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You may know that I published an ebook, Reaching the Campus Tribes, back in 2009. I was humbled by how well it was received by college ministers (and others) from across the Christian spectrum. And I’m so excited that God continues to use it (including in training present and future college ministers, like at Beeson Divinity School). It’s still free, it’s still an easy read – and it still could revolutionize the way you understand, do, and tell others about Collegiate Ministry.
For a little while, I’m spending Mondays revisiting some of the points from the book, beginning with here and here and here.
In Chapter 4 of Reaching the Campus Tribes, I made my fundamental argument that collegiate ministry should be approached like foreign missions. This includes recognizing the vital need for contextualization, patience, realistic expectations, aggressive progress, and more.
We also need to pursue longevity, as I argue on pages 53 and 54. Here’s a portion of that reflection:
Another way college ministry parallels mission work is in the value of long‐lasting ministries. Our hope should be to build ministries that serve as powerful campus missions for decades to come.
College ministries often benefit from a lengthy tenure. For one thing, a campus ministry or church‐based group that is widely known as effective and established will receive positive word‐of‐mouth from students, campus staff, the community, alumni, and others who hear about its work (even from far away). Relationships grow deeper over time, too. Strategy and contextualization become more and more fine‐tuned. And even when a ministry isn’t the largest ministry on its campus each and every year, it may have an easier time staying “in the mix” as a staple in that campus tribe.
The net result of longevity is also a pretty powerful statistic. While other ministries may at times steal the spotlight, a consistent, long‐term college ministry can ultimately impact a much larger number of students. Plus, a long‐lasting mission effort not only gets to impact collegians, but eventually its influence can extend to faculty, administration, and other “locals” as the ministry becomes an integral part of the campus and even the city.
This seems like a great thing for us to ponder in April and May, doesn’t it? The truth is, whether your college ministry is reaching 10 a week or 1,000 a week, if it lasts long enough it could truly have an impact on 10,000 students or more. But are you establishing your college ministry so that it could do that?
Some questions for us:
- How sure are you that your college ministry will be far better in most areas in five years?
- What specific actions are you taking to help this happen?
- Have you made long-range (definitely beyond one year) plans to be a stronger ministry?
- If your ministry is more than five years old, is it having a significantly better impact now than it was two years ago? Is it run more effectively / efficiently? Have you begun to see your past long-range plans bear fruit?
- When’s the last time you planned – specifically – for ministry strength beyond the next school year?
- Are you at the point where you (or someone) can spend ample time thinking about “new initiatives” and “taking more ground” in your ministry? What would it take to have that time each month?
- If God suddenly calls you to a new job elsewhere this summer, will your campus ministry outlive you? Would it thrive in the years to come?
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As you’re thinking about ministry this summer or next fall, have you considered making use of (more) adult volunteers?
I know this isn’t real common in campus-based college ministry. And even the other branches – church-based, Christian colleges, and collegiate churches – don’t always pull in many volunteers.
But there are people in your town, your own small group at church, or in that other church who would have a profound impact on your students. And there are adults who would be really impacted by being around college students, too. Students need to be around adults who aren’t paid to do college ministry, and we need more Christians to be exposed to the work of college ministry.
And you could probably benefit from the extra help (that is occasionally more reliable than student leaders and offers something they can’t).
Yes, I know there’s some trickiness here, some messiness. Not nearly every adult is qualified, and many others aren’t… a fit.
But just think about it. Pray about it. Consider getting out of your comfort zone on this one.
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Special Note: If you haven’t read Monday’s post about taking a “vision trip” to the campus tribes through the NCAA Tourney, I encourage you to read it – and pass it on. This is a rare chance when the eyes of many are on the world we serve!
Yesterday, I noted that “declaring” (or at least requesting) a spotlight month for the work of college ministry would make a lot of sense in YOUR individual context – whether you’re petitioning that designation from a denomination, a church, your financial sponsors, or others. (So check that out if you haven’t.)
Today, my arguments for whyMarch might just be the month worth picking.
1. Spring Break provides great examples of both the worst and the best of college life. Nationwide, most Spring Break weeks fall within the month of March. And Spring Break revelry is already quite famous as a picture of the darkness sometimes found on the college scene, right? That means we have a chance to point to a picture they already have, and remind them of the solution we can help offer.
But there’s much more to the Spring Break story, and we can tell that one, too. Spring Break is a BIG time for major missions and service work within college ministry (even, on occasion, encountering the very darkness described above). So March provides an opportunity to tell those stories, too. Even more “secular” activities can show the awesome side of college: like Alternative Spring Break (Google it if you don’t know what that is – it’s a big deal at some schools).
So the existence of Spring Break means March provides an amazing opportunity to tell the story of the impact of campus ministry… as well as exposing the darkness that is a real part of the college world.
2. …and Summer approaches!
Much of what I said above applies to summertime, too – especially the great and awesome things students get to participate in. And March is often the time those same students (and sometimes their leaders) need to raise funds and raise up prayer partners for those adventures.
But the summer months are also a time when college (and college ministry) can fade from people’s minds. An injection of awareness each year in March wouldn’t hurt… and would likely carry through somewhat until things get going again in August or September.
3. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. I realize if you’re not a sports fan, this might not seem like a big deal. But I would argue that “March Madness” truly does provide an opportunity no other season does. (Read Monday’s post for more – and it’s very pass-on-able for this very purpose!) Even non-sports fans are at least aware this exists – and tying into something that already has awareness is an excellent PR move.
You could be the one starting a bracket competition in your church. You could be the one to contact your denomination’s news service, encouraging them to highlight college ministries at some of the “Final Four” schools (I did this with one denomination last year, actually!). And so on.
4. It’s a better month for us than some. While September wouldn’t be a bad month to choose, it’s certainly not a month when we need to add a whole lot more to our calendars. And while logistics during Spring Break might be tricky, the following weeks – for many of us – aren’t all that rough.
What do you think? Might March make for a great College Ministry Month?
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Today, I also did a guest post for BASIC College Ministries, a cool northeastern group I got to speak for last year. Check out “5 Areas Worth (Re)Thinking About” right here.
This month is (among several other things, I’m sure) National Social Workers Month. That’s why my girlfriend has flowers on her desk this week… and it’s a really smart move for national Social Work groups. Giving themselves an “official month” each year gets their work spotlighted in a focused way, whether that’s from companies that employ social workers, the news media, financial supporters, the government, or others.
The field of Collegiate Ministry runs on support and recognition, right? Many of us (particularly in the campus-based world) request donations from ministry partners – and we’d love to draw more partners, too. At Christian colleges, the directors of spiritual development need budget support and recognition from their higher-ups. And church-based college ministers need those same two things – budget help and recognition – not only from their bosses but from their congregations, as well.
So if all that’s true, where’s our Month?
The truth is, if you’re a college minister of any kind, you’re probably in a position to request (if not outright declare) a special month of focus from
- your church body (whether you’re a church-based campus minister or not)
- your financial supporters
- your larger organization
- your denomination (whether you serve a denomination directly or not)
- bigger ministries in your region
- your college campus (imagine that – your school highlighting the contributions off the “religious community” one month each year!)
And here’s what I’d suggest: Make it March. Yes, I know it’s halfway through at the moment, but I still think March might just be the best month for most of us.
But today, I want to encourage you with that idea: Request (or declare) a month to spotlight the importance, achievements, and needs of Collegiate Ministry.
Tomorrow, why I think March is the way to go.
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Monday I blogged about struggles I’ve seen in two of the branches of college ministry, after speaking on that (among other things) last week at a seminary “brownbag.”
After sharing the difficulties I’ve seen in campus-based and church-based college ministry, I wanted to touch on the other two branches today!
Institutional College Ministry
- Because it’s the most campus-integrated of the branches, those working in Christian colleges likely face some varieties of “red tape” that others don’t. They’re seen as representatives of the university and are clearly tied to its aims and efforts.
- Likewise, these college ministers are unlikely to be overseen fellow or former college ministers. Because of the uniqueness of our work, this can create difficulties.
- This area of college ministry sometimes has a higher educational bar than others; larger Christian colleges (or ones with more developed spiritual life programs) may require a Doctorate or at least a Master’s for those serving in Institutional College Ministry.
Collegiate Churches
- Funding
- Intergenerational connections are usually few
- While this branch has actually been around for awhile, it still feels new (or is unheard of) to many.
- While autonomy can certainly be a strength, it also certainly presents struggles. Oversight and collective wisdom – from more than just college students – can be a helpful thing…
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Last Monday, I argued that we who serve as “missionaries to the campus tribes” need to avail ourselves of learning our field – our “missiology.” It’s not enough for us to learn techniques and “Best Practices” (which I’ve argued don’t exist much in college ministry, anyway). We need to care about the theory side of our work, even if some of us are wired to care about it more than others.
To that end, I wrote about some things I’d had opportunities to speak on recently: the delineation of the four branches of campus ministry, some variations I’ve seen within those branches, and some strengths of each form.
Now I arrive at some of the “struggles” in those branches. Today, I’ll look at the difficulties faced in campus-based and church-based college ministry; tomorrow I should be able to examine struggles in the other two branches.
As I noted last week (in regards to the strengths), these listed struggles generally reflect the more “classic” or common models for each area. As I discussed last week, there are variations in every branch, so some struggles apply more broadly than others.
Campus-based college ministry struggles
- Though many in this camp will – rightly – talk about the joy of locating partners for their ministry, personal support-raising can still be a difficult road. Not all campus-based groups have to support-raise, but those that don’t seem generally limited to denominational campus-based work in the South.
- For those truly “parachurch,” it’s easier to disconnect with the rest of American Christianity – whether it’s churches, denominations, new lines of thoughts, new forms of ministry, or anything else.
- Denominational campus-based ministries may face difficulties – practical, theological, or otherwise – of their denominational ties. Some have faced severe issues along these lines.
- It is often harder within this form of college ministry to connect students to local churches within their collegiate years, and even pointing them to / teaching them about “churchmanship” may also be more difficult (or simply less of a felt need).
- Autonomy has its downsides, to be sure.
Church-based college ministry struggles
- Churches often struggle with a lack of longevity – of both college ministries AND “versions” of their college ministries.
- These ministers are usually not overseen by individuals who have served in college ministry.
- Integration with the campus is trickier in this branch than any other.
- Compared to campus-based college ministry, it’s much harder to find an open position in this field; even the opportunity to volunteer to run a church collegiate outreach may, sadly, not be available!
- This branch doesn’t hasn’t had a lot of development.
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This week, I’ve been offering some learning on the various branches. Not all of this is news to most readers, I’m sure, but I still want to share what I’ve seen in the nationwide views I’ve had the chance to gain.
Today and tomorrow, I want to visit the other part of my seminar from Tuesday morning: my perspective on the Strengths and Struggles of the four branches of college ministry. First, many of the strengths that seem to exist in each branch – including some you might not have often thought about.
These strengths usually reflect the more “classic” or more common models for each area. As I discussed yesterday, there are variations in every branch, so some strengths apply more broadly than others.
Campus-based college ministry strengths
- While our entire field remains quite underdeveloped, campus-based college ministry is clearly the most developed of the branches. In general, it’s got more handed-down wisdom, more collaboration, more “lifers,” more conferences, and more history than the other branches.
- As I’ve argued – often and in ebook form – I believe all college ministry works best when it’s viewed missiologically. Campus-based college ministry seems to take this tack pretty naturally, as it usually involves some group – a number of supporters, perhaps, or a collection of churches – sending a missionary-expert to dwell within and reach a campus tribe.
- Longevity – of ministries and ministers.
- Oversight is provided – usually – by other (or former) college ministers.
- There are in some sense “unlimited” job openings, as long as individuals are willing to raise their own support.
- While many find personal support-raising (the predominant funding method here) a discouraging concept, many do report value in raising up lots of ministry “partners” – and it’s diversified funding, as well.
Church-based college ministry strengths
- When a college minister is actually employed by a church, the funding is steady and doesn’t generally have to be raised.
- Naturally provides opportunities to integrate students into church life and help them make intergenerational connections (which seems beneficial for both the present and life following graduation).
- As American Christians – possibly – seem to be recognizing a greater need for impacting students after high school, there seems to be lots of room for growth in this branch.
- Those serving within a church setting might have the opportunity to feel less isolated.
- The backing of a church can encourage longevity of a ministry and its identity, even across multiple leaders.
Institutional
- This area seems to have the best structures in place for widespread collaboration, and this is perhaps the most “learned” branch. (Some institutional college ministers serve as faculty, have higher levels of education than most, serve as “lifers,” learn from other fields – secular and Christian, etc.)
- High level of integration with the campus (obviously), thus sharing some of the proximity strengths of campus-based college ministry
- Funding is often “set” and might be an expected, long-term part of the budget (moreso than many church-based college ministries).
- The backing of the school may aid ministry longevity.
Collegiate Churches
- Share an interesting mix of some strengths from both church-based ministry (church integration, for example) and campus-based college ministry (missiological activity, among other things).
- Autonomy
- This strategy seems to have some momentum, as major groups are (newly) considering this strategy and the emergence of multi-site churches has led / could lead to collegiate sites.
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I enjoyed sharing with Dallas Seminary students yesterday, and I wanted to offer here some of the points I presented to them. But one of the areas I didn’t get to cover – fully, at least – were the variations found in each of the branches of college ministry. It was, after all, a primer, so it generally made the most sense to present the “classic” versions of each branch.
But each of the branches do indeed have variations – and they’re important to note, since often we only know the “versions” we ourselves have seen. So here’s a quick run-down of some diversifications within each branch.
Campus-based
This one has two well-known methodologies already: denominational campus-based ministries (like Wesley Foundation, Chi Alpha, and several others) and fully parachurch work (like InterVarsity, Navigators, and Campus Crusade). But even beyond that, some ministries look a little different from the “norms.”
- Niche-based ministries (based on anything from campus geography to majors to ethnicity)
- Complementary ministries (that purposely accomplish only part of students’ discipleship, leaving other portions to other ministries)
- Student-directed ministries (with no adult leader on-site or off-site)
- These have a spectrum from fully autonomous, standalone ministries to well regulated, national ministries
Church-based
- There’s a broad spectrum here of fully volunteer-directed ministries (with even students sometimes playing this role) to multi-staff-member church-based ministries running very large, well budgeted ministries… and everything in-between (part-time ministers, full-time ministers with multiple “hats,” and so on)
- Some church-based ministries (or portions of those ministries) function in a way nearly identical (“on the ground,” though not in oversight) to campus-based ministries
- Some hybrids exist – like some CCO ministries and Campus Outreach ministries – in which the college ministries function under a church but are also resourced and overseen by a national ministry
Institutional
- The primary duties may vary more widely than any other college ministry branch. Institutional college ministers may (or may not) focus on a Chapel program, mobilizing students in service and missions, discipleship / small groups, serving in more of a “chaplain” / pastoral role, involvement with faculty and staff, and/or other areas.
- Somewhat like church-based college ministers, those serving at Christian colleges could have spiritual development as only one of lots of duties… all the way to having large staffs
- The religious spectrum of schools obviously affects the institutional college ministers, and not all college ministers are necessarily of the exact same theological bent as their institution
- While the institutional college minister is often the only college minister serving a Christian college directly, many are impacted by local church-based ministers and some even have campus-based ministries present
- The amount of freedom these college ministers have varies, since they are completely tied to the college they serve
Collegiate Churches
- The main variation I’ve seen here is in autonomy. Some of these collegiate churches are independent church plants. Others were planted by a “mother church” that still has some tie to them. Some are part of a larger church-planting body (particularly Great Commission Ministries). And a few multisite churches have planted a campus site – which still fits this branch, certainly, but functions as a site of a larger church.
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Today I have the chance to share a brownbag seminar at Dallas Theological Seminar. I’ve been asked to speak on “The Four Streams of College Ministry,” introducing for students the branches that make up our field.
I’ve found it immensely helpful to think about collegiate ministry in four branches. But it’s actually been through my journeys that this nomenclature has developed, and I wanted to revisit that issue before jumping into further thoughts later this week.
In October 2009, I first broached the subject of broadening my original 3-branch system. I received some great comments on that post – comments that truly helped me digest that issue. Here’s (most of) that post, followed by a link to the comments it received.
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I believe I first outlined my classification of the “three branches” of college ministry in a post way back in February 2008. I had variously referred to those three branches before, including in my book:
- Campus-based college ministry (including parachurch, denominational, and independent ministries centering their activity on the local campus)
- Church-based college ministry (ministries overseen within individual churches)
- Spiritual development at Christian colleges (the specific people or departments in Christian colleges dedicated to student discipleship, often called “spiritual life” or “chaplaincy”) (from Reaching the Campus Tribes, pages 17-18)
Those branches are distinguished, in my mind, by a few major things:
- Campus integration (the connection of the ministry to the college campus, including where it centers its activity)
- Oversight (who tends to hire, govern, and evaluate a ministry’s leaders)
- Function (the way the ministry operates and “feels,” particularly to students)
- Field reception (the lines the college ministry community has tended to draw between these areas)
While any of these factors might be clearer or fuzzier for an individual ministry, I do feel they fairly well delineate between the various branches. So using this terminology has been really helpful to me.
But as I continue to explore and ponder, I always want to be open to tweaking my approach! One question has especially led me to consider adding a “fourth branch” to my classification (it’s the first question listed below).
The big questions:
- Collegiate Church Planting is a major strategy employed on a significant number of campuses. Should it be considered a fourth branch of college ministry, or does it fit better under one of the present branches?
- Should campus-based ministry be split into two branches: denominational / church-related and fully parachurch?
- Should ministries run entirely by students be considered a separate branch of college ministry?
- What’s the best term for Branch #3? “Spiritual development at Christian colleges”? “Chaplaincy”? Something else?
- Any other adjustments you would make to this system?
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A handful of college ministers weighed in on that post with some outstanding thoughts, leading me to the four-branch system I now use. I highly encourage you to check out those comments here.
Those thoughts also helped solidify the names I tend to use for these “Four Streams.” Here’s how I’ll describe those branches with the seminary students today:
- Campus-based college ministry (which includes both fully parachurch and denominational ministries)
- Church-based college ministry
- Institutional college ministry (specific spiritual development organized by Christian schools)
- Collegiate churches (including independent church plants and campus-focused sites of multisite churches)
In the days to come, I’ll observe some of the differences, similarities, and unique aspects of these branches! And as always, I’d love your thoughts on how this is organized – in our underdeveloped field, this is one sort of discussion we need a lot more of!
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I’ve argued time and time again that collegiate ministry is best understood as awfully similar – in practice and theory – to foreign missions. I argued that most fervently in my book, Reaching the Campus Tribes, but the parallels are pretty obvious to a good number of us who actually serve in this field.
But if we Evangelical college ministers are going to keep getting better at this, then learning our field is going to have to be part of that.
Of course, not all of us may be “wired” to be hard-core theorists, to explore deeply the work we do. But I honestly believe that ALL of us should be learners (as I’ve also argued plenty). Some of us may be more devoted to learning, more wired for learning, and more adept at learning. But I think every college minister should make up his or her mind to become better at this task as time goes on.
And we do that – in part – by thinking about our field. By exploring a little “College Ministry Missiology.”
I’ve had some neat chances to present some “missiology” of our field recently, and I’ll be sharing some of those thoughts this week. But this isn’t just an introductory post to that theme. It’s an attempt to ask one simple question:
Are you as faithful in learning about college ministry as you should be?
Hopefully I can offer a little something along those lines this week. But regardless, I hope we’ll see learning as a real part of fulfilling the ministries we’ve received from the Lord. Because if we’re not understanding our work better over time, are we really accomplishing all we were meant to?
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