Inspire College Campuses
What specific changes do ministry leaders need to make to develop disciples who lead others? What is the Elder’s role? In our current congregational model, it would appear the Elder’s role is to gather a crowd, be a paid performer. But Jesus’ life and leadership didn’t reflect that. He coached and equipped people to release an army on a community. He didn’t focus on gathering a crowd out of the community alone, but rather on releasing a crowd of disciples who can make disciples. Think about it. Jesus essentially said to the disciples, “You don’t need me to physically be here, walking with you. I’ve equipped you with what you need to be a disciple and make disciples in your homes and neighborhoods.”
Also, we have to look at this idea of, “What is success?” What are we as leaders celebrating? What do people in our ministries aspire to? If we’re honest, we know we're celebrating many of the wrong things. Or we're celebrating just some of the right things so our people are aspiring to, especially our young leaders, a ministry with thousands of people. I’m all for numbers of converts, but those aren't the right numbers alone. We should be counting and asking the question, “How many disciples have I made who can make disciples without me?”
"God has given us the task of telling everyone what He is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work...” - 2 Cor. 5:19,20
There are over 100 million university students in the world. The opportunity is ripe for students from the US to make a difference internationally.
On the campus today is the next generation of social, religious, corporate, and political leaders of this country, as well as the world. Right now there’s a future president, somewhere, sitting down to a plate of dining hall food, or finishing up their lunch in the cafeteria after a high school assembly. 2 Corinthians 4:4 states, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
Everyone will graduate as believers, but in what?
It isn’t a question whether tomorrow’s leaders are on the campus, or even a question whether these leaders will shape and influence our country and world. The question is who will shape and influence them? “Win the campus today and you’ll win the world tomorrow.” Almost every major political, athletic, social, military and religious leader will pass through either the high school or college campus. To reach them with the gospel is to effectively reach the world.
Millennial Generation Less Engaged Spiritually Younger Americans are spiritual, but few are actively engaged with spiritual disciplines such as weekly church attendance, Bible study and prayer, according to a new study by LifeWay Research. The study, which surveyed Americans born between 1980 and 1991—referred to as the “Millennial” generation—found that while two-thirds of Millennials identify themselves as Christians, most have different spiritual habits than older generations.
More than two-thirds of Millennials—65 percent—say they rarely or never pray with others. Some 31 percent pray by themselves at least once a day, but 20 percent never pray at all.
About 34 percent of the younger generation does read the Bible or other sacred texts at least once a month. Even more—67 percent—say they never or rarely read the Bible or other sacred texts. Of those that do read regularly, 21 percent do so at least once a week and 8 percent do so regularly.
One quarter of the Millennial generation attends weekly worship services, but two-thirds rarely attend worship services of any kind. Almost as many—20 percent—attend a small group to study the Bible or other sacred texts at least once a month, but the other 80 percent rarely or never do.
"The research shows us that religion and its practices are decreasing and becoming increasingly privatized among the Millennial generation," said Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources. "With fewer people attending worship services or praying with other faith adherents, it is not surprising that the religious landscape of our culture is changing with the maturation of the Millennials." [lifeway.com, 4/26/10]
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Start a Bible Study Ministry or Club on Your Campus
Does your school need a ministry that is sharing Christ with other students? Your answer is probably a loud YES!
To see it happen, it is going to require leadership, a student or a group of students who have a vision and are confident that God wants them to do something. Is that you? Be encouraged. God will give you his wisdom and ability to be the change at your school.
If you’re ready, read on!
Students everywhere are starting ministries on their college campuses. Many students are personally sharing their faith in Christ with friends through conversations they have on and off campus. In addition groups of students are starting outreach clubs at their school which are usually recognized as an official group and is allowed to meet on campus. Others organize campus outreaches or ministries often affiliated with an organization. These non-club campus outreaches usually meet after school or in the evenings in homes, in coffee shops or other venues, but their focus is reaching out to friends at the school. Students have to decide which is best for their school, but either way the purpose is not only fellowship, it is to share Christ with the student body.
The account of the first gathering of Christians, found in Acts 2, is a good example for those starting a campus ministry. They encouraged and strengthened one another, then went out into their community. They shared the Good News of Jesus and they served people. They grew in number because of their focus on others. They were not inward focused, but outward.
By leading a group, you will offer important accountability and intimacy that fellow students want. Your study will also provide a non-threatening place to discover truth. They'll love digging into the Word and seeing how it applies to their lives. The best part is seeing your fellow students begin to lead others because of the impact you make in their lives.
So before you begin, clearly identify your purpose. WHY do you want to start a ministry at your college?
Where to begin? Prayer is the best starting point
- Gather other students to pray for your school and how to begin a ministry. You can do this before or after school, at a lunch, or in the evening.
- Ask God to:
- strengthen your vision and your faith.
- give you his direction and plan.
- bring students to Christ at your college.
- give you favor with administration and teachers.
- strengthen your vision and your faith.
- Thank him in advance for what he plans to do at your school.
- Check to see if there are existing ministries and Christian clubs meeting on campus or in the community. Join them and work together where possible.
- If you are starting something new, communicate with the existing campus ministries. Don’t compete, unite and encourage.
- Find others on your campus who have a heart to reach out and will join with you.
- Ask a Christian organization to assist you.
- Request a written copy of the school policy for starting school clubs or student organizations.
- If you begin a club you will need a written charter or constitution. Review copies of other school clubs to find examples.
- Schedule a time and place for an introductory meeting with other students.
- Talk about the vision and purpose for your group.
- Discuss ideas of what you would do as group to accomplish your purpose.
- Record your ideas, begin a plan.
- Set a date you would like begin your outreach.
- If starting a club, be sure you know what is required at your school.
- Complete any required applications, charters or constitutions the school requires.
- If the administration has questions about what you want to do, check out Free to Speak.
- Insure that your club will be student-led, although you will want a college staff adviser and mentor.
- Adopt your college.
- Talk with your friends today.
- Take steps to reach out at your school.
How can I get a Little Flock ministry started at my campus?
- Pray! Pray! Pray! Prayer needs to be the foundation stone of your work. A building is only as good as the foundation that supports the structure. The foundation of a productive ministry is laid through prayer. Claim a promise from God’s Word for this ministry. It is God who causes the growth in a person’s life or in a ministry.
- Team Up! Jesus sent out the 70 two by two. Solomon tells us that “two are better than one for they have a good return for their labor” (Eccl. 4:9- 10). Put together a team that shares your vision. A clear mission and vision will help to attract the right students and others to team up with you to launch a Little Flock ministry.
- Connect! We can do more “together” than we can do by ourselves! The task is too great to do it alone. Let’s connect with others who are doing the same thing at other campuses and trust God together to reach students for Christ and to multiply laborers.
- Be Real and Reach Out! Be real and genuine; don’t play games. People can tell if you are sincere. Each person on your team can be used by God in student’s lives! God desires you to be salt and light on your campus. Purposely get to know at least five non-Christian students, begin praying for them and God will do great things.
- Casting the Net! Your team can survey hundreds of students to find those who are interested in spiritual things. Quick, 30-sec. surveys in the campus newsletter or newspaper are an easy way to find new contacts.
- Raise the Flag! Raising the flag declares “we are here and we claim this place for our Lord Christ!” You want to claim your campus for Christ! Raise the flag; let students know you are there. Putting up posters, handing out fliers, advertising events in your campus paper are great ways to get new people to an activity.
- Register! Becoming an officially recognized student group on campus will allow your team to use campus facilities and maybe even apply for funds.
- Bring in the Calvary! You will need reinforcements. Involve your Christian friends from your congregation and in the community. Ask them to commit to praying for your ministry and to host activities at their homes from time to time. Students love home atmospheres.
- Relate! Make every attempt to maintain the unity of the faith. Good relations with other solid Christian groups on campus is a must. Seek to establish good communication with other groups and never recruit your leaders from another campus ministry.
When and how do I become a recognized group on my campus?
You should seek recognition for your group as soon as possible. In most cases, becoming a known entity through the established channels is mutually beneficial. Recognized student groups are usually eligible to reserve space for activities, to receive funding and to use available channels for campus publicity. Recognition also creates trust, builds relationships, provides great opportunities to network, and opens doors to serve the greater campus community.
Procedures and requirements for becoming a recognized campus organization vary from campus to campus. In some cases, your group will need to affiliate with an association of campus ministries. In other cases, your group would be one of the many student clubs and organizations. Since every campus is different you should contact the Dean of Students office to find out the guidelines, requirements and procedures for your school.
How do I meet and recruit incoming freshmen?
Early in a new academic year, most freshmen are eager to find their niche and meet new people. They are often looking for others who share similar interests but also open to trying something new. It’s a great time to take the initiative to meet lots of freshmen.
Ideas for Meeting Incoming Freshman:
- Have your group/team volunteer to help freshmen and their families on “move-in day.” Bring along a supply of ice-cold bottled water.
- See if you can have some kind of presence in freshmen orientation.
- Sometimes incoming students voluntarily submit religious preference information. Some schools will pass on this information to the appropriate organizations and denominations. See if "Little Flock Baptist's"could become one of the religious preference options.
- Host an easily accessible barbecue, ice cream social, bonfire or other enticing activity. During the activity briefly and clearly tell them about your group. Pass around a sign-up sheet for contact information and options to receive more information and/or participate in a Bible study.
- Hold a raffle during freshmen orientation or at the student organizations fair. Possible raffle items: mountain bike, cushy office chair, desk/room lamp, mp3 player. The raffle ticket can be a short form for contact information (name, campus address, email, phone#) and a way to ask a couple of simple questions like, “Yes, I would like more information about The Little Flock Baptist's. Sign me up for a raffle prize.” or “No, I would not like more information about The Little Flock Baptists. Sign me up for a prize anyway.”
- Have a fresh pizza-by-the-slice giveaway with a means to gather contact information and introduce students to your bible study.
- Offer a shopping shuttle service. “Within reason, we will drive anyone to local shopping.” Or set up a Wal-Mart run for a certain time leaving from a certain place.
- Gather an email distribution list of referrals, raffle “yes’s”, and individuals from sign-up sheets. Use it to keep people informed of the group’s activities.
- Personally invite freshmen to a Bible study, preferably with others who live in the same dorm or nearby to help encourage friendship and support.
- Have a mini fall retreat just for freshmen emphasizing community, friendship and accountability.
- Pass out welcome bags with things like: a New Testament, list of fun things to do on campus and in the area, shopping shuttle coupon, invitation to an ice cream social or other event, a pen or other useful small gift, a homemade cookie. And make sure to include an invitation to your Bible study.
Student Informational Meeting
You know the importance of gathering a team to help you reach your campus. How do you start this gathering process? It begins with a Student Informational Meeting.
Here's what you do:
- Have this meeting in a place where people will feel comfortable. Once you start, welcome everyone and introduce yourself. Let them know briefly how you came to faith in Christ and why you want to reach out to students at your school.
- Talk about what it is like at the school, and communicate why this ministry is needed. Explain that it is more than a Bible study; your goal is to give everyone on campus a chance to receive Jesus. Share your vision with the people. An example of a vision statement is: "Our vision is to help fulfill the Great Commission among young people, giving every student the opportunity to respond to the salvation message of Jesus Christ, to be disciples in their Christian faith, and to be trained to reach others with the Gospel."
- Then go into more details of how you will do this - your strategy:
- Evangelism - To win young people to Christ
- Discipleship - To build them up in their faith through studying the Bible
- Challenge - To train and equip them to effectively communicate their faith in Christ with their peers
- Have another Christian student take a few minutes to share how God has used him/her to influence others at school.
- Then talk about a process that will get other students involved:
- Start meeting regularly to pray for the ministry.
- Meet with and challenge as many Christian students as possible to commit to being involved in a discipleship group.
- Begin to disciple the students who respond to that challenge and train them how to share their faith in Christ with others.
- Organize creative evangelistic outreaches and follow up with students who come to Christ.
- When enough students are involved, begin having regular weekly meetings.
- Bring students to conferences and retreats that can help them grow in their relationship with Christ.
Involvement Options
- They can help lead discipleship groups. They can provide transportation for students who can't drive. They can open up their home for Bible studies or outreaches.
- They can make flyers, bring refreshments, buy pizza, form a prayer chain.
- They can form an Advisory Committee (like a board but with important legal differences), providing support and oversight for the local ministry.
- They can give money to support your ministry.
- They can give you names of students and other adults at your target school who may want to be involved.
- And other ways you haven't even thought of yet!
GET A COMMITMENT!!! You don't want your time and effort to have been wasted. Pass out a response card and have them fi ll it out. Let them know that you will get back with those who respond. Then don't neglect to get back with them! It's very demotivating when someone signs up to help and never gets called back.
Close in prayer and break out the refreshments!
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The Little Flock Movement is a student led, Christ driven organization active at the local level created to promote the active participation of students in the life and mission of the Little Flock Baptists on their campuses, in their communities, and as individuals.
The Little Flock Movement affirms that people of all genders share with others the worth that comes from being unique individuals created by God. People of both are welcome within the membership of this movement. As members of this movement, people of both genders are expected and encouraged to share in the sacramental and general life of this movement.
Our goal is to have students come together in small groups to reflect, pray and share with one another in a meaningful way. The benefits of this are:
- Create genuine and lasting friendships
- Participate in service and other campus activities
- Discover a rich life of prayer and reflection
- Engage in your relationship with God
- Discern your unique call to live a meaningful life of faith
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Scripture Study
- Focus on short scripture passages each session. College students already have lots of reading assignments.
- Tailor material to participants’ interests and needs.
- Keep it informal and flexible.
- Begin and end on time.
- Offer a snack if possible (affordable).
- Be sensitive to participants’ prior knowledge and interests.
- Highlight one basic belief or small slice of history per session.
- Use visual aids and examples whenever possible.
- Plan lots of time for questions and discussion.
Don't be afraid of students asking questions. Encourage it. Don't fake an answer. Refer the question to the whole group and see what kind of responses follow. Explain that you don't know the answer, but would be more than happy to find the answer for the next meeting.
How do I handle a student who tends to dominate the discussion, or a student who never says anything?
Talk with the student privately. Tell them how much you appreciate their interest and enthusiasm. Explain how important it is for everyone to have a chance to share. With really quiet students, it helps to understand why they aren't involved. They may feel uncomfortable about giving their comments. Get them involved by asking them specific simple questions.
Some of the students seem to be losing interest in the group. What can I do?
Here are a few questions to ask yourself. First, are you "scratching where they itch?" Take some time to honestly ask students about what's happening in their lives. As you receive their responses, make appropriate adjustments. Typically, students respond to loving, directive, serving leadership. Second, have you communicated the vision and purpose for the group? Perhaps they need to hear again from you why you're giving your time to lead the group.
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Spiritual Direction
Spiritual Direction is a unique service, which is a vital part of one's spiritual formation. The focus is not on projects, activities and numbers of students. Rather, Spiritual Direction is about presence and availability to students. The emphasis is on one-to-one contact. For each student affected positively through Spiritual Direction, several others are usually impacted by that student’s attitude and spirituality. Direction impacts a person’s sense of purpose, meaning in life, faith and trust stance, and self-esteem. This ministry of compassionate presence, through deep non-judgmental listening, provides the recipient with a sense of personal affirmation and dignity, acceptance in one’s diversity, challenge to growth, and encouragement in faith. By honoring the dignity and uniqueness of each person and the sacredness of each one’s journey, we invite students into healthy living, into wholeness and holiness, into being their best selves.
What happens in a Spiritual Direction session?
Often the session will begin with a few minutes of prayer or silence. Generally, the director listens in an open, prayerful environment to the seeker's sharing about what is going on in his/her life. The time together fosters awareness of anything that is occurring in the person’s life which has helped or hindered his/her relationship with God. The director acts as a supportive companion who allows the seeker to look honestly at his/her relationship with God as it is lived out in everyday life and relationships. The emphasis is on affirmation of God’s mysterious presence in our ordinary lives. The guidance of the Holy Spirit is what is most deeply sought in each session. Sessions are generally fifty minutes long and occur in varying frequency.
What is the difference between Spiritual Direction and Counseling?
Counseling is often concerned with social adjustment and therapeutic management of life’s problems, whereas Spiritual Direction focuses on the person’s deepening relationship with Jesus. Spiritual Direction assumes both a faith perspective and a fundamental desire for prayer and intimacy with God. Since they each have a different focus, some people choose to participate in both forms of guidance, but usually in separate contexts.
Spiritual Director
The director ( who is usually a graduate student) helps the seeker by providing a loving and open environment, by being a listener and companion, and by giving support and feedback. Seekers are helped to clarify, articulate and affirm their spiritual experience as revealed through the situations and events in their lives. Spiritual Direction encourages individuals to make life decisions in response to their growing awareness of God’s presence in their lives. The act of slowing down enough, to allow contemplative listening to one another, helps us to recognize God in all persons and circumstances of our lives. Quality of presence can often have greater impact than quantity, but it requires reflection, openness, time availability, understanding and support.
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Explaining the Little Flock Movement to a Student
What is the Little Flock Movement? Is it a club, an organization, a church, a group, a team or an outdoor on campus business? The Little Flock Movement is a group of people who are learning about how God relates to their lives. The Little Flock Movement exists to help people know how to begin a personal relationship with God and to grow in that relationship. It can best be explained by comparing it to having a school within a school. That is, it offers spiritual development within the context of the public (or private) school which offers educational training.
The explanation is also an excellent tool for leading into the gospel. It is appropriate to use on individual appointments with new students or those wanting to know more about the Little Flock Movement. Also, it may be modified to present to a group of people being introduced to Little Flock Baptists.
Following is the explanation to use when describing the Little Flock Movement as a “School Within a School.”
THE SCHOOL WITHIN A SCHOOL: Every student is looking for fulfillment. To find it, a balance needs to be established in the three major areas:
- Mental: The school helps you to develop mentally – through teachers, classes, homework and some extracurricular activities.
- Physical: School also helps you develop physically – with coaches, through P.E. classes, sports and other activities.
- Spiritual: The school isn’t designed to help you spiritually. That’s where the Little Flock Movement comes in. It is designed to help you and other students help each other in the spiritual area.
- How to have a relationship with the person who made him, by knowing Jesus Christ.
- How to develop that relationship with Christ, resulting in a lifestyle that is pleasing to God.
If no, may I explain that right now?
If yes, would you share about how you became a Christian?
The Little Flock Movement offers a variety of activities to help students grow in their relationship with God, wherever they are in that relationship:
- Our Meetings are to “Come and See” what a relationship with God is about. Students active in the Little Flock Movement help lead the meetings. It is a fun atmosphere, and through talks you will hear how God relates to you.
- Interactive Bible Studies help you “Come and Learn” about the basics of your faith. They provide training to help you grow and apply your faith with friends, school, sports, and family. Another benefit is that you are with a group of students you will most likely know.
- Getaways & Fast Breaks (and Retreats) give further instruction in how to help your friends develop a relationship with God and impact your campus for Christ! At these conferences, you will be given opportunities to “Come and Do” to put your faith in action. They are fun and you can build deep friendships with students from your school and other places.
- Student Venture Leadership Groups take action! They help you learn more about God, and how to influence your school for Christ. These students “Come and Lead” by giving leadership to group meetings and events, which may lead Bible studies of their own.