collegeministry.com

CollegeMinistry.com in 2012

by Brad Baker

©CollegeMinistry.com 2012

Perhaps you’ve wondered why there’s been a 32 day gap between our last blog post and today.  Granted the Holidays played into it, but the real reason for the silence is all the work going into the 2.0 version of CollegeMinistry.com.  We are just a few short hours away from launching the brand new site!  This collaborative project has been in the works for months now and the anticipation we feel in palpable.  From a fresh mission and vision, to countless unique features the new site is sure to engage a wide variety of college ministry leaders.  Seeing that we are so close to the launch I won’t spoil it by telling you everything about site.  However I can’t resist giving you a little preview.

First, the new mission and vision is simple and engaging.   

Our Mission:  To serve and strengthen existing college ministries and those that lead them.

Our Vision:  To start hundreds of new college ministries in locations where they’re desperately needed.  Our desire is that CollegeMinistry.com is less of a site you visit and more of movement you fully buy into.

Second, the leadership is shared, open and collaborative.  There are 9 “Official Contributors” who love learning alongside fellow college ministry leaders like you.  Moreover CollegeMinistry.com invites everyone to lead by sharing what they’ve learned and created.  Collaboration, co-creating and connecting are at the heart of everything we aim to do. 

Third, the new features provide an online environment unlike any presently available for college ministry leaders.  For far too long college ministry has played second fiddle to Jr. High and High School.  The desire for strong churched and campus based college ministries is reflected in how much time, energy and thought has been put into the new site.  Here are just a few of the features you’ll be able to enjoy.

 -The first ever job bank and resrouce store designated exclusively for college ministry. 

-A monthly subscription that gives you access to an online collaborator’s form, resource bank that’s updated weekly and a College Ministry Tool Kit that’s sent to your doorstep at the start of each semester. 

-Subscribers also enjoy free tickets to an annual CM training event held in Southern California, personal coaching from an Official Contributor and entry into an amazing monthly giveaway that’s sure to make you smile

Ok I’ve said way too much.  Before your head hits the pillow tonight the new site will launch.  The next time you type www.collegeministry.com  into your address bar you’re in for a totally new experience.   

We feel so honored and excited to be partner with you to reach and disciple the Millennial Generation.

Lost Time is Never Found

by LISA BIRLE

We are blessed to be connected in a church community, but do you remember how scary and awkward that process might have been?  Not knowing anyone, wondering if you belong?  We must remember that not everyone who comes to our ministry is connected or even has meaningful, loving relationships in their lives.  Because of this, we must be intentional with listening to the Holy Spirit's nudgings that are telling us to introduce ourselves to people standing by themselves, to greet people with warm smiles and handshakes, and make sure no one comes into our community gatherings without feeling welcomed.  Making sure we are INTENTIONALLY reaching out to others, especially new people, is always important, but even more so during seasons of transition (when high school grads start attending in summer, when school starts and attendance increases, etc.)!  We challenge our Crave staff and key volunteers to step out of their comfort zones to make sure others feel loved.

One of the ways we do that is by challenging our team to practice the 5-Minute Rule after our weekly service.  When the service is over, we make sure to introduce ourselves to the people around, be present in the main hallway where people hang out afterwards, or just hang out by the door as people leave.  For FIVE MINUTES after the service, we try to avoid talking to our friends and try to build connections and conversations with people we don’t already know.  As staff and key leaders, we want people to see that we are engaged, available, and visible in our community.

Some verses to think about regarding the Five-Minute Rule are:

"Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." Deut. 10:19 (Or, exchange 'Egypt' for 'Crave' or the name of your ministry.)

"Do not be forgetful of hospitality, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it." Heb. 13:2  (Yep, God said it twice.)

"For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?  Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." Matt 5:46-48 (Kinda sounds like the 5-Minute Rule, huh?)

You can create an environment each week that is known for being a place full of God’s love…you just need to be intentional about it.

3 Tips for Starting a College Ministry

by Brad Baker

1 in 4 Millennials report not having a specific religious affiliation.  What a perfect time to launch a ministry to reach and develop 18-25 year olds.  If you wondering where to begin allow me to share some ideas (most of which come from my mistakes and what I wish I would have done when I begin 12 years ago). 

#1.  Think of yourself as a cross-cultural missionary

Today’s access to technology (on average Millennials own 2.4 internet connected devices) has fragmented this generation into thousands of sub-cultures huddled around their particular area of interest, talent or expertise.  Name the area of interest and Millennials now have a global community they can access 24/7.  This means to reach people we’ll likely need to ‘break’ into their world a bit.  Add to this that every campus has its own set of unwritten cultural rules and ‘missionary’ becomes the right title for the typical college ministry leader.

#2.  Build a team from the start

No matter how passionate and gifted you won’t be very effective in college ministry without first recognizing your limitations.  The effective college ministry leader needs student leaders, parental-figure leaders, peer leaders, older mentors and so on.  Without sharing the ministry load you’ll likely burn out or limit your ministry to the 10 or so you can invest in personally.

#3.  Do everything with your end goal in mind

Far too many ministries master meeting students “where they are” but forget to think much about where they want to take them after the connection is made.  Self-feeding, local-church committed and quickly advancing to adulthood (relationally, emotionally and spiritually) are a few of the end goals I work towards.  Keep in mind they won’t be in your college ministry long and you must do everything you can to integrate them into a local church.  Isn’t that where we want them to put down long term roots?  This is particularly vital if you're a campus-based ministry leader and tend to operate somewhat isolated from the local congregations around you.  If they fall in love with your campus ministry instead of the local church you’ve done them a huge disservice.  After graduation they will scratch their heads wondering what happened to their cozy little community and context for spiritual renewal/growth. 

The majority of the fuel for any space mission is used during the launch.  If you’re at the beginning of your journey to reach and disciple college students take heart!   Starting a college ministry is well worth the effort because the payout is ‘life-change’.  Life-change lasts forever!  Transformation only comes when God’s people willing surrender to the work of leading others to Jesus.  What could be more important?  Nothing!           

Why I Love Ministry to College Students (and you should too)

by Stephen Lutz

If you’re like me, you have conversations on a fairly regular basis where you explain to people why you value working with college students. I’ve used a simple acronym, PATHS, to remind myself and others why this ministry is so important. PATHS stands for Priority, Ambition, Trajectory, Heart, and Strategic.

Priority: During the college years, it seems everything is up for grabs. Students are confronted with hundreds of options about what to do for fun, what to study, who to be friends with, and more. We know that many students leave the church (and their faith) when they get to college, sometimes doing this emphatically and painfully. But many others simply put their faith on the shelf. It recedes in importance, getting crowded out and eventually strangled by the cares of this world (Matt 13:22).  One of the best things we can do as campus ministers is to help our students prioritize their faith in Christ above all else in everyday life.

Ambition: Many students dream big, and many of those dreams center on themselves. This is, after all, what our culture has conditioned them to do. Our work as campus ministers must help them reimagine what true success, meaning, and fulfillment looks like, from God’s perspective. We must call students to let their lives be shaped by an abiding, driving,  holy ambition for the Kingdom of God to come in everything they do.  Even those who want to “change the world” must have their ambitions enlarged, to center on the infinite glory of God and what He is able to do, not our weak, small, self-centered dreams.

Trajectory: When a rocket takes flight, a navigational error of even a fraction of a degree can mean the rocket ends up in a radically different place than what was intended. Great care goes into plotting the early stages of flight, because they have a huge impact on the final destination. In the same way, college ministry must be concerned with the long-term direction of our students, not just the here-and-now. Our goal should be to see students equipped for lifelong faithfulness, not merely entertaining or sheltering them on the way to the rest of their lives. We take an active role in guiding students through the seemingly insignificant decisions during college that are profoundly formative for the rest of their lives.

Heart: College students (like many of us) don’t start out with a great deal of self-knowledge. Even for those who become serious about their faith, it can easily become an externally directed program of moral behavior modification. Campus ministers help students understand themselves at the heart level, and to embrace how the Gospel changes us from the inside-out. We are after far more than a pharisaical avoidance of certain 3D, HD sins common to the college years—we’re after full transformation, a transformation that starts with the heart and works its way out into every area of life.

Strategic: It’s my conviction that there is no more strategic area of ministry in the world than reaching college students. In college ministry, we get to engage with students during some of the most formative years of their lives. We reach them before the window of opportunity closes for many of them in the mid-20s. We get to lead future leaders, from virtually every tribe, tongue and nation from all around the world.  We get to influence students amidst the unique marketplace of ideas that make up Higher Ed. In short, if we reach college students, we will reach the world.  Virtually every other social and political movement in the world realizes this, and makes it a priority. So should we.  The degree to which we reach college students now will have a profound effect on the future of Christianity in North America and the world.

I’ve found that all of these reasons, taken together, are compelling.  Amidst the countless cups of coffee, pieces of pizza, texts, meetings, Facebook messages, gatherings, tweets, emails, and calls that make up everyday college ministry, PATHS reminds me of the big picture. God loves college students, and we have the privilege of serving them during this pivotal season of life.

::Stephen Lutz is a pastor, and a thinker and practitioner in campus ministry. He is the author of College Ministry in a Post-Christian Culture (The House Studio, Fall 2011). He has worked for churches and parachurch ministries, and served in urban and suburban campus contexts. He currently serves with Calvary Church and CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) at Penn State in University Park, PA.  Before returning to Penn State (his alma mater) for ministry, he helped plant a church in Philadelphia, PA and worked with students at several Philly area schools. Steve received his M.Div from Westminster Theological Seminary. His interests include reaching college students, starting churches, innovation and entrepreneurship, and Penn State and Philly sports. He lives with his wife Jessica and their three children in Boalsburg, PA. He blogs at http://stevelutz.wordpress.com and tweets @stephenlutz.::

I Hate Being Cliché (a not so original challege to college ministry leaders)

 

by Josh Pease

I hate being cliché. Hate it. Which is what makes writing this so hard.

See I’ve had an epiphany recently, but it’s not the cool kind of epiphany, where the heavens part, and the voice of the LORD[1] speaks to me a new revelation that no human brain has yet to discern. No, my epiphany was … old. Obvious. Yes, cliché. Of course that’s probably how I missed it in the first place, because I was too busy attempting to be original.

My epiphany was this: I have to meet college students in their world, not mine.

Recently I’ve started taking a World Religions class at the enormous community college literally right across the street from where our church. Every Tuesday and Thursday I sit through a semi-boring lecture from a professor semi-bent on discrediting Christianity[2]. I love every second of it.

Every day I have been on campus – every single day – I’ve had a conversation that made paying for a one-day parking pass, sitting in parking lot traffic purgatory, and barreling through the cigarette smoke clouds around the bus stop more than worth it. Over the past three weeks I’ve:

• Built relationships with the three (three!) students in the class who know me from one of the college services at Saddleback.[3]
• Invited a girl who knows she needs to start attending church again to come to our service.
• Built a relationship with the guy sitting next to me named Mel, who I think is searching for truth.
• Started a dialogue with a staunchly anti-Christian guy who sits in front of me.

And I’m saying this not to promote myself AT ALL. If anything I can’t believe I wasn’t doing this sooner. God is active and exploding on this campus and I feel like the disciples, after Jesus told them “drop the nets on the other side.” I’m overwhelmed by the abundance.

It makes me think that clichés sometimes aren’t really as cliché as we think. That maybe simple obedience to basic ideas – ideas like “the harvest is plentiful” or “go into the world and preach the gospel” – really are true. Somewhere along the line I stopped believing that, or thought “if I just create the right event, or teach on the right topic, or am funny enough, they’ll all come to ME.” And yet I’ve had more fun/results come from just showing up for a class twice a week.

Maybe you don’t need to hear this. Maybe you’re already doing this really well. Maybe there’s not a no-brainer opportunity to get into your student’s world like there was for me.

But based on what I’ve seen, I would encourage anyone in college ministry with this: God is at work in the lives of our students. There’s a hunger and receptivity out there. The harvest really is plentiful, I think.

We just have to be out in the fields looking for it.[4]

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[1] Spelled in all caps because the event I’m describing has more of an OT feel.

[2] So far I have been semi-successful at not leaping up and shouting “LIES!”

[3] Once we got past them being ABSOLUTELY freaked out about seeing me in their world that is …

[4] See? Cliché.

Melting the 'Cold' of Your College Ministry

by Lisa Birle

I am always blown away by the constant stream of new people that God brings to our community.  I never want to take for granted that each week someone new is walking into our ministry for the very first time.  It’s good to think through how they may be feeling and what thoughts are rolling through their mind as they enter the unfamiliar environment.  Do they feel noticed and warmly welcomed?  Are there easy next steps for them to find out more and get connected to others?    It takes intentionality on the part of staff and the student leadership of a ministry if the needs of the newcomers are to be met.  We don’t always think through how they are going to assimilate into our ministry.  As a result we can lose about as many people as we add in any given month. 

 It’s important to remind your core volunteers and leaders at your weekly service that not everyone who comes to church knows Jesus Christ or has ever been to church before.  This seems so obvious but it’s often the basic stuff that we overlook over time.  We forget about how anxious and vulnerable students might feel on the “foreign turf” of a church campus.  We forget that often, visitors are coming to church because something painful, empty, or enslaving is going on in their life and they are giving church and God a chance for the first time.  Challenge your leadership team (via sporadic but timely e-mails or short team meetings pre-service) to have your eyes wide open to look for those people who are standing alone, who you don’t recognize, who look nervous.  We never, ever want someone to leave church feeling ignored, or judged, or misunderstood, or unwanted, or forgotten.  What if they leave believing that’s how God feels about them?  Reaching out to someone new might cost your time, maybe even your image, and often your comfort.  But Jesus did not value those things before people, and we shouldn’t, either.

While this value needs to be part of the heartbeat of your ministry and entire leadership team, a specific ministry that is devoted to the art of welcoming, reaching out, and creating a hospitable environment every week is also a great way to make sure your ministry is intentional about creating a loving environment.  We have a greeting/hospitality team that we call the “First Impressions” team, because the interactions that these volunteers make when they reach out to people are often the first impression they make of our ministry…and maybe even of God.

The First Impressions Team is led by a volunteer, who is supported by a staff member.  The volunteer leader makes sure that greeters are at the doors fifteen minutes before the start of our service to hand out pens and bulletins.  Greeters also float around in our auditorium and introduce themselves to students who are sitting by themselves, often asking if they can sit with them so they’re not by themselves.  We also position greeters outside to wish students a great night and thank them for coming.

Again, it’s great to have a specific ministry team for hospitality and greeting purposes, but the entire leadership team of your ministry needs to be an example of modeling a heightened awareness of the needs of the students around them.  Our leadership team is committed to pushing ourselves, and our volunteers, out of our comfort zones of friends to introduce ourselves to new people.  There is so much pain and brokenness that we are all going through, and it’s important to be mindful of the fact that showing someone God’s love through a caring conversation or a simple hug can make a difference in someone’s week.  In many cases it’s what ushers in the healing and transformation love of God!

Here are some practical ways your greeting/leadership team can show God’s heart to those who are new or disconnected…

1. Find students who are sitting alone and ask if you can sit with them.  Introduce yourself to them.
2. Pray for divine appointment in your conversations with people.
3. Seek out people who look new or confused about the building.  Ask them where they go to school, if they work, if they’re new, how they found out about Crave, etc.
4. If you do find someone who’s new, tell them about connecting with a small group and invite them to upcoming events—help familiarize them with your ministry.  Introduce them to your friends.
5. If your students have a normal hangout after your service (our students often go to In-N-Out Burger), invite new people to join you.  Help them feel connected.
6. Introduce new people to your staff and key volunteers or to students who are “regulars” who can help introduce them around.  When we know a student is coming to our midweek worship experience for the first time, we often ask a volunteer to “host” them by showing them around, sitting with them, and introducing them to others.
7. Ask that the Holy Spirit would put someone specific on your heart to pray with or for.

“…encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”  1 Thessalonians 5:11

“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongues but with actions and in truth.”  1 John 3:18

Download FIRST IMPRESSIONS TEAM description

Is Your College Ministry Sticky?

 

By Lisa Birle and Lindsay Kulick

We’ve learned in our ministry that community is one of the biggest reasons students come to church—and stay at church.  So every week, we make an announcement from the stage for our first and second-time guests to visit the “10-Minute Party” after the message.  It’s ten minutes, so it’s short, and it’s a party, so it’s fun!  The goal of the 10MP is to welcome new students, get their information so we can follow up with them the following week, give them a welcome gift and other resources, answer any questions they may have about our ministry, and help them feel welcome.

The 10MP is a simple table that is set up in our main foyer where students hang out after the service.  We have banners, fun table cloths, and a bowl of candy.  (If you want to make it more of a party, you can add Christmas lights, music, and even ask a volunteer to make cupcakes or brownies.)  The table is usually manned by two volunteers and sometimes a staff member. We welcome new people and ask them to fill out a bright-colored connection card with their name, number, and e-mail.  We also have Bibles if the student needs one, a staff-recommended book that we give them as a welcome gift (The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning is a great book for a new believer.), small group forms, and any other fliers or information that will point the student to places of connection.  These free resources are a great way to bless someone’s brand new or recommitted walk with God and connect them to a community that will encourage and support them in their walk.

Part of the connection process at the 10MP is getting to know the student—asking them what brought them to Crave, how they heard about our ministry, where they work or go to school, what they’re passionate about (we often write down some of this info on the back of their card after they leave, to remember them better).  We try hard to remember their name and face (facebook is a great tool for this!).  The chaos and noise of an after-service crowd can certainly be distracting, but we make an effort to stay focused on new students and use eye contact as much as possible; being engaged is key.  We want to show them that it matters to us that they are there.

The purpose of the 10MP is to connect people to the community. That is why following up with new students is so important! A couple days after the service, give them a call!  We usually have a volunteer follow up—girls call girls and guys call guys.  Ask them how they liked the service, if they have any questions, or if they want any resources to get more involved.  We’ll tell them what’s happening this week at our ministry as well.  A phone call is key; e-mail can be impersonal so try calling them first. At the end of the conversation thank them for their time and tell them you look forward to seeing them at church again.

Make new students feel welcomed, cherished, and accepted.  By showing them we care and want them in our community, we are showing them that God cares and wants them in His family.

Where are the 20-somethings?

 
 
My dear friend Aaron Stern leads a vibrant college ministry in Colorado Springs (www.themillonline.org).  I met Aaron in college and his heart for God and others porfoundly shaped me at a very pivitol time in my life.  His influence on me has been reproduced in so many others.  He's a sage in the college ministry world!  Enjoy the read....

by Aaron Stern (aaronstern.com)

What does it take to get college/20-somethings engaged in church? I hear this question often from college pastors around the country. It doesn’t seem to matter if their ministry happens in a booming college town or a quiet suburb – this demographic seems to be AWOL in the Christian community.

Maybe it shouldn’t surprise us given the recent research. Barna found that “Americans in their twenties are significantly less likely than any other age group to attend church services, to donate to churches, to be absolutely committed to Christianity, to read the Bible, or to serve as a volunteer...” While frequently active in church during their high school years, only 3 out of 10 attend church consistently during their 20’s[1]. I know of one church which experienced 12 percent growth church-wide and a simultaneous six percent decline in 18-28 year olds.

Grim statistics like these prompt questions. Where are they? What will draw them? And how do we get them to stay? The answers are important to be sure, but sometimes I wonder if we are asking the wrong question. Maybe the answer is not in response to a question at all, but rather found in an encounter – a consistent meeting with the God who knows them personally, sees their dreams, hopes, disappointments and failures and loves them regardless.  

Somewhat of a mystery even to me, theMILL, our college/20-somethings ministry, has more than 1,000 who gather to worship and hear teaching from the Bible every week -- on Friday nights!  They are hungry – eager to grow and be changed. They long for a foundation of truth upon which to build their lives. They desire community, to know others deeply and to be known. They come to experience the presence of God.

My goal is not to get them into church, though I believe in the community of believers. It is not to gain access to their finances or service, though I find them eager to give and help when they understand the purpose. My deepest desire is to create an environment – an experience, if you will – where they meet God in powerful, personal ways, understand how they fit into the bigger picture, and find a place to belong.

This approach reminds me of a waitress who not only attends theMILL but is actively involved in our leadership team. She fits the prototype -- grew up in a Christian home, discovered doubt, drifted away from God and found less holy things instead. She developed a deep dislike of religion. Then a friend invited her to come to theMILL. It took awhile but she came and she found Jesus. Ask her and she will tell you what keeps her coming back – a dynamic relationship with God.

Or consider the story of a young man who found Christ in high school, attended church regularly and then began wrestling with depression. He became so filled with shame over his lifestyle choices that he decided to kill himself by driving into a pole. While working up the courage, he found himself heading in the direction of theMILL on a Friday night and decided to stop in for a final good-bye to his friends. The sermon that night was on the secrets we keep. He confessed his secrets and received prayer and healing. Coincidence? He doesn’t think so. He believes God rescued him.

Both of these individuals have one thing in common -- Jesus. And that, I believe, is the core of the issue. It’s possible to create a college/20-somethings ministry with the most experienced worship leaders and thought-out sermons, the best graphics and multi-media presentations; but I would argue, that unless you are creating a place where people encounter the living God and find deep, healthy community, they will not stay. How do we get them back? The answer lies in the same place as it does for you and for me – God Himself.

 

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[1] Twentysomethings Struggle to Find Their Place in Christian Churches.  September 24, 2003.  The Barna Group.  April 4, 2008  http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=149

Take Your Retreat to the Next Level

 by Brad Baker, College Pastor--Saddleback Church

Over the last 9 years of college ministry, I’ve noticed how vital retreats are in helping students take their next steps with Jesus.  Retreats provide a unique context for someone of any age to reflect on where they’ve been, where they currently are, and where God might be calling in the future.  Depending on the location of your college ministry, you’ll have students for an average of 2-4 years.  This short window of time has always given me a sense of urgency.  2 to 3 day retreats are vital because they give students the opportunity to receive a lot from God in a very short amount of time.  If you haven’t scheduled your yearly retreat yet, the time is now.  Below are a few of our learnings that have helped us maximize our time away on retreats with students.

#1.  Don’t Delegate All the Speaking—I’ve never seen college students listen and receive like they do on retreats.  They are away from most of their distractions and usually hungry to hear from God.  Why would you and I give that prime opportunity to someone outside of our ministry that our students won’t likely ever see again?  This is your chance to really peel back the layers of your life and allow students to see the deep work Jesus has done in your life.  Better they bond with you and your ministry team than some guest speaker (no matter how profound he or she may be).  

#2.  Balance the Schedule—One of the worst things you can do on a college retreat is over-schedule activities.  Remember it’s a retreat and one of the things you should be retreating from is busyness.  An overscheduled retreat robs students of the opportunity to reflect, pray, and deeply connect with others in an unstructured setting.  Granted, a few optional group activities can help pull together those who 
naturally isolate, but I would argue the right set of leaders won’t need those activities to engage students. 

#3.  Location, location, location—We have 2 retreats a year.  One is on an island and the other takes place in a sleepy half-forgotten mountain town.  Do you get the picture?  They are really mellow places with little external distractions. 

#4. Ideal Accommodations—Housing that hosts between 5-10 people a room is ideal in my mind.  Pick a shepherd-hearted person to be the room leader and you’ve just established room-based small groups for the weekend.  Room leaders can look for ‘God moments’ in each person’s life and try to capitalize on them.  Ideally, each room should have a kitchen so the small group can share meals together as well as host other rooms for meals. 

#5.  Pick and Meet with Your Leaders Beforehand—This is pretty obvious but I must confess I’ve missed meeting with my leaders before retreats.  You want the leaders you’ve selected to share the vision God has given you.  You want them to know more than the average person that’s coming so they can feel empowered and valued. 

#6.  Ask Adults in Your Church to Sponsor a Student or Two—Finances are always a big barrier for students going on a retreat.  I recommend establishing a scholarship fund that students can apply for.   Download Scholarship Application

#7.  Focus Your Content--Whether it's workshops, worship experiences or small group time make sure it all goes in the same direction.  An over-arching theme for the retreat will limit the students feeling pulled in too many different directions. 

#8.  Fast and Pray—Need I say more?  This should have been #1. 

The College Ministry 8

 
This post is a few years old but it’s great.  Justin Holcomb posted this on The Resurgence blog.  My friend Aaron Stern (aaronstern.com) tweaked #3, #7 and #8 to make it more applicable to the college ministry world.  Happy Reading--Brad Baker (College Pastor, Saddleback Church)

I've learned some lessons about doing campus ministry both the hard way and from great mentors. Here are the top six (now eight) things you need to know if you're doing college ministry:

1. Don't confuse the gospel with religion
To prevent doing this, talk about Jesus (who he is and what he has done) all the time. If you don't, students will think Christianity is really about something else, like morality, philosophy, piety, social justice, or a religious experience. If you start talking more about what they should do instead of what Jesus has done, you're preaching another gospel (Gal. 1:6-9), which is to put heavy burdens on them (Matt. 23:2-4).

2. Learn about sexual assault
The prevalence of sexual assault is staggering. At least 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men are or will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetime. And the numbers are much worse for college students. These young women and men feel crippling shame, deep guilt, and painfully alone because of what has been done to them.

3. Teach students how to read and interpret the Bible for themselves
This means giving a clear picture of the meta-narrative of the Bible.  Having a birds-eye view of the whole story helps one know how the individual stories and passages fit together.  Without context we run the danger of extricating meaning based on our experiences and feelings and thus making the Bible say what we want it to say.  The most simple presentation of the story of the Bible is the Children's Bible called The Jesus Storybook Bible.  We must also teach students that the Bible is not a book to be used but a story to be entered.

4. Be prepared to comfort students because of divorce and death
College students are at a phase in life where their parents seem to get divorced, if they aren't already, now that their children are leaving home. This is also the age when grandparents begin to die.

5. Study apologetics
Many students still have brain cells left, and they've been reading and thinking about their world. They have legitimate questions about who Jesus is and what he did and why he isn't just a good example. They want to know why they should trust the Bible as reliable. The immense suffering in the world makes them doubt either the goodness or power of God or both. They think Christians are hypocrites and bigots, so why should they become one?

6. Be prepared to counsel students about what they're really facing
You must be prepared to counsel about eating disorders, pornography, cutting, abusive relationships, and the lingering damage of sexual sin. College students tend to be the shock-absorbers of the myths our cultural sells. Idols are brutal slave masters.

7. Teach students what to look for in a church.
Students in college ministries will not be there for more than a few years and chances are they will at some point move to another city.  I find that I have a huge opportunity to shape their ideas of what Church is all about.  I want them to embrace and engage the local church, even when they can't find one that "fits" their preferences.  The Church is more than a social club for Christians and goes much deeper than worship style or service length.  Church is the people of God - a supernatural, God-inspired, Holy Spirit-driven, less-about-me-and-all-about-God-and His-plan-for-the-world community of faith.

8. Invite students into a story that is bigger than they are.
Our culture teaches, and our sinful nature believes, that the biggest story is our own.  History began and ends with the story of God and only when we allow our story to become part of His much bigger story are we able to become who God made us to be.

www.aaronstern.com

::Top 5 Misconceptions about Starting a College-age Ministry::

 
by Brad Baker, College Pastor--Saddleback Church

#1.  You Need to Hire a Full-time Staff Person (preferably young and trendy)
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that an effective college ministry has to be lead by someone on staff.  Granted that would be ideal but it’s simply not realistic considering many churches will only ever have 1-3 paid staff positions.  If you have a heart for 18-24 year olds don’t wait on a paid position to get started.  Just offer the time you’ve got and you’ll likely be surprised by the results.  Whether you’re 25 or 85 you have a vital role to play in recapturing the hearts of 73 million Millennials. 

#2.  A Cool Band and World Class Communicator are Must Haves

Unfortunately many look at the largest young adult ministries in the country as models.   At times this can be helpful but just as often it leads to thinking that without having everything they’ve got things won’t be successful.  Against all popular thinking, I firmly believe you don’t need a cool band or excellent communicator to establish I healthy ministry to college students.  Granted both can be huge benefits but I don’t believe they are necessities.  The ‘need’ for top notch worship and teaching comes from the belief that a college ministry is built around a separate worship experience.  In some churches that works.  In other it’s the last thing that should be considered.  A healthy college ministry can be build around mentoring, small groups, a low key Bible study, an occasional retreat and local/global outreach opportunities.

#3.  The Church Needs to be Close to a University/College

18-24 year olds are everywhere.  Although they do congregate in large numbers on and around major colleges and universities, you can find them anywhere.  This is especially true considering the extension of late adolescents makes young people less uptight about graduating and getting married on a pre-determined timeline.  In other words there are many college-age young adults hanging around in non-academic environments.  So if you’ve made proximity to a major school an excuse for not engaging the Millennials it’s time to scratch it off the list. 

#4.  A Huge Crowd is the Goal

Over the last 10 years I’ve talked to so many in college ministry who don’t feel successful because their ministry isn’t large.  On the flip side I’ve talk to college pastors who feel they’re successful because their numbers are soaring.   Both perspectives are flawed.  The goal in college ministry should NEVER be numbers.  Your goal as a college ministry leader should be to help students grow relationally, emotionally, mentally, physically, financially and spiritually (just to mention a few areas).  If you are gauging your success on size you’re missing the point and setting yourself up for an emotionally rollercoaster.  There are so many factors affecting the number of college students that attend your gatherings.  For example one famous ministry to young adults boasted of 3,000+ in weekly attendance.  However those 3,000+ came from 30+ different churches and the weekly gathering offered little if anything in addition to their 2 hour worship experience.  Healthy?  Choose to be faithful with the lives God has given you to influence and let God bring the increase.  This is not to say that we shouldn’t be actively seeking new students, especially lost ones.   On a trip with Rick Warren a few years ago he told me to, “Focus on the depth of your ministry and God will determine its width.”    

#5.  You Need Experience to Start a College Ministry

Ministry to Millennials in their late teens and early twenties has few if any experts.  In fact it’s not even on the radar for the average church.  All that to say the little knowledge you bring to the table will likely be new and exciting.  Just by reading a book or two and staying current on blogs like mine you’ll outpace almost everyone else.  So don’t be intimidated.  On the job training is the best.  So don’t wait until you’ve read all the books and written a thesis on the Millennials to get started.   I started in college when I was 25 five and didn’t know much of anything.  God will honor your heart and give you what you need along the way.  Just jump in!  The hearts of 73 million young people hang in the balance.