Saturday, May 9, 2015

The Seasons of a College Minister - The Respected Veteran

This is the College Minister who has several years experience, has built a strong ministry and is reaping the benefits of time, experience, and respect.

Strengths of The Veteran:

1. There is a strong background to draw on. The Builder knows not just what to do, but why it works.

2. It is much easier to relate to pastors, faculty, and administration as a peer which opens wider doors of opportunities and support.

3. It is easier to find and draw financial resources because of your track record and your peers are people who have resources to give.

4. If your ministry has been done in one location for a considerable amount of time, you have alumni who believe in what you are doing that can be resources for finances and other resources. Even if you have not been there long term, your experience brings credibility.

Weaknesses of The Veteran:

1. It is easy to fall into the rut of simply doing the same thing every year with no freshness or enthusiasm to it.

2. Because you are now at a different point age wise, it is much easier to lose track of students needs, wants, and viewpoints.

3. It is also possible at this point to develop a rigidity to change and new ideas. This is the backside of stability.

Tasks of The Veteran:

1. Be intentional about staying tuned to students' viewpoints.

2. Begin to mentor and invest in younger Campus Ministers and other minister colleagues.

3. Build up the ministry support based with your earned credibility.

4. Be intentional about reading, learning and attending helpful workshops/seminars. Admit don't know it all.

4. Develop a ministry that is larger than your personal ministry with your ability to organize, administrate and draw on your network.

Next: The Builder/Statesman

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