5 Ways College Ministers Can and Should Work with University Officials

 1.  Make sure they know who you are.  If you have not met the person or persons that work with student organizations/religious groups, make an appointment and go see them.  If you are new on that campus, ask about any rules or concerns you should know.  

2.  When you have an appointment or meeting with a University Official, dress professionally.  You don't have to wear a coat and tie or Sunday dress, but this is not the time for gym shorts or ragged jeans.  Like it or not, your appearance affects how they see and perceive you.

3.  Be a team player.  If something is beneficial to students and you can help in some way, do so.  Some College Ministers even volunteer to help fill packets, etc for Freshmen Orientations.

4.  If one of them invites you to an official event, GO.  It demonstrates you are interested in the school as a whole.  Plus, you never know who you might meet at the event and how that might benefit the view of your ministry on campus. Plus, they are more likely to be helpful to someone they know and see as a partner or equal professional.

5.  Play by campus rules.  When you violate campus rules or policies, you not only do harm to your ministry, but the reputation of all Christian ministries on campus.  You may have been hampered by what some other group did even before you arrived on campus.

Breaking campus rules will always bite you and your ministry......whether you know it or not!

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

What ChatGPT says I Believe About College Ministry

I use ChatGPT for quick research. (By the way, I know that not everything that comes up is always accurate.)  The other night on a whim, I posted this question, "What does Arliss Dickerson say is the key to college ministry?"  Here is what it generated in a couple of seconds.

While he doesn't pinpoint a single "key," his writings highlight the following foundational elements.

1.  Intentional Development of Student Leaders

-Intentionality:  Actively seeking out students with leadership potential.

-Training:   Providing clear guidance on roles and responsibilities

-Responsibility:  Allowing students to lead while offering support.

-Continual Coaching:  Offering ongoing feedback to foster growth.

2.  Mentorship and Collaboration

He believes in the dual role of mentoring:

-Being Mentored:  Encouraging new college ministers to learn from experienced ones.

-Mentoring Others:  Urging seasoned leaders to invest in the next generation.

3.  Commitment to Long-Term Leadership

Dickerson notes that many thriving college ministries are led by long-term directors who exhibit:

-Determination:  A steadfast commitment to the ministry's mission.

-Humility:  Prioritizing the ministry's success over personal accolades.

4.  Practical Engagement and Outreach

He advises college ministers to:

-Engage in Writing:  Share insights through articles or blogs.

-Speak on  Relevant Topics:  Address current issues affecting students.

-Volunteer:  Participate  in campus events and church activities.

-Learn from Others:  Seek guidance from more experienced leaders

In summary, Arliss Dickerson's approach to college ministry centers on intentional leadership development, mentorship, long-term commitment, and active engagement with both students and the broader community.'

Two Things:  It does not say anything about my believing in the necessity of God's Spirit at work in our ministry. So, maybe I don't say that enough. Second, why don't you ask ChaptGPT what it says you believe about college ministry.

Arliss Dickerson's book, Almost Everything About College Ministry, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX and Reaching MORE College Students is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0MW8NPMN.

Things College Ministers Can or Should Do in May

 1.  Write thank you notes to some people that really helped you and/or blessed your ministry this year.  They don't have to be long, but I suggest the personal handwritten kind.  They can be on Thank You cards.  Or, you can make a card on line with a picture from this year that you think represents your ministry well.  And....some people deserve a lunch or at least a good cup of coffee for what they did.

2.  Update your website.  Summer is the time it is likely looked at the most.  Put your start of school schedule on it of Welcome Events, etc.  Show some highlights from this school year.  Use Pictures, Pictures, Pictures, if you have them.  I am stunned at how man college ministry websites I see that are way out of date.  Is YOURS one of those?

3.  Invite some high school grads you have met that are coming to your campus to be on your Freshmen Leadership Team or in a special freshmen Bible Study you are going to lead.  Now is the time to make sure that your ministry is in their mind and on their list of possibilities.  

4.  If you have a building or a room that is yours, make a list of things that need to be done to it either now or throughout the summer.  A fresh coat of paint in the right place never hurts.  And, throw away the junk that got stuck in this closet and that corner.

5.  Mark off some "YOU TIME"!  Rest, recoup, invest some special times in your spouse, kids, and you.

6.  Set a day to just dream and think.  The craziness of the semester does not allow good thinking and dreaming time.  A pastor friend told me his Personnel Team told him they want him to spend some time sitting in his office dreaming.  You do that....dream about what could be in your ministry.

You can check out Reaching More College Students at Amazon.com/dp/B0MW*NPMN and Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades at Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9

If You Have a Son or Daughter Going to College this Fall, They Probably Won't Go to Church!

 Some college ministry experts say that 90% of students who are active in church in high school will not make any spiritual connections in college.  Others say it's not that bad......it is ONLY 70% who drop church and other spiritual connections.  So, odds are that will include your son or daughter.

I have spoken at lots of Senior Sunday Graduation events or Senior/Parent Dinners.  When I share those figures, the parents always sit there and smile at me.  At first, I thought they were not listening.  But, my wife explained it to me. "They all thin their son or daughter is the one out of ten or three out of ten that is going.

Since then, I have realized a third possibility........Parents don't care.

Here is what I mean......Many parents do not expect spiritual connections at college because  they had none and came back to church after college.  I believe in some way or other, that message is communicated to college bound daughters and sons.  At the very least, they do not communicate any expectations of spiritual connections in church or campus religious organizations.

There are two problems with tis.  First, If they do come back, they bring the issues and decisions that they made while they were away from spiritual influences.  They have made life choices and often pick a spouse during this "vacation form God and church".  Second, right now studies indicate that those who go away in college are not coming back....at least not yet.

Here is one suggestion:  Parents should expect  and communicate that they expect spiritual involvement in college.  Can you control it?  No.  Can you control their studying and making good grades?  No.  But, most communicate that expectation.  So, why not communicate spiritual expectations?  Just like grades, you cannot mandate it, but you can express and encourage it.  That means asking questions about grades, going to class and attendance at Christian events like church and campus Christian organizations like the Baptist Collegiate Ministry.

A message many high schoolers are getting is that graduation is also graduation from church.  Having been at lots of church Senior Sundays, it felt like they were graduating from church.  There was nothing expressed about what is next, next steps, etc.  It is all, "Look what you have accomplished."  One large First Baptist Church experienced not a single senior came back to Sunday School following Senior Sunday.  Obviously, they had gotten the message they were done.

Here us another thing you can do:  make sure the Baptist Campus Minister and/or a local church minister has their name and contact information.  Many of these will be mailing, emailing, texting, or calling with information about Welcome Week events and other connection opportunities.  Their first friends and connections will help determine their college habits.

What a freshmen does their first 2-3 weeks of the fall goes a long way toward determining their habits and practices for their whole college career.  You can increase the odds by what you say and do AND letting someone know they are coming that will reach out to them.  NOW is the perfect time to do that.

One last suggestion:  If you go for Move-In Weekend, plan for all of you together to attend a college ministry church on that Sunday.  They are more likely to go back to somewhere they have already been and know where and how to go, get in, etc.  If you go for Parents Weekend this fall, make Sunday church part of the family schedule.  

Let someone know now they are coming and what their contact information is.

Arliss Dickerson's book, Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9 and 7 Red Flags In A Dating Relationship is at Amazon.com/dp/B0DTTRJH38.