I have been involved in leading collegiate ministries since 2010, both in the church and on the campus. Leading a college ministry is one of the greatest privileges in the world, and I truly believe the college campus is the most strategic mission field on earth (https://arkansasbaptist.org/post/next-generation-the-thermopylae-principle/).
In my role with Arkansas Baptists, I also have the privilege of preaching in, visiting, and directly serving hundreds of churches every year. Every ministry has unique factors, and I learn a lot from each church and ministry I interact with. There are also some lessons that every effective college minister has learned that I feel could be helpful to other ministry leaders.
- Chase After Visitors.
What is the greatest determining factor for a student returning after visiting our ministry? A significant connection with someone who then followed up with them. As important as connections are, if we do not follow up with visitors personally via texts, phone calls, or one-on-one visits, they rarely come back. Often, students will only give one ministry one chance their entire time in college. If we miss the opportunity to chase after visitors, they may not connect elsewhere. The same is true in your church. 5-10% of students attending our college ministry are first-time visitors each week. Follow-up is a significant portion of every effective college minister’s job.
- Constantly Train Leaders.
College ministry leaders lose a quarter of their ministry every year to graduation. Student leaders must be developed and replaced rapidly for continued ministry effectiveness. Every ministry leader would be wise to have repeatable systems for leadership onboarding and training. At Arkansas Baptist Collegiate Ministry, I onboard new leaders every six months, which requires me to constantly recruit and train leaders. If my sharpest leaders do not have an avenue to lead, they will quickly go somewhere else on campus and utilize their leadership skills. I have learned that my leadership systems should not stifle God’s timing in bringing leaders to our ministry.
- Cast Vision Continuously
Our ministry’s slogan is “Encounter Jesus, Experience Life.” We want every student at the University of Arkansas to encounter Jesus and experience life in Him. Because students (and all of us) listen poorly, attend haphazardly, and commit slowly it is crucial to constantly communicate the vision of your ministry. The ministry I lead would quickly become a non-missional social club if I do not remain steadfast in communicating our vision.
- Coordinate Broad Evangelism.
The college campus is a prime field for evangelism. However, Christian college students are much like typical Christians: hesitant to share their faith. Evangelistic college ministries, who see many students trust Jesus every year, have a college minister who models evangelism, equips for evangelism, and sets up evangelistic opportunities for his or her students. Effective evangelism takes planning, preparation, and prayer.
- Capitalize on the Seasons.
Fall is for broad outreach, winter is for intentional discipleship, spring is for leadership training, and summer is for missions and connecting with incoming freshmen. Of course, those are over-simplifications, but the point remains. While all aspects of ministry are always at work, every season has a unique and heightened focus on specific areas. Effective ministry leaders know and capitalize on the different seasons of ministry.
- Consider Yourself the Chaplain.
State universities do not have to officially recognize college ministers in the campus ecosystem. Though the University of Arkansas will never officially name anyone the official chaplain of the campus, I have taken it upon myself to be the chaplain to everyone who will let me. I encourage every other college minister in town to do the same. That means I share my contact information widely for any needs that may arise, I volunteer to pray at any event the University has, I serve at campus events that are not necessarily tied to BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministry), and I walk daily on campus to interact and “check-in” on as many people as possible. The most effective campus ministers are champions of their college and wiggle their way to positions of influence through intentional service and Christ-like love.
- Connect with Your Supporters.
When I worked for a church, I celebrated the stories of God working in our ministry to the rest of the church every chance I could. As a BCM campus minister, I share the story of what God is doing on our campus in every church I get invited to speak to, on half of all my social media posts, and in newsletters, Facebook groups, and email blasts. Connecting consistently with your supporters rallies folks around your ministry, encourages you, and keeps the people involved in your ministry informed about your ministry.
One Response
Ryan. This is really good. A great plan for all BCM leaders and pastors. Your idea of Chaplain is as good as it gets. Great idea for a pastor. Making yourself available to the community is the Key. You will make a great pastor. Don’t get bogged down!!