Church Based, Leadership

Why Should A Collegiate Minister Consider Attending Collegiate Week?

Steve Masters

At Collegiate Week, college students and leaders from across the country gather to experience deep teaching and worship with the best in collegiate ministry. Focused small group sessions offer in-depth Bible study, and a variety of recreation and fellowship options help form friendships that extend far beyond the week. Students will leave refreshed and focused for the semester ahead, ready to impact their campuses for Christ.

Steve Masters, Baptist Collegiate Minister at LSU, shares six top reasons fellow collegiate ministers should consider attending Collegiate Week 2018.

To build relationships with staff and students: Spending several days with students has been very helpful for myself and our staff to really get to know students. The relationships they begin and strengthen with each other and our staff is very important and helpful to our ministry.
To connect with incoming freshmen: Our BCM took ten incoming freshmen to Collegiate Week this past year. By the end of the week, they were no longer visitors to our ministry. They were “regulars.” When the school year kicked off, they were of great help to us in reaching out to other freshmen. All ten are involved in our Freshmen Discipleship Groups.
To provide opportunities for leadership development of participating students: The worship leaders, speakers, and seminar leaders at Collegiate Week give valuable and impactful spiritual and leadership training and experiences for our students. Our students get to hear from leaders serving all across the United States.
To provide students a chance to connect with other students from across the United States: Throughout the week, students meet and connect with students from other church and campus-based ministries. This is encouraging to them. They hear what God is doing on other campuses. They pick up ideas and ministry strategies.
The opportunity for professional development and fellowship: Over three hundred campus and church-based collegiate ministers attended Collegiate Week in 2017. There are specific seminars and meetings for these collegiate ministers. I am provided with opportunities to see and spend time with old friends and to meet and get to know others I have never met. There are lots of good seminars offered for leaders. Attending Collegiate Week reminds me I am part of a large team of collegiate ministers. It is very encouraging to spend time with others of the same calling and passion to reach college students for Christ.
Location and cost: For the last 26 years, our BCM has traveled 23 hours one way to Collegiate Week at Glorieta, New Mexico. I loved the setting of Glorieta, but I am even more excited about driving 12 hours to get to Falls Creek in Oklahoma. Our BCM is going to charge our students $200.00 for the lodging, meals, and registration for Collegiate Week in 2018. We are picking up the travel cost of $40.00 per student. The vast majority of the church and campus-based ministers within 20 hours of Collegiate Week will be able to charge $200.00 to $250.00 for Collegiate Week in 2018. I encourage each campus and church-based collegiate minister within 20 hours of Falls Creek to consider attending by driving. For those beyond that distance, I realize you would probably need to fly, which, due to the cost, might limit student participation.

During my freshman and sophomore years in college, I was involved in our Baptist Student Union, but not in any leadership capacity. In the summer of 1977, I attended Collegiate Week at Glorieta. During the week, I was challenged to be a spiritual leader. I joined our BSU Leadership Team that fall and am so glad I did. It helped me serve God, serve others, and use my spiritual gifts. I have seen many of the students who attend Collegiate Week have similar experiences.

Our BCM has found that attending Collegiate Week helps energize our students and staff for the school year. We will continue to attend. Please email me at lsubcm@eatel.net, or call or text me at (225) 964-0830 if you have questions about Collegiate Week. I’m happy to tell you more!