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Yesterday, I wrote about one way a college ministry can take a “big leap” (which is the point of this “Going for Broke” series). That idea involved launching a new ministry effort – or even a truly new ministry altogether – to reach an underreached segment of your campus.
Honestly, there are probably several ways to “go for broke” that involve reaching out to niches at your school – or maybe even at other schools? (We’re thinking big this week, remember.) But as I’ve traveled the country and otherwise connected with hundreds of college ministries in the last several years, I’ve gained some wisdom (I hope) on taking this plunge. So here are some scattered thoughts on the Who of a niche-based leap for your college ministry.
- Not every characteristic provides a true niche. I’ve seen some attempts to identify reachable segments that don’t seem to connect to students’ actual experience. Not every dorm, section of campus, major, etc., needs to be targeted in a specialized way. If there’s not a true “identity” shared by members of the group, then they’re not that sort of niche… even if they happen to belong to the same honor society.
- Think like a student, not a city planner. Personally, I’d prefer that campuses be easily “mapped” for strategic outreach… but it doesn’t work that way. Students don’t congregate or self-identify around the lines an outsider might draw. Instead, it’s important to look at the actual reality on the ground. What interests, areas, activities, or other aspects have created actual student niches? Could / should any of them be reached in a special way? (Truthfully, your own students may have an easier time identifying these than you might!)
- Be willing to think small. Don’t assume a niche worthy of a unique ministry effort has to be a big niche. There may be a group of 10 or 50 individuals who remain “unreached” by previous ministry attempts. Be open to the call to reach them, and realize they could be harder to find because of their size.
- Be willing to think big. On the other hand, it’s possible to miss a potential niche because it seems so big. Maybe it’s the entire Greek system (and specialized efforts there have worked well on countless campuses). Maybe at your school, an entire class year – Sophomores? Fifth-year Seniors? – could use a tailored effort. Maybe there’s a need to reach men through a new ministry. Don’t overlook enormous opportunities just because they’re… enormous.
- Consider whom God has already brought. To me, this is one of the clearest signs of a potential niche to reach (whether in small ways or in the large-scale way I’m talking about here). Has God brought your ministry students who clearly identify with a niche that is generally underreached? Might he want to use those students to lead an effort, or at least to provide insight into what’s needed to reach their segment?
- Be strategic and thoughtful. Recognizing need isn’t the same as hearing God’s call, no matter how much we’d like for it to be. While noticing that the Arts crowd isn’t being reached may be the beginning of this process, it’s not an automatic call to establish a new work among them. It’s vital that we be thoughtful and strategic, and in the end, the call may be somebody else’s, or the need may be met in some other way.
- Be creative. On the other hand, noticing that kind of need could indeed lead to a new ministry eventually. So if this niche-based work is a possibility for your campus ministry, it’s worth looking high and low for ideas of groups to reach. Poll your students. Look through the list of student organizations. Pray like crazy – and then watch for unique ways God might answer. Ask your ministry’s alumni. Ask the administration.
- Consider service, not only outreach. As you’re thinking about whom you might reach, you might stumble upon the Who of a new niche ministry by thinking about whom to serve, not simply whom to recruit. Look at your campus through recruiting and evangelism eyes, and God may show you some niches. Look through the lens of “Who could really use our service?,” and He may provide you with some others. And on this score especially, campus administration may actually be a help – and then if you begin serving groups they’ve identified, all sorts of benefits may arise from that.
This is enough for now, but hopefully this is at least a start toward thinking about the Who of new niche-based efforts!
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Sorry that this Fridea is coming kinda late, but it could at least help toward planning how you’ll respond to next year’s Halloween!
I do recognize that October 31st is “celebrated” differently campus-to-campus, and many schools may not see much when it comes to this weekend or the night of Halloween. But other schools see quite a bit – it’s the moment when everybody drinks, perhaps, or when the costumes come out (and not unto holiness), or when debauchery is otherwise at its worst.
So my Fridea and encouragement this week is to respond as God leads you and your ministry. The subject line offers some thoughts on that:
- View what takes place, like a missionary would / should. Let it break your heart. Let it open your eyes and your students’ eyes. Let God use what’s actually happening – not just what you assume is – to provide ministry ideas for next year. (I’ll likely prayer-drive through the “scene” myself tonight or tomorrow.)
- Serve students. Like Spring Break mission trips or finals week, your campus might respond well to free midnight pancakes or van rides. Yes, you’ll need to work through what’s best (and what might only encourage more problems), but it’s worth considering how you can serve – and build relational bridges to – students.
- Think long and hard about how you can best serve, impact, and encounter your campus at the Halloweens to come.
- Pray. Pray as you view, with your students, or otherwise. This might be a night for all-night prayer, or it might be something you intercede about regularly, leading up to next year’s Halloween.
- Teach. The issues raised by Halloween – and not just the occult issues, though those are real, too – are worth discipling about, right? Why shouldn’t a girl “dress to impress”? Why wouldn’t a college student drink to excess? What’s so wrong with a night or weekend of debauchery? How can we serve our peers when they’re wrapped up in these things? Have you taught even your Christian students this stuff?
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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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Easter and Christmas, THE two biggest “liturgies” among us Protestants, are both widely ignored in the context of college ministry. Students are often home at Easter and pretty much always home at Christmas. Students who happen to stay in town (or live locally) aren’t going to celebrate these holidays with us.
But that’s kind of a shame, isn’t it? Because not only should we help our Jesus-following students better comprehend and celebrate the magnitude of the Christmas and Easter stories, but the non-Christian and “de-churched” students around us might be more likely to reflect in these moments than any others.
Easter, clearly, is over for 2011. But even now there might be some things worth considering:
1. Let students share. How often do we ask students to share the growth they gained away from our ministries? Yet some of your students probably did reflect on Easter, celebrate Easter, and grow in the context of Easter in awesome ways. Shouldn’t they share that with you, their college minister? Couldn’t they share that with the whole group?
2. Don’t let this pass by ’til you’ve fulfilled your ministry. Sometimes we’re so interested in putting on a good “show” that we wouldn’t dare do something silly like talk about Easter after Easter! But if there’s something (or there are lots of things) God wants you to share about Easter… you need to do that. Even this week. Even after Easter. (Your students won’t care; in fact, it might make it “stick” better.)
3. What are you going to do for Christmas? Start pondering now.
4. Ponder what next year’s Easter will look like. It makes sense to consider your Easter and “Resurrection Week” activities for 2012 now. You don’t have to decide everything, but you should
- analyze how well this year’s activities (if you had some) accomplished your purposes
- contemplate what you might want to do next year (while we’re still “in the moment”)
- write down any worthy thoughts – and maybe set a reminder to make sure you look at ‘em in 11 months.
Easter 2012 falls on April 8th!
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Until somebody mentioned it on Sunday, I didn’t realize that Ash Wednesday is tomorrow. And that means it’s the start of Lent, the 40-day period before Easter Sunday.
Recent years seem to have seen an upswing in Lenten activities among Protestants – including those from very non-liturgical traditions. And there’s all sorts of draw for our college students, particularly in these modern forms: Experiencing Lent is vintage (or even authentage), high-commitment (but relatively short-term), and done (often, at least) in community – yet exactly how one observes Lent is often highly individualized. All very Millennial.
In any case, this might be a fit for your group this year, so I wanted to remind you! If it is, you might be able to take an hour or two refreshing yourself on meanings of and ideas for Lent, and then you can contact your group about it. (It may be last-minute, but your students wouldn’t seriously consider it until the last minute, anyway, right?)
But I also wanted to provide a Lenten help from a cool college ministry from the Northwest. Resonate Church is a fairly young collegiate church serving both the Wildcat tribe and the Vandal tribe. (That’s right – two states!)
They’ve also constructed a cool calendar for their students to use during the next 40 days. I won’t worry about explaining it – but I’d encourage you to check it out. It will give you (or your students) some great ideas.
Here’s the awesome download: LentCalendar – Resonate Church. (Big thanks to Worship Pastor Josh Martin for sending it my way!)
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