Saturday, January 26, 2013

College Ministry Ideas from New England

I was privileged to spend Wednesday with the Baptist folks who do College Ministry in New England. I was impressed with what they are doing and most of them are raising their own salaries to be there and do it. We passed a sheet around and asked them to write down one idea or thing the had done. They are the experts about serving in those type situations. So, here's their jotted down list.

Buy a "large" thank you card from Hallmark and allow students to say thanks to housekeeping staff or cafeteria workers.

Give away packs of gum(Wrigley) with a business card with ministry info and worship gathering invite.

Bathroom cleaning outreach: arm small groups of same gender students with cleaning products and send them into a dorm in which they live to clean dorm bathrooms by knocking on doors and talking to students. Hear their stories and share your own.

Linking with other Evangelical Christian groups across Boston for an annual retreat and annual training event for international student ministry.

Rides to church. Schedule volunteers from local churches to pick up students that otherwise have no way to church.

Many hours one on one. Rides for students to church and for other needs. Initiate more one on one meetin with other campus ministers-hopefully for more cooperation. Meeting students first of semester- potluck lunches in housing off campus.

Get to know the janitors - he who holds the keys controls the kingdom.

Hang out at the Student Center. Good impromptu conversations with random students and snack bar staff.

One on one with student - "You pick the restaurant and I pick up the check.". Conversation building.

We have students over to our house for dinner once a month. We home-make a quality meal, something different each month.

One week a month we hold an open discussion where students can bring seeker friends to ask questions to special guests and other students who are Christians. It is held at the same time as our weekly meeting so we can invite students to join us next week.

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