One Decision? ONE!

I am a huge proponent of end of the semester evaluation.....and thinking. Most College Ministers are too busy and frantic during the semester to really think. Now, as your students turn to finals and begin to leave campus, I would encourage you to evaluate and think.

In thinking back to my ministry at Arkansas State, I have come to the conclusion that one decision....ONE was a or the turning point for our ministry. We were fortunate to have a Center located on the campus. We had a full blown Lunch program with a speaker. It was held in the basement area beside the kitchen. After starting with about fifteen at the first one, it had grown to about eighty, which was the max for rhe area. There we were maxed out. I have shared in previous writings that the end of the semester is an excellent time to experiment....try something new. We had no way to expand and we were at max. The only solution, if there was one, was to serve downstairs and students walk up two sets of stairs to the much larger chapel/meeting room. We knew that would not work. But, at the end of the semester we decided to try it once to prove it would not work. It worked beautifully. That fall we were permanently located upstairs with students carrying their plates up two sets of stairs. Attendance grew to 200 then.

One decision...ONE decision, as I think about it, I have realized that one decision was huge in impacting all of what we did, who we reached, etc. We began to reach a wider variety of students from all across campus. A few years later we made another key decision...one I could call the ONE decision that most impacted our ministry. We began a specialized Freshmen Ministry with a Survival event and Monday night Freshmen Night. It grew our ministry. Perhaps, it is that one decision that was the beginning of the talk and then support of a much larger and more modern Center that was primarily paid for by individuals and churches.

So, was it TWO decisions...NOT ONE? You can certainly make that argument and I am ok with that. In fqct, I have said previously that the move to Freshmen Night was the most important decison we ever made. I say one, because I believe that first decision led to the second one. My point is that we often don't realize the positive impact of one decision. OR, perhaps we don't realize the negative impact of not making a key decision or change.

Now, as your days de-stress a little and there is actually time to think and evaluate, is there ONE decision, choice, or change that needs to be made? Is there something that would solve the problem, but the obvious solution will not work. Or, will it?

I am on record as believing that the Spring Semester is a time to try or experiment with a change you are considering. Lots of times it is at the end of the Spring Semester. But, perhaps there is one thing you need to try a few times over the semester. Or, are there some options that need to be tried over the semester....then, you choose which is the correct ONE decision?

ONE decision....ONE. I must admit I did not know the decision to move the Lunch Program was as key as it turned out to be. I knew it was important...,but wow.

If there is ONE....just ONE thing that is holding your ministry back, what is it? What are your choices? Think about it....PRAY ABOUT IT! What is YOUR ONE?