College Ministry and the Transfer Portal

 I am a big college football and basketball fan.  If you follow these sports at all, you know that the new and very different thing affecting both sports is the Transfer Portal.  This is where a student athlete can decide he or she is leaving a school and they list themselves as available on this portal or website.  They then can be immediately eligible at another school.  They do not have to set out a year or lose a year of eligibility as they did prior to this.  The result has been major movement as student athletes go from one college to another.  I was watching a basketball game on TV this past week when one of the players was playing at his third four year college.  Wonder where he will play next year?

One of the things that has struck me is the football and basketball players at my school will announce their intentions to enter the Transfer Portal on social media.  In that announcement, most of them will say how much they have loved it here, how great people have been to them, and how grateful they are for the opportunity that was given them and then, now I am leaving.  Perhaps, they are not being totally honest, but I think in many cases they are.  People often say, If they are happy, why are they leaving.

The last ten years or so, College Ministers (and others) often have asked what is the main difference I see in students from now to when I started in college ministry in the dark ages.  Long before the Transfer Portal, my answer was, lack of loyalty.  That is my answer now on steroids.

I think quite likely these students were happy where they were.  Some leave because they are mad or feel they have not had the opportunity they deserve, but I think most leave just to go somewhere else and do something new and different.

So, how does that affect college ministry?  I believe we must (just like coaches) be re-connecting students every year.  We cannot assume that students will stay involved in our ministry just because they have been involved this past year.

So, what are some ways we do that?

1.  Personal relationships and Investment - We have to make sure that students know that we care about them personally and individually.  They are not just a cog in the wheel of our overall ministry.

2.  When they leave, we have to let them go with GRACE. - This is hard and I know it.  When a student you were counting on and have invested in a great deal walks away to another ministry, it hurts and stings.  It is a personal hurt.  Yet, I think we must ask the Lord to bless them and try to continue a warm relationship to them.  Why?  Well, they might circle back.  But, more importantly, it is about their not feeling they were used and we are done with them.  Because, we want them to serve in a church leadership role in their years to come.  How we treat them in leaving and later can have a huge impact on that.

3.  Stairstep leadership roles and opportunities.  By stairstep I mean, there are different opportunities available in different years.  Sophomores can do this.  Juniors and seniors can do this.  There are things to look forward to and to work toward.  Maybe where your ministry offers different Spring Break trips, there are trips for freshmen and sophomores and a Juniors and Senior trip.  Maybe, this is out of the realm of possibility for you.  But, think about the possibility of stairstepping your roles in different ways.

4.  Realize it is not just you!  A Youth and College Minister said the other day that he thought this year's college freshmen had the maturity of high school sophomores.  Due to Covid, they missed normal junior and senior years and that had to have some affect.  

5.  Summer Connections with Upperclassmen Matter More.  Of course, summer will continue to be key in reaching and connecting to incoming freshmen.  But, is there something different you could do related to returning students.  What about having a mid-summer picnic for upperclassmen to come back and see each other, etc?  Or, what about two or three regional picnics?  Send them a newsletter mid-summer with different news that would be of interest to them.  

NONE OF THESE IDEAS IS WONDERFUL!  But, here is the take-away.  Admit to and be aware of the growing reality of lack of loyalty in this generation and try some different things.  Let us know what works for you.  Please!

Arliss Dickerson's new book, Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades, is available at amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9.

What Should a Student Leader Do?

 A friend was kind enough to ask me to speak to his college ministry's leadership team.  One thing I was asked to share was what a good student leader should do.

1.  Be an Example.....in 2 Ways

    -In the ministry.  Be the first to sign up for an event, when it is time to set up or tear down, jump in.

    -On campus.  People likely know you are a college ministry leader.  Represent the ministry well.

2.  Be involved in something else on campus.

    -It will be good for you and it will connect you to a wide variety of people that can be touched by the            ministry.

3.  Ask others to help you in your ministry task.  Never do it all yourself.

    -It helps them "belong" and be invested.

     -It trains them up to take your place one day.

4.  Don't just hang out with your ministry friends at your large group events.

5.  Be YOU in the way you do your responsibility.

    -Bring your unique gifts and personality to bear in the way you do and fill your role.

6.  Be a servant.....be willing to do little tasks that others will not do or do not even see that need doing.

Arliss Dickerson's new book, Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades" is available at amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9.

A Word of Encouragement

 I am fortunate to get to see a lot of college ministry newsletters, alumni newsletters, and college ministry family newsletters.  The other day I got one from a friend who serves on a campus in the east, that certainly is not Bible belt territory. Let me share a brief quote from his newsletter.

"On a mundane day last last fall, a senior student leader, said to me, 'I want to give you a word of encouragement.  He quoted Zechariah 4:10, Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin....".  The College Minister went on to write, "The Lord is sinking this word into my heart as we are in a season with ministries and programs going, discipleship meetings happening, yet the work is often slow and hard.  Still as we pray for revival, church plants and salvation in our neighborhood, we labor in small, normal ways."

If you are in one of those hard situations or one of those hard seasons, I hope this will be an encouraging word to you.  I believe the Lord sees and knows what you are doing in His name.  Keep on!

Arliss Dickerson's new book, Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades, is available at  amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9

The SECRET of Developing Student Leaders

 I harp about the importance of training and developing student leaders all the time, because I just think it is that important.  But, is there a key piece or technique to raising up good and strong student leaders for our ministry and leadership in our churches in the years to come?  I think there is.

The SECRET to developing Student Leaders is AFFIRMATION.

FIRST, we must affirm the potential in students we connect to.  I have said to students, "I think you could be a leader on this campus and even president of the student body one day."  I have often said to students, "You could be a key leader in this ministry, if you choose to."  But, there is an important, HOWEVER here.........that affirmation must be genuine.  Don't tell a student something that is not true.  You put them in position for failure that is hurtful to them with false affirmation.  But, I believe there is something in the life of every student that can be affirmed and they need that.  Many have never heard it from anyone.

SECOND,  we must and can affirm effort.  When students are trying to grow and serve, they will mess up. They will not do it perfectly.  We have all been there....maybe just an hour ago!  But, we can say, "I really appreciate the time, effort and care you put into that.  Then, we help them learn and grow from that experience.

THIRD, don't take it for granted when they do great and when they just do what they were supposed to do.  We can and should affirm their faithfulness.  Showing up and doing what you were supposed to is becoming more and more a rare trait in some circles these days.  Bosses today will tell you that someone who shows up every time they are supposed to is often a prize winning employee.

The more we affirm leadership potential, ability, and service in our college ministries, the more we will see it!

Arliss Dickerson's new book, "Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades" is available at amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9