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Arliss
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Should a Christian collegiate Ministry have Christian in it's name?
A well known college ministry took "Christ" out of their name. They felt it would help them be more effective reaching non-believers.
Some years ago on the campus of Arkansas State University, students complained because a campus Christian group was having events with titles that sounded very "non-Christian". Students complained about their being mis-led into attending these events. The school made a policy that events sponsored by a Christian group had to be labeled as to who was sponsoring it because students had every right to know what they were attending. This came as a result of their event in the campus auditorium entitled, "How to Have Maximum Sex".
Should a Campus ministry's name let students know what it is? Is the name being "vague" more effective or is it deceptive? Lots of questions to ponder there?
Arliss
Ps I still love the names Baptist Collegiate Ministry, Baptist Student Union and Baptist Student Ministry which make up the largest college ministry in America.
Some years ago on the campus of Arkansas State University, students complained because a campus Christian group was having events with titles that sounded very "non-Christian". Students complained about their being mis-led into attending these events. The school made a policy that events sponsored by a Christian group had to be labeled as to who was sponsoring it because students had every right to know what they were attending. This came as a result of their event in the campus auditorium entitled, "How to Have Maximum Sex".
Should a Campus ministry's name let students know what it is? Is the name being "vague" more effective or is it deceptive? Lots of questions to ponder there?
Arliss
Ps I still love the names Baptist Collegiate Ministry, Baptist Student Union and Baptist Student Ministry which make up the largest college ministry in America.
The 4 Seasons of a College Minister's Ministry
Just as there are seasons to a calenda year, there are seasons to our life. Too many get out of college ministry cause they aren't young anymore. Briefly, here are what I think the four seasons are:
The near peer or starter, easy to move in college circles cause you look and think like a college student. The weakness is the ministry will often be limited to one circle of friends to which he or she relates as an almost peer.
The Cool adult or Role Model: has a young family or is a real world functioning single.
The strength is their modeling to students "the NEXT step" in life. The weakness is difficulty learning to balance family and demanding ministry.
The Respected Veteran/The Builder: he/she has experience to draw on and can relate to pastors and faculty and administrators as a peer. The weakness at this point is it is easy to start losing connection to students.
The Loving Parent/The statesman: an obvious strength is filling the loving parent void that so many students today feel and a rich background of connections. One weakness is it is easy to "preach at" students.
There are several strengths and weaknesses in each season....the key is to get honest about your season and play to the strengths of it. Remember; too many people get out of college ministry just at the point they know enough to do some good!
I have many more thoughts on these, but this is a simple version for those of you who asked for it. I would be interested in hearing YOUR thoughts.
Arliss
The near peer or starter, easy to move in college circles cause you look and think like a college student. The weakness is the ministry will often be limited to one circle of friends to which he or she relates as an almost peer.
The Cool adult or Role Model: has a young family or is a real world functioning single.
The strength is their modeling to students "the NEXT step" in life. The weakness is difficulty learning to balance family and demanding ministry.
The Respected Veteran/The Builder: he/she has experience to draw on and can relate to pastors and faculty and administrators as a peer. The weakness at this point is it is easy to start losing connection to students.
The Loving Parent/The statesman: an obvious strength is filling the loving parent void that so many students today feel and a rich background of connections. One weakness is it is easy to "preach at" students.
There are several strengths and weaknesses in each season....the key is to get honest about your season and play to the strengths of it. Remember; too many people get out of college ministry just at the point they know enough to do some good!
I have many more thoughts on these, but this is a simple version for those of you who asked for it. I would be interested in hearing YOUR thoughts.
Arliss
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
What former Collegiate ministry students say Mattered Most!
After just winding up 41 years of local campus ministry, hearing what students say mattered and helped most is beneficial to all of us who do campus ministry and are trying to help those doing campus ministry. I just finished reading letters from the students who were in our ministry when we first started out. These formers students are now in their 50's...some retired because of having done well financially, others in very responsible executive positions and others just scrambling to make a living.
These were the words and phrases that appeared in their thank you letters: "a safe place", "affirmation", "you gave me responsibility". "You held me accountable"......accountability showed up again and again.
How is your ministry doing being a
-safe place to figure out beliefs?
-ministry of Accountability?
-ministry of affirmation?
-a ministry that provides responsibility/unapologetically asks students to serve?
Arliss
These were the words and phrases that appeared in their thank you letters: "a safe place", "affirmation", "you gave me responsibility". "You held me accountable"......accountability showed up again and again.
How is your ministry doing being a
-safe place to figure out beliefs?
-ministry of Accountability?
-ministry of affirmation?
-a ministry that provides responsibility/unapologetically asks students to serve?
Arliss
Thursday, May 5, 2011
3 Key Words for College Ministry
3 Words go a long way in your college ministry touching students lives and being involved in God's transformation of students' lives. The 3 words are Ownership, Identity, and Example.
1. OWNERSHIP-If students feel their ideas, thoughts, service matters, they will invest most of themselves in the ministry. Are they a part of key decisions that are made? Does what they think and do matter? If they think so, they will feel ownership and that is huge!
2.IDENTITY-One of the things that alums out of our ministry say again and again, "I found out who I was as a part of that ministry." One of our tasks is to help students as they work thru the process of working out who they are, why they have value and what they have to offer in life (spiritual gifts God has given them). An alum from many years ago shared with me the other day that he credited me with knowing who he was. That is not a compliment to me, but just points to the strategic place we serve in that time in their life.
3. EXAMPLE-The most powerful influencing agent to students' lives is the example they see....YOURS and other students particularly uppperclassmen. There is nothing that is more valuable than students seeing someone model what it means to live as godly, mature people. Bringing students into a healthy Christian group where they can see students model servanthood, leadership, competency, integrity....the list can go on. The power of Example is irrereplaceable!!
1. OWNERSHIP-If students feel their ideas, thoughts, service matters, they will invest most of themselves in the ministry. Are they a part of key decisions that are made? Does what they think and do matter? If they think so, they will feel ownership and that is huge!
2.IDENTITY-One of the things that alums out of our ministry say again and again, "I found out who I was as a part of that ministry." One of our tasks is to help students as they work thru the process of working out who they are, why they have value and what they have to offer in life (spiritual gifts God has given them). An alum from many years ago shared with me the other day that he credited me with knowing who he was. That is not a compliment to me, but just points to the strategic place we serve in that time in their life.
3. EXAMPLE-The most powerful influencing agent to students' lives is the example they see....YOURS and other students particularly uppperclassmen. There is nothing that is more valuable than students seeing someone model what it means to live as godly, mature people. Bringing students into a healthy Christian group where they can see students model servanthood, leadership, competency, integrity....the list can go on. The power of Example is irrereplaceable!!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The Six Tasks for a Successful College Ministry
1. Develop a Healthy, loving Community - People are drawn to it and can be helped in their healing and growth by just being part of a healthy loving community based on Biblical truth.
2. Enlarge Students' World View - Help them see a wider world than where they grew up and where they go to school. Help them see faith is more than God helping them be happy!
3. Train and Develop Leaders - If you want to help the church of tomorrow, reach the world today, touch your campus and even grow and maintain your own ministry, developing leaders is a must...not a nice option.
4. Ride the Horse that brought you. - Use the gifts God has given you in the unique situation where you are. You can't just copy someone else's ministry because they are not identical to you and their situation is not identical to yours.
5. Develop a wide network of Partners. - People who love you, encourage you, share your vision, provide financial support. Never ever think you can go it alone. Or, you will go it alone away from the ministry!
6. Work the Seasons of Your Ministry. - Different things need to be done at different times. You can't do everything all the time...give priority to what is in season and then give the next season's priorities the time they deserve.
2. Enlarge Students' World View - Help them see a wider world than where they grew up and where they go to school. Help them see faith is more than God helping them be happy!
3. Train and Develop Leaders - If you want to help the church of tomorrow, reach the world today, touch your campus and even grow and maintain your own ministry, developing leaders is a must...not a nice option.
4. Ride the Horse that brought you. - Use the gifts God has given you in the unique situation where you are. You can't just copy someone else's ministry because they are not identical to you and their situation is not identical to yours.
5. Develop a wide network of Partners. - People who love you, encourage you, share your vision, provide financial support. Never ever think you can go it alone. Or, you will go it alone away from the ministry!
6. Work the Seasons of Your Ministry. - Different things need to be done at different times. You can't do everything all the time...give priority to what is in season and then give the next season's priorities the time they deserve.
Is a College Minister a Teacher or a Preacher/Speaker?
Some would say this is a false question because you must and often do both. Yet, I know many very effective college ministers that would not rate themselves highly as a speaker and don't see that as their strength. I do think there is something in the way we view and define our role as to which one of those titles we choose.
Although I speak each week at our large group worship, I would catagorize myself as a teacher. Part of what that means to me is that I am to be helping students learn to think and teaching them to be evaluative. I understand that there are certain topics I need to talk about every year...cause they are basic and no one else is talking about them. Jeff Iorge, President of Golden Gate Seminary who wrote the little book, IS GOD CALLING ME? said recently that he spoke to a group of 300 college students about calling and asked them to hold their hand up if they had heard a message from their pastor on calling...3 or 4 held their hand up. I try to talk about "Calling" every year.
I think church based college ministers tend to see themselves more as preachers and campus based college ministers tend to see themselves more as teachers. Partly, I think church based folks do that because "preaching" is central to church events. The danger I think when we classify ourselves as "Preachers/Speakers" is that we may be thinking about what is something new, different, and exciting I can say that will grab attention. And in doing that, we neglect to "teach" about some of the basics.
Which are you Teacher or Preacher/Speaker and why???
Although I speak each week at our large group worship, I would catagorize myself as a teacher. Part of what that means to me is that I am to be helping students learn to think and teaching them to be evaluative. I understand that there are certain topics I need to talk about every year...cause they are basic and no one else is talking about them. Jeff Iorge, President of Golden Gate Seminary who wrote the little book, IS GOD CALLING ME? said recently that he spoke to a group of 300 college students about calling and asked them to hold their hand up if they had heard a message from their pastor on calling...3 or 4 held their hand up. I try to talk about "Calling" every year.
I think church based college ministers tend to see themselves more as preachers and campus based college ministers tend to see themselves more as teachers. Partly, I think church based folks do that because "preaching" is central to church events. The danger I think when we classify ourselves as "Preachers/Speakers" is that we may be thinking about what is something new, different, and exciting I can say that will grab attention. And in doing that, we neglect to "teach" about some of the basics.
Which are you Teacher or Preacher/Speaker and why???
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