Towards Thin Places

"God is calling you into His presence!"

This was a statement made by the worship leader last night during our opening time of worship at the Summer Institute for Campus Ministry (SICM).

He went on to confess that on more than a couple of occasions this past year he was approached by different students who would say, "I'm not sure why, but I feel like I'm supposed to tell you that God wants you to come into His presence."


Can you imagine being on the receiving end of a comment like this?  How do you think you'd have received it?  With excitement!?  Or maybe some levels of embarrassment?  Did this student know something?  Did I NOT know something?

SICM and Nathan Foster

I'm leaving later today for one of my favorite places (at least in the US) - Whidbey Island.  

For the last several years the CCCU (Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities) has hosted a Summer Institute for Campus Ministry (SICM) on this quaint little island off the coast of Seattle.  

Dr. Keith Anderson (President of Mars Hill Graduate School) and Rev. Bill Fischer (Dean of Christian Faith & Life at Huntington University) are the co-creators of this retreat-style spiritual formation experience and have served as co-hosts since the retreats' inception.  

I have attended this event  4 or 5 times now and it always seems to be the perfect mix of instruction, conversation, activity and relaxation.  The size (typically between 25 and 40 attendees) has always drawn me in as well!

This is a great place for me to be with colleagues and friends, to be renewed and encouraged in the midst of my summer, and to be challenged and shaped in some intentional ways.

This year's theme is 'Learning Spiritual Formation' and the plan is to focus on:

• How we learn spiritual formation?
• What is an effective way of spiritual formation that is always learning?
• What elements of formation are necessary for us to learn so that we may teach?

What Gives?

About a year and a half ago I had the chance to grab lunch with a very accomplished thinker, educator, author, minister-type.  He has done so much over the course of his life, so I just had to ask, "how do you do it all?"

I was a little surprised by his response, "Sleep is overrated!"  He went on to say how the first thing he plans to ask God upon arriving in heaven is, "what's up with sleep?  It seems to me we could have been a lot more productive if we wouldn't have needed that."  I personally like sleep, but increasingly I've come to understand what he was saying.

There's a lot of good stuff out there.  A lot we can give ourselves to.  But,

When life gets too full, what gives?  Because something's got to!

We've all been there... or maybe we live there.  We find ourselves pursuing so many good things that life simply seems too full... and we know we cannot continue on at our current pace for much longer.

Whether we consciously choose what we eliminate (or temporarily sideline) from our schedules or not, we know that without a change to our current pace of life, our quality of life will continue to decline... as likely will our quality of output in all of the good things we're trying to be a part of.

So what goes first for you?

Ideas for June

Well, we've made it to June.

For many of us this means that students have been gone close to a month... so, how's your summer going?  If the answer is 'too quickly' than I can relate.

As much as I might like to spend each day of the summer months immersed in the scene to the right, making good use of our summer can be the difference between fumbling our way into the new school year or a GREAT start, between a strong, well-planned year or a chaotic, hap-hazard one.

Here are a few thoughts on how to make good use of the month of June :: please share your additional ideas, thoughts and comments in the comments section below!

• Take a vacation - there's nothing quite like getting away from campus, and work, for a while to renew our focus, passion and perspective.
• Attend a retreat or conference - I'm personally more of a 'retreat kind a guy,' but taking some time to intentionally grow - how ever that looks for you - can also go a long way in renewing focus, passion and perspective.
• Spend some extra time at home - consider working shorter hours (if you can) or 'summer hours' that allow you to come in earlier/later so that you can spend some extra time off campus and with family (if that's you).
• Assessment - if you haven't done any intentional assessment of your ministry efforts from the past year, since your school year concluded, now is the time.  Soon our attention will be fully on prep for the upcoming year... and if we want that time to be fruitful, and tracking in the right direction, assessment is a necessity.
• Soul Care - as a part of our assessment, it would probably serve us well to take our 'spiritual temperature' to see how we are doing in our own relationship with Jesus.  It can be easy, in the midst of walking alongside college students in need, to pay more attention to their spiritual lives than our own.  The summer months can provide some much needed space for renewing our pursuit of the One we believe called us to this important work.
• Connect with your team - if you've got other professional staff that you work with, find some intentional ways to connect now that students are away.  Consider a staff retreat, some extended casual (but intentional) one-on-ones for processing the previous year, staff lunches, a BBQ at someone's house where you can invite families, etc.  Continuing to build bonds with you team during 'slower months' can really serve you well during the fast-paced school year.
• Connect with other key ministry partners - June can be a great time to connect with other ministers who serve the students on your campus, whether they be faculty and/or staff on campus, pastors in local churches or fellow college ministers on campus.  Now is a great time to initiate or further invest in relationships with these important 'co-laborers' in Christ.
• Map out the rest of your summer - I usually like to operate pretty spontaneously, but in order to make sure we aren't scrambling at the end of the summer to get everything ready before students' return, it might be worth spending some time intentionally mapping out the rest of our summer months.  When do I start that new initiative?  When do I take that much needed vacation?  When do I start writing that series of talks or studies?  Can I take care of some of the details for the mission trip that might be close to a year away?

The summer months provide us some much needed space for rest and 'uninterrupted' work.  I believe that God calls us all to be good stewards of this 'off season' on campus.  What are your plans?

Grace and peace to you!

When You Pray...

One of the biggest pitfalls that those of us in ministry leadership face is getting too caught up in the 'doing' of ministry that we cease to simply 'be' with Jesus.


Prayer is meant to be the life-line between Jesus and His followers.  It's meant to be the means by which we bring our will into conformity with His.  It's meant to be a means through which He shapes us, prepares us, equips us and speaks to us - in every way - for everything.


Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me ~ Jesus (John 15.4).

Got Milk?

:: [Guest post by Bob Henry] :: 

A couple of weeks ago, as I was driving to pick up my kids from school, I came across an unusual scene.  

Well, not that unusual - most of us have done it at one time or another.  Somewhat lost in my thoughts, enjoying the tunes playing on the radio, I caught something out of the corner of my eye.  There, about four lanes of traffic away, and waiting on the adjacent light to turn green, was a man in a car.  That may not seem that interesting, but what caught my attention was the gallon of milk on his roof.   My instinct was to laugh and say, “What an idiot.”  Then I noticed something happening. 

People in cars on all four sides of the intersection were trying to get this guy’s attention.  Motioning with their hands, rolling down windows and yelling – you name it, they were doing it.  I still just chuckled to myself.  Then I realized I was in the man’s view and may be able to get his attention.  I began motioning by pointing at my roof.  He saw me and began looking.   I pointed up and he looked up.  He wasn’t getting it.  Finally, at the last minute, the man in the car behind him, jumped out of his car, grabbed the gallon of milk and handed it through the window to the unaware man. 

Oh, we all felt good.  People drove through that light with smiles on their faces, as if we had solved a major crisis.  The rest of the drive to pick up my kids had me thinking about what I just experienced.  

How many of us have “milk cartons” on the roofs of our lives? 

I Weep At The Wonder Of It

:: [Guest post by Tracy Balzer] :: 

My family thinks I have a heart of steel.

And it’s true.  I rarely cry in sad movies.  I’m a rock at funerals.  I’m an off-the-chart “T” in the Myers-Briggs world, with no visible “F”.  It’s sort of embarrassing, really, especially as someone who claims to be following a ministerial call.  Shouldn’t those of a pastoral ilk show more than a little bit of emotion now and then? 

But today I’ve got my supply of Kleenex at the ready.  This is the day when the Iron Maiden turns into a blob of jello.  It’s the day our graduating seniors are awarded all kinds of honors, and we follow with a Baccalaureate service of praise.  Tomorrow they’ll walk across the stage as their names are called, having completed their four years with us.  And I will blubber like a baby.

This is an annual occurrence for me, the time of year when my calling as a campus minister is absolutely confirmed and affirmed.  Because I’m reminded that I’ve had the honor of really getting inside some of these hearts and minds that will be graduating.  They’ve shared their stories with me, we’ve prayed together.  I’ve read their reflective journals in class, and watched them wrestle with God.  There is nothing that touches my heart more deeply than growth – watching a college student take a few more steps toward God, and seeing His hope in their eyes as they grab hold of that diploma. 

Ideas for May

It's May!


That typically means the end of the academic year... unless that came in April for you.  Either way, it's time to start thinking about saying good-bye to students and preparing for a different season of ministry life - the summer.


I've started posting some ideas at the beginning of each month as a way of mapping out my upcoming month - and I thought some of you might need (or have) some ideas for May as well (I would normally post this information on the first day of the month - but we've been experiencing some flooding here in Nashville... so here you go - a few days late).


A few posts from the month of April that might be worth checking out - if you missed them - or if you are transitioning into a season with some more space for rest and recuperation are:

The Greatest Resource [Wasted?]

Do you pray?  Are you engaged in the practice of other spiritual disciplines?  Are they central to your ministry and efforts?  Or are they something you turn to when no other option remains?

These questions are not meant to be condemning or an attempt to sound like a spiritual elitist.  I know I'm guilty of not praying, fasting, etc., as much as I could (or should).  I think it has something to do with the kind of schedules we keep - often quite busy, yet consistently inconsistent.

College ministers, like most other kinds of ministers, can easily fall into the trap of living lives filled with the 'doing' of ministry, while neglecting to 'be' an intentional Christ-follower.

Again, strong words - I know, but what I mean is that we can get so wrapped up in doing all of the things that we are called to do as pastors and servants of college students - really good stuff like:

• leading worship services
• leading Bible studies
• counseling students
• sharing Christ
• facilitating service and mission opportunities
• investing in student leaders
• investing in professional staff
• watching the budget
• caring for facilities
• preparation - for ALL of the above
• and the list could go on and on and on...

that we then allow ourselves to schedule over the time that we should be focused on tending to OUR own relationship with Jesus (the 'being' a Christ-follower).  

College Students, Discipleship & Creation Care

Happy Earth Day!


Today is the 40 year anniversary of Earth Day.  Are you taking advantage of this global focus?  Students LOVE things that take a 'global focus' stage!


While there are a number of reasons to challenge college students to be an active part of Earth Day, I wonder if we're helping them to make the important connections between creation care and their discipleship.


Consumerism is dominant in so much of our culture.  It's how we've been trained to view the world we live in... as those who have been made to consume it.  But as Christians I believe we've been given a different charge!

God created us to love Him, to love others and to be stewards of all that He has created.

IF Jesus Becomes Business

Got Jesus?


As one called into ministry, this can be a scary question to encounter.

There's a very real danger for all of us who have been called into ministry... that we would become so intensely focused on the 'doing' of ministry that we would neglect our need to 'be' with Jesus.

Maybe you've experienced this.  Or maybe you've experienced the ministry leadership of someone who has experienced this.  You might not be able to quickly put your finger on it, but it is much more noticeable than we might think.


When we, as Christian leaders, cease to intentionally follow Jesus and instead, begin to rely on ourselves, we quickly run out of anything real substantive to offer others.  The reservoirs of faith that we may have made deposits in over the course of our lifetime of following Jesus will only keep us going for so long... and that doesn't account for what we must 'have' in order to 'give' to others.

In Search of Rest

As some of you have noticed, I've added a "poll" section to my blog page.  I added it last week for a couple of different reasons:

1. I wanted to get a better idea for who you are [as a reader of this blog], and
2. I wanted to get a better feel for some of the things that you are dealing with as you serve on into the spring semester/trimester.

Most of my posts are related to the things I'm currently thinking about, or wrestling with, but desiring to be a resource to others in the field I felt it important to create a way for you [the reader] to guide some of the content of this blog.

So, last week's poll was:

What do you find yourself most in need of right now as a minister?  The overwhelming response: REST.

What Do I Believe?

Today's guest post comes from Christy Ridings

In the interest of disclosure I feel I should articulate that I am neither a blogger nor a ‘techno-geek’. That being said, the level of appropriate self disclosure that happens in these types of forums may elude me so consider yourself sufficiently warned. What I am is a fairly transparent, straight shooter who tends to view life, and find God, more in my observations and less in my certainties.

Lately I have been reflecting a great deal on what I believe. Now, I am not speaking in a ‘faith crisis’ kind of way here. I promise this is not an observation about a wilderness experience where foundations are shaken or God cannot be seen from my circumstance. I have been thinking more about how my own beliefs, both conscious and subconscious, construct a framework for how I live and do ministry.

• What are my predominant images of God?
• How would I define God’s mission in the world?
• What does it mean to ‘bear fruit’?
• Who would (does) God include in ‘the least of these’ today?
• What is sacrificial love?

These are a few of the questions that help serve as my compass as I consider where I am finding myself.

People of Similar Heart & Mind

There's something beautiful that happens when we come together as the body of Christ.

I've been reminded of that this week during my time in NYC with a group of students.

I think I often take for granted the kind of fellowship that I have built into my daily and weekly schedule and assume that all other believers naturally do that same... but this assumption has been proven false this week as I've heard story upon story from students on our team who have simply been blessed by being in community with people of similar heart and mind this week.

They've even seemed surprised by how good this intentionally community has felt.

I find myself wondering how true this is of the rest of our campus... or even this generation...

It would seem that in an attempt to be accepted by others, and to have friends, many students have set aside any prerequisites for who should be in their 'Fab 5' or 'inner circle.'

They have so desired community, especially in the new context that moving away to college creates, that they have been willing to settle for something less.

Now please don't hear me say that I think Christians should not have non-believing friends... or that relationships with non-believers are 'less than' relationships with believers, because that's not what I'm saying. What I am saying, however, is that it seems clear to me that the kind of 'inner circle' or tight-knit group of friends that Jesus created for himself - and set, I believe, as a model for the rest of us to follow - was that of surrounding Himself with people of similar hearts and minds [or as close as He could get with a rag-tag group of humans]. This was the crowd that Jesus spent the majority of His time with. This was the context within which much encouragement, prayer, accountability and edification happened.

I think this kind of intentional Christian community is something that Jesus still wants for His followers to experience today.

For our students, we must help to facilitate this kind of community. We must help students to see their need for this kind of community, recognize what only this community can offer them, as well as challenge them to make this kind of communal experience a priority for themselves.

As minister/pastor-types, we must model this kind of communal commitment. We, too, must surround ourselves with the kind of iron that sharpens iron. We must commit ourselves to being with people who's hearts and minds will both challenge and encourage our own. We must be willing to submit our lives to the careful watch of brothers and sisters in Christ who will help us to be better followers of Jesus, spouses, parents, friends, humans...

Yes, being committed to a community of people who's hearts and minds beat similarly to our own - and more importantly, to the Lords - is not just important, it's essential!

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!

Choosing to Cheat

In my post yesterday I talked about the very real tension that a lot of people in ministry feel between 'family life' and 'work life.'

How do we faithfully fulfill commitments to those we love so dearly, and those we feel called to serve?

I was warned of this tension as a young man sensing a call into ministry during my college years... but it wasn't until I read 'Choosing to Cheat' by Andy Stanley that things became solidified in my thinking - and hopefully my doing as well.

The two things that have stuck with me since I read this book several years ago are:

1. My job already gets some of the "best" hours of my days and week... while my family often get's what's left - the evenings and/or weekends depending on the schedule you keep. For too many it's probably much less than this...
2. While there are many people who could do your job, some who might even be able to do it better than you, there is NO ONE who can be the spouse to your mate or parent to your children that YOU can!

These two thoughts have served to shape most of the choices I make about life and ministry. It's why I haven't been on an extended mission trip with students for the past few years. It's why I try to limit my time away on trips to a few days only a couple of times a year. It's why I try to leave the office promptly at the same time - everyday.

No, I've not mastered this... but I strive daily to faithfully fulfill the call God has placed on my life - first to my family, and then to my students.

Together, my wife and I have decided that this was a good year, and important year, for me to utilize my spring break to journey with students to NYC and walk alongside them through some formative opportunities...

My prayer is that God will bless my family in my absence, bless my time with students, and bring us to the other side of the break closer to Him and to each other as a result of our willingness to sacrifice precious time together.

How have you experienced the blessing that comes through faithful sacrifice?

How have you seen God bless your ministry as you have put your family first?

What other struggles have you found in your pursuit of living out your commitments to your family and ministry?

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Should I stay or should I go now?

Should I stay or should I go now?

If I stay there will be trouble

And if I go there will be double

So come on and let me know

Should I stay or should I go?

These lyrics from the band 'The Clash' sum a very serious question that many of us in ministry often ask ourselves... or should be asking ourselves...

Should I stay or should I go?

I mentioned in a post yesterday on my other blog that I am headed to New York City with a group of students for spring break... and that this is the first spring break in the past few years that I have done so.

In a post from earlier this week, on this blog, I talked about short-term mission trips as one of the most formative experiences we provide for students... and so it seems like it would only make sense that as someone involved in college ministry - who has sensed God's call to walk alongside college students during a very formative season of life - that I/we would want to be on every short-term mission experience with students that we possibly can... because we know just how 'fertile the soil can be' in those places.

Yes, aside from the past few years, I have traveled with, and served alongside, students over spring break all over the U.S. dating back to the mid-90s.

Even after I was married, my wife was graciously willing to give me up for a few days, or weeks, to walk alongside students because we had both experienced for ourselves the power and transformation that can accompany such experiences. Yet, when I got married I made a vow to my wife that I would put her [and a few years later - our family] under God, but above all else.

But how does this work?

We've all heard stories, if not experienced first hand, instances of 'family' being neglected in the name of 'ministry.' So this [putting our family first] doesn't seem to be a lived reality for all who are in ministry...

So for those of us who take seriously God's call on our life to walk alongside college students, and take just as seriously our call and commitment to our marriage vows and family life, there can be a great tension... especially when it comes to longer hours, evening hours, weekend events or mission endeavors that can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks in duration.

How do we respond to this tension?

How do we honor God in these two areas of our life?

Should I stay or should I go?

I'll give some thoughts on this tomorrow... but would love to hear what you think!

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?

The [R]'s of fall bReak

Fall break is nearly upon us!

This is a critical juncture in the fall semester for students, yes, but for campus ministers as well.

As students leave campus for a few days, we have the [R]esponsibility of tending to the [R]'s of fall bReak.

[R]est - for too many of us, this will be the first time we let up on the gas pedal that has been pressed to the floor since mid-August as students and student leaders returned to campus. For you, fall break might be a time when you literally need to break away from the crazy pace you have been keeping and simply rest in the presence of the Father.

[R]eflection - for some of us, we've been so busy doing ministry, that we have not created enough space to simply be and hear from God about what we're doing... or maybe more importantly, what He is doing in our midst. The fall break can be a great opportunity to slow down and examine what has taken place in your ministry, and on your campus, over the past two months. There is a lot that God wants to teach us from our recent experiences, but it does require that we create space for Him.

[R]econnect - for some of us, we've spent so much time involved in our own ministry silos that we've neglected some important relationships and partnerships on campus and in the local community. Fall break can be a great time to reconnect with colleagues and co-laborers in the work of reaching college students with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and raising up the next generation of faithful leaders.

[R]edirect - for some of us, this will be the critical point in the semester/year when we recognize that our ministry needs to move in a new direction. It will likely take some of the aforementioned rest, reflection and reconnecting in order to fully realize our need for change, as well as the specific direction/s we need to now move.

So where do you find yourself as fall bReak approaches? What are you (and your ministry) most in need of this season?

Grace and peace to you co-laborer in Christ!

starting with the end in mind

I had the chance to speak to more than 300 student leaders on campus a couple of days ago.  At lunch, immediately following the presentation, a student at a nearby table commented that he was putting something I said up on his facebook... 

I took a deep breath and said, "OK, what?"

The statement that he took away from the 40 minute presentation, "You're a leader now, so you'd better have some idea of where you're goin'... because as a leader you are telling others, 'hey, let's go, follow me, i know the way.'"

I tried to tell him that this statement was likely something I had heard before, so he probably shouldn't give me credit for it, and then commented that I was glad he had found a takeaway from our time together!

A direct message from a new campus minister today got me thinking about a similar question for those of us leading leaders and ministries to consider at the start of a new year...

How do I start this new year off right/well?!

While answers will vary from campus to campus, and minister to minister, I do think there are some secondary questions that we need to ask ourselves (as well as the teams we work with) to assist us in answering this question, and so that we don't come to the end of the year and wonder... "What happened?"

Here are the questions:

1. Where am I?  Or, where am I at?  We need an accurate assessment of "where we are at," as leaders, as well as where our students and campus cultures are at so we know where we need to go. We need to know what the most significant needs of our students are if we want to serve them best.  If you're new to your ministry context, one of the best things I can offer you is this... take your time to get to know your students and their needs (and compare them to what you currently offer).  Even though it might seem like a "waste of time," the last thing you want to do is get to the end of the semester or year and find out that you really have wasted your time because the things you chose to be about were unnecessary.  This question establishes our starting point.
2. Where do I want to end?  Or, where do I want to see my students at the end of our year together?  This is what gives us our direction at the beginning of the year, as well as a vantage point to evaluate from at different points along our year of ministry.  This question establishes our goal(s) that we will strive towards throughout the year.
3. What is realistic?  Given the current state of your ministry, leadership team, student base, campus environment, local church support, etc., what is an accurate estimation of what you (with God) can accomplish this year - you don't want to bite of too much and find yourself spread too thin, or going in too many directions, throughout the year, and yet, you don't want to do too little and find yourself wishing you had done more!  Praying for God's leading in your leadership is essential!  This question establishes how attainable our goals are - a good thing to consider at the beginning of the year.
4. What challenges can I foresee?  Sometimes, if we can anticipate certain challenges, we can plan accordingly and/or work more effectively when they arise.  Are there student leaders that don't seem "all in?"  Are there budget cut-backs that are going to have a negative impact?  Big things happening on campus?  Are there big changes happening within student or professional leadership?  This question establishes potential roadblocks between your starting point and desired end point.  Any one of them has the potential to sideline you and your ministry.
5. What's it going to take?  Realistically, what's it going to take to get from where you are to where you feel led to be in the end?  Do you have the right leadership in place to help you get there?  Do you have the right self/soul-care habits and space established for your ongoing pursuit of Jesus?  Are your students ready for what you've got planned?  This question is your gut check.  If you can answer YES to being up for whatever it's going to take... then proceed with everything you've got!

Ministry with college students is such an adventure!  Different from year to year, semester to semester, month to month, week to week, day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute... and student to student!

We must continually and prayerfully take the intentional steps that will move us (our ministry and students) towards the goal(s) that God has set before us.  We must be ever-aware of how the Spirit is leading and flexible to changes that might be asked or needed along the way.

"Our ministry" is really God's ministry... as faithful servants we are called to come under His leadership and into alignment with what He's already at work doing in that place.

God's grace and peace to you at the start of a new school year!