Practical ideas for Campus and Church based College Ministers
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Thursday, July 27, 2017
Youth Minister Resumes Sought
Hot Springs Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas is seeking resumes or recommendations for their Youth Minister position. It is a Southern Baptist Church with a Sunday attendance of 500-600. More information is available at HotSpringsBaptist.org/job-opportunities. Resumes may be sent to jbridges@hotspringsbaptist.org
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
The Difference in Church Based College Ministry and Campus Based?
I spent 41 years doing campus based college ministry. I recently started my second stint as an Interim Church Based College Minister. One of the things I have believed in both positions is that a church based ministry should not look just like a campus based one. There is and should be a difference in the two. I would even go as far as to say that some churches are not doing a church based college ministry, but rather are doing their version of a campus based ministry. The church I serve started the campus based BCM ministry on the local campus many years ago and continues to be one of it's leading financial supporters. So, we want it to succeed and we do not want to do anything that might harm what it is doing.
One reason that churches often do what I would call a version of a campus based ministry is that the College Minister or volunteer leaders were active in a campus based ministry that blessed them and so they do what they saw and experienced. That is is a pretty natural happening. One Campus Based College Minister complained to me recently that area churches hire his graduates and they then do all the same things that his ministry on campus is doing and students see all the same things by the different ministries.
So, what differences should there be in the two and how do we understand them better?
-Church based ministries have the great opportunity to expose students to and connect them to Christians of a wide range of ages, background and vocations.
-Campus based ministries should resist the temptation to become the students' church. In fact, students will often see it that way even when the ministry does not intend it. So, campus based ministries (that are not a campus based church) should always and in many different ways be pointing students toward local churches.
-Church based ministries must point students toward their church wide events...not just their student only events. Why does this matter, if they get community and solid Bible teaching at student only events? If we teach students that faith communities will always specialize in their needs and interests, we can be contributing to a "consumer only" view of church and faith.
-Both campus based and church based offer opportunities to serve. But, the church usually can offer a wider variety of opportunities. These in turn help prepare students for service in churches for their entire life time.
-It has been my experience that campus based ministries can be more specific and intentional in doing leadership training and it is one thing that churches should expect of their campus bases ministry partners.
-One difference in the two ministries I have observed is that church based ones tend to be more preaching centered and campus based ministries tend to be more teaching oriented. A friend of mine recently said that campus based ministries are "more educational" and church ministries , particularly campus church plants tend to be "more prophetic". Campus based ministries often help students with issues like time management, study skills, etc. These and other "school topics" usually are not part of a church based ministry.
-Campus based ministries often have more opportunity due to setting and location to do more one to one discipleship. Churches due to facilities and staff can usually offer the much more quality large group experiences.
-Yet, the campus based ministries can give students the opportunities to sing, play, speak, etc in their large group events which prepares them for future service in churches. The expectation at a campus event is not the same as one at a church wide worship event.
-An observation I made many years ago and still do not fully understand is that campus based college ministers and church based ones tend to be different personality types. At a large national campus minister meeting I used to help plan and organize, church based college ministers wanted more preaching and campus based wanted more how to seminars/breakouts. The personalities over-all are just different. Obviously, this is a generalization with lots of exceptions.
It is my goal as Church Based College Minister to be supportive and helpful of our Campus Based College Minister and that ministry. I think the ideal is they will reach some students we will not and cannot and we will reach some students they would not and cannot. And, we will reach and work together with some students for the students' benefit. And, I will continue to expect the Campus Based Minister to be an advocate and representative with school officials and administrators for all our ministries benefit.
One reason that churches often do what I would call a version of a campus based ministry is that the College Minister or volunteer leaders were active in a campus based ministry that blessed them and so they do what they saw and experienced. That is is a pretty natural happening. One Campus Based College Minister complained to me recently that area churches hire his graduates and they then do all the same things that his ministry on campus is doing and students see all the same things by the different ministries.
So, what differences should there be in the two and how do we understand them better?
-Church based ministries have the great opportunity to expose students to and connect them to Christians of a wide range of ages, background and vocations.
-Campus based ministries should resist the temptation to become the students' church. In fact, students will often see it that way even when the ministry does not intend it. So, campus based ministries (that are not a campus based church) should always and in many different ways be pointing students toward local churches.
-Church based ministries must point students toward their church wide events...not just their student only events. Why does this matter, if they get community and solid Bible teaching at student only events? If we teach students that faith communities will always specialize in their needs and interests, we can be contributing to a "consumer only" view of church and faith.
-Both campus based and church based offer opportunities to serve. But, the church usually can offer a wider variety of opportunities. These in turn help prepare students for service in churches for their entire life time.
-It has been my experience that campus based ministries can be more specific and intentional in doing leadership training and it is one thing that churches should expect of their campus bases ministry partners.
-One difference in the two ministries I have observed is that church based ones tend to be more preaching centered and campus based ministries tend to be more teaching oriented. A friend of mine recently said that campus based ministries are "more educational" and church ministries , particularly campus church plants tend to be "more prophetic". Campus based ministries often help students with issues like time management, study skills, etc. These and other "school topics" usually are not part of a church based ministry.
-Campus based ministries often have more opportunity due to setting and location to do more one to one discipleship. Churches due to facilities and staff can usually offer the much more quality large group experiences.
-Yet, the campus based ministries can give students the opportunities to sing, play, speak, etc in their large group events which prepares them for future service in churches. The expectation at a campus event is not the same as one at a church wide worship event.
-An observation I made many years ago and still do not fully understand is that campus based college ministers and church based ones tend to be different personality types. At a large national campus minister meeting I used to help plan and organize, church based college ministers wanted more preaching and campus based wanted more how to seminars/breakouts. The personalities over-all are just different. Obviously, this is a generalization with lots of exceptions.
It is my goal as Church Based College Minister to be supportive and helpful of our Campus Based College Minister and that ministry. I think the ideal is they will reach some students we will not and cannot and we will reach some students they would not and cannot. And, we will reach and work together with some students for the students' benefit. And, I will continue to expect the Campus Based Minister to be an advocate and representative with school officials and administrators for all our ministries benefit.
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Why I Wrote FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY
My book, FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY, has just gone live on Amazon. Here are the three reasons I wrote it. They matter, if you are in College Ministry, whether you read the book or not
1. I could find ZERO resources on "College Ministry Revitalization"....ZERO!
I have been serving as Lifeway's college ministry consultant in the area of Leadership Development now for ten years. Part of that job is connecting with College Ministers who need help or have questions. A regular call I have gotten through the years is, "How do I fix a broken college ministry?". Most often it has been a person who has just gone to a job and they were hired to "fix it". As they have surveyed the situation, it has looked more daunting with no place to start. About a year ago, a friend called and asked, "What materials are there on "College Ministry Revitalization"? Great question and I had zero for an answer. So, I researched it and found.....zero. That was the beginning of my project. We need to not only be planting more College ministries, we need to be upping our game in the established ones.
2. "The days of my being able to pay a full salary and benefits for someone to work with twenty-five (25) students is coming to an end."
In visiting with a college ministry leader who supervises a significant number of college ministries, he said, "The days of my being able to pay a full salary and benefits for someone to work with twenty-five (25) students is coming to an end.". As church and denominational funding is seeing some decline, there are more and more discussions about what to keep and what to not do...or do differently. Fair or not, College Ministers are being held to a tougher standard of success or accountability due to tightening budgets. All of us must be thinking and asking, what will it take for this ministry to go to another level?
3, National studies say seven out of ten (7 of 10) students active in church in high school are making NO spiritual connections in college.
In recent years, national studies continue to say seven out of ten (7 of 10) students active in church in high school are making no spiritual connections in college. If that figure alarms us, then we cannot continue to do same old same old!
This book is NOT a guaranteed magic formula. Every situation is different and all need a movement of God and His Spirit to be all that He would have it to be. But, sometimes we are just stunned by the enormity of a task and there seems no starting place. Hopefully, FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY is and will be a starting place. Maybe even it will lead someone else to write the second book on "College Ministry Revitalization" and it will be way better than this one.
Whether you read the book or not, are you thinking, asking, and praying, how do I lead my ministry to the next level?
1. I could find ZERO resources on "College Ministry Revitalization"....ZERO!
I have been serving as Lifeway's college ministry consultant in the area of Leadership Development now for ten years. Part of that job is connecting with College Ministers who need help or have questions. A regular call I have gotten through the years is, "How do I fix a broken college ministry?". Most often it has been a person who has just gone to a job and they were hired to "fix it". As they have surveyed the situation, it has looked more daunting with no place to start. About a year ago, a friend called and asked, "What materials are there on "College Ministry Revitalization"? Great question and I had zero for an answer. So, I researched it and found.....zero. That was the beginning of my project. We need to not only be planting more College ministries, we need to be upping our game in the established ones.
2. "The days of my being able to pay a full salary and benefits for someone to work with twenty-five (25) students is coming to an end."
In visiting with a college ministry leader who supervises a significant number of college ministries, he said, "The days of my being able to pay a full salary and benefits for someone to work with twenty-five (25) students is coming to an end.". As church and denominational funding is seeing some decline, there are more and more discussions about what to keep and what to not do...or do differently. Fair or not, College Ministers are being held to a tougher standard of success or accountability due to tightening budgets. All of us must be thinking and asking, what will it take for this ministry to go to another level?
3, National studies say seven out of ten (7 of 10) students active in church in high school are making NO spiritual connections in college.
In recent years, national studies continue to say seven out of ten (7 of 10) students active in church in high school are making no spiritual connections in college. If that figure alarms us, then we cannot continue to do same old same old!
This book is NOT a guaranteed magic formula. Every situation is different and all need a movement of God and His Spirit to be all that He would have it to be. But, sometimes we are just stunned by the enormity of a task and there seems no starting place. Hopefully, FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY is and will be a starting place. Maybe even it will lead someone else to write the second book on "College Ministry Revitalization" and it will be way better than this one.
Whether you read the book or not, are you thinking, asking, and praying, how do I lead my ministry to the next level?
Monday, July 17, 2017
Example of the College Minister is the Number One Influencer in a College Ministry
Albert Sweitzer said, "Example is not the main thing; it's the only thing."
I am a huge believer in the power of example. It just might be the greatest tool we have in our personal ministry. The smaller the ministry is or in the early days of starting a ministry or the College Minister taking over a ministry the example of the College Minister is magnified even more.
Here are five ways I believe our example impact the ministry that we lead:
1. Who we are can draw students to the ministry.
The personal characteristics that we demonstrate affect who is drawn to the ministry. Nothing we do inour ministry is more valuable or important than who we are. It might scare us to know how closely students watch, learn, and even copy what they see of us. For years I did all my planning writing on a yellow legal pad. Only after several years did I realize I picked up that simple habit from my College Minister.
2. Who we are affects what students take from our ministry.
If they see us pray about situations and care about people who do not know Christ, they are more likely to take that from our ministry to their adult life. Former BCM Presidents who now serve in secular leadership roles have messaged me pictures of how their meeting room was organized prior to a major meeting. They took that from how we did leadership meetings.
3. What we demonstrate in personal characteristics affects our financial support.
If you have to raise your salary or depend on churches, organizations, or individuals for financial support of your budget, who you are affects their response. People want to support someone they admire or respect. Do your work habits cause others to think their money will be used wisely? It is difficult to separate feelings about a ministry from feelings about the leader of that ministry. Respect and appreciation helps build financial support.
4. The ministry we lead will reflect our personal strengths and weaknesses.
The longer we serve as the leader of a ministry, the more that ministry will take on our personality....strengths and weaknesses. It becomes a picture of the leader. It is a reminder of why we can never cut corners in our personal practices. It is also a reminder of how we much enlist, empower and support students and other leaders or staffers who have different strengths than our own.
5. Our example will affect parents and other Christian leaders deciding whether to send students to our ministry or advising them to stay away.
Well known and respected ministries are blessed by youth ministers, pastors, parents and even college administrators referring and encouraging students to become involved with that ministry. This will not happen where the example of the leader is a negative one.
There is an old saying. "Who you are is speaking so loudly, I can't hear what you are saying.".
Your example shapes and affects the whole ministry....it may be scary, but is is true!
I am a huge believer in the power of example. It just might be the greatest tool we have in our personal ministry. The smaller the ministry is or in the early days of starting a ministry or the College Minister taking over a ministry the example of the College Minister is magnified even more.
Here are five ways I believe our example impact the ministry that we lead:
1. Who we are can draw students to the ministry.
The personal characteristics that we demonstrate affect who is drawn to the ministry. Nothing we do inour ministry is more valuable or important than who we are. It might scare us to know how closely students watch, learn, and even copy what they see of us. For years I did all my planning writing on a yellow legal pad. Only after several years did I realize I picked up that simple habit from my College Minister.
2. Who we are affects what students take from our ministry.
If they see us pray about situations and care about people who do not know Christ, they are more likely to take that from our ministry to their adult life. Former BCM Presidents who now serve in secular leadership roles have messaged me pictures of how their meeting room was organized prior to a major meeting. They took that from how we did leadership meetings.
3. What we demonstrate in personal characteristics affects our financial support.
If you have to raise your salary or depend on churches, organizations, or individuals for financial support of your budget, who you are affects their response. People want to support someone they admire or respect. Do your work habits cause others to think their money will be used wisely? It is difficult to separate feelings about a ministry from feelings about the leader of that ministry. Respect and appreciation helps build financial support.
4. The ministry we lead will reflect our personal strengths and weaknesses.
The longer we serve as the leader of a ministry, the more that ministry will take on our personality....strengths and weaknesses. It becomes a picture of the leader. It is a reminder of why we can never cut corners in our personal practices. It is also a reminder of how we much enlist, empower and support students and other leaders or staffers who have different strengths than our own.
5. Our example will affect parents and other Christian leaders deciding whether to send students to our ministry or advising them to stay away.
Well known and respected ministries are blessed by youth ministers, pastors, parents and even college administrators referring and encouraging students to become involved with that ministry. This will not happen where the example of the leader is a negative one.
There is an old saying. "Who you are is speaking so loudly, I can't hear what you are saying.".
Your example shapes and affects the whole ministry....it may be scary, but is is true!
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