An Honest Assessment

In two previous posts on assessment, Satisfying Work [?] and 3 Steps to More Satisfying Work, I shared a few points of conversation from my time at the Summer Institute for Campus Ministry (SICM).  This particular day our focus was on assessment, and while there was so much we covered, there is one more point I want to raise here before changing gears next week.


Do we need to teach our students how to 'examine' or 'assess' their lives?


In my two previous posts the focus was on assessing our work - our programs and approaches - and even our ability to recognize/discern/assess spiritual growth and formation in the lives of our students - based on what we are able to observe.  But in our conversation we were quickly reminded of our limitations here in the fact that we cannot know the hearts of others.  

'Friendly Fire' on Campus

Do you know what I'm talking about?

Friendly fire?

It's a term most often used in the military or other combat scenarios and involves the inadvertent firing towards a member of  one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces.

It's called "friendly" because the assumption is that it is an accident... unintentional... 

But is it still considered 'friendly fire' when the "fire" is coming from other members of the larger team your a part of?  I'm talking about Christians hurting Christians - ministries working against each other - leaders, student leaders and even casual participants engaging in mean and destructive behavior towards one another.

It happens.

The [Un]Scheduled Pastor

Have you ever been asked, "What's a 'typical' day in your job like?"  If so, I'm guessing your answer was something like, "There is no typical day... they're all quite different."


Last week I asked the question [in my weekly poll], "How many weekly (repeating) meetings do you hold?"


Respondent's answers ranged from the (0-2) category to the (10-12) category.  Based on these results, a 'typical' day in the life of a college minister may include NO regular/weekly/repeating meetings - OR no more than 2 or 3 - which leaves a lot of unscheduled time to be well utilized.


This seems right to me.  I've had days, even weeks, where special events were happening, or student leader interviews were being conducted - something BIG that seemed to take up the majority of my time on campus - and it left me feeling a bit too tied down.  Do you know what I mean?


When I look at the life and ministry of Jesus I see Someone who was purposeful and intentional, but also open and available.

Moses AND Joshua :: Different Sides of the Same Ministry

Have you ever stopped to consider your place in the life of the ministry you are serving in?

If you're anything like me... probably not.

God is so clearly at work in the world - and on our campuses.  But are we presently aware of the fact that He was present [in our ministry context] long before we arrived... and will be there long after we've left?  Our perspective is too often limited solely to the season of ministry that we are present for and I think we need to be challenged to pull back and consider the larger picture.

The story of Moses and Joshua are helping to challenge me in this regard.

Moses could be considered the "big man on campus" of the Pentateuch, if not the Old Testament.  Moses is the central leadership figure in the books of Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy - no other Old Testament leader had a ministry that spanned more than one book in duration.  Moses was connected to some of the greatest miracles within the Bible - the burning bush, the 10 plagues, the Israelite' escape from Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, manna from heaven, water from a rock, etc., etc., etc.

Which Way Do We Go?

In my last post I talked about some good ministry ideas for the month of April.  April has the potential to be  a wasted month as students often shift into survival mode in regards to their classes, responsibilities... and really anything that doesn't involve them being outside, enjoying the great spring weather.  It can be tempting, for those of us who serve these students, to follow suit... especially if you're not sure where to go next.


One of the suggestions I made for making good use of the month of April was to use it as a time to recruit for, and begin to train towards, leadership positions for next year.  

But how do you do this when we're not sure what's coming next?  Is it possible, or even wise, to recruit leaders for specific positions when we know big changes are likely coming?

What's In The Center?

In my post yesterday I talked about the power of words and some of the different ways we wield them - both for good and for ill.  I asked you to take a look at a couple of well-crafted phrases that I've seen used to describe Christian universities and/or ministry communities and share what you thought the difference/s between them might be.  The two phrases were:

Student-Centered Christian Community

and

Christ-Centered Student Community

I didn't get anyone to bite.  I don't blame you.  I know it can be intimidating to scribe your thoughts to the wall of a blog when 1) you don't know who else might read it, and 2) you don't know where the author is headed.  Maybe today's post will evoke some response!

The Power of Words

Words can be very powerful.


Sometimes we forget this and can be very flippant and unintentional with our words.  We are unconcerned with what we are communicating and have the power to hurt others.


Some times we wield this power well as we use words thoughtfully and intentionally to encourage, love and support others.


There are also times when we are too intentional with our words... because we are so set on communicating just the right thing.  We can spend hours working through the precise wording of a phrase because we want it to succinctly communicate everything we want to say in exactly the right way.

The Power of Process-ing

I can't remember where, or when, I first heard it... but it was a statement that changed how I did/do/and will always do ministry in the future::

'Thoughtful reflection is the final 33% of a meaningful experience.'

Think about that for a minute. Thoughtful, intentional reflection on an experience is the final 1/3 of the overall experience. Or put another way, without taking the time to intentionally reflect on an experience you only get 66% or 2/3 the FULL experience. In grading terms we're talking about a 'D'... which is only 6 percentage points away from failing. Most of the students I know would NOT be happy with this kind of experience [or grade].

Revisiting Edgar Dale's 'Cone of Learning' one more time, it seems that even one's 'participation in the real thing' which stands atop the cone as the most actively engaged way for us to learn - must include some form of intentional reflection component in order to yield a 90% retention level. And as pastor-types who are working with college students, we want students to do more than simply 'remember' their experience/s... we want them to be transformed by them!

I'm currently in NYC with a group of students on a spring break 'immersion trip.' Each evening thus far we have spent some time journaling and conversing about the experiences of our day. It is amazing to see how God uses the comments of one student to seemingly open a new door of knowing for another student. Or how one students words can precisely summarize what another student had been struggling to articulate. Or how one thread of a conversation can lead down a path that unlocks something in another person's heart or mind that had been previously inaccessible.

Yes, there is power in the process. But when meaningful, intentional processing accompanies the process - the power unleashed is the kind of thing that God can use to change a life forever!

When Students Lead

When students lead something magnificent happens...

It's hard to put into words how it actually happens, but it is spectacular to watch!

I am a product of a student leader model of campus ministry. Because this was so formational for me, I have sought to implement a student leadership model in every ministry context that provides ample opportunities for students to take on as much leadership as possible. Creating space for ownership, growth, failures and successes has been critical to this model. And while it may not have always been easy, or looked pretty, I know students have come out on the other side of the experience transformed as a result!

I previously wrote about Edgar Dale's 'Cone of Learning' starting a little over a week ago and in my second post on the topic I explored briefly the power of experience. The powerful experiential example I talked about in that post was a short-term mission trip. Equally formative, I believe, is giving students the opportunity to lead out in all areas of ministry. Providing space for students to explore the things they have seen, learned, as well as the ideas they have come up with on their own in regards to how leadership works is a critical developmental opportunity that must be incorporated into how we in collegiate ministry do what we do!

I'm currently on a spring break mission trip in NYC with a team of 15 students, being led by two very capable student leaders. Some ways in which these student leaders have lead-out so far are:

• trip logistics - they have been a part of the planning and preparing phases of the trip.
• team formation - they have facilitated multiple pre-trip meetings that were designed to be both informational and relational in scope.
• travel guides - they have taken care of getting the team from campus to the airport, through two airports, from the airport to our site for the week (via the airtrain and subway systems), and daily from site to site.
• on-site logistics - they have had to think through everything from food to activities to how we can spend our free time.
• spiritual guides - they have led out in morning devotional times, as well as important reflective times at the conclusion of our days.
• empowerers and equipers - they have also done a good job of sharing the role of 'leader' with other members of the team as appropriate and when needed.

Yes, I have been on the trip... but only as a team member. I work alongside everyone else, doing whatever they're doing. And yes, I am here if they get into a pinch, but don't we all have someone we can turn to in times of need?

It's been so good to watch these student leaders work together, lead our team, as well as work with our hosts here in NYC. They have done a fantastic job so far... and I've been reminded of just how significant my own opportunities to lead as a college student were in shaping me.

Yes, there's something quite beautiful that happens when students lead.

On Traveling With Students

One of the reasons I've always loved college ministry, specifically working as a part of the university, is because it provides ample opportunity to 'do life' with students in their context - the place where the go to class, eat and live.

I've often thought that those who reach out to this group from 'off campus' have a much tougher road... they just don't have the same 'easy access' that comes when your office is located right next to the cafeteria...

The past couple of days have reminded me, however, that whatever kind of benefit that comes from being on campus with students is trumped 100 times over by the experience of traveling with them.

While trips with students might necessitate time away from family, here are some of the major benefits I've been reminded of so far:

• Relationships are accelerated - the kind of relational work that can be accomplished in just a day, let alone a week, can often take a whole semester - if not longer - back on campus
• Students are less distracted - students are on the trip because they want to be there and are likely looking for the deep, meaningful conversations that might accompany the kind of service opportunity that peaked their interest in the trip in the first place.
• We're more in tune - yes, even us college ministers can benefit from getting away from campus, and the responsibilities of home for a short time, and immersing ourselves in activities alongside students.
• God is more easily recognized - when we're all out of our normal routines and boxes... our eyes have the chance to re/adjust to their surroundings and God is often much more easily recognized and experienced!
• Transformation is made easier - when students (and pastor-types) are less distracted, and more easily in-tune with God in their midst, spiritual transformation becomes much more likely!

Opportunities to travel with students don't present themselves very often... but when they do, they are terrific occasions to grow relationships (quickly), experience new things together, and see God work in new and powerful ways.

Cone of Learning :: Part III :: Too Much Emphasis on the Wrong Things?

For the past couple of days I've been thinking about Edgar Dale's 'Cone of Learning.'

I suggested in a post a couple of days ago that Dale's 'Cone' might have something to tell us about how we do spiritual formation with students.

In my post yesterday, I looked at the top end of the cone - the end that suggests people learn best through actively participating in what is being taught - and suggested that we might see this most noticeably through the short-term mission experiences we provide for our students.

Today I want to focus in on the other end of the 'Cone' - namely, the end that suggests that passive learning methods [ie. reading, listening to someone else, or even looking at pictures] can be some of the least effective learning methods practiced. When any one of these methods are practiced alone the retention rate is incredibly low.

I wonder how many of our ministries fall into these categories?

Hopefully not many! But is that because we've planned intentionally... or did we just happen to get lucky in how the program came together?

Consider what the 'Cone' suggests about discussion... a 70% retention level.

So we add to a reading group [or a students charge to read their Bible daily] a chance to converse with someone/s about it regularly... and what they retain jumps by 60%!

Or we add a discussion element to what Benson Hines refers to in a recent post of his, "the classic 'sing and speak,'" - our weekly large group gathering - an opportunity to:

• break into small groups to discuss the message,
  
• or a chance at the end to ask questions,
  
• or the encouragement to seek out the speaker after the service - or later on in the week - to follow-up,
  
• or even the opportunity to participate in a small group with a curriculum designed to co-inside with message for the week

... it increases the rate of retention by 50%!

I wonder if there aren't some simple, yet creative ways in which we shape some of our more passive programs such that the potential for impact is significantly increased...

I mean, who doesn't want that for their students... right?

We want our students to be more than just 'hearers of the Word...' We also want them to be 'doers of the Word'!

How have you seen this to be true in your ministry with college students?

Cone of Learning

What kind of impact are your ministries having on those who are a part of them?

How much do your students really takeaway from your sermons, small group discussions, experiments and active participation in ministry?

Consider the 'Cone of Learning' (pictured to the right) or 'Cone of Experience' that was put forth by Edgar Dale in 1969. While this depiction may not be what Dale had originally conceived (click here and here to read about this debate), I think this is worth us spending some serious time considering and using to assess whether or not, or to what extent, what we are doing is truly assisting our students to grow spiritually.

I'll probably spend a few days camping out on this...

So stay tuned and speak your opinion!

Waiting to Grow UP :: Part II

So in my last post I talked about the emergence of a new phase of life known as 'emerging adulthood'. At the end of the post I asked:

• What kind of effects is this new phase of life having on the faith development process?
• Are the ways we've approached this age group in the past still effective? Efficient?
• What can we expect from college student in this phase - both as students and student leaders?
• Is there something we should be doing to slow down, stop, or even reverse this process? Is any kind of change even possible?

Here are some of my thoughts:

What kind of effects is this new phase of life having on the faith development process?

• As is the case in all phases of life, there is no 'one size fits (or describes) all'
• A phase of life that is characterized by increased levels of freedoms, without equal or proportionate expressions of responsibility, will undoubtedly impact an 'emerging adults' faith development.
• As responsibility is delayed in many areas of life, taking ownership of one's faith will likely be one of those areas that is also shelved until later.
• A growing and maturing faith would likely lead to an 'emerging adult' who was maturing in other areas of his/her life that would cause them to stand out in comparison to their peers.

Are the ways we've approached this age group in the past still effective? Efficient?

• Some yes, some no
• Degrees don't earn us anything.
• Titles may earn us even less...
• Young people love the idea of community
• Young people live online
• Personal relationships cannot be replaced
• Personal relationships have to be constantly pursued and invested in

What can we expect from college student in this phase - both as students and student leaders?

• Again, not all students will fit into one categorization.
• There have always been students who have been more responsible than others, same with student leaders
• Students like the idea of having a lot of opportunities
• Students like the idea of being well-connected
• Students don't like to be tied down
• Students like to know that their voice is heard and holds power
• Many students don't like to be challenged or denied
• Students expect results quickly

Is there something we should be doing to slow down, stop, or even reverse this process? Is any kind of change even possible?

• I don't know what kind of change is possible in this 'emerging adulthood' phase of life
• I think leaders and minister will have to change our approach/es to connect
• I think we need to challenge students whenever possible to step-up, take ownership and be responsible!

These thoughts aren't complete... but that's what I have right now.

What do you think? What have you seen from where you sit?

Waiting to Grow UP

If you've worked in college ministry for very long I'm sure that you heard the term/s:

• prolonged adolescence, or
• delayed adulthood, or
• "thresholders", or
• emerging adulthood, or
• boomerang kids, or even
• youthhood

in describing a new phase of life that has sprung up between youth and adulthood. If you haven't, here's a good article that USA Today published on it back in 2004.

What this article suggests, as do the many sociologists and psychologists who study this new phase of development, is that today's "young adults" [ages 18-32] are taking longer and longer to assume many of the "adult" responsibilities in life.

With all of the technological advances, adult-themed media and families struggles that have experienced firsthand, it seems that too many kids have grown up too fast.

Upon graduation from high school and "moving on" - be it to college, a job or life outside of their parents home - many struggle to step into new realms of responsibility. They don't however, struggle to step into new realms of freedom!

These 'emerging adults' love all of the opportunities afforded to them outside of the parental home... but don't care as much for the responsibility side of that same coin. Because of this we have seen the birth and rise of the 'helicopter parent' or the more recent upgraded version - 'the Apache helicopter parent' - yes, this one doesn't just hover, it also attacks!

I've been wondering for a while now how this phenomenon shapes our ministry efforts to this age group. Some questions I've been asking myself are:

• What kind of effects is this new phase of life having on the faith development process?
• Are the ways we've approached this age group in the past still effective? Efficient?
• What can we expect from college students in this phase - both as students and student leaders?
• Is there something we should be doing to slow down, stop, or even reverse this process? Is anything even possible?

I'll give some thoughts on these questions tomorrow.

But what do you think?

What questions are you asking in relation to this 'prolonged adolescence' factor to our ministries?

Teaching 'the Dance'

When I was first married my wife begged me to take some ballroom dancing lessons with her. I was reluctant... but who wants to say 'no' to your new bride!

It was quite an experience (right up until the point when I found out that the school I was working at didn't allow their staff to dance - who knew)!

Having been an athlete for most of my life I was amazed at how clumsy I felt.

I think it had something to do with that fact that what I did impacted, and was impacted by, my partner.

Many of the sports I had played were team sports that necessitated each team member doing their part for the whole thing to work... but it was still different.

It was almost as if I was attempting to run a deep route while participating in a three-legged race; or attempting a fast break in one of those two-person costumes that require both parties to move in-step with one another...

It was not easy! In fact, far from it!!

I've had a number of conversations with students recently about their struggles with different habitual sins.

It seems my talks with these students often go one of two ways:

1. They have grown weary of all of their failed efforts and have nothing left to give, OR
2. They confess their faith, hope and trust in God's grace and are waiting for Him to take it away.

In their mind it's all or nothing...

Either it's all up to them and God has no part in the process and is just waiting for them to clean up their act before He will meet with them or show His face again (or they feel worthy enough to approach Him); OR it's all up to God and there's nothing for them to do in the matter.

While one of these paths would be easier... it rarely is the way that God chooses to work. In my experiences our spiritual formation - that which transforms us more into the likeness of Jesus - is more like a dance.

Jesus serves as the instructor and lead dancer in the pair.

We are the willing partner.

We have a role in the dance. But the role is secondary to that of God.

The 'dance' experience is something else - something less - something other - if we're not on the dance floor, or if we've relegated God to a chair over by the punch bowl.

Healing, transformation, becoming more like Jesus... becoming the person that God created us to be requires that we willingly join in 'the Dance'.

We may not be in control, we may not know where we're going - or when, but the experience and the outcomes of joining God in the dance of our life is a dance we must be willing to enter into to and commit to!

Helping students to learn this dance is a significant part of our work on campus.

Don't you think?

How have you helped students to understand 'the Dance' and their role in it?

How to Best Reach Your Students

How are you reaching your students?

Do you know?

I found myself struggling to answer these questions toward the end of the fall semester. And what made matters worse was the fact that I have been in this ministry setting for 4.5 years!

Unfortunately I had fallen into a trap that I think a lot of us in ministry are prone to... attempting to use what has worked - or is working - in other ministry contexts, in our current context.

We think, quite naturally, that if it worked "there" than it should work here... right!?

And we hope that it does. Because we know how to do "that." We were good at "that." "That" has become quite easy for us...

Sometimes, however, it goes beyond our ministry programs, to something less obvious... like our approach.

I've come to believe that our ministries, or the various programs within our ministries, take on one of three forms:

• Pastoral. Those programs that are geared towards our students who already believe and are bought into making faith central to their life and their college experience. We LOVE these... don't we?!
• Missional. Those programs that are designed to reach out to those who do not know the love of Christ, or those who walked away some time ago. Depending on the kind of campus you serve on, this could take on a much larger or smaller percentage of your programming... regardless, it NEEDS to be a part of all of our ministries!
• Prophetical. Yep, I said. And it wasn't until I was earnestly praying sometime last semester that God opened my eyes to this. Just as there was in the time of the Divided Kingdoms of Israel and Judah - many of God's people had chosen other priorities... and forsaken their First Love. This population of our campus community NEEDS to be awakened to their present state and lack of Kingdom priorities... but I'm not exactly sure how to best go about that... because the Old Testament I read depicts prophets who served God faithfully and were constantly met with resistance, opposition, threats, beatings and even death!

As we grow in our understanding of the campus culture that we are called to serve, I believe that we must also determine how best to reach the different kinds of students we have.

Not all will be ready for a pastor.

Some will need a missionary to share the good news of Jesus...

And others will need the kick in the pants that only a prophet can bring!

What do you think?

Grace and peace to you as you reach out to each and every one of them!

The Hardest Time of the Year

It's mid-February.

For college students (and probably most people) this is one of the hardest times of the year.

The weather is nasty and they've been couped up inside for far too long. The glee of the holidays are behind them. The newness of a new semester has also worn off... and to make things worse... spring break still feels like it's a long way off!

The month of February tends to feel like "the valley" of the academic year... and students really struggle to navigate that valley well.

How do we, as those who do life with college students, walk alongside them during this challenging season?

I think there are a few key things we can be about:

1. Pray. Pray with intention about the challenges of this season on the campus. Pray for needs you are aware of and let your students know that you are praying for them!
2. Educate. Educate your team, your student leaders, as well as the spheres of influence you have on campus in regards to this valley season. Find ways to connect with the counseling center and offer your partnership. The more who are aware of this challenging season, the more who will recognize it for what it is... and join us in intentional prayer.
3. Provide. Provide programming and space for students to experience the love of Jesus in some new, intentional and significant ways that will help them to journey well through this season... and to begin to view seasons like these as opportunities to draw close and experience His provision in the midst of challenging times. This could include things like: new small groups, fun fellowship times, more open office hours, inviting students into your home, etc.

I'm sure that there are other ways in which we can walk alongside students during the doldrums of February... but these, I believe, are some of the most important.

What do you think?

When You Don't Have All of the Tools

Do you ever find yourself lacking in experience or the expertise to really help someone else or some situation that requires more than what you have to offer?

Are matters made more complex for you by the fact that you see yourself as the person "in charge" and therefore, you think, "to ask for help would make it look like I don't know what I'm doing..." and that this might give those you lead reason to just walk away?

If so, you're not alone!

I think we too often make the mistake of thinking that because we've been given the title of "leader" that this somehow means we know everything, are supposed to know everything, or are the best at something, and therefore whatever we think - or do - must be right.

When leaders cease to be learners then these same leaders stunt their ability to lead effectively.

It can happen at the "professional" level - with those of us who are in paid leadership positions - believing that our years of experience and education has to show itself for something... but it can also happen at the student leader level when well-intentioned student leaders believe that if they show any sign/s of weakness that the peers that they lead will laugh at them and question the reason for their position...

Leadership is not easy... and I think the world has shown us some misguided notions of what leadership is supposed to look like. It too often places the "leader" on a pedestal as someone who: knows it all, does it all and has it all together.

The Bible, on the other hand, tends to look at leadership from a different perspective in comparison to the worldly models. I like how the apostle Paul talks about this in the book of Romans - and particularly the way Eugene Peterson captures it in The Message - when he records in chapter 12:

4 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. 5 The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, 6 let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.

God has designed us each uniquely... gifted us with different talents and passions that He wants us to use - TOGETHER - to bring about His Kingdom here on earth! Not that you or I might be elevated... but that He might be elevated in us and through us!

So whether we're a paid leader, or a student volunteer, one of the biggest lessons we can learn in being faithful leaders is how to recognize our short-comings, other's gifts and how best to work as a collective BODY to bring about the greatest good!

What do you think? How have you embraced your weaknesses as a way of inviting others into a shared leadership experience? OR, how have you fought this notion and attempted to be something you are not?

Catalyst - Day 2 - Matt Chandler & Running the Race!

"Some of us get the ministry of Moses. Some Joshua." Matt Chandler

This is an important reminder for me today. Or any day that individuals raise questions about our leadership, ministry, direction, character, etc.

Today is one of those days for me.

I got the chance to hear Matt Chandler, Lead Pastor of The Village Church, speak on Day 2 of the Catalyst conference last week. He is good stuff. A deep well!

The focus of his message to the 13,000 of us that sat at attention was simply to: "run the race that God has marked off for us!" (Heb. 12) For some of us that will be the ministry of Moses - one filled with following God with great faithfulness, but feeling fought by those that we are trying to serve every step of the way. Recall that it did not take the Israelites long to start second-guessing Moses/God upon their great departure from Egypt. The 40 years of wandering in the desert, covered in the book of Numbers, seems to encapsulate the majority of Moses time spent in leadership of the Israelites - who whined and complained almost unceasingly. The end of Moses leadership is chronicled in Deuteronomy - where he charges the Israelites to, 1) remember how faithful God has been in the past - as they have been faithful to Him, 2) recommit themselves to God and the covenant, and 3) pass the baton of leadership off to Joshua.

Joshua then got the glorifying task of leading God's people into the Promised Land. Moses had served his time, spent day after day after day leading an ungrateful people who just couldn't seem to get it. And then Joshua got to complete the task that was originally charged to Moses - to take the Promised Land.

Some of us get the ministry of Moses. Some Joshua.

Today I feel like a Moses. It's never fun to hear of people calling you, or your ministry, into question... especially if you believe you are following the leadership of God.

The people of God often "suggested" to Moses what they thought would be best. Moses struggled with trying to lead a people that seemed more interested in having their own needs met then tending to what God wanted for them.

This was how Moses spent his life. This is how I've spent my morning.

How do we walk the narrow path of discerning and following the direction of God, especially when it seems to trend against what "the people" are wanting?

College students in particular seem to be quite sure of "what they want" and much less aware - and open to - what the actually need. It gets even more confusing when its our student leaders raising the questions. Do they really see something?? Or have they become so enamored with their own role and sense of importance that they now think they've got it all figured out??

Have you ever experienced anything like this?

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Please keep our campus community in your prayers!! I truly believe that God desires to do a new/great work in our midst.

Grace and peace.

preparing the next generation of leaders

With just a couple of days before our student leaders return to campus, I find myself thinking about the importance of the task at hand:

preparing the next generation of leaders to be the men and women that God desires them to be.

What an important task!

No, not a task to be completed and checked off a 'to-do' list, but an ongoing task to be invested in over the course of all of the years that we have with these students!

Yes, a significant part of our ministry is to the masses, but I would dare say that the most critical part of the work that we do comes in the training and equipping of student leaders.

How large a role to student leaders play in your ministry on campus?!

In today's student culture, I believe that student leaders are one of the greatest assets to successful ministry on campus!

• They have a trusted voice among their peers
• They have unlimited access to people and place we don't
  
• They have the ability to speak most clearly to their generation
• They often have a contagious passion
• They have a greater understanding of one another

We need to utilize these key students that really want to make a difference!

So how do we equip them?

I think there are a number of areas that we need to address with student leaders - not only during times of training, but throughout the year as a way of reminding them of the importance of the ministry they have. Some key areas I believe we need to focus on are:

• The mission of your ministry - the need to learn why you/they do what you do.
  
• How the work you/they do fits into the greater work of God, the Church and the University - they need to see the connections beyond your ministry.
  
• Soul care and self-care of the leader - they need to learn the importance of how to be healthy as a leader and why.
  
• What it means to be both accountable and responsible - these are two areas that most of today's student culture seem to shy away from... we need to help them learn the significance of both of these areas... not just for their work with us, but for life in general!
  
• Time management - another oft neglected area that will benefit them now, and later in life, as well as your ministry efforts together.
  
• Specific skills necessary for the specific area of ministry they are leading in - passion and Christian commitment don't necessarily translate into good leadership... we need to help them learn in areas that they might not yet have experience.

While student leaders are essential to the work and mission of campus/college ministry, their role as a student leader is one of the greatest contexts I know of for their ongoing spiritual formation and leadership development as a college students!

What do you think?

How significant is student leadership?

How do you train and equip students to be leaders within your campus ministry?

Let's keep the conversation going!