Getting Freshmen Names

Steve Masters at LSU is the king of getting freshmen names.  His focus this spring is contacting Christian schools and getting their list of graduating seniors contact info, religious preferences, and where they are headed to college.  He is also partnering with the Catholic ministry at LSU and they are getting senior info from the Catholic schools and passing on the non-Catholic names to the BCM.  The BCM is passing on the Catholic names to them.

Never underestimate the possibility of partnering with other ministries for the benefit of all.  They are also working with all the full time FCA staffers in Louisiana to get Senior contact info.

Steve says March is the perfect time to contact the Christian schools and that later they are too tied up in moving toward graduation to provide the information.

What do you do to get incoming Freshmen names and make contact with them?  Other new ideas????

Reaching MORE College Students is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0MW8NPMN and A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula is at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV.

The Two Sides of Mentoring

 As I have said, when I think about it, I am embarrassed about how little I really knew about college ministry when I started out. I was fortunate as a student to have been in a good ministry and walked into one in my first job.  So, my philosophy was basically, "Monkey see; Monkey do".

I am all about newer College Ministers having a veteran mentor.  Everything does not have to be and should not be learning it the hard way.  Sometimes, it is the hard way that forces folks out of ministry...or at least college ministry.

I believe it is valuable for every newbie to have a mentor AND every wise vet to be mentoring someone.

There are two sides to mentoring.  First of all, it benefits the new guy or gal who can ask questions and just share frustrations.  Being able to unload on someone besides your spouse it always a plus.  Obviously, we need to talk to our spouse about our ministry, but I think too much of that puts an unfair burden on them.  One of the two biggest reasons that people get out of college ministry is feeling alone! (The other is comparison.)  They are not a professor; they are not a pastor or church staff.  And unfortunately, many outsiders do not think college ministry is a full time job.

Just having somebody to unload on occasionally is huge.  But, even more, just being able to ask somebody that knows how to handle a situation is huge. Asking the why of some things is important in understanding more about ministry.  Why do you change leadership teams when you do?  Why do you send out an alumni newsletter?  Why do you work at a relationship with the administration?  Why does that matter?

The Other Side of Mentoring:  So, what's in it for the Vet beside helping out someone?  Usually, the newbie is going to be younger than the vet.  Often, that newbie is going to be way more tech savvy than the vet and can tell them some things that will help.  Instead of using pen and paper sign-in sheets, there are different tech options available these days.  Which social media AP do students most use and follow?  Why do students think this way about that issue?  It also helps the vet to really think about the why and not just the how.

I believe College Minister Vets mentoring Newer College Ministers is a winner for everybody.  

So, how do you get a mentor?  It can be a formal arrangement where you simply ask someone you respect to meet or talk with you by phone or in person once a week or once every couple of weeks.  Also, you can just call up a wise Vet and say, "Can I ask you a big question?"  It does not have to be an on-going thing.

Call up a Vet you think knows some stuff and ask if you can come follow them around for a day.  It is amazing what you will see and pick up on that you would never thing to ask.  When I first came to ASU, I went to Texas A&M and followed Ron Wells around for 2-3 days.  

Call someone you think has it going on and ask them to send you a copy of their printed materials.

What if I am willing to Mentor a Newbie but it's weird to call them up and volunteer? Just call up a newbie and say, "You came to my mind today and I wanted to see how you are doing."  Maybe, just maybe, it will be one of those days they are thinking about quitting and selling insurance looks good.  At the very least, they will know someone cared enough to call.  You can do that with different ones.  Just call and say, "How are you doing?'  Maybe even tell them you will pray for them.

"To Timothy, my true son in the faith:  Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord."  I Timothy 1:2  Wouldn't you have liked to have heard some of Paul and Timothy's conversations.

A mentoring relationship is a plus to both sides!

Thanks so much for messages I have gotten from some telling me you have gotten my new book, 7 Red Flags In A Dating Relationship.  You would do me a huge favor, if you would go to the Amazon page and write a quick 2 or 3 sentence honest review.  Here is the link:  Amazon.com/dp/B0DTTRJH38.  If you are looking for something to give to some high school seniors, check out Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades at Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9

Resources for Newer College Ministers and Any Others

 Here are some resources for newer College Ministers that have been suggested by some great veteran College Ministers.  And, you don't have to be new to benefit from it.

Beverly Parrish Skinner in Georgia recommends in the area of Leadership Development several Jeff Iorg books.  "The Painful Side of Leadership" is one that they have read and discussed in their monthly staff meetings.  Some of their newer College Ministers are going to do "The Character of Leadership" by Iorg.  Beverly also recommends Mark Miller's easy to read fable style books on leadership.  He is a Chick Fil A VP.  

Jonathan Clark at Murray State recommends Jeff Iorg's Leadership Podcast which he says are FANTASTIC and very practical.

One thing that several mention is having a veteran mentor.  If no one assigns one to you, seek out a veteran College Minister and ask them to meet with you occasionally in person or by phone.  It could be once a week, every two weeks, etc.  

There are a series of eBooks developed by Paul Worcester that are available for free through Paul at Gensend.org .They are:  A Guide for Campus-Based Collegiate Ministry by Ryan Scantling and Gary Stidham; A Guide for Church-Based Collegiate Ministry by Wes Smith and Jared Gregory; A Guide for Collegiate-Focused Church Planting by Keith Weiser and Troy Nesbitt.  

Ryan Scantling, formerly at University of Arkansas, says the best thing he has written is "Calling for a Response" at arkansasbaptist.org.  Just type in the title in the search box.

Paul Worcester recommends that you check out their Collegiate Coaching Network at Gensend.org.

A Church Staffer recommended "The 6 Types of Working Genius" (Be aware there is profanity) by Patrick Lencioni.  It is helpful in understanding the necessity and value of having different type people on a student leadership team or a multiple staff.

SOME SUGGESTIONS BY THESE WISE PROS:

Ben Maddox of Tennessee Tech says, "In my early years, I was guilty of telling students to evangelize and disciple, but not providing them with consistent resources (always trying the next new resource).  My more experienced self would say find some proven ways to evangelize and disciple and stay with them so a culture of  reproducibility takes place. And adjust the technique when necessary."

Steve Masters at LSU suggests these topics to learn about:  1. Reaching Freshmen: 2.  Relating to local churches; 3.  Developing a strong financial base for the ministry from churches, alumni, and parents.

Please pass this along to newer College Ministers who would benefit AND let me know of other resources that you would recommend.  My goal is to grow this list. Newer College Ministers should NOT have to learn everything the hard way!

Please let me know MORE helpful resources!

If you want to check out any of my college ministry resources, you can start here: , Almost Everything About College Ministry, is at Amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX and A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula is at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV.

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.