How Large Should a College Ministry Staff Be?

 The answer to that question is really pretty simple.....how many do you want to reach?  Most of us would say that we want to reach all that we can.  Many years ago, the accepted number was that one person could work effectively with about fifty (50) students.  Either we were wrong then or that number has gone up for some reason because I believe that many are working with larger numbers than that.

But, I am more convinced than ever that reaching more students calls for more staff!  There is a second part to that, which I will get to shortly.  A while back I heard about a large ministry ( not Baptist, but another denomination) on a nationally known campus.  The story I was told was that they normally had a thousand (yes that is 1,000!!) at their weekly meeting.  So, I had to know more about them and found them on the web.  So, here is the deal, they have 60 staff members.  Yes, that is not a typo.  They have sixty staffers.  Some are permanent and others are first, second, and third year interns.

I also noted that with the name of each of these was some simple description of what they did.  And, they were all different.  The second part of reaching more with multiple staff is having a clear plan and strategy.  Everybody cannot be working with the same group of students.  Of course, there will be overlaps.

MY TAKE-AWAYS:

1.  Even if there are just two of you, you must have very clear and distinct job descriptions of who each of you are trying to connect to.  It can be dorms.  It can be certain types of groups.  It can be different classes (Freshmen, Soph, etc).

2.  We have to figure out different ways of increasing college ministry staff sizes.  Is it seniors staying for a fifth year and raising their own salaries?

3.  Is it our top seniors becoming "Senior Assistants" that get paid just a little and have very specific responsibilities with different groups?

4.  Is it volunteer or part-time staff that have one or two responsibilities each week?

Many years ago Max Barnett went to Oklahoma University as the BSU Director.  He added an Associate by giving away half his salary and raising the other half.  The person who got half the salary then raised their other half.  I am not necessarily advocating that.  The thought of a bunch of us suddenly having half a salary is pretty scary.  What I am advocating is, How can we be more creative in adding more college ministry staff?  Does your Caretaker room/apartment become a "staff benefit" and the building gets cleaned some other way?

I don't have any magic answers and I think the answer will be different on different campuses.  But, we have to be brain storming how to have more staff.....AND how to strategize well with those staffers and what they do.  Their just showing up will not be magic either.

Arliss Dickerson's college ministry books are available at amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX

Six Ways Older College Ministers can Succeed or Fail

 I am a fan of older College Ministers....not just because I am one.......but, I think their college ministry experience and life experience bring so many pluses to the job.  And, they often train and raise up a new generation of College Ministers.  But, sometimes a College Minister has gotten older and is not doing the job as well.  So, here are some of my thoughts on what affects all of that.

1.  Acting your age is huge.

I have seen some who tried to pretend they were younger.  That doesn't work  I wrote an article once entitled, "I Don't Wear Gym Shorts on Campus".  Some younger College Ministers do and it works for them.  Yes, I have seen older College Ministers show up at Freshmen Orientation in shorts and they were the talk of the event....and that wasn't a good thing.  There is a difference between acting your age and being unapproachable.  Today's generation has a desire to be mentored by older adults.  Also, acting your age is about playing to the strengths of your age which is wisdom and experience.  You don't have to say what you think about ear rings and tattoos any time the opportunity arises.

2.   Know your Weak Points and Equip and EMPOWER others.

Part of acting your age is knowing your weak points.  So, look for and empower others in the areas that are no longer a strength for you.  Encourage and help them develop.  Sometimes as we get older, it is easy to become defensive and try to go out of our way to do everything just the way we did it before.  Remember, the ministry is not about what you like, but what today's generation relates to and what speaks into their life.  Instead of your speaking all the time, could you coach and train some of your students to speak at your large group?

3.  You can be POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE.

As we get older, we can easily talk about what is wrong with us and the world.  We can be bitter about our lack of advancement or our salaries or whatever.  Or, we can be thankful to God for the opportunities that we have and that we get to be a part of what God is doing in today's generation.  Attitude matters and comes across to others.  An attitude of gratitude goes a long way.

4.  You can Quit Talking to College Students or LISTEN harder than ever BEFORE!

Someone has said, "Listening is so much like loving that its hard to tell the difference."  We can preach AT students or do lots of listening to them.  As we get older, it is easy to just hang out with faculty and other older friends.  Listening and talking to students not only enriches their lives, but ours as well.  And, it continues to make us a better College Minister.

5.  You can FIGHT with the administration or LEVERAGE your INFLUENCE.

These are tough days for college administrators with all the competing forces they have to make happy or keep from being too unhappy.  There are easy areas we can fuss with them about.  But, what are the areas we can work with them or encourage them?  A friend was asked by the University to host a luncheon for all the campus club presidents.  It would have been easy to say, "No thanks; we have our own things to do."  Or, "you haven't been to kind to us in some decisions."  Our older age often makes us peers with some of the top administrators.  Be a friend.  It is surprising how many doors being a partner opens.  Be a friend and partner, where possible.  The older we get the easier it is to be friends and peers with top administrators.  Leverage that strength!

6.  ASK for help or just be BULL HEADED.

Don't be overly stubborn.  Admit to students you don't know how to do the latest social media or even what it is and can they give you a quick tutorial.  Be willing to learn new stuff.  And, you may not be an expert, but you will at least know what they are talking about.  Pretending you know is a killer!

We need more older experienced College Ministers for a ton of reasons!

Arliss Dickerson's college ministry books are available at amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX.

Two Types of College Worship Events....Which Is Yours?

 A while back I participated in an on-line workshop in doing college ministry large group worship events.  I was struck by the variety and good thought that has gone into it different places.  I think it is important to remember that the type and style of event must be shaped by the campus setting and the gifts of the College Minister.

1.  ITS A WORSHIP SERVICE.

Often they are held in a church setting and it is "preaching" and worship with the emphasis on teaching scripture, even verse by verse.  One striking thing was that many are using "teaching teams" which are made up of students rather than the College Minister speaking all the time. One of the great pluses of this is the training and preparation of students for ministry for the future. There is a bit more of an emphasis on "the production" in this style.

2.  IT IS MORE CASUAL AND FUN WITH TEACHING AND INTERACTION.

This approach may lend itself more to a topical approach with mixer type activities and student questions and surveys in the midst of it using different tech options. This style appeals a bit more to that student who has been turned off to church and don't feel they are just attending another church service.  Students can switch from fun to serious instantly and back.   

WHEN DO YOU HAVE FOOD?

Even in the area of food for events there are two different approaches.  Some do food/snacks before the event or even a Coffee House prior to the event starting. Others do food or snacks after the event is over.  But, the goal for most is helping students connect and be comfortable being there.

WHICH IS THE ENTRY POINT?

For many years it was commonly said that students come first to the large group event and as they get more comfortable, they would move into the small groups.  Others say their entry point now is the small groups.  Students come to those first and then move to the large group.  One observation is that this depends on the personality of the campus.  Engineering major type campuses do small group first and people major campuses do large group first. Again, it goes back to the principle that every campus is different and you must be a student of your campus.

WHAT IF YOUR EVENT IS NOT THE MAIN RELIGIOUS EVENT ON CAMPUS?

One speaker shared that his campus has the largest college ministry in the country of another denomination.  They are not "the event" on campus.  He said what I think is the magic formula for all ministries, "Find your niche."  I believe this is true no matter your situation.  Do what you and your ministry do.  Play to your personal strengths and the strengths of your ministry.  And yes, being small can be a strength or a plus in many ways.

MY PERSONAL LEANING  is to the more casual teaching with fun mixed in to the worship, etc with lots of interaction. One reason I lean away from the "Straight Worship Service" approach is I think it helps promote the issue of students making the college ministry their church. But, that is me and what has worked well for me.  Be you.  Be the you God gifted you to be and don't copy what someone else is doing just because it is working for them.

Arliss Dickerson's college ministry books are available at amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX.

To Tweek, Change, or Dump Your Large Group Event?

 Most college ministries have a weekly large group event.  For many, it is the front door to their ministry and in many people's minds it is the picture of the ministry.  Here are some questions to ask in evaluating your large group event.  As some now report that their small groups have become the entry point, what does that mean for the large group?  I never believe it is a choice between a large group event and small groups.  There is strong value in both.  One of the things I like about large group events is the opportunity it provides for training students in leading worship, speaking, etc for their years to come as leaders in churches.  One somewhat surprising development some places is the idea of using some students to be the main speakers at these events.  The College Minister works with them in developing their message and prep for delivering it.  I personally lean toward the idea of a mix of student speakers and College Ministers or pastors and other pros speaking.

1.  What is the purpose of it (for core people, an outreach event, a teaching time, etc)?

2.  Do we have the people, talents, and resources to pull off what we are attempting?

3.  Are we just doing a poor imitation of "The Poster Ministry" or Passion Conference?

4.  Is our event right, but is it just being defeated by lack of preparation and attention to the details?

5.  What are different large group styles or formats we might consider?

6.  Is our time, length, or night the most desirable?  And, do students know we will start and end when we say we will?

7.  Is our meeting PLACE the problem?  Where would be some other options?

Most college ministries don't need to dump their large group event, but it may be time for a refreshing or an adjustment.  The "new" time, event, or re-tooled large group event could start in January to have it refined before next fall.  And, the end of a semester is always a great time to do a one time trial such as a different night, time, place, etc.  We usually learn something by doing it once.  

Adapted from Arliss Dickerson's book, "Fixing a Broken College Ministry" amazon.com/dp/1521876665 .