July 2009 Enewsletter Articles
SIMPLE COLLEGE MINISTRY
By Arliss Dickerson, Leadership Contract Worker
NEW WEBSITE HELPS BRIDGE THE GAP: Connecting High School Students to Collegiate Ministries
By Mandy Trammell
The National Collegiate Ministry Division of Lifeway Christian Resources has launched a new Transitions Ministry Website to help connect high school seniors with the collegiate minister of the college or university they will attend. The website, www.sbccampusconnect.net, is designed for access by youth ministers, parents, grandparents, Sunday School teachers, church staff members, and high school juniors and seniors.
All the information the users provide to the site will be networked to the Baptist campus minister of the college or university the student will be attending. The campus ministers will pass names along to churches with a collegiate ministry in those specific communities.
"Transitions" is a term that represents the ministry of Southern Baptist churches to, with, and for juniors and seniors in high school and freshmen in college. "Our local SBC churches are losing massive numbers of older youth and freshmen in college from our churches," said Steve Masters, Transitions Ministry Contract Worker for Lifeway. "In almost all of our churches the loss is at least 50% to 60%. In many it is as high as 90%. This loss has been occurring for decades and totals millions of people. This is a major challenge for our churches and denomination."
Local, state, and national student ministers and collegiate ministers are partnering together to reverse this trend.
"Baptist Collegiate Ministry has endeavored to reach the incoming freshmen for generations," said Mark Robinson, Collegiate Team Leader for the Louisiana Baptist Convention. "But recent technological developments and a growing passion to reach students well before they graduate high school has increased the potential of a freshman finding a church connection on the campus through the BCM."
"One of the most important ways we are addressing this loss is by helping high school seniors with the transition from high school ministry into the collegiate ministry of the college or university they will be attending," Masters said.
"The earlier a collegiate minister has the name and contact information of a student, then the better the chance the collegiate minister has of involving that student in the campus ministry and either helping them stay connected or become involved in a local church."
Arliss Dickerson, Director of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at Arkansas State University said, "The single most important and helpful thing a church or individual can do to help a college freshman walk with the Lord during their time in college is to provide their name and mailing address to the BCM prior to the start of their freshman year."
Dickerson and his colleagues give such weight to this partnership because this is a crucial window of time for young adults. "We believe that what a student does during their first three weeks of college usually sets the pattern for their whole college career in the relationships they establish and the patterns they develop. A large number of freshmen derail their lives both morally and academically during those first three weeks of school with bad decisions," Dickerson said.
"If we can connect with them at the start, it makes a huge difference in the likelihood of their walking with the Lord and having a more successful academic experience. We can connect them with positive upper-classmen role models and to specific freshmen events that help them grow spiritually."
Linda Osborne, the National Collegiate Ministry Leader for Lifeway, said, "We are excited about developing solutions to the crises of teens dropping out of church. The www.sbccampusconnect.net site can be an important part of this solution, as it provides a simple first connection for students to those who desire God's best in their lives in the university setting."
The National Collegiate Ministry Division encourages all church members to utilize www.sbccampusconnect.net and help facilitate continued discipleship for young adults.
5 Outreach Ideas to Start the Fall
1. Cookie Decorating Outreach Table. At Texas Woman's University By Arliss Dickerson, Leadership Contract Worker
In a group of college ministers last summer we were discussing the much read book, SIMPLE CHURCH, by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger. Someone laughlingly said to me, "Why don't you write the book, "Simple BCM" or "Simple College Ministry". If I could do that, I would, but here are some thoughts as you start the last lap of planning and finalizing things before the fall semester starts to do "Simple College Ministry". But, be pre-warned, it is not a best seller! One thing that influences these ideas is the number of college ministers I have talked to this summer who have experienced or anticipate budget cuts.
DOING SIMPLE COLLEGE MINISTRY:
1. What is it that you do that makes the most difference?
What do students respond to best? What gives you the biggest bang for your buck?
Have you asked your students? Their answer might be different than yours. Then, do it!
2. What are you doing that needs to go by the wayside?
It isn't worth what it costs you monetarily or time-wise. It used to work but, it doesn't
anymore and you are doing it out of habit. Or, you just can't afford it and need to admit it.
3. Make Decisions Based on What Is---Not What WAS!
I heard a financial advisor recently give that advice to somone about not wanting to
to sell some stock for much less than they bought it for. Be honest; aren't you doing
something because of the way things used to be---not how they are now?
4. Play to Your Strengths. (I have said this lots of times previously.)
What do you do well? Are you doing it or short changing it cause you can?
Are you giving time to do what you do well?
What is a strength of your ministry that may not relate to you? Are you emphasizing it
or making the most of it?
A saying about college ministry I like is, "If you think you understand this business, you don't understand this business." SIMPLY put, it changes every year--are you adjusting? Students have changed--are you adjusting?
But, remember this, a friend of mine in looking at a large institution who had just spent a big pile of money to do college ministry said, "they are basically doing what we have done all these years....if there were a better idea, they would have found it." Simple College Ministry means doing what it takes to connect with college students, let them know you care and sharing what God wants to do in their life. Is your ministry geared to that simplicity?
DOING SIMPLE COLLEGE MINISTRY:
1. What is it that you do that makes the most difference?
What do students respond to best? What gives you the biggest bang for your buck?
Have you asked your students? Their answer might be different than yours. Then, do it!
2. What are you doing that needs to go by the wayside?
It isn't worth what it costs you monetarily or time-wise. It used to work but, it doesn't
anymore and you are doing it out of habit. Or, you just can't afford it and need to admit it.
3. Make Decisions Based on What Is---Not What WAS!
I heard a financial advisor recently give that advice to somone about not wanting to
to sell some stock for much less than they bought it for. Be honest; aren't you doing
something because of the way things used to be---not how they are now?
4. Play to Your Strengths. (I have said this lots of times previously.)
What do you do well? Are you doing it or short changing it cause you can?
Are you giving time to do what you do well?
What is a strength of your ministry that may not relate to you? Are you emphasizing it
or making the most of it?
A saying about college ministry I like is, "If you think you understand this business, you don't understand this business." SIMPLY put, it changes every year--are you adjusting? Students have changed--are you adjusting?
But, remember this, a friend of mine in looking at a large institution who had just spent a big pile of money to do college ministry said, "they are basically doing what we have done all these years....if there were a better idea, they would have found it." Simple College Ministry means doing what it takes to connect with college students, let them know you care and sharing what God wants to do in their life. Is your ministry geared to that simplicity?
NEW WEBSITE HELPS BRIDGE THE GAP: Connecting High School Students to Collegiate Ministries
By Mandy Trammell
The National Collegiate Ministry Division of Lifeway Christian Resources has launched a new Transitions Ministry Website to help connect high school seniors with the collegiate minister of the college or university they will attend. The website, www.sbccampusconnect.net, is designed for access by youth ministers, parents, grandparents, Sunday School teachers, church staff members, and high school juniors and seniors.
All the information the users provide to the site will be networked to the Baptist campus minister of the college or university the student will be attending. The campus ministers will pass names along to churches with a collegiate ministry in those specific communities.
"Transitions" is a term that represents the ministry of Southern Baptist churches to, with, and for juniors and seniors in high school and freshmen in college. "Our local SBC churches are losing massive numbers of older youth and freshmen in college from our churches," said Steve Masters, Transitions Ministry Contract Worker for Lifeway. "In almost all of our churches the loss is at least 50% to 60%. In many it is as high as 90%. This loss has been occurring for decades and totals millions of people. This is a major challenge for our churches and denomination."
Local, state, and national student ministers and collegiate ministers are partnering together to reverse this trend.
"Baptist Collegiate Ministry has endeavored to reach the incoming freshmen for generations," said Mark Robinson, Collegiate Team Leader for the Louisiana Baptist Convention. "But recent technological developments and a growing passion to reach students well before they graduate high school has increased the potential of a freshman finding a church connection on the campus through the BCM."
"One of the most important ways we are addressing this loss is by helping high school seniors with the transition from high school ministry into the collegiate ministry of the college or university they will be attending," Masters said.
"The earlier a collegiate minister has the name and contact information of a student, then the better the chance the collegiate minister has of involving that student in the campus ministry and either helping them stay connected or become involved in a local church."
Arliss Dickerson, Director of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at Arkansas State University said, "The single most important and helpful thing a church or individual can do to help a college freshman walk with the Lord during their time in college is to provide their name and mailing address to the BCM prior to the start of their freshman year."
Dickerson and his colleagues give such weight to this partnership because this is a crucial window of time for young adults. "We believe that what a student does during their first three weeks of college usually sets the pattern for their whole college career in the relationships they establish and the patterns they develop. A large number of freshmen derail their lives both morally and academically during those first three weeks of school with bad decisions," Dickerson said.
"If we can connect with them at the start, it makes a huge difference in the likelihood of their walking with the Lord and having a more successful academic experience. We can connect them with positive upper-classmen role models and to specific freshmen events that help them grow spiritually."
Linda Osborne, the National Collegiate Ministry Leader for Lifeway, said, "We are excited about developing solutions to the crises of teens dropping out of church. The www.sbccampusconnect.net site can be an important part of this solution, as it provides a simple first connection for students to those who desire God's best in their lives in the university setting."
The National Collegiate Ministry Division encourages all church members to utilize www.sbccampusconnect.net and help facilitate continued discipleship for young adults.
5 Outreach Ideas to Start the Fall
they provide sugar cookies, frosting and other decorating items on a table set up during a very high traffic time the first week of school in the Student Union. Students come by to get a "free cookie" and as they are decorating them, campus ministry students are able to talk with them and learn more about them! It's a great way to get conversations going!
They even added a contest for a gift card to the best decorated cookie. A digital picture is taken of each person with the cookie he/she has decorated to enter the contest. This gives the ministry a picture with a face and name to help them remember people they meet!
2. Back-to-School Retreat. The University of Alabama holds a back-to-school retreat towards the end of their "10 Days of Insanity" (something everyday for the 1st 10 Days of the new semester). It works well for them because getting students to go away with them for a night seems to stick with new collegiates. Students caravan to the retreat - all of the leadership team members drive their cars and freshmen and others ride. Some of students' favorite moments take place riding to and from the retreat.
4. Get Creative on MOVE-IN Days. At Mercer University in Georgia they use dollies to move in freshmen and call the effort "Hello Dollie!". A church in Mississippi wears bright orange t-shirts that say "We-Haul".
There are lots of freshmen who move in earlier than the official "move-in days". New students in the band, on athletic teams and some sororrity and fraternity recruits have to be moved in earlier than others. Set up a Sno Cone Booth or give away lemonade or pop-ice to these students. The students and parents will really appreciate someone being there to make them feel welcomed as well.
There are lots of freshmen who move in earlier than the official "move-in days". New students in the band, on athletic teams and some sororrity and fraternity recruits have to be moved in earlier than others. Set up a Sno Cone Booth or give away lemonade or pop-ice to these students. The students and parents will really appreciate someone being there to make them feel welcomed as well.
5. Facebook Videos. The University of South Carolina uses a flip video camera ($80) to create micro videos to post on Facebook. Get students to make 15-30 second videos about the ministry and then tag their friends. Even new students eventually get tagged and see another student's perspective on their involvement in the ministry. Free advertising!
USC has used it during the summer to encourage summer missionaries and camp workers.
USC has used it during the summer to encourage summer missionaries and camp workers.