I asked some students once to tell me about the different church college ministries in town. They named one church and said, "That is where the Greeks go." They named another church and said, "That is where the hipsters go." A third church they named they said was all students who grew in town and at that church.
So, what is the personality of your ministry and WHY is that its personality?
5 Ministry Personality Shapers:
1. The personality of the leader. Whether we like it or not, our personality is a huge factor in the personality of the ministry. The longer we lead a ministry, the more it will take on our personality with its strengths and weakness. When one College Minister leaves and another takes over the ministry, part of the struggle is, what will the personality of the ministry be. Our personality being the number one shaper of the ministry personality makes it even more important that we know what our strengths and weaknesses are. One benefit of a multi-staff ministry is the blend of personalities that shape the ministry. But, the personality of the staff leader will still be key.
2, The personality of the campus. Every campus is unique and that helps determine what students come to school there, which in turn continues to shape the personality. Just as the campus situation must affect the ministry, Each campus has open and closed doors. Of course, not every student is the same and there will be pockets of different types of students. Sometimes, a ministry is tailored or aimed at one particular group....either intentionally or as a result of who has responded. The smaller a ministry is the more a student must be a "certain type" or "personality" to fit in the ministry.
3. The student leaders. One of the truisms of ministry is that groups attract and keep people who are most like those already there. The impact of the personality of our student leaders is such that we must work at having a variety of leader types. That in term broadens the appeal of our ministry and the comfort level of different students attending and feeling welcome.
4. The meeting space. This is the one factor that can be immediately changed. A meeting space says something about the ministry....attractive.....dirty......messy.....big or small. It gives off a "vibe". Your space may not be first class, but it can be presented in the best possible way. Lighting is another factor Fix and control what you can fix and control.
5. The philosophy of the ministry. If the ministry has a philosophy of outreach and witness to non-believers, it will affect all areas of the ministry. If the ministry has a philosophy of wanting to impact the entire campus, that will affect the "feel" of the ministry. The philosophy cannot just be that of the leader, but it must have infiltrated the whole ministry.
So, what do we do about our "Ministry Personality?"
1. Be self-aware of your goals and your own strengths and weaknesses.
2. Be a student of your campus.
3. Work at developing a wide variety of student leaders.
4. Make sure you are utilizing your strengths and gifts to the max for the benefit of the ministry.
So, what is the personality of your ministry? How do you feel about it? Should there be any changes made to affect the personality?
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