The Collegiate Ministers Fellowship Returns!

 The Collegiate Ministers Fellowship began in the 1980's when a group of Baptist College Ministers decided to meet for 3 days in the summer to exchange ideas and learn from each other.  

This year the Collegiate Ministers Fellowship will be June 23 and 24 in Pensacola, Florida.  Adam Venters, BCM Campus Minister at the University of South Carolina, is helping to organize the gathering this year.  Some feel this would be ideal to tie a professional development experience with a family vacation.  Or, a group of College Ministers can carpool together and make it extra budget friendly.

A prime part of the Fellowship has been Whiteboard Sessions where anyone can list a topic they want discussed, questions answered, or even to ask someone to speak to an area they are known for doing well.

There is NO REGISTRATION FEE!  You provide your own housing and meals.

For more information or to register, contact Adam Venters at 423.202.6512.

You can check out "Reaching MORE College Students" at Amazon.com/dp/B0MW8NPMN or "A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula"  at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV.

The 5 Building Blocks of a College Ministry

 When I was asked one time to tell everything I knew about college ministry in one sentence, I said, "Be you on the campus where you are."  It is as simple and as complicated as that.  The five building blocks are all about utilizing the gifts that God has placed in your life in the unique setting that each campus offers.  

Every College Minister is different and every college campus is different.  Every campus is a little different every year and the students in the ministry will be a little different every year.

Be a student of your campus and believe that God has created you uniquely and wants to use you in the way He created you. But, don't let that be an excuse that keeps you from doing some things that need doing, but just are not your thing.  That is part of why it is called, "a job.". 

 These 5 Building Blocks are all about YOU and YOUR Campus:

 1. Who YOU are Personally.  Proverbs 10:9

2.  Having a Strategy That is INTENTIONAL and fits. Proverbs 21:5

3.  DEVELOPING and Utilizing Student Leaders.  Psalm 78:72

4.  Making the MOST of your Resources.  Luke 14:28

5.  Making CONNECTIONS that Build the Ministry.  Philippians 2:3

This is adapted from my book, "A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula" Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV.  

Check out Reaching MORE College Students at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV.

God is ALWAYS Doing MORE than You Know!

 I strongly believe that God is always doing more than we know in college ministry.  I recently published a book titled "7 Red Flags In A Dating Relationship" (This is NOT a plug for it!)  This was a talk I did some years ago that I have been requested to do multiple times.  And, I put the outline in my Blog some years ago and told anyone to feel free to use it and different ones told me they had.

A couple of months ago, I decided to put it in book form as at different times people would ask me about it.  Now that it is available, I am getting messages from former students saying, "I still have my handwritten notes from when I heard you do it at ASU."  I got a message from a pastor who said he heard me do it on his campus several years ago and he still has his handwritten notes.

Here is my point!  God has used that talk way beyond any expectations I would have.  Who still has notes from a talk they heard a College Minister give years ago?  I usually cannot find the notes I took during last Sundays' sermon.....LAST SUNDAY.  Probably that speaks more about me.....but, people have notes from a talk they heard years ago.

One former student sent me this message:  "I bought this book for my church's youth ministry because it impacted me so when I heard it."  This was from a former student I don't think even liked me very much.....you know there are some in your ministry like that.

This is NOT about how great the talk is or was.  If I had to rate it, I would probably give it a Medium.  But, God has used it way more than anything I would anticipate.

Two Take-Aways:

One, in these cold days of winter, when students are not there because they don't want to get out or they have the flu and cannot attend.....Or, they have the flu and come and HUG you! Know and believe that God is doing MORE than you know.

Second, usually, when I did this talk, we would hand out an outline that they could take notes on, fill in the blanks, etc.  It would list the scripture passages where I said there were principles that related to dating.  For some reason, students seem more likely to keep these printed outlines as well as it helping them follow along.  I had some student secretaries that were really good about formatting them and putting some art work on them that made them more attractive just than a blah sheet.

Three (I don't count well.) It is a reminder to me of the importance of our speaking to issues they are wrestling with and need help on.....and nobody else is speaking to.  I wish people would tell me they remember when I spoke on the book of Revelation or Forgiveness or The Plan of Salvation.  But, here is the deal, I am not the only one most of my students hear speaking on these and similar topics.  They remember when you scratch an itch no one else is scratching!

God is ALWAYS, ALWAYS Doing WAY MORE than you know!

You can check out Reaching MORE College Students here Amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN.

Three Books for College Ministry

 I wanted to share with you 3 new books I am aware of that might be beneficial to you and your ministry.

After College (Navigating Transitions, Relationships, and Faith) by Erica Young Reitz  This is an update of a book she did a few years back.  I got to know Erica when she was part of our program at one of our Collegiate Ministry Summits.  She did college ministry with Christian Coalition at Penn State and directed Senior EXIT.  This would be a great book to use with a group of Seniors or simply as a gift to your graduating seniors. As you know, lots of students have a difficult time right after college making spiritual connections and continuing to grow.  There are 3 sections in the book:  Real Faith:  Faithful to Christ; Real Life:  Faithful to Community and Real World:  Faithful to Our Calling.  My favorite chapter is "No Perfect Church" as so many of my grads have said they are waiting to find and join the perfect church.  This is an IVPress book.

Tribes Revisited by Ric Howerton - Ric has long been a friend to College Ministers and is THE Guru on small groups as far as I am concerned.  This book is super PRACTICAL which is always a must for me.  If you take this book serious and apply it into small groups, it will revolutionize your groups.  One application of it would be to use it with upperclass groups for serious discipleship.  Two of my favorites in it book are his listing and explanation of different types of people in a group and the Four Quadrants of Group Life.  It will come out in March.

Resolve:  What It Takes To Survive And Thrive in Hard To Reach Places by Ben Neiser - This is a brand new book available at Amazon Books that came out of Ben's ministry at Brigham Young University......yes that HARD place.  Ben started out doing college ministry there and was doing such a good job, the Morman administration invited him to leave the campus.  He and some others started a church that has grown and thrived there in the middle of the Morman capitol.  Ben uses his own personal experiences to illustrate principles.  You will find it very engaging.  It is in eBook format now with a print version available shortly.  You can check it out at Amazon.com/dp/B0DVMQ96PR.

Here is a freebie:  I just released "7 Red Flags In A Dating Relationship" which came out of a talk I had only planned to do once, but became one that different campus and youth groups kept asking me to do.  If you are interested in checking it out, you can find it here:  Amazon.com/dp/B0DTTRJH38.

Arliss Dickerson's college ministry books are available at Amazon:  Amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN