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At least in most well-developed college ministries, our student leaders are doing something ENORMOUS and VITAL. They’re taking a key part in God changing lives through the college ministry, serving – in a sense – as “indigenous leaders” or as “missionaries to their own campus.”
Since that’s true, have you considered involving more people in praying for them and encouraging them this school year?
When it comes to missionaries overseas, we publicize their names, roles, prayer requests, and more – with anybody and everybody who will listen. We make missionaries’ contact information known so people can send care packages, or at least send emails with notes of support.
What if you did the same thing with your student leaders?
What if local church members, your alumni base, your parent base, or your financial supporters got that list – complete with roles, prayer needs, and contact info?
What if, during key periods (like the start of school or before a retreat), student leaders’ names were put on arm bands and passed out to some of these same groups?
Not only would this provide prayer for the most important “cogs” in your college ministry… it would encourage them… it would provide a sense of accountability… it might even open up new chances to seek wisdom and mentorship… and it would help them better understand the weight of what they’re doing.
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In the last week, I’ve had opportunities with two different college ministers to talk about the principle of “Backwards College Ministry.” If you’ve been reading for long, you know this is one of the principles I believe makes the biggest difference in college ministry effectiveness – both in large-scale issues (like a semester plan or the structure of an entire ministry) as well as smaller things (like individual messages or picking a small group study).
http://exploringcollegeministry.com/category/backwards-college-ministry (Start at the bottom.)
I wrote in the first post in that series,
Though it is quite wise to ask ourselves if we’re “hitting what we aim at,” the problem is that it’s really easy for college ministries not to “aim” at all!
Instead, I’m tempted to “run the College Ministry Playbook” – choosing methods that have worked before and being content with the fruit… without ever stopping to ask if that particular harvest is everything God wanted to provide. God gets plenty of “good licks with crooked sticks,” so the presence of fruit doesn’t mean all is best.
Whether these ideas are review or new, I’d encourage you to consider them again! The time to think about being ultra-purposeful is in the planning… and for many of us, that’s a big aspect of our summertimes.
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sponsored by
Last year, about 175 college ministers (including a neat contingent of student leaders) enjoyed our College Ministers Cohort at the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta. We handed out hundreds of freebies, held drawings for more stuff, and fed everybody – all within walking distance of the conference. It was all optional, and it was all very casual. Then on Saturday, some of us hung around for an incredible day of connecting Catalyst learnings with the field of Collegiate Ministry.
We’re Cohorting again this October!
Catalyst is THE premier Christian leadership gathering, and it has immense value for catalyzing our thinking as college ministers
…and the College Ministers Cohort simply adds value for every college minister who attends!
The Cohort is not an “extra conference”; it simply offers some chances during Catalyst to spend time with other college ministers. (And to get as many bonus benefits as I can figure out between now and then!)
So if you’re planning on Catalyst already, I hope you’ll hang out with us. And if you HAVEN’T planned on Catalyst, I’d love to help push you over that edge.
Hopefully by the end of the week, I’ll be able to announce whether we’re meeting on Saturday (since that will affect travel plans). It is also likely we’ll have at least a casual dinner on Wednesday night (the night of the Labs) for anyone in town by then – and maybe we’ll do more than dinner?
If you went last year (or even if you didn’t), I’d love input on how we can make it even better! There are a couple of changes I’m planning already:
- More time for conversation at the lunch(es) – made possible by our premier sponsor, OneLife!
- A bigger push to encourage people to come to the “debriefing” (whether that’s Saturday or otherwise)
(Need more info about Catalyst? Check out their phenomenal site here.)
So there you have it. Catalyst College Ministers Cohort 2011 is a go. I’m already excited.
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If you missed it, Campus Crusade for Christ unveiled its new name for the U.S. ministry this week! “Cru” will go “official” in 2012, although your various campuses will probably adjust on different timetables. (And some of you have probably seen simply “Cru” for awhile already.)
They have an open discussion board up to discuss the name change, and I’ve read through quite a bit of it. Like many forums, it’s drawn plenty of nonsense, but there are definitely some good discussions and good questions taking place, too.
I also really encourage you to check out the videos if you haven’t – there’s some great stuff there, including from Bill Bright’s widow and from an Executive Director who was originally not a fan of “Cru” (a very wise addition to the testimony list).
I presented my first thoughts on this yesterday. From the discussions on the forum and some additional reflectin’, some thoughts:
- This will like affect college ministers more than college ministry activity. On campus, few people will have any problem with the name “Cru” (except for the branding issue mentioned yesterday), and it will indeed avoid the barriers “Crusade” erects. But sadly, there will likely be supporters of our Campus Crusade staff friends who pull funding because of misunderstandings about the name (see below). Pray for them.
- Hopefully Cru will give its staff all sorts of tools for sharing about the name-change. One concern that does seem to be coming from the campus ministers via the discussion board is a difficulty knowing how to explain the new name. Hopefully well-written letters from national staff, brilliant “talking points,” DVDs, and other tools will be provided… quickly. If I was a staff member, I’d want to contact my supporters this week with some really choice words.
- I’m glad they’re allowing the airing of views. The discussion board is a good thing, even if it doesn’t produce solely good material. A big company like Crusade should go over-the-top in transparency as often as possible.
- I hope the “higher-ups” see the value of addressing concerns. Sadly, it seems like regional or national team comments on the forum are few and far between. On the other hand, I’ve really appreciated the comments from my friend Ryan McReynolds (a Regional Director in the Northeast) – they’re well-said, for one thing, and sprinkled conservatively rather than saturating the discussion. I hope others will jump in, or that new responses will be constructed that honor the valid concerns but also address them directly.
- Explaining the “removal” of “Christ” is going to be an uphill battle. Since discussion boards always draw out the discontented, they’re not good “surveys” as such. But it’s still clear that among those upset by the name, their biggest issue is likely to be the absence of “Christ” in the name. Hopefully Cru can repeatedly point out that they didn’t actually remove anything. They felt the need to completely start over on the name and ultimately landed on “Cru” as an reflection of the past… not a shortening of the past name. (That’ll be a tough sell for some, I’m sure, but it’s true.)
- Is “Cru” going to feel dated? This seems a more valid concern, and it’s got me wondering, too. It’s possible “Cru” will sound like a relic sooner rather than later – especially if they try to emphasize that it’s a modification of the word “crew.” But this effect is also probably heightened when a group goes from a clearly “old-school” name to a clearly more modern name; the renaming of the Baptist General Conference denomination to “Converge Worldwide” is one recent example. It may be that “Cru” stands the test of time just fine.
- I hope they’ll buy the domain(s). Right now, cru.com hosts a directory of sports and leisure clubs in Ulster, Northern Ireland. (And you have to imagine that a site like that has had way more hits than they’re used to in the last couple of days.) I’m shocked they weren’t able to find a donor to help grab that domain before the announcement. Cru.org is apparently registered by Campus Crusade, even though they didn’t have it set up yesterday when I checked. There are probably other domains worth going for, too (.net, .co, etc.).
- This is national news. For now, let me leave you with some good links. I’m sure you can Google to find more:
- Christianity Today offers a great run-down of the story.
- The Washington Post provides a short, helpful article.
- Baptist Press gives a great synopsis of the situation.
- USA Today‘s Faith & Reason blog actually covered this in a rather awkward way, like the author was trying to stir up concerns rather than cover the issue.
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If you’re interested in college ministry at all, you’re interested in this: The country’s best-known, best-branded college ministry (by far) will change its name in 2012. Campus Crusade for Christ will officially become “cru” nationwide.
(I was going to post about something college ministries can learn from Justin Bieber – really – but I’ll save that for this week’s Fridea. Check back in a couple of days!)
Campus Crusade has done a good job with their announcement page for this change, including the official press release and a very strong Q&A page. It’s interesting to note not only the whys (and the hows) of the name-change, but also to read between the lines and see some of the concerns others have already expressed.
(See some additional thoughts & links in the next post.)
the why of the change
In their words,
There’s only one reason we’d change. We want to do a better job of connecting people to God’s love and forgiveness. It’s all about helping people experience the good news that Jesus offers.
Since 2009, Campus Crusade for Christ International has been officially looking at making a change for its U.S. mission, but various levels have felt this need for a much longer time. The key issues involve both “campus” and “crusade.” The former is a problem because Campus Crusade does have much work beyond college campuses.
But for the huge part of U.S. Campus Crusade that is collegiate work, it’s the word “Crusade” that has been problematic. (I wrote on those “unexpected shiftings of vocabular connotations” back in 2009.) While “crusade” actually has a much more general meaning, newer generations may not associate the word with anything other than the historical Crusades. And when you add the fact that Campus Crusade sends lots of students to the mission field each year, the level of concern increases all the more.
Very interestingly, they write
Our surveys show that, in the U.S., twenty percent of the people willing to consider the gospel are less interested in talking with us after they hear the name. We are changing the name for the sake of more effective ministry.
my first thoughts
From my viewpoint – not only of Crusade but also in broader Evangelical campus ministry – here are some first reflections on this far-reaching decision in the world of College Ministry.
1. The name. I knew this change was coming, and my best guess was they’d land on one of three options:
- Cru, since it is the common nickname across many campuses.
- CRU – as an acronym – since it keeps the common nickname but adds meaning. It could be something like “Christ Reaching the University” (at least for the campus work).
- Campus for Christ, which is the Canadian name already and is (obviously) stinkin’ close.
Officially, the new name is “cru” for the logo and “Cru” in normal sentences. (“Lowercase letters are used in the logo to “avoid confusion as an acronym or abbreviation.”)
2. A tough situation. When it comes down to it, I think they had to change the name. (That 20% statistic alone is enough to sway me!) So once that decision was reached, it’s sensible to go with something derived from what they’ve had, and something already connected to many of their chapters (which they call “movements”).
But having to change at all still makes things tough. There’s no college ministry out there with nearly the name recognition among outsiders; pastors and parents seem far more likely to know to tell their students to “look for Campus Crusade!” than anything else.
As a point of comparison, second prize in “brand recognition” probably goes to the Baptist Student Union… the former name of the Southern Baptist Convention’s campus-based ministry. BSU is now called “Baptist Collegiate Ministries” nationally and all sorts of different things state-by-state. Yet those outside the world of college ministry continue to point students to “BSU,” even though that name is only used in a few states. (You can read about their situation here.)
So Cru is likely to face something similar for a long, long time: As students, donors, and others come looking for “Campus Crusade for Christ,” they won’t find what they’re looking for (immediately, at least). That’s a huge loss from a branding perspective.
3. Growing in Cru vs. Rowing in Crew. While it may sound silly, there will be places the new name will cause confusion with rowing teams. “Cru” and “Crew” are homophones, obviously. So at campuses where “rowing crew” is a big deal – yes, there are such campuses – this may cause a bit of a hiccup. Remember The Social Network? (Fortunately, Cru is known as “Real Life” in Boston!)
The funny thing is, Cru will now share this difficulty with InterVarsity, whose name has long caused some to assume an athletic connection.
4. Internal pressures. No matter what we outside the Campus Crusade family think about the name-change, I imagine it’s probably a bit nightmarish dealing with detractors from throughout the staff and donor base. (The FAQ makes clear what some of the concerns are.)
We should pray for our Cru brothers and sisters as they, again, do the best they can with a tough situation. And we should pray for those on the local level; it’s never fun being told you have to change your name, even if you can see why. Those who haven’t already shifted to “Cru” or something else entirely probably have reasons for keeping the status quo, so I’m sure there will be some level of grumpiness and difficulty!
5. The larger campus missionary community? In describing the process, Cru noted that they solicited ideas from thousands within the organization. The decision itself involved 30 staff members from throughout the organization, as well as input from two outside agencies. All of that is superb.
What I missed in reading the site, however, was any mention of discussing this with those outside the Campus Crusade family. (Of course, they might have involved staff from IV, Navigators, Chi Alpha, etc., but I didn’t see it mentioned.)
Rightly or wrongly, one of the biggest concerns I hear about local Cru ministries is the classic “They’re just interested in doing their own thing” complaint. It seems like both the name-change process and the announcement were big chances for this largest of campus ministries to clarify that they see themselves as members of a much larger community of those “reaching the campus tribes.” But hopefully this was a part of the process; if so, maybe they’ll note that at some point.
6. God cares about names. I really appreciate the emphasis they’ve placed on God needing to direct this process (especially in the video announcements). In the end, the decision may seem “simple,” but it’s good for all of us to remember that God cares about directing us in our individual ministries, too – whether we’re picking a name, designing a T-shirt, or writing a blog. We should be praying about it all!
7. Of course, they’re phasing it in. Don’t be surprised if “Campus Crusade for Christ” is still used at your campus for semesters or even years to come. The page states they’re waiting until “early 2012″ so they can make sure “Cru has high name recognition with our stakeholders.”
But I imagine (and hope) there will be major leeway given to those “on the ground” to phase this in. The tough thing about a major change at the campus level is that word-of-mouth and branding are so key. The nice thing, though, is that within 3 years no one even remembers there was a change!
More tomorrow. This is a big moment in the history of our field. I’ve got additional thoughts & links in the next post. Further, if you’re interested in getting to know Cru better, here are my reflections after attending the DFW Winter Conf, and part two is here. (One of the best ways to get to know a college ministry is to participate in what it sees as a cornerstone activity.)
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Yesterday, I wrote a little encouragement toward looking for partnership opportunities among your student leaders. “Just about anything one student leader can do,” I wrote, “two student leaders can do!”
It’s true.
And two (or three or four or five) can likely do it better, whether we’re talking about organizing clean-up after a party or leading a Bible study for a year. Here are just a few reasons why:
- The approach will be more complete.
- The approach will be more balanced / well-rounded.
- Each leader’s individual weaknesses will be balanced out.
- Areas of the task can be delegated based on various leaders’ strengths.
- Greater accountability for the task(s) involved – like being diligent in preparation, praying for the task/people, working ’til the job’s done, etc.
- Different perspectives always help.
- If dealing with people (like in a Bible study or on a ministry team), there’s a better chance for people to “click” with one of their leaders. (This often leads to greater impact!)
- Leaders have a better chance of staying encouraged – and avoiding burnout – and therefore will be better leaders.
We all recognize that “two heads are better than one,” even while we also recognize the danger of “too many cooks in the kitchen”! Of course, there’s a balance to be struck here.
But even for the sake of getting the task done well, we should consider partnership!
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Even at the time, I realized the value of my first experience partnering with another college student. We were co-leaders in that Freshman Bible study I’ve written so much about; a guy and a girl leading a “flock” of about 25 students for an entire year.
As I look back now, I realize how important that was for me. And how valuable partnership opportunities might be for our students. How often do your students – particularly those who are leading within your ministry – have the chance to practice partnership?
I see (at least) three key varieties:
- Partnership with one member of the opposite sex.
- Partnership with another person of the same sex.
- Partnership within a team setting, of three or more people.
These sorts of opportunities may come through semester-long or yearlong activities (like Bible studies or ministry teams). But even individual events – social events, a student-led worship service, planning a large group meeting, taking a mission trip – can make use of partnership in the planning and execution.
Just about anything one student leader can do, two student leaders can do!
For the rest of their lives, our students will take on projects that require partnering. The BIG “project,” of course, is marriage, and I honestly do believe my various partnership opportunities have prepped me to be a better spouse someday (if that’s the plan). Collegians’ future work lives and ministry lives will be filled with moments of partnership, from team projects at their job to simply getting along with an entire staff.
Are we producing people who will partner well? Are we producing people who, someday, will be an enormous blessing to the individual who God chooses as their short-term or long-term partner?
It seems it’s only practical to prepare them via actual partnership opportunities. Not every time, not in every venue. But this can be a major part of how we disciple our student leaders, whether they like the idea of cooperation or not…
Tomorrow, why partnership helps tasks impact better!
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I first posted this Fridea around this time last summer, but it’s something that could be really profound for your college ministry – and it’s even something that might be worth making into an annual tradition.
A while back, I discussed fasting as a great discipline to introduce to college students. And while there are plenty of ways to make this “vintage” practice part of your college ministry, here’s one of the bigger ways:
Call a college ministry-wide fast in preparation for the upcoming school year.
I recognize this is a bit tricky most of your students are away for the summer. But Facebook Events or phone calls can work wonders! And it’s a pretty neat way to participate in spiritual community together, even while separated by thousands of miles.
(If you’ve got some students local this summer who are going elsewhere in the fall, this can still be a personal fast as they prepare for their own next year.)
The first exposure to fasting I remember was in the youth group, where our youth ministers held an annual 40-day fast before Youth Camp. Not nearly all of us – and very few (if any) of the students – chose to fast from food. But many of us fasted from something for those 40 days.
I remember that first time we did it – and I remember how God prepared me for what He wanted to do. I entered Camp with a strong sense of expectancy AND saw God move in some really exciting ways that week.
Those are three of the potential benefits of a “anticipatory fast”
- opening ourselves to God’s preparation
- entering a new season or event with expectancy
- and then – as God sees fit – watching Him respond in cool ways to the fervency of His people
If it fits your group right now and fits your purposes, I’d encourage you to consider calling your students to a fast! It could prepare everybody for an astounding fall – or at the very least, help everybody start the school year in a very special – and anticipatory – way.
I listed a few resources for learnin’ about fasting on that earlier post. I’d love to hear about other ideas / resources, too!
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A simple question that happens to be on my mind today:
As we plan and develop our college ministry, have we considered the experience for students who come to college quite far along in their relationship with the Lord?
“Evaluating Christian maturity” gets a little touchy; some of our students think they’re more mature than they are, and the actually-mature still have much growing to do (as we all do!). But I think in some campus ministries, there’s an assumption that our “pipelines” are as equally valid for a new Christian (or newly-recommitted Christian) as they are for the gal who became a Christian over a decade previous and has been growing since then.
Is it really best to ask students to cover old growth-ground for a year or two? Is there no room to take mature students further, faster?
We all aim to make the “Building” of students a priority. But what avenues for further growth are available for students who arrive rather (and thankfully!) “pre-built”?
Like most points of assessment, this is a ministry-by-ministry evaluation. So don’t get bogged down in the paragraphs – refer yourself to the original question: What’s the experience like for students who come to college with quite a bit of spiritual growth under their belt?
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