We live in an age of increased financial austerity in ministry, especially in the world of collegiate ministry. Staff positions are being eliminated, budgets are being cut, priorities are being shifted, and everyone is having to learn to do more, or at least the same, with less. Finding alternate streams of support are becoming more and more vital to our continued existence, not just in ER areas but across the Bible Belt. It’s a time of intense hand wringing and increased frustration.
To some extent it seems those of us in the collegiate ministry world have been dealing with some form of this for the past twenty years or so. I recall a gathering of campus ministers I was part of a while ago. We were being told that finances were tight and we may have to do without some of the things in our ministries we had come to take for granted. I vividly remember one campus minister strongly protesting these changes, declaring, “Well, if I can’t do my campus ministry the way I’ve been doing it all these years, I’ll just won’t do it any longer!”
That struck me as a very sad way to look at things, and for me called into question his effectiveness as a leader. The things that would have to be given up were certainly valuable, but his ministry did not stand or fall on those being present. Wise leaders know that when one path is blocked, you need to consider the alternatives, or reassess the usefulness of what you already have.
Several years ago we were working on our core values for our collegiate ministry here in Penn/South Jersey. It seemed we were always having to make bricks without straw, so one that we settled on was “Creative Resourcing”: While we will be bold and creative in seeking financial resources for our work, we need to give focus to things that don’t cost money.
What are some of the things we can focus on that don’t cost money?
Outstanding Communication
I may not be able to afford to have the slickest website on the internet, but it really doesn’t cost anything extra to make sure I keep in contact with those I need to, that I respond to phone calls and e-mails in a timely manner, and that important information is communicated with my team members so they can deal with it in the best way possible. In a day of unlimited phone calls, texts, and Facebook, there’s no excuse here. This one is a no-brainer.
Excellent Planning
Good planning is closely related to good communication. We all have pressures on our time, but that means that more than ever we need to be students of good time management and effective planning. I need to do all I can to move from Covey’s Quadrant One (urgent and important) to Quadrant Two (non-urgent and important) so that I’m on top of my work and not always behind the curve. Information on how to do this is readily available via websites, books, and mentors. It mostly involves making changes on my part that really have nothing at all to do with my budget.
Passionate, Fervent Prayer
It may take money to put on a prayer conference or a prayer breakfast, but real prayer doesn’t cost a dime. In fact, it may be the best “investment” you and I will ever make. Two hundred years ago a group of students in New England, seeking shelter under a haystack during a rainstorm, started praying and unleashed one of the greatest spiritual awakenings in our nation’s history. I doubt an expense reimbursement for hay resources was ever submitted.
Priority on the Word of God
LifeWay may not like me saying this, but if resource funds are tight, you can always study the Bible. You probably have a few of those laying around, right? ;-) (And if funds are available, you really should check out the great resources at threadsmedia.com!)
Persistence in Sharing Christ
We may end up with less money for evangelistic events and resources, but at the end of the day, evangelism comes down to one person sharing Christ with another. Other than maybe a few dollars for a cup of coffee or two, this doesn’t have to cost anything except the time and effort you put into it. Seriously, don’t ever think your evangelism efforts have to suffer because of budget cuts. Just go talk with people. And teach your students to do the same.
Quality Relationships
This is really what ministry is all about. The most effective, respected, and beloved collegiate ministers put the focus of their attention here. People are always the focus of what we do, always. People always need and appreciate encouragement, and you can give out boatloads of encouragement without breaking the bank. Some of us are prodigious huggers, while others excel in written affirmation. In a digital age where we are in constant contact through Facebook, personal expressions of thanks are still in fashion. And I would argue that in our time, with the decline of mail service, a handwritten note carries even more impact than ever. But along with hugs and notes, the greatest gift we can give others remains our gift of face to face time and a listening ear. And no meter has to be running during those conversations.
Look at the above list. If you were to ask a hundred collegiate leaders what constitutes the core of their ministries, it would almost certainly include some forms of good communication, good planning, prayer, focusing on the Word, sharing Christ, and quality relationships. Money helps us do all these things, but at the end of the day, with each of these it’s the intangibles, the personal aspects, rather than the tangible parts that cost money, that really makes the difference.
There’s nothing I’ve shared here that you didn’t already know, but it’s good to be reminded of such things. It’s in times of challenge where real leaders show their stripes. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
In Judges 7 we read of the Lord drawing down the numbers of warriors who would follow Gideon into battle against the Midianites. Gideon started out with thirty-two thousand, then ten thousand, and finally three hundred men. God made it clear that he wanted a small number so “…that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her” (v. 2). It was God himself who provided the power and the victory, not the power and strength of the masses.
The point is self-evident. A leader in ministry knows where his/her real strength comes from. Our budgets and support may be challenged, but ultimately our real strength, what gets us up every morning and gets us through our day, comes from a vital relationship with Jesus.
And last time I checked, I didn’t need to swipe a credit card to enter my prayer closet.
Robert Turner
Emerging Regions National Consultant
Director of Collegiate Ministries, Pennsylvania/South Jersey
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