4 Trends in College Ministry

This is from a workshop I did for the campus and church based College Ministers in Alabama.

FOUR TRENDS I SEE IN COLLEGE MINISTRY:

1.  College Ministry is being done more different ways now than ever before.
-We can like, hate it...doesn't matter....that doesn't change it. And, it does not mean you are doing it wrong.
-Accept it and get on with doing it.

2.  Social Media is huge.....everybody with a Twitter finger is an expert.
-Be on Social Media and learn from Social Media.
-But, remember just because someone tweets 50 times a day and has a million followers
does not mean they are an expert on how to do it on your campus or in your church.

3.  Money is going to continue to be a struggle.
-Be creative in your use of it.
-Don't just spend like you have always done it.  Prioritize your spending to the things that make a difference.
-Excellence is not always about money...don't sub money for excellence!

4.  Churches and Campus based ministries are going to bump into each other more and more.
-Work at communicating and cooperating.
-Don't give up on it just because it is harder.

-If some do not cooperate, just keep working with those that do.

Arliss Dickerson's new book, ALMOST EVERYTHING ABOUT COLLEGE MINISTRY, is available at amazon.com.  Type in his name or the title.

Are We Bribing College Students to Come to Church?

A friend who was not meaning to be critical asked me recently, "Are we bribing college students to come to church?".  The question came as a result of some special events we had recently which involved meals.  We also always have good coffee and snacks available in our University Center where our Sunday and Wednesday events occur.

I must admit this is a question that I wrestle with occasionally. As I lead a church college ministry that was large a few years ago and then declined significantly over a period of time, we are in an intentional re-building of our ministry.  We have hosted Sunday Lunches for university students and we have had Pancake and Bacon Night at our Wednesday collegiate event.

I am convinced that food will not cause a college student to go somewhere they do not want to go.  But, I do feel food is an important tool.  There are two things food helps us accomplish.

1. FOOD EVENTS GIVE OUR CORE STUDENTS AN EASY INVITATION FOR FRIENDS.
A few years back the Kentucky Baptist Campus Ministers did a survey of students in 5 states asking why they attended a campus religious event the first time.  The top three answers were:
3.  Free Food
2.  An appealing event
1.  Someone invited me.
Actually, those three answers can roll into one answer.  I want to make it easy for students to invite their friends.  I was sitting in the campus union with one of our students when a friend of his walked by.  My student said, "Hey, are you going to eat pancakes with me tomorrow night?".  He was referring to our Pancakes and Bacon night following our large group Bible study and worship event.  Students will invite, if it is something they think is appealing and gives them an easy invitation.

2.  FOOD AFTER AN EVENT HELPS STUDENT HANG OUT AND VISIT.
If students do not feel known and cared for, they will not return. We all are aware of how technology has in many ways caused students to not be able to relate as well face to face. They have a difficult time beginning new friendships.  Often students attend a Christian event and leave quickly when it is over to avoid awkward conversations.  Food gives everyone a reason for hanging out and getting to know those around them.  I actually believe that people are more open and transparent when eating.  If some sort of snack or food afterwards promotes hanging out and conversation, it has done well. God uses relationships.  Relationships are the currency through which God works.

Most students I deal with can get all the food they want on campus by simply sliding their card at no additional cost.  Free food is not a big draw.....BUT,  a friend saying, "Come go with me to...." has powerful appeal.  If you want your core students to invite their friends, have things that are easy for them to invite their friends to attend.

If your students are not inviting their friends, perhaps you need to think about your events.  Are we bribing...NO...but we are helping our students easily invite their friends.....AND it works.  AND, they get in the habit of inviting.

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but ENCOURAGING one another.." Hebrews 10:24-25

Should College Students Be Encouraged to Join a Church?

There is discussion among our College Ministry Tribe about the value and need to encourage students to actually "join" a church.  Some years ago, as students left home churches to come to college, they were told to "move your membership to college".  Now, many churches encourage them not to do this as they feel it causes them to lose touch with their home church. So, why waste your breath talking about something they have been told not to do?  Plus, others would say students are so transient that it does not matter whether they "officially" join.

Many churches now do not continue the practice of people "walking the aisle" to join the church.  Rather, new people go through a membership class or some churches simply add someone's name to the role after they have attended so many times.

For those of us who serve in or work with churches who still function in a somewhat traditional manner, we still talk about and encourage joining.  We see it as a part of teaching students about being connected and serving as Christians...not just regular "visitors".

The church where I serve offers four ways that anyone can join.  They are by Profession of Faith, Statement (previous membership in a like church), Transfer of Letter, or Watchcare (for those who are already Believers).  Watchcare was designed for students.  It does not transfer their membership from a previous church, but indicates their commitment to and identifying with our church.  Interestingly, we have seen many students use this as an intermediate step and then actually joining a year or two later or following graduation.

But, a new development has made it more complicated and confusing to students.  Different ones now say, "I don't know for sure where my membership is.".  Multiple students have indicated their family moved different times, etc.  While others say, "We moved from a traditional church to a contemporary church and I'm not quite sure if we ever were officially members.". Another said, "I belonged to a church plant that went defunct.".

So, it is more complicated than it has ever been.  However, I still land on the side of talking about and encouraging students to "join" a church...not just attend.  As we become more and more of a "buffet society" where we pick and choose what we want and do not want,  commitment is an issue.  We see that more in those who attend our churches.  Encouraging joining is one way we can teach students about committing to and serving the Lord through a church...not just showing up and taking whatever is appealing off the buffet.

Do you talk about "joining"?  Or, what ways are you encouraging and teaching college students commitment to a body of Believers?

Different Definitions of College Ministry Success & Questions to Ask

Everyone I know wants to be successful.  The problem is, there are different definitions of college ministry success.  I am currently the Interim College Minister in a church setting that we are re-building.  In my past life in a campus based ministry, I would have been in the total doldrums and thinking that I could sell insurance with where we are now numbers wise, etc.

HOWEVER, the ministry is growing, we are touching non-Believers and we are seeing new people every week...every week.  To me one of the greatest barometers of how things are going is, if there are continually new people.  That means your involved students want to invite and bring friends and the word out there is, it is worth checking out.  Right now, that is a "Success Point" for me.

Each situation and each individual has their own "Success Points".  Here are ten questions that are worth considering as you evaluate your ministry over-all and your own sense of satisfaction with what is happening.  These come from DIFFERENT view points of success.

1.  What do your students do after college in regard to faith, church, and ministry?  Relax; no one gets a perfect score here.

2.  Do your students look like the campus?

3.  Are you giving and training students to serve, lead, witness, etc or are you just preaching to them?

4.  Do you sense a movement of the Lord in any way in what is happening?

5.  Does your large group meeting have a normal attendance equal to one percent (1%) of the student body?  A campus of 1,000 would have 10...a campus of 10,000 would have 100, etc.  This is usually a deep south campus based ministry metric.

6.  Do you try to work with and encourage other ministries/churches that are trying to serve the Lord and students on your campus?  Remember the 11th commandment, "Speak no ill of other ministries."  But, encouraging is a step beyond that.

7.  Are you doing the key things your supporters, boss, contributors, church members think they hired you to do?

8.  Are you utilizing to the max the unique gifts God has given you?  Or, are you cheating on them to do some things you don't do so well.  YOU are the main asset of your ministry!

9.  Are you building on the unique opportunities and needs THIS campus has to offer?

10. When you leave this ministry will the next person find it stronger than when you came or will it all collapse when you leave?