BCM Leadership

Leadership: Mentoring, Info for Your Growth and Prayer Reminder

2012-01-26T09:06:00.000-08:00

There are lots of excellent and lengthy explanations about how and why mentor others. Spring semester is always a time to build deeper into some students' lives and to prepare some for a future leadership role. So, here are "Arliss' Over-simple Rules for Mentoring".

1. Seek out students with potential.

2. Set a regular time to meet....with some degree of privacy.

3. Talk personal issues...what's going on with them...big issues....little issues...just them stuff.

4. Talk leadership...why do people follow some people...whose the best leader you know/worst.....why?

5. Talk faith questions...what do you wonder about....where are you....what troubles you?

6. Affirm them ability wise and personally. Everybody needs to know they got something to offer.

7. Be honest with them...sometimes fun and pleasant...sometimes hard! But, you aren't mentoring, if you aren't honest!

8. Help them evaluate and learn from past and present leadership situations.

UPCOMING NATIONAL COLLEGIATE MINISTRIES SUMMIT, May 2-4, Nashville

-The deadline for early/cheaper registration is January 31.

-SPOUSE RATE: $35 This pays for their conference fee as well as the Wednesday night dinner and Thursday lunch. There will be an Affinity group for spouses and there will be some Mega Seminars and Idea Labs that would relate to family.

PRAY---Many of our collegiate ministry family lost their salary funding as of December 31 and are in the process of raising salaries to stay where God has planted them while some are moving to different campuses.

REMEMBER, I do a Collegiate Ministry blog at arlissdickerson.blogspot.com.

Arliss Dickerson, Leadership Contract Worker

What Does Real Ministry Cost?

2012-01-26T09:03:00.000-08:00

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

Mark Your Calendar for May 2-4 for the National Collegiate Ministries Summit in Nashville,TN

2011-11-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

If you work in the area of Collegiate Ministry on the church or campus side, I hope you have May 2-4 circled on your calendar for The National Collegiate Ministries Summit in Nashville, Tennessee at Lifeway. A significant change in the conference is our hosting it at Lifeway instead of a Convention Hotel. This allows you to tailor the cost to suit your budget or non-budget. You can choose the hotel and cost of your choice or stay with a friend. The Registration/Program cost covers the evening meal on Wednesday and Lunch on Thursday.

The Summit opens on Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 with our Early Bird Mega Seminars which will be repeated again at 3:15 with six different ones to choose from. The Mega Seminars include topics like Mentoring, Hot Topics, Dialogical Apologetics, Disaster Relief and Collegiate Church Planting. Dr. Tim Clydesdale, author of First Year Out will be leading one at each of those times.

A new addition to our program will be our Idea Labs where you can hear topics like, "How to Reach More Men", "Going Big: Taking Your Ministry to the Next Level", "Creating a Culture that Engages Lost Students" and more. We will also have some groupings by similar situations to allow you to connect with and learn from others who share your issues.

Speakers for our plenary sessions include Jon Acuff, Gabe Lyons (who will also lead a Mega Seminar on Thursday morning), Pete Wilson and Eric Geiger.

Hotels close to Lifeway are already beginning to be booked. Registration/Program fee (including 2 meals) is $120 through JANUARY 31. On February 1 the cost is $150. So, make your plans. We want you to be part of the gathering of the Collegiate Ministry Family. Also, College Metro, the church collegiate ministers organization will be holding their annual conference in conjunction with The Summit.

One Other Item: I do a blog with Collegiate Ministry ideas and articles at www.arlissdickerson.blogspot.com with a new article posted about once a week. Comments, idea and questions are welcome.

Arliss Dickerson

Contract Worker, Leadership

arlissdickerson@gmail.com

Some Aid for ER regions to attend Summit 2012

2011-11-08T09:30:00.000-08:00

There will be a limited number of aid available for those in ER regions that would like to attend the Summit. We will be sending that through the state directors office and Robert Turner in early January. So be on the look out for the e-mail.

Daniel Berry/KBC

3 Key Words for Your Fall Ministry

2011-07-28T04:36:00.000-07:00

In the last minute rush to do all the details before school starts, sometimes it helps to remember some of the main things. There are 3 words I believe are key in ministry to students. They are Ownership, Identity, and Example.

Ownership-Do the students already involved in your ministry feel like it is theirs? Do they feel responsibility for it. The more ownership your core students feel...especially your leadership or ministry teams, the more they will invest in the ministry and the more they will want to involve others in it. That comes from knowing their efforts and decisions matter. Make sure your leadership team has some say in key decisions. Give them some choices....but make sure they are all choices with which you as the leader can live!!

Identity-There are two parts to this. First, does your ministry have a clear identity on campus. Market people call this "your brand", but in my language, I would say do all you can to make sure the campus knows you are there and that they have a favorable impression of your ministry. First class publicity and welcome events go a long way in this. Some years a go a student friend who was attending a major university where he was a member of "the top fraternity on campus". I asked him how much they spent rushing students each year. It took my breath away when he said, $50,000. Are you doing all you can for students to know about you and have a correct understanding of your ministry?

The second part of "Identity" is one of the callings of our ministry and that is to be helping students discover their identity....who God made them uniquely to be. I recently attended an event where adults in their 50's talked about what their BSU had meant for them and done for them. A constant thing repeated several times was, BSU had helped them discover their identity in a safe environment.

Example-You attract who you are in most cases. Make sure you are the example to your leaders that they need and make sure your leaders understand how important their example is to other students. Do the freshmen see people they want to be like? Are you modeling to your students what you want them to be like....in your relationship to Christ....in your relationship to others.....in your work habits....in your vision for the campus?

Two other things: First, as you plan and serve in this coming school year, make sure you have the Collegiate Ministers Summit on your calendar. It will be in Nashville May 2-4 with speakers such as Gabe Lyons. As usual, there will be outstanding worship times, mega seminars and best of all the chance to be with college ministers from all over the country who share your calling and passion for reaching this generation. It will start on Wednesday and end Friday at noon. If you are interested in other articles on college ministry, you can check out my blog at arlisdickerson.blogspot.com/.

Arliss Dickerson

Leadership Contract Worker

WHO YOU ARE FOLLOWING

2011-04-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the responses to the question of "What blogs do you follow?"

http://exploringcollegeministry.com/

www.arlissdickerson.blogspot.com

http://youthleaderstash.com/ - sure it is written by youth minister, but there are great games, images, and such. Also, this guy will make promo images and such for you if you email him your game, preaching series, etc... That is really nice.

http://obscurestore.typepad.com/ - it is a collection of random news stories, which can be great for illustrations and discussion starters.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/ is a great collection of blogs on theological issues and reviews of books

Collegeministrythoughts.com (church-based)

http://theresurgence.com//

FOLLOWING ON TWITTER:

Rick Warren

BradBaker (Saddleback’s College Minister)

Tony Morgan

Pete Wilson

Michael Hyatt

Brad Lomenick

Seth Godin

here to lead

Scott Williams

Ron Edmondson

Catalyst Leader

EdStetzer

Jonestony

The Changing Face of College Ministry

2011-04-26T09:04:00.000-07:00

Baptist Collegiate Ministers in Alaska and Indiana have recently learned that their jobs as now funded will end at the end of this year. This is due to the change in funding thru the North American Mission Board and different states sorting out their priorities with changes in funding. These are some of the most effective college ministers in America. What does this mean for all of us?

First, pray for and encourage these folks as they decide what is next for them. Some feel their call from the Lord has not changed and that raising their own salaries and staying put seems the next option. Others are considering going bi-vocational because the need on their campus has not gone away. Some places the emphasis now will be more college church plants. In some campus settings churches are starting their own church plant where there is already a strong on campus BCM Ministry. Let's commit to pray for and encourage these who are in the midst of deciding what is next for them and how to honor God's call on their life.

Second, in your own ministry, do not assume everyone knows the need and sees the effectiveness of what you are doing. Look for better ways to tell your story and to show the need on your campus. Don't take your funding for granted.

As summer approaches here are some different things you might considering doing which helps churches and individuals see the need for and the blessing of your ministry. Also, here are some thoughts that just might help you continue to grow your ministry.

-Take a week and visit pastors/church staff in your area with no agenda or requests...just continue and develop communication.

-Write a personal note to every church or individual that supports your ministry financially.

-Visit the 5 largest youth ministries in your area for connection to future students on your campus.

-Invite some freshmen to be on a Freshmen Leadership Team to grow in Christ and contact/enlist fellow freshmen.

-Consider taking a mission team to one of these campuses whose ministry is being affected.

-Consider making part of next year's mission goal some money for the ministry of one of the campuses experiencing major changes.

-See if there is a way to partner with a church to take a group to Glorieta to gain a greater vision of what might happen on your campus or in your church.

Arliss Dickerson
Leadership Contract Worker, Arkansas State University, adickerson@absc.org

Learning from Others or Being an Expert

2011-01-24T09:29:00.000-08:00

One of the things that we can model as leaders is that we continue to learn. I have always been impressed with college ministers' continual desire to grow and learn how to do it better. I am indebted to many from whom I have learned along the way. When I first started out, I remember chasing "a famous BSU Director" around a table at the morning break at Glorieta firing questions at him. He was gracious and took time for me.

Who are the "famous college ministers" that we can learn from? I believe that is YOU! All of us have something we know or do that would benefit others. Recently someone sent me an article about college ministry with some ideas I felt just did not hold up at least in my experience. I had never heard of the person who had written it. I asked why it was being widely circulated and the answer was, "it's on a blog." By the way, when I sent a message to the author with my own thoughts, he was gracious and responded that he had never thought about the points I raised.

As I began to think about that experience and talking with some folks in college ministry who are "experts" to encourage them to begin blogging. If all the good stuff is on blogs, we got to get more good folks blogging. In order to not be too hypocrytical, I took a dose of my own medicine and began blogging. If you are interested, I post some different thoughts and articles on college ministry at my blog which is www.arlissdickerson.blogspot.com.

What about you? What could you post on a blog that would benefit someone else? There is an area in which you are an expert....maybe it might be "Top 10 Ideas that Don't Work".....just kidding! Let's get out there...let's put our thoughts out there...let's help others! Let's be part of the conversation. I look forward to reading your thoughts.

Arliss Dickerson
Leadership Contract Worker

Building a Healthy Leadership Team: 3 Kinds of Students

2011-01-24T08:57:00.000-08:00

by Weaver McCracken,

Every campus minister has struggled, at one time or another, with finding and keeping good student leadership. This is so important to those of us who work with student-led organizations. Because of the nature of our organizations, we are welcoming to all students, which is both a good and bad thing. It’s good in that we affirm the value of everyone before God. It can be a challenge if we allow students to fill leadership roles, who are not ready or capable of filling them.

While I would never contend that there is only one way of evaluating student potential, the three categories below have helped me through the years to better understand the students who have journeyed through ministries of which I have been a part. It has also helped remind me of the inherent qualities required of those leading our programs. As you read, I hope you smile a little and maybe even grimace a little as you are minded of particular experiences from your past. Good luck in your search and your efforts to continually develop and nurture good leadership. It’s one of the most important things we do.

Refugees
There are always those students who come our way who are needier than others. Their neediness may come from their circumstances or family background. They may not have been as fortunate as many, who come from loving and supportive homes. Because they have more needs, they are usually characterized as more “takers” than “givers.” And because they are inherently needy, they really are not capable of leading others. They can consume more than their fair share of our time, and if allowed to constantly “hang out” in our BCM centers, can create a negative environment.

Tourists
These students can generally be characterized as “floaters” who never join. They don’t easily invest themselves and are always shopping for their best options. They love a cafeteria environment, where they have maximum choice and are always searching for their best options. They may be sharp and talented, making a great first impression, but they don’t easily invest themselves or give themselves to a cause, since their main cause is themselves. This makes them very frustrating to connect with in a meaningful way, especially as one who will be committed as a leader in your BCM. Their seeming self-absorption blinds them to the needs of others and to what it takes to lead others.

Pilgrims
Pilgrims are a rare find. These are those students who know more about who they are, where they fit, what they can do, and what they want to do both while in college and in the future. They understand that they both can and should make a contribution to those causes they believe in. They more easily make commitments to give and to serve. They invest themselves with a goal of wanting to make a difference and want to be a part of a movement of like-minded persons who believe in a cause, and then they act to support that cause.

These are the kinds of students who are magnetic with their fellow students. Students who are less sure of their direction are drawn to Pilgrims who seem to be natural leaders, have ideas, and seem to know where they want to go. They are often charismatic because of their clear sense of direction. These are the kinds of students we are always looking for in our BCM because they make great leaders. The leader among the Pilgrims is often the person we see as the natural choice for a president.

Pilgrims also make great summer missionaries. Where we often get in trouble with summer missions appointments is when we accidentally get a Refugee or Tourist on the field, and they have not fully understood that their experience will fully challenge their worldview. It is doubtful whether Refugees or Tourists can serve either in primary leadership or summer missions positions in our BCM programs without a great deal of mentoring and guidance.

Weaver McCracken, Ph.D.

Director, Collegiate Ministry

Mississippi Baptist Convention

How’s Your Rhythm?

2010-07-27T12:29:00.001-07:00

by Robert Turner

No doubt many of you reading this are anticipating being in the thick of a seemingly endless lineup of activities and events designed to help you meet as many new students as you can as the new year begins.

I won’t debate the merits of such a work ethic. Just as is true for an accountant in April or Santa in December, the first few weeks of the new school year for a campus minister is a time of intense focus, as so much of the year depends on how those first few weeks go. It’s a foundational assumption in our ministry that if you miss out here you will be paying the price for the next nine months, for sure.

But if the 24/7 rush of the first few weeks becomes fixed as your pattern of ministry, problems are sure to arise. At the least, you can find yourself in a permanent ADD state, less “present” for your students, and at worst, flame out like a Roman candle, neither one a desirable state for effective ministry.

Last fall our campus ministry team here in Pennsylvania/South Jersey met for a 24-hour training retreat. During the retreat, I asked them to make a graph of their year, beginning with August and listing the other months through July from left to right. Then on the left they made a vertical line with 10 at the top, indicating the highest intensity, and 1 at the bottom, for the lowest intensity. A horizontal line was drawn across the year indicating the mid-point, or a “normal” pattern of work, representing equilibrium between intensity and rest. I then asked them to indicate on the graph the major events, choke points, and accompanying times of rest, vacation, and planned family experiences. They then were to connect the dots and look at what emerged.

The result, for some, was revelatory. Some saw that they had far more dots above the midpoint than below, while others saw a fairly continuous line from intensity to intensity, with few times below the line in between. For almost all, it was the first time they had taken a 40,000-foot view of their entire year in such fashion.

I would encourage you to take a few minutes and do this yourself. It doesn’t need to take a lot of time and certainly doesn’t require scientific accuracy to be of value. Just be honest with yourself in graphing your workload for the year. You might find some similar revelations.

Life is based on natural rhythms that are built into the way nature works. Day is followed by night, summer is followed by fall and winter, and work is followed by rest. God himself established this in the creation account in Genesis.

Sometimes we feel that the nature of our mission requires an exception to this rule of life. There’s just so many people who need Jesus, we tell ourselves, that we just cannot slow down until everyone is reached. Because there are always those who are not reached, we never find rest. And thus we violate the pattern that God has established in creation.

I am not arguing against working hard! Most campus ministers I know work very hard, myself included. We feel passionately called to our ministry and deeply committed to the salvation and spiritual development of our students. What I am arguing is that keeping a proper balance of work and recovery actually aids in the living out of our calling. Let me explain.

A few years ago I ran in the Philadelphia Marathon, an ambitious goal requiring intense preparation over several months. The keys to success included regular runs throughout the week, paired with a weekly long run of increasing length on the weekend. These had to be accomplished in order to keep moving forward. But a third key, and one of equal importance, was that I had to have planned days of rest interspersed in the midst of the training. Otherwise I would have certainly experienced injury due to overuse and breakdown of my body, as I was asking it to do far more than I ever had.

But in addition to avoiding injury, there was another principle at work, that of regeneration. It turns out that when we lift weights or perform intense cardiovascular exercise, we in essence tear our muscle fibers, and break our bodies down. Not so good. But it is in the times of rest and downtime that those muscle fibers rebuild themselves and do so in a stronger fashion. Every weightlifter knows that you never exercise the same muscle two days in a row, because that day of rest is absolutely necessary. The principle is that in the downtimes, we grow stronger!

For one of my campus ministers in particular, this was the “Ah-ha!” moment of our retreat. Finding the balance of downtime was not laziness or lack of commitment; it actually could make him more fit for the work God had called him to do.

When I was on the campus, I went through that same several weeks of craziness that you will go through. And guess what–now that we had gathered all of these students into our ministry, we needed to do things with them! Our work had only begun! But even with that, I knew that if I didn’t find a way to pull back for a period, I would be no good for them. That’s why Brenda and I almost always found a time in mid-October, right in the middle of the school year, when we left the kids with grandparents and got away for an extended weekend. We needed it, and my students had a refreshed and renewed campus minister as a result.

Downtime doesn’t have to mean doing nothing. You can be totally intentional in how you approach it. It certainly should involve time to listen to God’s voice and deepen your relationship with him. But it can also involve recreation, or re-creation, as I like to view it. It can take on the form of a hobby, or reading. Or loving on your spouse, or hugging your kids. Or getting away and going on a retreat. Whatever works for you. Just as long as it allows for regeneration to take place.

So I encourage you to take a moment and do that graph. And as you see the high points and intense times, be sure that you intentionally insert some times of recovery and regeneration in between. You’ll have to learn to say “no,” so get brutal and dig your heels in if you must. I guarantee you it will be worth the effort. E-mail me at robert@robertturner.net and let me know how it’s working for you.

Robert Turner is the Director of Collegiate Ministries for the Baptist Convention of Pennsylvania/South Jersey, and also serves in a contract role as the national Emerging Regions Consultant for National Collegiate Ministries at LifeWay.

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR President's Retreat due May 1

2010-04-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

The Leadership Cmte of the BCNet is making available 10 scholarships for local, newly-elected BCM/BSM/BSU PRESIDENTS to attend the Presidents Retreat, May 14-16, in Newport (upper east Tennessee), sponsored annually by Tennessee Baptist Collegiate Ministry. This may be an event a local director would like to encourage their president to attend.

Note that the deadline for registration for the Retreat is May 1.

Here are the offer details:

1) Scholarship is for $90, the full registration fee/cost of the weekend.
2) First come, first serve, up the two (2) scholarships per state until April 20.
3) After April 20, we will award the remaining scholarships to any campus making a request, regardless of state.
4) Each student is responsible for their own travel to and from the event.

The deadline for registration with the Tennessee BCM is May 1. We have attached the promotional flyer for the event with this email, which should provide you with all necessary details. In addition to making the scholarship request, registration must be submitted by the deadline. PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK FOR THE FLYER AND APPLICATION FORM.

Would you mind forwarding this to your local directors for their consideration? Thanks for helping us get the word out about a quality experience.

To local directors requesting funding for their newly-elected president, please email reply with the following information:

Local director name:
New president name:
Campus name, city, state:
Has a president from your campus attended before:

We will email confirm allocation directly to each director/president. Funds will be sent by us directly to the TN BCM on behalf of the attending president. All we ask is that each director please help us ensure that any president requesting the scholarship, actually attends, so the funds are not wasted.

The Leadership Cmte and BCNet, which meets annually to help plan and assist local Baptist Collegiate Ministry, is glad to provide this help!

We look forward to hearing from you!

Regards,
Weaver

Are you building for the future or just living in the present?

2010-01-18T12:10:00.000-08:00

As you begin your thinking for new student leadership, one thought to consider is:
"Are you building for the future or just living in the present?"

Here are some ways to think about that.
-Are you putting students in positions they are not ready for? When this happens, they may not function well or worse it gives them a sour taste about ministry and leading. They may quit or serve out the year and then not be willing to serve the next year when they are mature enough and can be of even more benefit to the ministry.

-Are there students that should be used in some "minor role" to help prepare them for the NEXT year. They could be an assistant Bible study group leader or a team vice chairman.

-If your leadership selection for the fall of 2010 does not come till the end of this semester, should you invite some students that you think have real leadership potential to serve on some sort of short term committee (like planning a retreat or working on your missions promotion for this semester) that would allow you to develop them a bit more and give them a positive taste in serving.

-Are there students you should ask to meet with you weekly or occasionally to talk about what is going on in their life to encourage them and help them grow. You may not mention leadership for the future, but that is part of what you might have in mind in selecting them.

Your Future as a Leader:
-Many ministries today are short of money and campus based ministries are feeling more squeezed than ever. One solution is the involvement of alumni and other interested individuals. But, many say, "We have no alumni list."
Now is the time to start one. It may not benefit you or you may stay long enough to inherit the benefit. But, wouldn't it have been great if someone had started thinking for the future before you came.

-What are you doing today that will benefit your ministry tomorrow, next year, in 5 years?

Arliss Dickerson
Leadership Contract Worker
Arkansas State University

Developing a Leadership Culture

2009-10-26T12:52:00.000-07:00

One thing that is often said by those in leadership development is, “Develop a leadership culture.” But, it seems they never explain how to do that. How do you point your students to leadership and help them want to serve as leaders and even not see “leadership” as a dirty word today, as some do.

I believe you develop a leadership culture by holding leadership up, showing it is important and expressing appreciation to those who serve in leadership roles. Here are some ways to do that:
-Hang pictures of each year’s leadership team on a prominent wall in your meeting area, if you have such an area.
-Give an award each year to the outstanding leader as selected by the leadership team in a secret vote.
-Give a variety of awards—“Best Servant spirit”, “The Outreach Award” to the one who most reaches out to others and makes them feel a part of your ministry.
-Give or make available to each member of your leadership team a tee shirt that is unique to them.
-If you have an awards or recognition event/worship service at the end of their term of service, give each one a special tee shirt as an expression of gratitude.
-Give each one a tee shirt when school starts that advertises your main event or worship. It is a thank you and great advertising.
-If you have Ministry or leadership teams in different areas, make a snap shot of each and put them on a bulletin board with each person’s name under it.
-If you print a flyer or brochure advertising your ministry, put a picture of your leadership team on it.
-We give a key to each of our new ministry team members at the beginning of their service. The key is uncut (just like it comes from the store). We explain that each key will be different; each will open different doors; each will not look just alike. We ask them to carry the key all year as a reminder.

What are different things you can do that set your leaders apart? What are things that help those that serve know that you appreciate them? What will cause others to think about their possible service in the future? That is a leadership culture!

Arliss Dickerson
Leadership Development Contract Worker
Arkansas State University

Going Green Spiritually

2009-04-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

By Daniel Berry, University of Kentuck Campus Minister

Romans 12:9-10 states, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.” (NIV)

It’s the word “sincere” that I’ve been thinking about lately. Does the church resemble sincerity? Does my BCM? Does my personal ministry? As I’ve been on campus the last 10 years or so, I’ve come to realize that this is not only one of the main stumbling blocks for non-Christians, but also for those involved in the ministries for which I’ve been involved. I’m guessing it may be an issue in most of your ministries as well.

The Greek word for sincerity, was originally an acting term meaning to take off one’s mask. The challenge of the author is for us not to live our lives with any pretense or insincerity, but rather to live our lives as genuine followers of Christ. For our ministries to become one of authenticity we need our leaders to be real. We need our ministries to be a place where everything and anything can be discussed so that we can, “…be devoted to one another in brotherly love.”(vs. 10). We need to teach ourselves and our leadership to be vulnerable and real with the people they are leading, because if they are not real, than the rest of the students will not be either. We need to practice going green spiritually.

What does going green spiritually look like?

It means Recycling our Garbage. Do you know the past of your students? What difficulties have they overcome? Have they overcome sexual abuse? Rape? Alcohol or porn addiction? What are the struggles they have walked through that have helped to shape their faith and who they are today?

We are taught from the age of little children to bury these struggles, in a spiritual landfill if you will, and not to divulge these dark secrets to anyone. Don’t let anyone find out that these things were a part of our lives. The problem is these things are a part of our lives. These are the things that helped to shape you and your students’ lives. Doesn’t it make since rather than burying them in the deepest cavern of your soul to allow God to recycle the obstacles of our lives for the benefit of others?

It Means Being Vulnerable. As a leader our inclination is not to share our weaknesses. We want our students to see us as strong and capable. Your student leaders feel the same way. Yet, if we are not vulnerable to our students regarding our past and our struggles, are we not enabling the idea of a holier-than-thou Christian lie that no one can live up too? We all have garbage in our lives. We all need to be taught what to do with it.

Recycling Means You’re Through With It. Let me be clear, I’m not advocating us going to our students and calling for an open confession of sins. Accountability is another subject. Rather, recycling our spiritual journey means that through the power and grace of God I have control over a situation in the past that once had control over me. Now I’m ready to help others overcome this struggle.

Recycling Takes Work. It is easier for me to throw away my trash than to recycle it. It is much easier to run a ministry that doesn’t try to tackle this principle. Sometimes it can be down right messy.

Why recycle? It makes for a healthier environment. When your leaders begin to grasp the fact that their personal story can help others they begin to see how God can use their lives. They begin to understand that they don’t have to go to seminary or be raised in a minister’s family to be a leader. They begin to see a personal ministry that they never knew existed. They become real which will help your ministry be more approachable, more applicable to your community, and more representative of the genuine body of Christ.

How do I Begin? My family and I began to recycle one day when my wife made her first conscience decision not to throw away a bottle. She began to recycle. Over the next few months she began to discipline herself to do more. Before long, she had me recycling. It really is that simple.

How to get your leadership understanding this principle will be different in each situation, but one thing I promise is that it has to begin with you. As you begin to discipline yourself to grow in this area you’ll begin to see walls come down. Sometimes you will find out more than you want to know, and you may have a few messes to pick up ,still your ministry may soon become more sincere and a healthier place for all. Isn’t that what recycling is all about?