What is the MOST IMPORTANT Skill, Ability, or Characteristic for a College Minister?

 As the season for college ministry vacancies develops and people are looking for the right person to fill those positions, what is the MOST important thing?

Is there one thing that makes a College Minister successful? The first person who hired me many years ago and who was a mentor in college ministry told this story once.  A pastor came to see him to recommend one of his own staff for a vacant college ministry position.  The pastor said, "He is really good with small groups."  The college ministry leader said, "I have lots of people who are good with small groups.  I am looking for someone who is good with large groups."

If we are totally honest, that is what most are looking for to fill a college ministry position......someone who works with LARGE groups.  As we continually look at the loss of the twenty something generation to the church (21% of college students today identify as atheist or agnostic), how can we reach more for Christ?  Lots of us are working well with small groups.....what does it take to work with large groups?

What is the most important characteristic, skill or ability for a College Minister?

SPEAKER - The "poster ministries" all have the dynamic speaker.  This is the one who fills an arena or big meeting hall every week.  And, it is usually the first thought that comes to everyone's mind who is looking for a new College Minister.  One church called me looking for a College Minister and said they were looking for someone with "a Word gift".  A great speaker gives instant credibility and draws attention to the ministry. Yet, if the number of people who can do this and this "star quality" is very limited, is this the must have ability for a good College Minister?

ONE TO ONE DISCIPLER - There are those that argue that one to one discipling of students is where real life change and impact happens.  If that is the case, is this the most important characteristic or skill? It takes a special person who can connect with and continually meet individually with students and challenge them to grow in their personal relationship and walk with the Lord.

OUTGOING PERSONALITY - This is the person who never meets a stranger and can instantly call by name that student who came once last year.  It is the unique ability to genuinely be and for everyone to feel this is their best friend.

ORGANIZER/MANAGER - An Organizer/Manager type can develop a strategy and roles for a wide variety of students.  Their ministry is much larger than their own personal connections due to the organization.  Students can be drawn to something that is well done and particularly appealing to those students who are looking for a place to serve or to grow their own leadership skills for the future.

EVANGELIST - There are those who would argue apart from a passion for the Lord  and personal witness, nothing else matters.  Those with passion attract others.  A passionate Evangelist tends to infect and inspire others.  If students are hearing a witness and Christian students are trained and inspired to witness, what else matters,  many would argue.

There is an argument to be made for each of these being the most important.  Others would say that a healthy mix of all of these would be the idea.  Yet, if we are honest, most of us in college ministry would have one or two of these where we are strong and one or two that are not our strong point. I have seen strrong ministries led by College Ministers who had a different one of these as their primary ability and gift.  In my mind, it comes down to two things:  First, what fits this campus situation or what has the ministry previously been?  Second, How do we highlight or emphasize the particular gift or strength of the College Minister for the best for the ministry?

Sometimes, ministries in transition from one leader to another struggle because they are changing not just the person who is the leader, but what their lead strength and emphasis is.

For those hiring a College Minister, the question is, Which lead strength/ability do you need/want? For the College Minister, the question is, How do I maximize the lead strength/gift I have?  And, is there one of these that is particularly weak that I need to work at some intentional development?

Arliss Dickerson's book, A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV and Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades is at Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9.

Connecting With Freshmen and High School Seniors.......Let's Talk

 A College Minister said this weekend he would like to give my book, Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades, to all the freshmen who became involved in his ministry.

Let me make you the offer I made him.  The books sells for $6.99 at Amazon Books.(Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9)  I will sell you multiple copies for $5.00 each.  They will ship to you directly from Amazon.  It usually takes about two weeks following the order.

I wrote Tips as a result of speaking at or attending multiple Senior Sundays in churches where they would give their high school grads a book.  Of course, I would always look at the book.  Nine times out of ten, it was a book with lots of good information that I thought there was very little chance they would ever read. Many were apologetics centered or just super preachy and more like a textbook with lots of small print. And, there were no basic college survival information for the new Freshman.

So, I decided to write one I thought they would read and that would give them help in those crucial first couple of weeks.  It is my belief that many Freshmen damage or destroy their college career and walk away from their faith as a result of the first couple of weeks.

The tips are mostly one paragraph or three or four Bullet Points.  There is one section that each tip is literally one or two sentences with the name of the person who gave it out of their own experience.

So, HOW would you use "Tips"?  Here are some ways that some have used it or are considering:

-Give one to every freshman who gives you their contact information at Summer Freshmen Orientations.

-Offer it on-line to every student, parent, etc who will give their contact information and mail it to them.

-Mail a card to all the high school seniors names you have inviting them to stop by your Center or Table and get one.

-Give one to every Freshmen who signs up in advance for your Back-2-School Retreat.

-What is your best idea?

Here are some of the Tips:

-A Recipe for College Success

-The 5 Dumbest Mistakes Freshmen Make

-Why Should I Not Date a Non-Christian?

-Porn Is A Trap!

-Four Tips for Facing Doubt About Faith

-Reasons to Believe

-What if Your Professor is Not a Christian?

-Taking a Test

-I Messed Up Bad.....Real Bad!!!

-7 Red Flags in a Dating Relationship

-The Easiest Way to Pass a Class

-Tip #101 "If upperclassmen ask you to do the Milk Challenge, don't!"  C. J.

You get the idea.  So, email me, Facebook me, or text me, if you want to do something with "Tips".

Arliss, arlissdickerson@gmail.com  

Arliss' book A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula is at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV

10 Laws of College Ministry

 1.  It is not a club....it is about God. There are a ton of good things that need doing on campus and needs that college students have.  Yet, as we should be involved in many of these, we cannot lose sight of the main thing is drawing students to a relationship to Christ and growing that relationship is why we are there.  Don't let the good crowd out the most important or let it become secondary.

2.  Student Ownership is key in students committing to and investing in the ministry.  A healthy and vibrant ministry must be owned by the students.  In other words, they have some say in what is happening and are willing to invest of themselves in the ministry.  Beware of the dangers of a ministry where the students are just "regular visitors".

3.  The personality of the Campus Minister will shape the ministry both in strengths and weaknesses. The longer a Campus Minister leads a ministry the more it will reflect his or her personality. That must be a challenge to continue to grow personally and enlist, involve and set free those who can offset the weaknesses of the College Minister.  And the College Minister must identify and max out his or her strengths.

4.  Every campus has a unique personality which must be a factor in the shape of the ministry and that personality adjusts a little bit every year. We can never copy a successful ministry on another campus and transport it to our campus.  Obviously, there are guiding principles, but each ministry must be built and shaped around the type students on that campus, the rhythms, and schedule of that campus.

5.  The financial support of the ministry either limits or expands it.  It can be as simple as the food served after an event to the number of staff, etc.  A College Minister must give attention to developing the resources for that ministry.

6.  Student leadership is key in growing the ministry and reaching more students and a wider variety of students.  Strong and committed student leaders reach other students and expand the type of students that can be reached.  They also free the College Minister to do things only he or she can do.

7.  Times change...students, the campus, and the College Minister change....the ministry must adjust and adapt to those changes. As the College Minister ages he or she must adapt to the strengths/weaknesses of that age.  Events like Covid affect a campus and bring about change.  Class schedules change.  Continually tweaking of the ministry is a must.

8.  Partnerships matter (campus administrators, peers, churches, alumni).  The trust or lack of trust of campus administrators either opens or closes doors. Connection with ministry peers is essential for support and growth.  Church partnership affects financial support and a sending network.  Alumni can be key in sending students and funding the ministry.

9.  A specialized Freshmen Ministry and a well planned Fall Outreach are key components of a strong and growing ministry.  The first two weeks of the fall provides a window of opportunity in connecting with new students that will never be open again. Plus, freshmen have many needs and are more open to the Gospel than at any other point in their college career.

10. Regular One to One meetings with students is  the most transformative of any activity or event. Large group events can have impact into students' lives at various levels.  But, the most transformative thing we can do is to meet with students and talk about their questions, fears, concerns and put "Gospel Guidance" into their lives. Remember that large group events open the door to one to ones  

Arliss Dickerson's book, Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades is available at Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9 and A College Ministry Success Formula is at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV.

An Easter Outreach Idea for Next Year, Kevin Inman

 "10th Annual LaTegg Glow in the Dark Easter Egg Hunt"

Five local churches (Temple, First, Cooke, Calvary and Emmanuel) and BCM sponsor this evangelistic outreach at Louisiana Tech University.  The event kicks off with hot pancakes being cooked and served at 7:30 p.m.  Student leaders register and talk with students attending the event.  At 8:30 p.m. adorned with glow sticks and LED lights students hunt Easter eggs in the Louisiana Tech Quad.  Besides Easter eggs filled with candy, some eggs have slips of paper where students win gift cards to restaurants and coffee shops.  

Prizes are also won from those who register for the event.  After the egg hunt and before the winners of gift cards and grand prizes are given out, a student shares their personal testimony, and one of our college pastors shares the gospel after the prizes are given out.  The churches and BCM give out ice cream sandwiches and have Gospel Conversations with students.  One new student leader came up to me with a big smile on her face and said, "I was just able to start a Gospel conversation."  I asked her how it came about and she said, "I saw her sitting on a bench by herself with a sack of eggs she had found and so me and a friend went up to her and introduced ourselves and started a conversation."  They are going to meet up next week to continue their talk.  This leader is about 5 feet tall and weighs about 100 pounds, but her boldness in Christ to share His love is as big as a college football linebacker!  

Casey Cassidy, Temple; Chase Sanders, First; Mike Houston, Calvary; West Pierce, Cooke and Chris Campbell, Emmanuel are our great partners to reach our campus for Christ.  I so appreciate them and the hundreds of churches that sponsor BCM in Louisiana.

Kevin Inman, Baptist Collegiate Minister, Louisiana Tech University

Arliss Dickerson's book, A College Student's Guide to Spiritual Maturity, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B0CXTCTNB1 and Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades is at Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9.

LEAST Favorite Things Guest Speakers or Christian Personalities have Said to Me

 1. "I won't take the whole time."  These are the ones that would always go overtime at our Lunch Program where time was tight.

2.  "Don't worry I can make this talk relevant."  This was a guest speaker we had invited and paid to come do a certain topic and switched topics....yeah you know the rest of the story.

3.  "Call me back in 6 months."  For some years it was my privilege to be part of planning the National Collegiate Ministers Summit.  We usually scheduled our main speakers about a year in advance.  Two different times a well known Christian speaker would say, "That sounds really interesting, but I am only scheduling out six months in advance right now.  So, call me back in six months."  In six months that person says something like, "I've decided that's not the type event I'm going to focus my time on."

4. A speaker calls me and says, "I would love to be part of your ministry......I charge a thousand dollars a day."

5.  "I could never get peace about this talk."  Then they speak.....and you lose your peace.

6.  "How much time do I have left?"

7.  "I'm a preacher; if you wanted a speaker, you should have gone to radio shack."  

8.  The secretary of a well known Christian speaker called me and said, "Mr.____________asked me to call you and tell you he does not do breakout sessions."

9.  "Has anyone every told you that you look like Charles Stanley?"

A College Student's Guide to Spiritual Maturity Amazon.com/dp/B0CXTCTNB1 will go from its introductory price of $4.99 to regular price Friday, April 5.  Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades is at Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9.

A College Student's Guide to Spiritual Maturity

 After the really good response we have had to Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades (Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9) some have said, "Why don't you do another student book."

So, let me tell you about A College Student's Guide to Spiritual Maturity which is now available at Amazon books Amazon.com/dp/B0CXTCTNB1 at the introductory price of $4.99.  After this, it will go to the regular price of $6.99.

The heart of the book is the Seven Steps in Spiritual Maturity:

Find and Commit to God's Will and Direction for Your Life

Be part of the Team.

Discover and Affirm Your Spiritual Gifts.

Make Good and Wise Decisions.

Be Wise in Your Friendships.

Be Intentional and Smart in Dating.

Accept Forgiveness and Develop Consistency.

As you can see, this is not a Apologetics book or a seminary text, but one aimed right at the everyday issues that either help a college student grow during college years or get them sidetracked. Each step is based around a scripture passage and closes with three or four questions for thought or discussion, if done in a group.

The second section is Some Questions Christian College Student Often Ask such as:

How should I respond to LGBTQ students and their beliefs?

How do I pick a major or a job?

How do I tell another person how to become a Christian

The third section is A Challenge.  The challenge is to invite 3 or 4 other students for a 3 week Bible study.  The 3 Topics are:

Are You Letting Excuses Keep You form Being All God Made You to Be?

Who Are You Trying to Please

Grow in Knowledge and Insight

Like anything I write it is meant to be super practical and brief.  It can be used individually or in a small group study and discussion.  I hope you will check it out and I welcome your feedback.  You would do me a kindness to post an honest review on the Amazon site.

MORE on LARGE Bible Study/Worship Events by Beverly Skinner

 My two previous Blog articles, "Recipe for LARGE College Ministries" and "What about LARGE College Ministries, Baptists, and the Future?" have generated some good discussion.  I mentioned really large worship events built around a dynamic speaker.  The two prime examples many long time college ministry pros remember were Breakaway at Texas A&M with Greg Matte and Choice at Baylor with Louie Giglio. I believe that the "first" of these super large week night Bible study/Worship events was when Dan Yeary was the College Minister/Speaker at First Baptist, Lubbock in the 70's.

Beverly Parrish Skinner was a student at Baylor when Louie Giglio was leading CHOICE and was a Campus Minister at Texas A&M when Gregg Matte was leading Breakaway.   As a result, she has good insight into them and how they relate to campus ministries like BCM.

From Beverly:

Those two ministries were/are very different than what most of us leading BCM are doing.  The only focus of those two ministries was their weekly Bible study.  They weren't trying to do weekly discipleship, missions, or really even student leadership development.  They may have had some of those things, but on a very small scale and it was never intended to include all of the students who attended their ministry.  When I was there, Breakaway hosted a ministries fair every fall to encourage students to get involved in a church and/or campus ministry because they needed more than they would get at Breakaway. (Gregg was a great partner to all of the campus ministries.)  It is much more challenging to grow a large ministry when your focus is on much more than a once-a-week Bible study.  I totally agree with the primary premise though.....it is largely dependent on staff and funding!  

The only way we will reach large campuses.....really any campus....is with staff (or volunteers) who are wholly focused on that campus.

Beverly Parrish Skinner, College Ministry Catalyst, Georgia Baptist Mission Board

Arliss Dickerson's book, Tips for College Freshmen:  124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades is at Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9 and A College Student's Guide to Spiritual Maturity is at Amazon.com/dp/B0CXTCTNB1.