Transforming Campus Ministries

(This is the twelfth in a series of blog posts regarding common campus ministry myths and mistakes.)

As I wrap up this series of blog posts, I want to say as clearly as I can that you shouldn't be expected to know how to begin a new campus ministry or transform an existing one.  It's a specialized ministry and you and other leaders at your church most likely need high quality, specialized training fto do so.

But with the right training and a willingness to be invested long-term, most churches with an area college or university can start and sustain a fruitful campus ministry.

As I noted in an earlier post, three-quarters of college students in the United States are searching for meaning or purpose in life and 80 percent have an interest in spirituality, but most rarely or never attend church services.  It's an extraordinary mission field that's waiting to sowed, cultivated, and harvested.

Like many new endeavors, campus ministry requires the development and implementation of a viable plan.  It's not complicated, but it doesn't happen accidentally.  The right people with the right training need to be in the right places at the right time doing the right things.

I have assisted churches from coast-to-coast.  It would be my joy and privilege to help your church, as well.  Please send me an email at greg@ourredeemer.org to begin to explore the possibilities.

(This is the eleventh in a series of blog posts regarding common campus ministry myths and mistakes.)

Unfortunately, the inability to obtain a list of your denomination's students who attend your area college/university isn't a myth at most campus ministries.  Most colleges/universities will not provide names and contact information of students, even if the students voluntarily disclose their religious preference to the school.

It also may be challenging and time-consuming to try to get this information from your denomination's churches that have students who attend your area college/university - not because they're opposed to providing it, but because many of them simply don't get around to it.

One possible solution is to find and train a volunteer who is willing and able to take responsibility for contacting churches in your region to gather college students' names and contact information on your behalf.  I don't know who that person is, but I can help you find and train him/her.  Contact me at greg@ourredeemer.org to learn more.

Campus ministry myths and mistakes will continue on Monday morning.  Here's a link to an article about the importance of campus ministry:

http://www.daily-chronicle.com/articles/2010/08/25/r_yqryy2ves86wzv1hulzwaa/

(This is the tenth in a series of blog posts regarding common campus ministry myths and mistakes.)

Proper strategic planning may lead you to make appropriate worship changes, but doing so based upon an "if we change it, college students will come" mindset will not produce the desired results.  In fact, doing so quite likely will upset a significant portion of your current worshipers.

We cannot improve God's inerrant Word, but we can get in its way.  As such, worship needs to be done well, which requires sufficient preparation.  Students do expect high quality.  But your current worship style probably reflects your church's values, so there's probably no need to change it significantly unless you have more valid reasons to do so.

I can lead your church through an in-depth planning process to help it more clearly see God's vision for it.  Email me at greg@ourredeemer.org to learn more.

(This is the ninth in a series of blog posts regarding common campus ministry myths and mistakes.)

This is the third of three related strategy problems that I have identified over the past three days.

I've lost count of the times I've heard leaders at existing and potential campus ministries say, "I think we should..." and then describe an event or program that they think will appeal to college students.

They assume that what appeals to them, as persons who are already active at and familiar with the ministry, will appeal to persons who may have never heard of the ministry.  The results are often disappointing.

Ministries that desire to serve college students need to discover what the students need, what the ministry is gifted by God to do, and where the two overlap.  This takes effort, but the results are worth it.

I'd welcome the opportunity to help you and other leaders at your church discover your open door(s) to make Christ-followers on campus.  Please contact me at greg@ourredeemer.org for more information.

(This is the eighth in a series of blog posts regarding common campus ministry myths and mistakes.)

This is the second of three related strategy problems that I'm identifying over three days.

One campus ministry provides a certain service for college students and it works very well.  Another campus ministry that's only two hours away in the same state tried to provide the same service and it failed.  Why?  Despite their many similarities, the students at the two campuses are just enough different that those at one college were interested and those at the other college weren't.

Just because it works somewhere else - even if it's down the road - doesn't necessarily mean it will work in your location.

Effective campus ministry requires identifying the unmet needs at your local college or university and discovering which one(s) your ministry can provide.  I can help you do so.  Email me at greg@ourredeemer.org to learn more.

(This is the seventh in a series of blog posts regarding common campus ministry myths and mistakes.)

This is the first of three related strategy problems that I'll identify over the next three days.

"When I was a college student, we did (fill in activity/event) at (fill in name and location of campus ministry)," might seem to be a simple and effective way to make campus ministry plans.  After all, it was proven to work elsewhere in the past.  But just because it previously worked someplace else doesn't mean it will work in your location now.  Every church, college, community, and generation are different.

What worked elsewhere in the past may work in your location now, but it won't be because it worked elsewhere in the past; it will be because it's right for your location now.

Trying to discover what will work in your location now can be difficult to do on your own.  I would be honored to help.  Please contact me at greg@ourredeemer.org for more information.

(This is the sixth in a series of blog posts regarding common campus ministry myths and mistakes.)

Your ministry does need a website, but bells and whistles aren't necessary.  It's much more important to have an up-to-date website that's easy to read and navigate.

If finding the page(s) with campus ministry information is too complicated, requires too many clicks, or takes too long to load, college students will give up and not come back.  Ditto if the information is out-of-date or inaccurate.  Broken links are even worse. 

If your webmaster isn't able to keep a weekly calendar up-to-date, for example, it's better to have a monthly calendar that's always current.

I can provide other tips to help make your website more appealing and functional for college students.  Email me at greg@ourredeemer.org to learn more.

(This is the fifth in a series of blog posts regarding common campus ministry myths and mistakes.)

There may be more students at your local college or university who are members of your denomination's churches than you realize, although getting their names and contact information can be challenging.  I'll address that topic in a blog post next week.

Today, I want to emphasize the missional opportunity you have on campus because your church's "target audience" is so much larger than those swho are already affiliated with your denomination.
 
Three out of four college students in the United States are searching for meaning or purpose in life and 80 percent have an interest in spirituality, but most of them rarely or never attend church services.

Your church has a tremendous opportunity to "go (on campus) and make disciples" - or Christ-followers as we at Transforming Campus Ministries like to say - so I urge you to look at the campus as a ripe mission field, waiting to be harvested.

As I noted in a previous blog post, you won't be able to reach everyone.  But you can find an identifiable segment of the campus population to serve and it will include persons who do not yet know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

It would be my joy and privilege to help you and others at your church make Christ-followers on campus.  Please email me at greg@ourredeemer.org to begin to explore the opportunity.

(This is the fourth in a series of blog posts regarding common campus ministry myths and mistakes.)

Our concern about the lack of money often gets in the way of ministry.  But "those who seek the Lord lack no good thing."  (Psalm 34:10 ESV)

Your church has all of the resources, money and otherwise, it needs to start or expand its campus ministry.

Maybe more can be done to make existing and potential supporters aware of the church's needs and their opportunities to help.  Maybe more can be done to be better stewards of what the Lord provides.  Maybe, per yesterday's blog, the ministry is trying to do more than the Lord is asking it to do at this time.  Maybe other factors apply.  But it's never because the Lord fails to provide what's needed.

Many ministries throughout the United States and around the world that have little money produce tremendous results.  They understand that ministry depends on the Lord who provides all that is needed, not the money or any other resource He provides.

I can help you raise the money (and other resources) that your church needs to make Christ-followers on campus, and it would be privilege to do so.  Be aware, however, that our journey together will focus primarily on trusting the Lord and acting in obedience to Him.  Contact me at greg@ourredeemer.org for more information.