Banquets That Raise Money for College Ministry...Ben Maddox

It has been some what common for non-denominational college ministries to have fund raising banquets.  It is a fairly new or rare event within Baptist circles.  Here is a word from Ben Maddox, Baptist Campus Minister at Tennessee Tech, and how they do their fund raising banquet.

                                                  Telling Our Story

As a campus based college ministry, we have countless stories of how God uses campus ministry to assist in students coming to faith in Christ, developing leadership skills, discovering who God has called them to become during their college years, answering a call to ministry, and many others.  Telling these stories are vital to keeping churches, alumni, parents of students, and friends of the campus ministry connected to the everyday life and fruitfulness of the ministry.

Three years ago, the Tennessee Tech BCM began hosting a fall banquet for local churches, alumni, parents, and friends to attend to hear these stories of God's faithfulness.  Each year the banquet is focused on a theme that reflects the mission of the campus ministry, such as reaching students with the Gospel, developing student leaders, discipleship/disciplemakers, life on mission, connecting students to churches, etc.  We have both students and alumni share how the campus ministry has made an impact on their lives and the lives of those they ministered to during their time in the ministry.  We include videos, testimonies, student-led worship, prayer time for the ministry, etc. Each year, we have approximately 200 local church leaders, alumni, parents, and friends in attendance during this night.  It is a great way to tell our story to them.

Logistically, how do we do this?  We have a twelve member Board of Directors who help facilitate the banquet.  Your ministry not have a Board of Directors, but you may have a support team or advisory committee who could help you with the details of the event.  Our Board is responsible for identifying and recruiting table hosts; typically, our Directors commit to being one of the table hosts.  Each host is asked to get eight people to join their table at the banquet.  We do not charge for the event; we build this event into our yearly budget.  Our tables are organized by local churches, decades of alumni, and parents of current students.  We have a local catering company provide a full meal with a salad, main dish, dessert, and refreshments.  The BCM staff and student leaders develop the program for the banquet.  Near the end of the night, the Chair of our Budget and Fundraising Team of our Board shares how our BCM is funded and gives our guests an opportunity to become a part of individually supporting the TN Tech BCM.  We have seen our guests respond by individually giving gifts ranging from $20 to $2500.  BCM ministries in Tennessee raise from $5,000 to $20,000 at events such as this. Our banquet has become a significant part of how we tell our story, and it allows guests the opportunity to learn more about as well as join in supporting our ministry for the sake of continuing to share the Gospel of Christ to students on our campus.

Ben Maddox
Baptist Campus Minister
Tennessee Tech University

What Do College Ministers do......Here's a Good List!

Roger and Rose Bear serve as Baptist Campus Ministers at Indiana State University and send out a great newsletter.  Here is an excerpt from their most recent.

Our call is to make disciples and disciples are people and ministering to them involves a lot more than group activities.  We meet one-on-one with every council member every week.  Sometimes, we do one-on-one discipleship.  And we also do a lot of other things, such as:

Take students to and from the airport.
Fix flat tires.
Help students find an apartment.
Move furniture and stuff.
Loan our cars and tools and money.
Find medical care, counseling, etc for students with no insurance.
Take students to/from church, the store, doctor visits, the ER, etc.
Go with students to court appearances.
Bail student out of jail.
Be an advocate for students exploited by unethical businesses.
Help students plan a budget, get out of debt, etc.
Attend funeral of student or student's family member.
Do pre-marital counseling (6 weeks) and perform weddings.
Write letters of recommendation and serve as references.
Teach students to drive.
Attend students' recitals, plays, ballgames, etc.
Go with students to award dinners when their parents can't come.
Listen and pray and share God's Word when there are financial problems and family problems
  and school problems and relationship problems and emotional problems.
"Be ready to give an answer" when God opens the door for spiritual conversations.

Roger and Rose plan to retire at the end of the coming school year.  They are actively seeking someone that would succeed them at Indiana State.  If God touches your heart at that thought or you want to recommend someone, contact them at pleasefeedthebears@gmail.com.

5 Things That Can Ruin Your Reputation or Your College Ministry's Reputation

1.  Inappropriate Behavior or the APPEARANCE of Inappropriate Behavior
I have discussed in other blogs the necessity of thought being given to how you do male/female relationships.  Remember, you can do right, but the appearance is not one that gives a correct impression.

2.  Anger and Language Issues
A moment of inappropriate anger can ruin how students see you and your ministry.  Students came to me once upset about a local College Minister's profanity at Intramural football games where he was playing.  They never saw him again in the same light.

3.  Sloppiness with Ministry Money
I have never been aware of a situation where a College Minister was dishonest with ministry money.  HOWEVER, I know of situations where there were suspicions and concerns fueled by the College Minister's sloppiness in administering or accounting for ministry money or money given to sponsor students on mission trips.

4.  Poor Outside Appearance of Campus Centers
I have driven by campus religious centers in the summer that looked abandoned.  I have seen them during the school year that did not look abandoned, but they did not look well taken care of.  Fair or Not:  the only impression that some have of your ministry is what they see when they walk or drive by your campus center, if you are fortunate enough to have one.

5.  God's Kingdom is all About Your Ministry Alone
It can come as negative expressions about other ministries or it can be simply a self-centeredness about your own ministry.  God blesses and uses people besides you and me.....even people with whom we disagree.  God was at work in the world before you and I came along...and He will be at work in the world and on campuses after you and I are gone.

Some Books to Read this Summer

While I functioned on a college campus calendar, I would always put books back to read in the summer.  I read some throughout the year, but not as much as summer.  We really tend to read in two categories, personal help and ministry help. Here are some I would recommend for your consideration.  These would fall mostly in the ministry help category.

21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, John Maxwell

I particularly like this one from two different standpoints.  It helps me grow individually, but it also helps me in knowing better how to encourage, help, and strengthen my student leaders.  The chapters are short and can be quickly read.

7 Habits of Effective Ministry, Andy Stanley

Yes, I have recommended this book before.  I just believe it really is helpful in seeing how to do ministry better and its focusing for me the idea of really building on my strengths.

Heart of the Campus, Steve Shadrach

Steve is best known for his book, The God Ask, in helping those who raising their salaries.  This one is a quick read.  I read it in an airport waiting on a flight.  Steve and I would differ a little in philosophy here, but I am all about the strategic way he looks at a campus and having a plan.  Shadrach is about a plan.

College Ministry in a Post Christian Culture, Steve Lutz

Lutz is a thinker.  I am more of a do-er and I need folks like Steve who are thinking and helping me a think more.  Plus, this is a book written BY a College Minister about college ministry.  I get frustrated with all the people who have never done college ministry telling us what is happening on campus and how we should respond.

Is God Calling Me?  Jeff Iorg

Again, I have recommended this book before.  It also is a quick read.  Read it for two reasons.  First, it will help you help your students in dealing with, recognizing, and responding to God's call in their life.  Second, you need to have at least one copy of this book on your desk to hand to students who walk in and say, "How do you know God is calling you to go to Africa or New York?".  To tell you how much I like this book, I am recommending it despite the fact that the publisher sent me a copy of the manuscript to write one of those brief endorsements that go in the front, on the back , or in promotion.  I wrote one and they did not use it.  I am not bitter!!!....not too much.