Why College Freshmen Drop Out of Church
In recent years surveys have indicated that most college freshmen active in church in high school are not connecting to church in college. Some said, “Nine out of ten are dropping out.” Another said it’s not nearly that bad, it is “ONLY seven out of ten”. So, why is it happening? For most, I believe […]
The Radically Focused College Ministry
I devoured the book “Deliberate Simplicity” where Dave Browning lays out the case that in ministry, “less is more, and more is better.” There are a lot of good things that we can do as college ministries, but having less complexity and radically focusing on the best things, we can multiply faster and reach more […]
How to Recruit, Develop, and Keep Staff Members
God has blessed me with an amazing staff of 7 people. By His grace, God has brought them to our ministry. The following insights are principles I have stumbled upon through trial and error over the last five years of campus ministry. The Size of Your Vision, The Size of Your Staff If you want a […]
What Works Everywhere in College Ministry?
I just got back from a mission trip to Germany to help a campus ministry called Connexxion. They’re doing a great job of reaching and discipling college students in a very hard to reach place. Some of the things we do translate to their context while other things don’t. This inspired me to ask myself […]
How to Preach So Students Will Listen
BE REAL, OR BE IGNORED Authenticity trumps everything – the more personal, the more powerful. Vulnerability is your secret weapon when communicating to college students. If students even suspect that you are not being authentic, then they will immediately tune you out. When I tell about a struggle I have faced or I am currently […]
Turning Selfish Students into Selfless Missionaries
Since we started our ministry eight years ago, we have sent out eight longer-term missionaries (a semester or more). One of the reasons many get into college ministry is the strategic potential for global impact. The nations have come to us, and the people we reach are the most flexible, trainable, and send-able people on […]
Reasons College Ministries Often Don’t Cooperate
Through the years in different experiences, I have been surprised at many college ministries (campus and church-based) that do not cooperate with other college ministries. A question I have often gotten when leading a training seminar for church laypeople is, “Why are college ministries not more cooperative with each other?”. Eight Common Reasons for Some […]
The Value of Longevity in College Ministry
I am fortunate to receive and enjoy seeing email and paper newsletters from lots of different college ministers. Today, one was particularly enjoyable. I will not identify specifically the person or campus but will quote some parts of it. The College Minister shared that they were taking a group to Beach Reach in Panama City […]
Mobilizing Prayer for Your College Ministry
Mobilizing prayer for your ministry is one of the most important things you can do. I would suggest that you mobilize yourself first to be a person of prayer! If you are not passionate about praying it will be very difficult for you to mobilize others to pray. This is hard for me. Being “faithful […]
7 Habits of Highly Effective College Ministers
Stephen Covey’s book, “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” is an enduring classic. I have recently begun to wrestle with what are “EFFECTIVE” habits. In my current role, I supervise student assistant/interns. They care; they work hard. They give more time than we pay them for. This has helped me to again focus and think […]