I spent 41 years doing campus based college ministry and then spent two years being the part time College Minister at my church. Many things are the same in campus based and church based. Some are better and some are worse in church based......and some are just different. /These are my observations of church ministries over the years and then my two years leading a church based ministry.
4 Killers of Church College Ministries:
1. Constant turnover of the College Minister - For a variety of reasons there tends to be a quicker and higher turn over rate of church based College Ministers than campus based ones. One church based College Minister told me that was true because he was continually being given other assignments by the church and that the church varied year to year in their commitment to or priority of college ministry. He said he always had to be a "Hyphen Ministers". Those can be College and Youth; College and Young Adults; College and ______________. Also, some go to a church based college ministry position as an entry into becoming a pastor and move when that opportunity comes. Churches are more likely to have a College Minister who is a speaker type which tends to position and prepare them for a pastor/preacher role in the future.
2. Decisions are made for the overall benefit of the church NOT the benefit of the College Ministry. When I was a Campus Based College Minister, every decision and action was based on what was best for the ministry to students and that campus....period. Several years ago when my home church transitioned from two identical traditional worship services to a contemporary service and a traditional service, the contemporary service was put at 8:30 on Sunday morning....no the best time for a college friendly service. It was felt that was the best decision at that time for the church as a whole.....but not the best decision for the college ministry. Most churches do not ask FIRST, "What is best for our ministry to college students?"
3. Church College Ministers have more DIVIDED TIME issues. A few years ago in my role as a College Ministry Consultant for Lifeway, I was in a meeting of church College Minister from around the country. Their Number One Complaint was not being able to get to campus every day due to meetings they had to attend at the church. The meeting may not be related to college ministry, but all staff members are expected to be there. Also, church staffers often have a day that is their "Hospital Day", etc, etc. That group of College Ministers spoke of all the committee or staff meetings they had to attend.
4. Church College Ministers are often more sharply EVALUATED by numbers. One church based College Minister who had transitioned from being a campus based to church based told me of a staff meeting during his first fall there where the pastor asked by student attendance was way down the previous day. The College Minister was stunned by the question and criticism he heard. It was the first weekend there had been no home football weekend. It was an automatic go home weekend for lots of students. Those who serve in campus based ministry expect and understand that there is an ebb and flow of a semester. Often churches do not understand this in relationship to college students. When budgets dip, college ministry is often cut more due to the numbers being recorded in the college ministry. This criticism.....overt or implied.....is another factor in frequent turnover of church based College Ministers. One church based College Minister told me that some of his decisions were based on simply his having to produce numbers.
I have learned that church based and campus based college ministries are related....but they are cousins.....not twins.
Arliss Dickerson is a college ministry advocate, author, and sometimes speaker. Check out some of his resources here: Amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN
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