WHY Does College Ministry REALLY Matter??

 Does college ministry really matter?  Is that just a luxury that maybe we don't need to waste our money on?

2 Reasons College Ministry Matters:

1.  Psychologists say the two greatest times of change in a person's life are Birth to Age One and High School Graduation to Christmas.

2.  Ryan Burge, the Christian Pollster, asked a group of "Non-Religious" when they left faith.  The most mentioned age was 18.

I have a friend who was just recently told by her primary care physician that she had colon cancer.  Her first response was, "Who is the best doctor in this field that I should go see?'  She likes her regular doctor just fine, but to get the best possible outcome, she wants somebody who lives and breathes her issue all the time.  She wants a specialist.

College Ministry is a specialty in ministry. Pastors and other church staff members do a great job of caring for all types of people in all age categories and situations.  To say that it is time to call in a specialist is not to denigrate someone else.  It is the realization of a special need that needs addressing.  If young people are walking away from faith, as we know many are, then why not call in a specialist?

What are the "Special" Issues?

College is a time of being exposed to new ideas and new concepts.  One of the questions students begin to ask is, "How does my faith hold up in light of my new knowledge?"

A large number of college students marry someone they meet in college.  Should this key life decision be made in the absence of a Christian perspective and guidance?

Many start to college knowing what they want to do with their life and change.  Others start with no clue what they want to do.  Shouldn't a Christian understanding of calling, understanding spiritual gifts, and life purpose be part of this vocational decision?

Students come to college campuses from all over the world. Many have never heard the Christian Gospel and come from countries that do not allow Christian missionaries.  What if many of these hear and respond to the Christian Gospel and return to their closed country as a Christian?

One of the purposes of college is to prepare future leaders. Most, if not all Governmental leaders attend college and then play key roles in shaping our country and even the entire world.  Isn't shaping future leaders a key opportunity and need?

Churches are having an increasingly difficult time finding pastors as fewer young adults are expressing a call to vocational ministry.  When college students are making decisions about life direction, wouldn't it be nice to have someone talking about Christian vocations and calling in this crucial period?  Many high school students express an interest or calling to vocational ministry but do not continue with it.  College Ministers mentor those who have a calling to ministry.

College ministries invest in student leaders and give them opportunities to speak, sing, lead, etc. which prepares them more for service in the days to come. This prepares both Vocational Ministry leaders and lay leaders. Experience matters!

College is a unique time in the life and requires specific and unique applications by those specifically qualified to do it.

When my car is not running right, I want a Mechanic...not a Car Salesman.  When I am diagnosed with cancer, I want an Oncologist.  When we are hiring a football coach, we don't hire a basketball coach.  When someone goes to college, we need a College Minister!

The sooner we learn College Ministry is a specialty, the sooner we will do a better job of discipling and reaching young adults for Christian faith and service.

Check out Arliss Dickerson's "College Minister's Library" here:  Amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN.