6 or 7 hour version.  I attribute Freshmen Survival as the number one best thing we did at Arkansas State to reach students.  Each year at our End of the Year Cookout, I would ask how many came to Survival their freshman year.  The overwhelming majority in the room would hold up their hands.  Freshmen Survival multiplied our ministry many times over!

That idea is still being done on many campuses in Baptist College Ministries 36 years later....and I would not be surprised if it is being done in lots of other ministries.  I have seen one campus had 400 students at their Freshmen Survival event last week.   Lots of others are having 50 to 100 Freshmen attend what now goes by names like FreshLife, Basic, Rookie Razorback Weekend, and still Freshmen Survival. 

Four Reasons I share this story:

-Dave Jobe and George Loutherback deserve a ton of credit.  Literally thousands of students have been impacted for God's kingdom because of this idea.  Thank you Dave and George!

-Second, if you are not having some form of a "Freshmen Survival" event, you should consider it.

-Third, you never know how God will take an idea you are doing and use it in far larger ways than you ever thought.

-Fourth, Keep talking to other College Ministers and sharing ideas.  You never know all that will come out of it. 

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

The #1 Reason Students Stay Involved in a College Ministry?

 All of us who work in college ministry have the frustration of students starting to be involved with our ministry or coming the first couple of weeks and then disappearing.   

What happened?

Many years ago when Billy Graham was doing the huge football stadium evangelistic events and literally hundreds were making professions of faith, they did a survey.  They did a follow-up study as to whether those who had made first time commitments to Christ had become involved in a church.  They were disappointed with the percentage of who had gotten involved in a church.  It was much lower than they had hoped and anticipated.  

But for those who did connect to a church, they found one overwhelming common factor......They knew someone in the church.  There was a personal relationship.

No matter how strong your ministry is....no matter how good you are as a speaker.....no matter how great your worship band is.....no matter how funky your lighting is, most students will NOT stay connected and involved, if they do not develop some positive relationships in the ministry.  Right now everyone in college ministry is working night and day 24/7 to reach new students.  Many of them will come for 2 or 3 weeks then disappear......IF they do not develop relationships within the ministry.

So, what do you do?  First, help your leaders understand this and help them develop a mentality of being intentional about connecting to newcomers.  Look for those who are by themselves.  Watch for those who come in late because they did not want the awkwardness of being alone and not knowing what to do or having anyone to talk to.  Have some of your great "relaters" hang back and go sit down with them or make an effort to connect to them as soon as the event ends.

One reason I am high on food after an event is.....It gives people a reason to stay and visit.  It can just be chips and iced tea.  It provides something to do and easier to stand and talk.  One ministry I know of would have pizzas cut in what they called "Hors d'oeuvre" portions.  They were out on tables at the back with napkins and drinks.  They were not an attempt to feed a meal.

Of course, the biggest "connection factor" is if they become a part of a small group.  Some ministries now do small groups following their large group worship event.  But, another way to do that is at the end of your worship event, simply have people turn their chairs around into groups of six or eight and have everyone share their name, maybe anyone could share one thing that stuck out in the message and someone close in prayer.  If you do this, it is important to have your leaders spread out all over the room, so you don't wind up with groups where everyone is new and no one is comfortable saying anything.

Relationships are the number one reason students stay involved......or leave!

Arliss Dickerson's book, Almost Everything About College Ministry, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX and A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula is at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV.

The First 5 to 10 Minutes of Your Welcome Week Events???

 It has been said that, "The first 5 to 10 minutes a person attends a new event determines if they will come back."  Wow.....if that is even just somewhat true, it is mind boggling and maybe a whole lot frustrating.

As you are doing events for Welcome Week on your campus or at your church, how much thought and preparation are you putting into the first 5 to 10 minutes?

Some Questions to Ask:

Is it obvious for new people where to go?

Should you have Name Tags?

Are there greeters that are making newbies feel welcome?

Are we attempting to get their name and contact information?

Is there music playing or should there be? 

 Should it be all Christian or a mix of Christian and popular?  If you are looking for a good playlist, go to Collegiate Collective where Tim Casteel has dropped his annual playlist.  He is the BEST at this.

Are you doing your prep well ahead of time so you are free to be mixing and mingling?

Have you given your student leaders the information and training/prep they need?

Have you got a little cheat sheet in your pocket you can write names down on it, if you need to?

AND REMEMBER:  God is always doing more than you know!

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

Supervision is NOT a Dirty Word.....It's an OPPORTUNITY!

I have had lots of supervisors in my life from a Lieutenant Colonel in Vietnam to a Summer League Baseball Coach showing me how to rake the baseball diamond.  I have had great ones and one or two not so great.

Many campus based college ministries now have one or two year Assistants or Campus Missionaries.  Many church based College Ministers have Interns or part-time Student Assistants.  Several years ago, I was given the responsibility of helping our one year Outreach Coordinators and working with their supervising  College Ministers.  Some of these recent college graduates were having a great experience, making a real difference on their campus, and others were frustrated and even confused.

What was the difference?  I believe the simple answer was.....supervision.  One College Minister said he told his newly appointed college grad Coordinator, "I am going to  treat you like a professional.  Go do what you think needs doing."  Here was the problem with that:  the newly appointed Coordinator with no college ministry experience had no idea what needed doing and especially what was beneficial.  He was not a professional and had never done this before.

Two Things Lack of Supervision Can Cause:

Lack of Focus -  I found those without supervision tended to jump from one thing to another. It was sort of whatever way the wind was blowing that day or whomever dropped by to visit.  And, it was not connected to any long term strategy of what the ministry was all about.  Consequently, their efforts did not make any significant difference in the ministry and left them frustrated.

Less than a Positive Experience - Those who did not have good supervision tended to leave their one year position with less than positive feelings about it or ministry as a whole.  And, many had signed up for that year to see "Is this possibly something God is calling me to do?"  There are more and more reports of young adults feeling called to ministry.  We need to be doing everything possible to help young adults experience and respond to God's call to vocational ministry.

Two Things GOOD Supervision Does:

It Teaches - Usually, a supervisor is in that role because they have previous experience and a positive track record.  One thing a Supervisor  can do is help pass on that experience without them having to learn everything the hard....and sometimes painful way.  One of our jobs as a Supervisor is to help them be and feel successful.  Part of that is to help them process and evaluate their experience....both good and bad.

It Encourages - Good supervision encourages!  First, it help them not feel they are in it alone.  One of the biggest killers of College Ministers is the sense of eeling alone and that I am the only one that cares.  Just knowing someone else care is huge.  Even when something does not go well, we can help someone know their effort was good and worthy!

One More Thing Good Supervision Does:

When there is more than one College Minister, and even if the one or two other staffers are experienced, there has to be somebody in charge.  Besides encouraging and teaching, they work at everybody being on the same page and pulling together in the same strategy.  There are lots of different strategies that God uses.  But, they usually are not successful, if multiple staff members are working on different strategies.  So, if you are a Supervisor, make sure those with whom you work feel appreciated and cared about......and that everyone is on the same page in the strategy and what their role is in that strategy.

I will go way out on a limb and say not only is supervision not a dirty word, it is one of the tools that God can and does use.

Arliss Dickerson's book, A 3 Part College Ministry Strategy, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV and A College Student's Guide to Spiritual Maturity is at Amazon.com/dp/B0CXTCTNB1.

Some College Ministry Truths and Reminders

Nothing will affect the ministry more than who the College Minister is as a person.

A college ministry is about leading college students to the Lord and growing students in that relationship.  Anything different is just a club.  But, that does not mean it cannot and should not have fun events and just plain encouragement.

What do YOU do best?  What are the gifts God has placed in your life?  Are those gifts being given the time and priority in your weekly schedule to benefit the ministry?

The more people who know the College Minister on campus, the more it will benefit the ministry.  Walk across the campus and through the student center every day.

Never forget that sometimes the custodian or administrative assistant is the one who "holds the keys."

Your priorities will show in the ministry.  The longer the College Minister leads the ministry, the more it will be a reflection of him or her.

Spend wisely extravagantly at the start of the semester.

One of the killers of College Ministers is feeling alone and that no one else cares.  College Ministers need friends other than students and family.

Every campus is unique.  What is unique to your campus?  Is it a minus or can it be a plus?

The most destructive thing to having and developing student leaders is putting them into a role they are not prepared to handle.

If the most transformative thing we can do is to meet with students individually, that must be a priority in the allocation of our time.

We must see as one of our most important tasks the raising up of godly lay leaders and vocational ministers for the future church.

Act your age!

There are pluses to every age or season and there are minuses to every age or season.  Play to the strengths of your age and allow others to mitigate the weaker areas.

Do not compare yourself or your ministry to the hot new College Minister or "It Ministry".

There is a difference in presiding at a meeting and leading a meeting.

When the College Minister's family is happy and well cared for, the College Minister is likely to be happy and semi-sane.  Don't lose your marriage or family while doing ministry.

No College Minister is too good or too important to not mop or sweep, if that is what is needed.

Affirm the gifts and potential you see in students.  Many students have never had anyone tell them how capable they are and what their life potential is.

Many students carry a sense of guilt about some past behavior.  If that is true with a student, help them sense and accept God's forgiveness.

Students go where they are valued.

Believe and act on the fact that God is always doing more than you know.

Adapted from Arliss Dickerson's book, A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula.  Check it out at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV.

 

My College Ministry is Small, so I CAN"T.........

 It is easy to focus on what you cannot do, if your college ministry is small or you have just taken over and school is just around the corner.

It can go like this, My College Ministry is small and I can't...

-Do big events.

-Have a Back-2-School Retreat.

-Have a big welcome event with free food.

-Have a specialized freshman ministry

- You can fill in the blank.

HERE is what you CAN Do....and I would definitely do.

Do a freshmen Bible Study Group.  Find 3 or 4 freshmen that would like to be in a Bible Study Group and find a time that works for them,   If you connect to some more freshmen two or three weeks later, start another one. But, do AT LEAST ONE.

3 Things I would suggest:

1.  Make it highly relational.  Talk, laugh, help them to get to know each other.  Have a fun ice breaker or question each time.

2.  Make sure it is topics or scripture that relates to some of their issues and questions.

3.  Only go for six or seven weeks.  The longer it goes, the more likely freshmen will drop out due to the increasing pressure of papers, big tests, etc. Make sure they finish with a sense of accomplishment and wanting to do another study next semester.  It is always better for them to complain they wish it had gone longer.

Don't focus on what you CANNOT do....focus on doing what you can!  AND, one thing anyone can do is at least ONE FRESHMEN group.  Do it! You are building for the future  

Arliss Dickerson's book, A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV and A College Student's Guide to Spiritual Maturity is at Amazon.com/dp/B0CXTCTNB1.

What do you do all Day?......100 Tasks of a Campus Minister by Tyler Hoffpauir

 All of us have been asked, "What do you do all day?"  Or, "is that a full time job?"  Tyler Hoffpauir gave an answer.

1.  Pray for God to move on your campus.

2.  Set up a meeting with chancellor or other administrators to build rapport and ask how you can help the school.

3.  Build/maintain relationships with area pastors/churches.

4.  Prepare messages for weekly campus ministry meeting.

5.  Train volunteer student leaders.

6.  Find and Recruit staff.

7.  Interview new student leaders for next year.

8.  Hire staff and do all the paperwork.

9.  Clean the building.

10. Recruit freshmen at Orientations (there could be 5 to 20).

11.  Enlist churches to serve meals at weekly meeting.

12.  Create a tee shirt design for the fall.

13.  Order some promo material like stickers, banners, buttons, table cloths, back drops.

14.  Prepare a couple of training talks for your student leader team.

15.  Speak for a week at an associational camp.

16.  Mentor younger campus ministers on nearby campuses.

17.  Prepare the agenda and run the weekly staff meeting.

18.  Help a student who just walked in with his pornography addiction.

19. Redo Bible study rooms this summer.

20.  Get a band and speaker for your fall retreat.

21.  Spend a few hours accounting for your monthly expenses.

22.  Hold 5 plus one-on-one meetings with students per week for leadership, discipleship, evangelism to new student you met on campus or who were guests at your weekly meeting.

23.  Ooops the sink is broken, gotta YouTube that or call the plumber.

24. Plan the next great monthly event for your ministry, order supplies, cook food, decorate, etc.

25.  Stop by your ministry's weekly outreach table on campus to meet someone new and encourage your volunteers.

26.  Write notes/mail to incoming freshmen.

27.  Prepare and send out an alumni newsletter to help alumni stay connected and pray some will become donors.

28.  Have lunch with the new Youth Minister in town.

29.  Prepare for your discipleships group or class that meets every week.

30.  Host a weekly or biweekly leadership team meeting.

31.  Organize and execute 5-10 Welcome Week events.

32.  Follow up with all those new students from Welcome Week.

33  Host senior preview night.

34.  Plan ministry, lodging, transportation, meals, etc for your upcoming mission trip.

35.  Host the person/group who is at your weekly meeting to recruit for summer camp or other summer missions projects.

36.  Attend 2-5 associational meetings and gve a report about your ministry.

37.  Plan your weekly worship service songs, activities, testimonies and games with your student leaders.

38.   Talk to the student that is ready to quit school or your leadership tea,/

39.  Attend the state convention annual meeting and encourage a pastor or two by taking them to lunch.

40.  Turn in next year's budget.

41.  Supply preach one Sunday per month to help out area churches.

42.  Give an alumni, pastor or incoming freshmen a tour of your building or the campus whenever they stop by.

43.  Pay the bills.

44.  Send thank you notes to donors.

45.  Look through the list of building rental requests and approve or deny.

46.  Trim the bushes in the flower bed.

47.  Organize coffee and prayer with other denominational campus ministers to build a kingdom mindset.

48.  Serve the band/greek life/rugby team, etc with a meal or snack.

49.  Renew your registered student organization status on campus.

50.  Speak to a local youth group this Wednesday night.

51.  Post about every ministry event on social media and then post pictures afterward.

52.  Fix the hole in the wall a student made last week.

53.  Walk across the campus and meet some new students you could evangelize to or invite to be involved.

54.  Check in with your volunteer coordinator to make sure we have people to greet, check-in, serve.

55.  Come up with a game for Freshmen Night.

56.  Outline next semester's teaching plan.

57  A freshman just walked in and has 3 tough theological questions they have been wrestling with for months but need answered right now.

58.  Send out a report to all your churches and associations that support you financially.

59.  Be a good example to your students by attending your own church and volunteering there.

60.  Find a new faculty advisor.

61.  Attend state-wide campus minister's staff meeting zoom once per month.

62.  Complete your annual evaluation with your supervisor.

63.  Find and reserve vans for your next mission trip.

64.  Have a training with students on how to evangelize.

65.  Organize an appreciation banquet for your volunteer team.

66.  Hold a weekly or biweekly event to reach out to international students.

67.  Email every youth minister within a 2 hour radius asking for contact info on incoming freshmen.

68.  Mentor your staff and top leaders through weekly meetings.

69.  Start a ministry on a nearby community college campus.

70.  Meet with and encourage a struggling pastor or youth pastor.

71.  Hype your next retreat or trip and follow up with those that have not paid.

72.Find individuals or churches that will scholarship students for their mission trip.

73.  A girl just walked in that broke up with her boyfriend and is in crisis.

74. Make tea for 100 people who coming to your event tonight.

75.  Organize the intramural sports sign up and attend a game to let your students know you care.

76.  Order a new microphone for worship because a student accidentally broke the last one.

77.  Order more toilet paper and paper plates.

78.  Organize volunteers to take international students to the airport to travel for the holidays.

79.  Turn in your month ministry reports to your supervisors.

80.  Text all your students to see how you can pray for them and remind them that you care.

81.  Order gifts and hand write notes for graduating seniors.

82.  Print handouts for a weekly meeting.

83.  Get more ink, paper, & office supplies.

84.  Run to Sam's to get food for the next event.

85.  Check in with your local church-based college ministers.

86.  Send out invitations for your freshmen leadership team.

87.  Organize a local service project and promote to your students.

88.  Talk to a local church about 2-3 students that can be their next youth or music minister.

89.  Write several references for students applying for institutional scholarships or jobs.

90.  Send your band to a church for a special music night.

91.  Perform the weddings of several of your students each year.

92.  Speak at another summer camp or DNow weekend.

93.  Attend the weekly associational pastor's coffee or breakfast to hang out with pastors and keep them informed about your ministry.

94.  Host the group of alumni or associational volunteers who will do a little work on your building.

95.  Redo your website to have all the latest info about your events and take payments.

96.  Meet with school officials to renew your land or building lease.

97.  Redo the photos in your building because students have graduated.

98.  Replan your events because the school scheduled a major event or sporting event during your event.

99.  Talk to your inside man or woman at the housing office about your leaders moving in early or mission trip students being able to stay over the break.

100.  Dream and pray about the next big move for your ministry and cast that vision to your staff and student leaders.

Many of these tasks I am fortunate enough to be able to delegate to other folks.

Tyler Hoffpauir, Baptist Campus Minister, Arkansas State University

Arliss Dickerson's book, A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV and A College Student's Guide to Spiritual Maturity is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0CXTCTNB1.