CollegeMinistry.com is now the Baptist Collegiate Network! Learn more →

Content Format: Article

Remembering the Why

Posted on by baptistcollege

Whether you feel like you are killing it or barely surviving, it’s easy to lose sight of why we do college ministry. Too often, we lean on large turnouts and ministry “successes” for confidence in our call, or allow facing challenges to make us question it. That is a recipe for burnout. If we’re not careful, the rigors of ministry, the disappointments of unmet expectations, or the challenges inherent in student work will wear us down. There will be times when students are flaky, stats don’t reflect the effort you’ve put in, budgets are slim, friends in ministry are distant or nonexistent, family members wonder when you’ll get a real job, and there’s more work to do at every turn. Remembering why we engage in college ministry and how God called us to do this work is so important for ministry longevity! 

In 2 Timothy, Paul clearly perceived the need for Timothy to be encouraged in ministry and, perhaps, to remember why he was in ministry in the first place. In this letter from mentor to mentee, we find four simple, biblical motivations for ministry to encourage us as we remember why we do this work. 

Remember the Gospel.

Paul reminded Timothy: “He has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time” (2 Tim. 1:9). We are God’s children by his grace alone, and we serve in ministry by grace alone. I must frequently remember that God could accomplish his purposes in collegiate ministry just fine without me. It’s a gracious gift to get to be a part of his redemptive work in the world! By his grace, you are his child, and by his grace, you are a minister of the gospel! Remember, God doesn’t need us to do ministry but he wants us to be with him! A missionary friend recently shared, “Passion will only get you so far. Obedience will take you a little further. But loving Jesus will sustain you.”

Remember the Call.

Paul encouraged Timothy in the simplicity of his calling: “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Tim. 2:1-2). Timothy was to stay rooted in Christ, pass on what he had learned and experienced, and teach others to do the same. If we overcomplicate our calling, we are in danger of becoming strong in strategy and measurable success but weak in “the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” Steve Smith challenged that while effective methodologies are crucial, “methods are mere mechanics without the Spirit of God.” Admittedly, simple doesn’t mean easy. Whether your “calling” to ministry was a memorable experience or a gradual progression of steps of obedience, remember, God is the one who called you, equips you, and empowers you.

Remember your Mentors.

Paul reminded Timothy that his understanding of the gospel and calling to ministry were not experienced in a bubble. “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it” (2 Tim. 3:14). As Timothy’s mentor, Paul had vivid memories of Timothy’s call and a unique position to remind him of God’s work in his life. We need true brothers and sisters in Christ who can speak into our lives, encourage us, challenge us, hold us accountable, and remind us why we do this work.

Remember to Persevere.

“But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry” (2 Tim. 4:5). Paul knew there would be times when ministry would be rough, people wouldn’t listen, and some would replace Timothy’s voice with “what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Tim. 4:4). Paul expected Timothy to remain faithful to his calling even when things went poorly. I’m convinced that Paul would reject a myth often believed in our culture: that hard means bad, that if things are not easy or fun, something must be wrong. Ministry challenges can teach us more about God’s character and faithfulness and help us better understand ourselves. Facing challenges as learning opportunities is a far simpler prospect when we are confident in the gospel, remember the substance of our calling, and allow our community to speak into our situation. 

Years ago, I spent an entire summer wrestling with whether I was “still the guy” for our ministry on campus. After much prayer, reflection, and even a little looking at other job opportunities, God made it clear that I’m not the guy; HE is…and that I needed to stay as a participant with God in HIS ministry. I have had to relearn this lesson over the years and have found it helpful to define roles and establish a personal mission statement. When I face a challenging season, need to make a significant decision, or just remember why I’ve given my life to collegiate ministry, it is helpful for me to remember God’s role, my role, and what he’s called me to. 

I’ve written mine from my season as BSM Director at UT Tyler below (I’m working on a new one for a new role in TX BSM). Perhaps developing something similar would be helpful for you as well.

By God’s grace, I am a participant in His ministry and get to work with Him… 
To: Saturate the harvest fields of the world, domestic and foreign, with thoroughly equipped workers.
By: reaching, discipling, and sending UT Tyler students to the nations.

Joe Osteen serves as the East Texas Regional Director for Texas BSM. You can follow him on Instagram @JosephOsteen.

Discipleship: More Than a Buzzword

Posted on by baptistcollege

When you look around churches and ministries everyone seems to be talking about discipleship but very few seem to be seeing real reproducible success in disciple-making. “Discipleship” has turned into a buzzword more than a reality. 

God has placed us in our ministry context to make disciples. This is the primary thing that we are called to do. Everything we do is to serve this goal: to see a footprint be left for Jesus on our campuses. We can look at our stories, we can look at others’ stories around us and we can see the importance of discipleship. But it is also part of the story that God is writing through His Church. Intentional, reproducible discipleship was Jesus’ idea. 

JESUS MODELED DISCIPLESHIP. 

JESUS COMMANDED DISCIPLESHIP. 

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20 

JESUS DID NOT SAY GO AND MAKE LARGE GATHERINGS. JESUS SAID GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES. Just to be clear, God uses gatherings and large gatherings are not wrong, but they are not the ultimate goal. They are a vehicle. 

When we look around at the college campus one thing is clear: Jesus is still building His kingdom. Jesus is still writing the story. He has invited us into it. One of the primary vehicles is intentional discipleship. 

Discipleship multiplies, and there is power in multiplication. If we won one person to Jesus every week for the next 16 years we would reach 932 people. If we won one person to Jesus every day for the next 16 years we would reach 5,840 people. If we won one person to Christ every 6 months and discipled them and helped them reproduce their lives into someone else every 6 months (and it worked out perfectly), then in 16 years we would reach 6,442,450,944 people. There is power in multiplying discipleship. 

But we have to define what a disciple is. Definitions matter. They bring clarity. 

1) A DISCIPLE IS SOMEONE WHO ADHERES TO CHRIST (MARK 8:34) 
2) A DISCIPLE IS SOMEONE WHO ABIDES IN CHRIST (JOHN 8:31) 
3) A DISCIPLE IS SOMEONE WHO ADVANCES THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (MATT. 28:19-20) 

If that is what a disciple is… then how would you define discipleship?

A great working definition is: DISCIPLESHIP IS TAKING THE NECESSARY TIME TO WIN, INVOLVE, AND TEACH SOMEONE HOW TO FOLLOW JESUS. 

It is an intentional relationship. It is a time of practical training & accountability. It is a time of modeling. It is about multiplication. What if we could see this happen regularly & in a reproducible way? What could God do if we made this a top priority in our ministries? 

When it comes to discipleship we want to see TWO MAIN GOALS ACHIEVED: 

1) FULFILLMENT OF THE GREAT COMMANDMENT (SPIRITUAL GROWTH) –  MATTHEW 22:34-40. 
2) FULFILLMENT OF THE GREAT COMMISSION (SPIRITUAL MULTIPLICATION) – MATTHEW 28:19-20. 

College students are a strategic and important group of people in which to see this advanced. You know this. This is why you are in college ministry. They are going to step up and lead in churches, workplaces, and families. We have to disciple our college students well. 

What we have done is we have put together a “Discipleship Toolkit” to help you navigate this conversation in your ministries. All of us want to see this be a priority but sometimes we just don’t know where to start outside of gatherings and small groups. These are great but I believe there is another level. 

This is why the “Discipleship Toolkit” can be helpful for you. We have pulled together some people seeing real success in this area in their ministries to address critical topics in seeing discipleship move from a buzzword to a reality in your ministry. The “Discipleship Toolkit” has nine sessions that address: 

  1. Defining Discipleship. 
  2. Importance of Culture and how to build it. 
  3. Developing a game plan. 
  4. Developing disciples from spiritual activity to spiritual maturity.
  5. Packing the right tools. 
  6. Overcoming Distractions 
  7. Disciple to Disciplemaker 
  8. How it starts with you. 
  9. How to partner well with your local church.

There are videos & discussion guides to walk you through major thoughts & questions. You can find it at https://baptistcollegiatenetwork.com/ministry-areas/discipleship/. 

We pray that it is helpful for you and that God uses you to help real people become real disciples who make real disciples. I believe with my whole heart that God has placed you where you are and has entrusted you with students to see them know and follow Jesus wholeheartedly. What an honor we have to make disciples. Nick Parsons is the Pastoral Ministry Associate for College and Young Professionals at Center Point Church. You can reach him at nick@cpclex.org or follow him on Instagram @nickgparsons1 or @collegecpc.

Maximizing the Holidays for International Outreach 

Posted on by baptistcollege

I’m sure you know that the nations come to the United States to study on our campuses every semester. They are excited to pursue a higher education abroad, and experience American culture close up. Students have all kinds of expectations of making new American friends, visiting American places, and trying American food! However, because it is often easier for them to connect with people like themselves or from other international cultures, they often find it difficult to connect with American students. 

Did you know there are international students who come to the United States for their degree and never get invited into an American home? We can change that during this holiday season! Below are a couple ways we have done this. We hope you will be creative and discover your own ways to connect!

International Thanksgiving:

Our BCM has hosted an international Thanksgiving every year, this will be our eighth year.  We cook a traditional Thanksgiving, dinner, turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, and lots of pies! We invite international students to come and learn about why we celebrate Thanksgiving and what we eat. We have this cute Peanuts video which talks about the pilgrims, fleeing for religious freedom on the Mayflower. Then in small groups at our table we talk about if there was a religion in their family and what that was. We also talk about who they believe Jesus to be? Great conversations have happened. We have even had professors from other countries join us with their families. Great opportunities to connect in table fellowship with good food! 

Christmas Tour: 

Why not open your home to a Christmas tour?  International students love the decorations. Don’t forget to tell them about the Nativity and what it means to you! Share a meal? A cookie exchange? International students love to share their cuisine. Why not have a potluck? Or games and appetizers? 

Welcome international students into your home, into your life, into your heart and into a relationship with Jesus!

Chad and LaDonna Wilkin are Co-Directors at the Indiana State University BCM.

A Loving God in the Midst of Grief

Posted on by baptistcollege

Last year a student (let’s call her Jessica) walked through the doors of BCM on a Tuesday night. She was a freshman, her life was a mess and she “felt like she needed God in her life” but didn’t know where to start. One of the prayers I pray pretty regularly is that God would draw students to Himself and allow BCM to be part of it! I had received a grant that would allow me to have some money to take new students at BCM out for a cup of coffee and a gospel conversation. I texted her and asked if she would like to meet me for coffee. She said YES! 

That morning I learned about a pretty tough upbringing. Her mom was 16 when she had her and her dad disappeared when he learned of her. Her mom had a lot of health problems so Jessica did all the chores and took care of her mom while in junior high. It was so hard for her. Feeling overwhelmed and unwanted pushed her into an abusive relationship with a boyfriend which lasted for many years and all through high school. Jessica was determined to make something of herself and she decided she was going to be the first person in her family to go to college. She started researching what you have to do to get into college. She made the best grades, was on the honor roll, and applied for scholarships and financial aid all on her own. She also lost 100 pounds in high school. She was DETERMINED!!! She was able to get enough scholarships to pay for her education, room and board the first year of college. She became a part of many clubs, a sorority, intramural basketball and of course BCM!

I asked her about her church background and she said “We don’t go to church, but I really feel like I need God in my life.” I realized she was not a Christian and had zero understanding of any religious lingo. I started talking to her in simple terms about Jesus, His love for her and His sacrifice for her. I prayed for her intently. She just didn’t understand and we had to start at the beginning! 

This was the day before my 20 year old son passed away suddenly. Satan was at work trying to hinder this relationship and conversation. Connecting with students was so hard when your mind and heart were absolutely broken! We started taking Jessica to church every Sunday morning. She lived in the same dorm my son Josiah lived in. Every Sunday after he passed away, I was on the verge of a panic attack pulling into the exact space I did everytime we had picked up Josiah. The last time I dropped him off, the night he passed away, 30 minutes later I ran inside to sirens and the flashing lights of an ambulance, fire trucks and police cars. Satan did not want us here, and he was pulling out all the stops to make this go away and to make us stop loving college students.

Fast forward to the night of our church’s IF Gathering. We had an emotional conversation about grief.  The people around Jessica’s and my table shared about grief over a divorce, a lost brother, a son’s suicide, an abusive relationship and I shared my own losses of my 20-year-old son as well as my 40-year-old brother within three months. I never felt more broken in my entire life. On the way home this girl was told the complete plan of salvation for the hundredth time.

She recalls this night as the night she started following Jesus! In July, she told our pastor she wanted to join the church and be baptized. She was baptized on her 21st birthday! She is part of our leadership team this year and she is telling sorority friends about Jesus. She is encouraging friends who went to church as children but don’t go anymore with her story! She even spoke up in class when someone was talking negatively about the Christian religion. She said: “Not all Christians are mean! My church is awesome and so is BCM. They loved me when I felt like no one else did.” Knowing Jesus is changing her life, and God has a big plan for her!

LaDonna Wilkin is a BCM Campus Minister at Indiana State University.

Meeting Internationals: Ask, Seek and Knock

Posted on by baptistcollege

Acts 17:26-27 – “From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.  God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.”

In the international student population on our campuses, God brings the nations to us.  Just as God brought Paul to Athens to teach across cultural lines, this is so they would have the opportunity to find Him.  An International Student Ministry is directly aimed at cross cultural ministry in light of such opportunities.  

Here are some practical tips to seek out international students, structured in light of Jesus’ instructions on persistently seeking God. 

Luke 11:9-10 –  “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Ask – Pray and ask God for His help:

  • “Please open my eyes to see the internationals on my campus.”
  • “Please give me courage.”
  • “Please equip me for your Kingdom task.”

Ask and you will receive

Seek – Be intentional to place yourselves in locations to meet international students 

  • Place yourselves in high traffic places for internationals
  • Observe where you see international students.  Are they in your classes? Dorms? Apartment complexes?

Seek and you will find

Knock – take the initiative and interact 

  • Most international students want to interact with American students. Most would be honored to have you speak to them. (We highly recommend maintaining these interactions with students of the same sex.).
  • Ask the international student at an appropriate time if you can visit with them. Exchange names, majors and classes.
  • Ask questions and listen. For instance: what brought you to this university/college?  Why are you studying your major field?
  • Ask them about their Family, Friends, Faith, Festivals, Food and Future.  You will likely find that they are more comfortable talking about their faith/religion than most American students.

Knock and the Door will be opened

A Helpful Resource:

The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus by John R Scott
https://a.co/d/1IgCaxs

This book is an easy read that explains major Biblical themes clearly and logically. The author chronologically combines the Bible into one wonderfully woven story. It leads the reader to the question: “Do I believe this or not?”

Bit Stephens serves as International Student Consultant for Arkansas Baptists. 

Looking for more resources or help with starting an International Student Ministry on your campus? Sign up here! ismbaptist.net/connect.

Helping Students Uncover Their Spiritual Gifts

Posted on by baptistcollege

This summer at Collegiate Week students engaged in a session to help them explore their gifts. Many students found this session helpful in discerning where God is calling them to serve. We want to share this resource with you. 

Knowing the spiritual gifts that God has given you is an important element in discerning a call to ministry. Do your students know what their spiritual gifts are? Even students that aren’t currently exploring a vocational ministry call can benefit from uncovering their gifts for kingdom service. 

Three ways students can uncover their spiritual gifts:

Through the Exhortation of Others

Often there will be other people in our lives who will affirm the gifts that God has given us, even before we have noticed those giftings in our own lives. Ask students the following questions: Think about times you have served others, went on mission or led something in the church or in your campus ministry. What positive feedback have you heard from others in these moments? Is there a common theme? 

Through Gifts Assessments

There are some great tools that pair with scripture passages that list spiritual gifts. These tools can help students have a more thorough understanding of the variety of gifts and how their lives, passions and personalities align with these giftings. There are a variety of tools, some are more lengthy than others combining several assessments that include personality profiles, skills, and life experiences. Lifeway has provided a good, simple tool that you can use in one session in a downloadable pdf format: https://youngadults.lifeway.com/2010/06/spiritual-gifts-survey/

By Serving

Encourage students to recall times when they have served on mission, in their church or on their campus. Ask them the following questions: What do you love to do? When have you served on your campus, in your campus ministry, on a mission trip? What do you think you did well? What gave you joy?

Be the one that challenges your students to serve and explore their spiritual gifts. One mission trip, small group experience or outreach activity could be the thing that opens their eyes to what God is calling them to do. Give them opportunities, and have those “I see in you” conversations that will affirm the gifts God has given them. 

Ginger Bowman, Church & Campus Consultant/Program Specialist, TXBSM

Patience in the Gospel

Posted on by baptistcollege

Recently, an Iranian friend contacted me years after we had last talked. It would become a life-altering experience for both of us that the Lord orchestrated!

Let me give you a bit of the backstory. My friend grew up in a mostly devout Shia Muslim home. Many of his extended family were very devoted. Once he entered college his doubts only grew, but for a reason that was difficult to understand. He believed that he had seen Allah answer his prayers for his friends. And because of the answered prayers, he came to the conclusion that he could not worship a god who would answer the prayers of a puny person, and if he did, that must make him a puny god. My friend went on to get married and go on with life. 

I met him in grad school. His wife was pursuing a PhD and he was pursuing another Masters at that time. He was in my home for Easter at that time. He had told me that he had become an atheist. We had a follow-up meeting later the next week and he conceded that maybe he was agnostic instead.

Fast forward to the fall of 2023, this friend reached out to me to meet with him as soon as I could, because things had gotten desperate. I met with him at a local restaurant. He informed me that the pandemic had been brutal in his life. He and his wife had gone through a divorce and she was already remarried. He had suffered a deep depression during the pandemic and because of that, he lost his student status in the university. There were other desolating things that had happened to him. He reached out to me because he had remembered our conversation from six years prior, along with conversations he had with other friends and colleagues regarding the Gospel. He had come to the end of himself with “nothing to show”, BUT he remembered that Jesus was the ultimate expression of love that he desperately needed. 

At the restaurant, I went back through the Gospel with him. He humbly understood that he was a sinner in need of a Savior and that Jesus wanted to be his Lord and Savior. We walked out to our cars, which were ironically and unknowingly parked nose-to-nose in a back parking lot. We prayed right there and my friend gave his life to Jesus! 

Since then, my friend has been actively involved in our local church. He is seeking asylum in our country. The process is long. He is being patient, knowing that the Lord will provide. He is seeing the Lord meet his needs in crazy ways. 

Often, when we share the Gospel with someone, we can have an expectation of an immediate response. If it’s a negative response, we can believe that it is a decision sealed for eternity. But, the truth is the Holy Spirit is at work and our patience is required because we don’t have the capacity to save a person. We are simply called to obedience to share and leave the results to Him, no matter how long that takes. 

Book Recommendation: Foreign to Familiar [1] is a book that I highly recommend for my students and volunteers to read first. It was given to me when I began to work with international students. It provides a sweeping view of culture in order to better understand where students are coming from. The book will provide you with questions you can ask to begin conversations as well as a glimpse into the priorities in each culture. It’s a simple read, but great information to begin with. 

Dennis Runner is the International Team Minister for Launch Campus Ministry. You can learn more about the ministry at launchcampusministry.com. 

Want more information about resources on connecting with international students? Sign up here: ismbaptist.net/connect.

[1] Sarah Lanier, Foreign to Familiar.  Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/h1HlWSt

Reach International Students, Reach the World

Posted on by baptistcollege

International students are on our campuses this fall and in large numbers – one million studying in the U.S.  These students represent countries from all over the world, many of which are from countries where we could not openly share the Gospel. 

As fall approaches, it is good to develop a plan to reach out and befriend internationals. They have many needs: adjusting to a new culture, transportation, friendship, and an understanding of who Jesus really is. 

Here are some steps for to consider as you plan:

  1. Find ways to make contact with students. The international office on campus can be a gateway to connecting with international students.  Making contact with leaders of international clubs can also help in meeting international students.
  2. Find events where internationals will gather – attend these events and make international friends.
  3. Plan an outreach event that internationals might enjoy – an outing to a local attraction or a meal at a BCM/BSM center or in a home. Then invite internationals to come. Avoid pork or beef entrees as these meats can be  offensive for some students.
  4. Offer English classes to students who need extra help with English.
  5. Enlist families to host students for meals throughout the semester.
  6. Plan holiday events where internationals are invited.
  7. Take time to get to know internationals, learning about their culture, family, dreams, and needs.
  8. Let students know of the importance of your faith in Christ as you naturally have conversations.
  9. Pray for ways to connect and ways to share Christ with international students.
  10. Enlist a team of students and church volunteers who commit to engage with and care for internationals.

I have found that international students are some of the easiest to befriend and also very grateful for friendship. I have also discovered that many internationals have misunderstandings about Christianity and what it really means to follow Christ.  So, sharing life, friendship, and conversation can help internationals see the grace and truth of Jesus. 

The steps above are just suggestions and not all inclusive. You may want to be more educated on more ways to relate to internationals and how to best reach them. Here are some resources I suggest you check out – they provide excellent information.

  1. Every International | Everyinternational.com (You will need to create a free account to access webinars, etc.)
  2. Arkansas Go2 International Student Ministry | Argo2.org/ism
  3. Association of Christians Ministering Among Internationals (ACMI) | ACMI-ISM.org
  4. Reaching Internationals |  reachinginternationals.com

Teresa Royall is a Campus Expansion Consultant in Georgia. You can email her at troyall.bcm@gabaptist.org. 

Want more information about resources on connecting with international students? Sign up here: https://ismbaptist.net/connect.

Reaching Freshmen 

Posted on by baptistcollege

One of the most important components of reaching freshmen is securing their name and contact information. Here are ways we do so at our BCM.  

How to Secure Names and Contact Information of Freshman 

 

1. Names from local and state churches. 

(1) State events
(2) Local Association Camps
(3) Attending at BCM events such as our Senior Night
(4) Letters/Emails to all SBC pastors, church secretaries and youth ministers of our state. Our State Convention office sends an email to every pastor,   every church secretary and every youth minister in the state requesting the name, contact information and college choice of the High School Seniors of the church. 

2. Orientations of Your College/University

These are all of critical importance for a church or campus based collegiate ministry. We have a table at each LSU orientation for new students. 

3. Christian High Schools in your State

There are 4,118 Christian High Schools in the US. I would suggest contacting those in your state in February to request the contact information and college choice of their graduating high school seniors. In Louisiana, we network out the names through our state BCM Directors. (Click here for Christian High School Senior email resource.) 

4. Christian High School Co-ops

There are 1,586 Christian High School Co-ops in the US. We contact them in February to request the name, contact information and college choice of their graduating High School Seniors. 

5. FCAs in your State

We contact the State FCA Director to secure area and local contacts for this. 

6. National Summer Conferences

(1) Fuge
(2) Student Life 

7. Instagram Class of 28

We follow all of them that will be attending LSU. If they follow us back we send them a message asking them if they would like to receive a Welcome Bag from our BCM. It will include a BCM shirt and stickers. See U of A info and U of South Carolina info below. We got the idea from them. 

8. Other Freshmen

In all contact to other Freshmen we ask for names and cell numbers of their friends. 

9. Parents Survey

We send a letter to “The Parents of” every freshmen whose names we secure. We ask the parent to partner with us to help their son or daughter get involved in our ministry. We include a Parent Survey they can fill out about their son or daughter. 

10. Information Table

In front of the LSU Union during the Welcome Week and the first week of classes. (Click here for a sample of our BCM Ministry Information flyer.) 

 

How the BCM at LSU Connects with the Freshmen 

  1. Through e-Newsletters (mail chimp) (Click for url link.)
  2. Through Texts – Personal and Group (Clearstream) 
  3. Telephone 
  4. Inviting High School Seniors to be involved in the BCM during their senior year in High School. 
  5. High School Senior Night at a worship service in April. 
  6. Class of 28 Group Me.  
  7. Tiger Saturdays – We sponsor three of them. They begin at 12 noon and last until  dark. They include share groups, games, food, an upperclassmen panel, kayaking,  fishing, and swimming. (Click here to see our Tiger Saturday flyer.)
  8. Welcome Week Events – Waffle Night, Trivia Night, Cookout, Glow Night, Game Night, Survival  
  9. Follow Up System – For freshmen that attend a BCM ministry 
  10. Freshmen Bible Study Groups 
  11. Formation of a Freshmen Praise Band each year.  
  12. Formation of a Freshmen Leadership Team. 
  13. Participation in our State Fall Collegiate Conference. 
  14. Participation in our Mexico Mission Trip. 
  15. Discipleship Partners 
  16. Promotion of Church Involvement – Our local church based ministers that help  sponsor our BCM ministries are invited to the Tiger Saturdays and all of our Welcome Week events. Our goal is that a student is involved in the BCM and a local church. All freshmen are assigned to a local church member to be prayed for during the upcoming school year. (Click here for the Prayer Partner Ministry flyer.) 

Steve Masters 
Email: lsubcm@eatel.net 
Phone: 225-964-0830

 

How Other BCM’s Reach Freshmen 

Here is info from several other BCM’s, BSU’s, BSM’s with information of how they reach freshmen. Thanks to the BCM, BSU, and BSM staff that provided this information.  

 

Reaching Freshmen 
Tarleton BSM 

 

Youth Groups 

  • Call Youth Pastors around your state each year. Gather graduating senior information for any college or university. Forward those to the appropriate BSM/BCM. Contact the ones attending Tarleton. 
  • We have also began hosting open houses, missions training, and student panels to different youth groups. They have been successful. 

Social Media 

  • Follow #tarleton2028 and the page “Tarleton Class of 2028” 
  • Go follow every freshman on that hashtag and page. 
  • Everyone who follows us will receive a message funneling them towards an online connection card. 

Outreach During School 

  • Move freshmen in 
  • Post up at Walmart during move-in weekend 
  • Do information tables somewhere everyday the first two weeks of school
  • Door to door invites and “trash pickup” 

This is not an exhaustive list but it is a good starting point. We are not allowed to table at orientations, but we will be around campus in unofficial ways. 

Megan Trotter 
Tarleton BSM 
Phone: 903-239-9003 
Megan.trotter@texasbaptists.org 

 

University of Arkansas BCM 
Freshmen Strategies 

 

Before Welcome Week

We aim to get as many freshmen contacts as possible before the new school year starts. We do this through:

  1. A High School Senior Night in the Spring.
  2. Contacting Churches and well attended Christian camps in the summer
  3. Involvement at every incoming freshmen orientation session during the summer. We send every one of these contacts a small gift in the mail during the summer and begin texting them invitations to our welcome week events. 

During Welcome Week

We try to host the best events on campus to connect with students: Corn Hole tournaments,  Lawn Parties, University of Arkansas Football Stadium Tour. We start our weekly programming during Welcome Week so that students can get into the  routine of coming weekly from the start. 

After Welcome Week

We follow-up one-on-one with everyone whose contact information we have via text, personal meet-ups, and small group hangouts. We run a weekly “FreshLife” program for the first month of  the fall aimed to help freshmen meet new friends and connect to BCM and local churches. 

Ryan Scantling 
BCM Campus Minister of University of Arkansas 
Phone: 479-264-5405
Email: HogBCM.com 

 

Freshman Experience at OU 

 

Fresh10 | Recruiting & Gaining Contacts. 

  • For 10 days after moving we have inclusive and fun events where we meet and get contacts for as many new people as possible. 
  • Recruiting ministry goal of 2000 contacts before September  
    • Examples of Fresh10 events: 10pm-1am pancake & live music event that usually sees 600-700, Line dancing, Volleyball tournament, and karaoke/game night 
    • We have a coffee shop and give away around 2000 free drinks to freshmen each fall. They give us names and fill out our survey, and then we follow up with event information  and personal requests to have gospel appointments and visits. 
    • We table a lot and get around 300-500 names within the first 2 weeks of school. We often give away items via raffle in exchange for names. 
    • We call churches in Oklahoma and ask for contact info for incoming students. 

Freshman Challenge | Relationship Form and Contacts Find Belonging. 

  • The tagline for the night and the challenge is “Find purpose and a place to belong”.
  • Freshman Challenge is a large meeting/small group for freshmen. We recruit for this event, but then divide students into small groups based on housing. 
  • Every group has 3-4 upperclassmen small-group leaders who form a missional team called a CORE team. 
  • Freshman Challenge Night Components: 
    • The evening usually has competitive games that accumulate in a house system style point system (competition is fierce). 
    • Usually a leader or staff will present a 10-12 minute Ted Talk on a subject like “prayer,” then we divide up into student leader-led groups to discuss the topic. 
    • The event goes from 8-9:30 with snacks at the end. Groups typically get done around the same time and a party vibe ensues. 
    • CORE team leaders are responsible for follow-up with group attendees throughout the week. 
    • We try to recruit as many freshmen as possible to have a discipleship relationship as fast as possible (this relationship could be a discipleship group or 1-to-1). 

Freshman CORE Leadership | Moving from Connected to Contributors. 

  • We started many years ago having a leadership meeting for new students (mostly freshmen). 
  • The style of the night is classroom and accountability-group focused. The meeting lasts one hour and usually has a discipleship & leadership topic/teaching, scripture memory for the week and weekly review of a portion of the book “Fuel & the Flame” which they are required to read to be in this leadership cohort. 
  • 1 of the C.O.R.E. questions are asked each week in smaller groups:
    • How has CONNECTING with God been this week? 
    • How have you OBEYED God’s word this week?
    • Who have you been able to RETELL God’s story with this week? 
  • Contribution starts with students attending serving at our large group and/or hosting an evangelistic bible study in their dorm (led by upperclassman leaders or staff). 
    • Hosting a bible study is a big push for us and a big ask 

Retreat Early 

We have a retreat in September that is very important to get freshmen at. 

SHANE KAMMERER | BCM 
University of Oklahoma | 1203 Elm Ave. Norman, OK | 73072 
Phone: (940) 368.8581  
www.oubcm.com 

 

Mississippi State University BSU 
BASIC Training 

 

Schedule:

2 days before classes begin; recently this has been held on Monday & Tuesday and classes begin on Wednesday 

Theme:

Student team selects theme; sessions, schedule, and helps interview Family Group Leaders 

Format:

4 large group worship sessions are led by a speaker and a band. Other activities involve family group activities, games, panel discussion, meals, late night option, and local church introduction (family groups rotate in the BSU building to meet and hear about local church opportunities for students). 

Timeline:

  • Spring Semester – Family Group Leader applications and interviews. Each family group has a male and female leader. There are 17 Freshmen groups and 6 Transfer groups; therefore, 46 leaders are needed. 
  • Summer – recruitment at all of the summer orientations, seeking to inform and enlist as many newly enrolled students as possible. We also are able to obtain a list of Baptist preference students. From this master list, we send multiple mailings, email, texts, and a phone call. Students register for the event online. There is a $30 fee that is charged that includes a t-shirt, program cost and all meals. 
  • BASIC Training – students are placed in groups according to their entering as a freshman or a transfer student. These leaders are tasked to lead 8-12 students in small group and large group activities. These range from games, small group Bible studies, and large group activities. 
  • After BASIC Training – These groups are asked to meet weekly for the fall semester and most choose to also meet the spring semester. They go through a book of the Bible that is selected for them.

Challenges:

  1. Packed calendar – Campus events stacked before the start of school (Greek recruitment, New Maroon Camp, Band Camp, other start up events, etc). The university calendar could drastically alter or cause this event to cancelled. 
  2. Getting names of new students Each school has different policies about providing new student info to faith based groups. Groups need to expand their reach of getting names (churches with graduating seniors, Super Summer, camps, community college transfers, etc). 

Micheal Ball 
MSU BSU Director 
Cell: 662-312-8655 
Email: michael@msubsu.com 

 

University of South Carolina BCM 
Freshmen Strategies 

 

1. High School Senior Night in the Spring before fall.

Huge win for students already connected to our ministry to invite people they know. We recognized that you only really need to have 5%-10% of the room be high school seniors to have a successful night. There is many positive things that come from our current students starting to think about recruiting people they know and if they are invited but don’t come it starts the conversation.  

2. Orientation at the university in the summer.

This is a no brainer. We get tons of contacts from this in the summer.  

3. Open House.

This is a USC specific thing but they do a guide for local businesses for students to check out while they are in on the two days orientation. Our BCM Center is one of the featured buildings to check out. USC runs 20+ orientation during the summer. Some we only get a few that come and check out the open house. However, sometimes there are ten to fifteen students that come by.  

4. Welcome Bags.

We promote this really heavy and use it as a promotional tool but any student we connect with during the late spring to summer process we give them a bag that has: Flyer, Wrist Bands, T Shirt, and a handwritten card. We will deliver these bags in the late summer after we have collected contact information from students. The ones in SC we will deliver them and the ones of people in different places we will mail them. We will not mail the shirt but we will put a voucher for a free shirt that they can get when they get to campus. 

5. Coffee/Food Meet ups.

Outside of Columbia, the two largest counties in SC that feed into USC are in Greenville, SC and Charleston, SC. We have set dates that we will go to those  areas and meet up with students that we have contacts on. We do this later in the summer. Our state convention works to secure contact information from camps throughout the summer. Usually, we connect with local ministers in the area that help with the recruiting efforts. We will usually pick another area or two that is manageable to do a meet up at as well, depending on where contacts are coming from through the summer from welcome bag sign ups.

6. Statewide organization at campus and with youth ministries to secure contacts.

Our state convention puts in a lot of effort to connect with youth pastors and help the process of transition.  As well as some awesome churches and youth pastors that will make individual calls to BCM’s across the state to get their students plugged in. 

7. Alumni prayer walking and contacts.

USC has many alumni in the local area. MANY of them serve in their churches and are strong relational contacts for us. We do a prayer walking night and emphasis in prayer to help them recruit and connect students to the BCM that they know personally. 

8. Social media.

We make a strong push on social media to connect with students by following accounts connected to freshman. When they follow us, we will reach out, share info about the ministry, and ask them if they would like a welcome bag. 

9. Move-in help.

We will help with move in days at the university. 

10. New student focused events.

The first week we are planning multiple events that new students can connect with and utilize multiple churches at each of those events to host, connect  and promote Sunday morning opportunities that they can connect with corporate worship. 

11. Foundations.

During the three weeks of each semester, we offer a spiritual discipline and leadership time for new students to connect with each other and dig into the basic disciplines that will help them create God honor rhythms for college. We call the hour and half time “Foundations”. 

Adam Venters
BCM Director at The University of South Carolina
Phone: 425-202-6512
Email: adamventers@scbaptist.org 

 

Sam Houston State 
Freshman Outreach 

 

During the Summer

  • Attend and table at all freshman orientations 
  • Gathering contacts all summer and following up with a personal text from our student leaders to invite them to our Welcome Week events in the Fall Semester. 

Freshman Move In

  • Have a team of students help move freshmen in and invite them to Welcome Week events. 
  • Table and hand out popsicles and water to new students and families moving in Bearkat kick off (freshman move in a week early to learn about campus and SH traditions) 
  • Table and hand out popsicles during the day while advertising for Welcome Week
  • Plan Barbecue at the B and Game nights 

Welcome Week

  • Have events starting from Friday night before school starts (for returning BSM students) casting vision for connection to new students 
  • Text all summer freshman contacts we received during Orientation 
  • Having events every night for the first week Saturday to Saturday (ultimate game night, water kickball, volleyball, Barbecue, Campus scavenger hunt, Sing-o etc.)
  • The goal is having our leadership team connect personally with every freshman that attends to invite to coffee or lunch for follow up. 
  • Advertise our small groups (Freshman to Senior) 

Second Week of School

  • Follow up, Follow up, Follow up
  • Goal is to get our upperclassman to approach incoming students that have connected for Dship groups. 
  • Start our weekly outreaches to the campus (Henna, Stickers/Soularium, Coffee, Spiritual Surveys) 
  • Advertise our Servant team opportunities to new students who want to connect and serve in our weekly outreaches. 

We strive to connect our upperclassmen to our underclassmen as much as possible whether that be through gospel appointments, small groups or discipleship. 

Chris Smith 
Director, BSM at Sam Houston State University 
Phone: 915-238-8511 
Email: bearkatbsm@gmail.com 

 

Oklahoma State University 
Freshmen Outreach 

 

New Student Orientations 

We partner with the school to work new student orientations on behalf of all faith based orgs and as a result are given all contact info of students that show interest in faith groups. This usually gives us a few hundred names to follow up with over the summer.  

Summer Camps 

We go to two different youth camps over the summer and meet with incoming students to OSU. We bring along current students who give them some insight on how BCM has helped them grow in their faith and connect to local churches. We also bring along info cards, stickers, and a free t-shirt so the students know we really care about them and want them to connect with our ministry when they mover to Stillwater in the fall.  

Welcome Week 

This is where we focus our main efforts in meeting freshmen. New students start moving in the Wednesday before classes start so we host an event on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of that week specifically designed to meet and engage with as many new freshmen as we can. We host a pizza party on Wednesday by the freshmen dorms and have students fill out a super simple form on our website to get the free pizza. Then we follow up the next day with everyone that filled out the form and checked the box that they wanted to stop by with a free gift. Thursday we host a worship night and give away free t-shirts to all who come and fill out the simple form. We follow up the next day as well with everyone that checked the box while getting a shirt. Friday we host a glow-in-the-dark ultimate Frisbee night to try to reach some of the more athletically inclined students. They play in a tourney, we have side games going on, and competitions for giveaways that help us gather info. Again, we follow up the next day with everyone who gave us permission to. In addition, on Saturday we host a sand volleyball and free snow-cone event where we give out free snow cones in Eskimo Joe’s cups (if you are from Oklahoma that makes sense, ha ha) that have the BCM logo on them.  

Then we take all that contact info and invite them to our freshmen Bible study that starts the next week.  

This has worked to be effective in reaching new freshmen. We have been having well over 100 freshmen each week to our freshmen Bible study over the last several years.  

Paul Lewis 
OSU BCM, Director 
Phone: 918-261-4863 
Email: plewis@oklahomabaptists.org

 

Caring For Students When They Come Home

Posted on by baptistcollege

You made it! You have students mobilized on the mission field and at camps.  You just sent this year’s graduates out with a great celebration.  You get a chance to unwind from the routine of midweek services, coordinating small groups, and student leader meetings.  It’s time to enjoy the summer and think about caring for students when they come home! 

While college campuses dwindle to a remnant of students, you as a church leader have an incredible opportunity to care for students when they come home.  By all means, rest and reset for the year, but also take advantage of the sweet time you get with these students who have been at another college campus.  

Use The First Summer

Caring for students when they come home is different.  They’ve been in the grind and are back to rest and reset like the rest of us.  There is even more free time available and less stress without a final looming over them. Caring for students starts the week they graduate from high school.  Using their first summer to connect with them immediately after high school graduation can change the whole college experience.  We would always be at  senior Sunday to welcome them into college. They need to know who you are and feel comfortable coming into the group.  We would also use the senior Sunday School teachers to help us connect.  They would pick a date to all walk over to the college department together so that nobody felt alone.  We would also take a group of students to tour the college they plan on attending in the fall. On that tour, we would introduce them to local college ministers and visit their churches.  Helping the High School Grads feel a part of the group in the summer will help them even more when they start on campus.  

Focus on Fellowship

Students feel cared for when they have a place to belong.  Another way to care for students in the summer is to plan a weekly event with a high focus on fellowship. We always tried to do our Bible studies in a home if possible, and if they had a pool, even better.  Each week we would eat dinner, pray and study the Bible,  and then have fun.   In the summer, you should expect the group to change, the first half of the summer will be different than the second half.  The first half of summer, students may not be taking a class, or they may be waiting on camp to start or a job to line up.  Prepare yourself to watch the group change and adapt to the needs.  

Get Creative with Connections

Sometimes, caring for students who come home means we don’t forget them.  Students may feel forgotten when they get home and they are alone.  One way we connected with students was sending post cards or care packages.  If a student is away at camp, we would get our group to write them a note and send it with some of their favorite snacks.  We would also send welcome packages with hand written notes to incoming freshmen.  This gave the summer group a way to serve and connect with other students.  This also meant the world to the student receiving the care package.  They knew the group back home loved them and couldn’t wait to see them again. 

Plan a Retreat

Another part of caring for students is giving them an opportunity to get away together.  We would end the summer and simultaneously kick off the school year with a beach retreat or collegiate week.  The beach retreat was the highlight of every summer.  We would pile them up in a retreat center in Gulf Shores for a few days.  The days would be semi-scheduled with volleyball tournaments and the evenings would end with a worship service and share time.  The students tended to make their own traditions, like giving the worst sunburn award and making it a competition of staying up the entire night before we head home.  On the last night, students share their excitements and fears about the upcoming year and we would pray together.  Collegiate week was the same.  It was a time to get away and get to know students from other campuses.  It was always a meaningful time to end the summer.  

Church Connections

As summer ends, students start heading back to their campuses, ready for another year.  If they haven’t connected with a church at their campus, help them find a place.  You may have some connections with other campus ministers that would help.  You can be their advocate and bridge the gap for them.  

Summertime can be the most fun time of the year to work with College students.  Plan a weekly gathering, a few fun events and an end of summer sendoff, and your students will feel like they have been cared for while they are home.  At the same time, your ministry isn’t starting over but is energized and ready to reach the campus.  

Cody Albritton is the Discipleship Pastor at North Monroe Baptist Church in Louisiana. You can follow him on Instagram @codyalbritton.