Concepts for Campuses

The 3 P's of Evaluation

chris@thebasicsite.org (Chris Zeigler) — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:21:59 +0000

The last couple weeks I’ve talked a little about evaluating your ministry at the end of the school year. Hopefully by now I’ve convinced you of the importance of this process. This week I want to give you a way to easily categorize what you’ve learned to determine which steps you should take next. Here are three categories that the different areas of your ministry fall under.

Preserve

First, the good news. There are some things in your ministry that are working well and won’t need any changes made. This may include overarching vision (mission statement, core values, etc.) as well as programs. These are the areas that have served your group well and can be left running as is.

Prune

The concept of pruning is Biblical and something that needs to be done regularly. Sometimes pruning requires making a few changes and other times it requires doing away with something altogether. Jesus said of the Father, "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit." Without regular pruning a plant will not maintain healthy growth. We don't always like pruning, but it's necessary for our development.

Pioneer

This is the category that encompasses dreams God has given you for your ministry or things you’ve noticed could be better by starting something new. You may have ideas that have been kicking around for awhile, but because you’ve never put them to paper nothing has come of them. These things are probably going to take most of your time over the summer or early in the fall semester, but they are usually well worth the effort.

Just by listing the different areas of your ministry and putting them into one of these three categories you now have the beginning steps of a plan for the fall. You may need a break for the next couple weeks, so feel free to file this away or let it marinate in your brain. When you're ready to get going again you'll have a list to guide your next couple months.

What areas do you find need the most pruning? What ideas are you excited about pioneering in the fall?

Are You Outdated?

chris@thebasicsite.org (Chris Zeigler) — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:38:45 +0000

This past weekend was a great time of learning and planning with leaders from the BASIC network at Propel. One of the things that I touched on briefly was the idea of keeping our ministries updated.

I’ve talked before about how quickly the world is moving in the Internet age. Things are changing so fast that now many people recommend completely redesigning websites at least once a year. Your students and the campus are probably changing faster than anything else. So, we need to be aware that students and their needs will change and even the spiritual atmosphere of the campus will change.

If you’re doing the same things you did even 3 years ago it’s probably outdated.

Students are always aware of what is trendy and cutting edge. I don’t think that means we completely need to cater to that, there are some older resources that are really good, but we definitely need to be aware of it and adapt when necessary.

Some things probably won’t need to be changed such as discipleship, prayer meetings, etc. However, if you’re playing the same worship songs you were 3 years ago you need to pick new songs. If you’re using the same media or doing the same events you were doing 3 years ago you need to come up with some new ideas.

One of the best ways to assess if what you’re doing is outdated is to sit down with a student who is always paying attention to the latest trends and pick their brain. I’m sure you can think of at least one or two students in your ministry who always know the newest worship music, the latest websites that have gained in popularity, and has already seen the biggest movie that came out last weekend. If you don’t have students in your ministry that fit that description that’s a pretty telltale sign that your ministry is already outdated.

If you attended the Propel Leadership Summit we handed out a Resource Guide with tons of ideas, websites, and books to get you started in revamping areas that need updating. If you weren’t able to make it you can download the latest version of the guide in PDF format.

Growing in Your Strengths

chris@thebasicsite.org (Chris Zeigler) — Mon, 07 May 2012 15:40:20 +0000

This week I wanted to share with you a post I wrote from last year around this time. For anyone who didn't get a chance to read it I think it's worth repeating. For anyone who read it when it was posted last year I think it's still a great reminder of the importance of encouraging students in their strengths.

I recently read a post from Tim Elmore called Leading from Your Strengths. The main thing that he touches on is that many organizations and managers encourage people to work on their weaknesses.

The same can be said of students in college. While students have a declared major they are still required to take a certain amount of general education classes so they can be well-rounded people. It seems to make sense, but the problem with this is evident when you see what it’s producing. Tim lists several statistics about Americans and the workplace that are eye opening.

Last year only 45% of Americans said they were satisfied in their jobs - a number that has been decreasing every year. Gallup decided to do a study to find out why so few people enjoy their jobs. They asked Americans if they feel they get to play to their strengths in their daily work at least 75% of the time. By choosing 75% they acknowledged that every job will have some tasks that aren’t enjoyable. The result was that only 17% of Americans said they get to play to their strengths at work.

Before my wife and I moved to Lima, NY and the Elim area I had always had the importance of working on your weaknesses drummed into my head. When we moved I began hearing some Christian leaders say things like “focus on your strengths” and “develop the gifts God has given you.” I began seeing things in a new light as I realized that it didn’t make sense to put a lot of time and energy into working on areas that God hadn’t gifted me in. God knows my purpose better than anyone else and He gave me the giftings I have for me to live out that purpose.

This is not to say that we shouldn’t strive to get better in some areas that are not our strengths. For example, if you are bad at communicating and it’s consistently causing problems then you would do everyone around you a favor by trying to better your communication skills. But Tim Elmore does a great job of breaking this concept down when he says usually we believe the myth, “Great teams are full of well-rounded people. Team members put aside their own strengths and desires.” When really the truth is, “Great teams are well-rounded by allowing team members to play to their strengths and become interdependent on each other.”

I say all of this to hopefully give you some fresh perspective as you begin to work with a new group of student leaders in your ministry. Your leadership team will accomplish the most if you allow everyone to play to their strengths. However, this works best if you put together a team of people whose strengths and weaknesses complement each other well. Begin paying attention to your leaders’ strengths and weaknesses and ask them what they enjoy doing. As you begin to encourage students in their strengths and find the best ways for your team to work together your group will reap the benefits.

10 Ways to Build for Next Year

chris@thebasicsite.org (Chris Zeigler) — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:22:33 +0000

I love the summer and now that the school year is almost over I’m already gearing up for graduation parties, weddings, and trips to the beach. However, there are some simple things we can do over the summer that will pay dividends for our campus ministry. So, this week I wanted to give you a list of 10 ways to build for next year.

1.Look back over this past year and assess everything your ministry did.

2. Consider how your students have changed from the beginning of the year until now.

3. Pray for clarity of vision and direction for next year.

4. Encourage students over the summer so they return stronger in their faith.

5. Dream with God for bigger things and new heights.

6. Plan to do one thing God has put on your heart that seems too difficult to accomplish.

7. Pick two students to take out to lunch every month in the fall.

8. Pray over and determine what topics you’ll preach on while this past year is fresh in your mind.

9. Attend the Propel Leadership Summit May 11-12.

10. Get some much needed rest over the summer!

Well there you go! Are there any other things you normally do or are planning to do over the summer? We’re looking forward to seeing you at Propel!

Being Intentional Over Summer

chris@thebasicsite.org (Chris Zeigler) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:09:15 +0000

I regularly read Tim Elmore’s blog about Generation iY. Tim is the founder and president of a non-profit organization called Growing Leaders that focuses on training up the next generation of leaders. Awhile back he wrote something that struck me, "Several college deans have told me this: 26 is the new 18."

Study after study is showing that students are taking longer to mature and looking for more ways to extend the period of adolescence. While I’ve mentioned this before, there are a number of ways that it translates to how we do college ministry. While it’s always been a good idea to stay connected with students over the summer break, I think in light of this it makes even more sense.

We can’t expect students to go back to the environment and friends they were a part of before they experienced growth and change through your ministry and pick up in August where they left off in May.

So, I’d like to encourage you to take some steps to reach out to students this summer. If you can stay even a small part of their lives they will be better off when the fall semester starts up. This is also a great way to show that you care about them as people, not just students who attend your ministry. With the ability to send quick texts, catch up on Facebook, or make a short phone call we really have no excuse for students to be neglected.

Set aside fifteen minutes now and plot out a way to communicate with a couple students each week. A half hour to hour spent each week over the summer is probably all you’ll need to make a big impact and encourage your students. Wouldn’t it be great to see students return from summer break more fired up and excited about the things of God than they were when they left?

For more ideas you can look back at these past posts about breaks.

Have you done anything over breaks that has been especially encouraging to students?

Make sure your leadership team doesn't miss the Propel College Leadership Summit May 11-12! Online registration is open and you can find all the details over on our events page.

Surveying Students

chris@thebasicsite.org (Chris Zeigler) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:02:02 +0000

Every BASIC conference we hand out a questionnaire at the end of the weekend to gather feedback from each person who attends. After sleeping for a couple days straight we come out of post-conference hibernation and each staff member reads through those comments. We usually find a number of helpful ideas and we’ve made changes based on what people told us.

So, my question for you this week is have you ever thought about surveying the students in your college ministry to see what you can learn? Now that we’re nearing the end of the year your students have a pretty good feel for how the ministry runs and what it offers. Why not have them fill out a short survey before they go home for the summer to see what you can do better next year?

Here are 10 sample questions I came up with quickly to get you started on putting one together for your group:

Q: What communication method do you prefer for hearing about events?
Q: What's your favorite part of our weekly meetings?
Q: What do you like most about our BASIC group?
Q: How many people in BASIC would you consider close friends?
Q: How did you hear about BASIC?
Q: What is the one thing you least like about our BASIC group?
Q: What one event did you enjoy most this year?
Q: What could we do to better reach our campus next year?
Q: What is the number one change we could make/thing we could add to make BASIC better next year?
Q: Do you feel like you have grown in your faith this past year in BASIC? Why or why not?

Have you ever done anything like this to get feedback from your students? What did you learn?

A great way to get fresh ideas, helpful resources, and time to brainstorm for your ministry is by bringing your leaders to the Propel College Leadership Summit in May. Online registration is open and you can find all the details over on our events page.

Finding the Best Student Leaders

chris@thebasicsite.org (Chris Zeigler) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:37:18 +0000

As the school year draws to a close most groups will be looking to elect new student leaders. Having the right student leaders in place is a big factor in determining whether or not your ministry will be successful each year. While in most groups the leaders are elected, I think it’s important to set a criteria for who is eligible to serve in a student leadership position.

Steve Shadrach, founder of Student Mobilization, The Traveling Team, the Bodybuilders ministry, and author of The Fuel and the Flame, uses the acronym F-A-I-T-H when considering someone for a leadership position. As you search for new leaders there are some important ingredients that you can look for. If you’re a student reading this who aspires to be a leader in your group the following points can serve as a blueprint for what makes a good leader.

Faithful - This is someone who is reliable and dependable. When you ask them to meet you at 7 PM they show up on time or even early. If they are asked to help with a project you know that they will do their part and do it well. A good question to ask when considering this point is, "Are they regularly on time and prepared?"

Available - When we look for leaders we need people who are available to help with the things that need to be done. So, ask yourself, "Has this person already filled up their schedule?" If so, are they willing to make changes to accommodate being a leader? Are they willing to be flexible when things come up? People who generally make good leaders have a tendency to get involved in many things. Consider if someone is willing to make the campus ministry a priority over other commitments.

Initiative - You can encourage someone to get out there and do something until you’re blue in the face, but if they don’t have initiative then nothing will ever get done. Look for students in your group who not only suggest ideas, but then take the initiative to get the process started. A question to help determine this quality is, "Is this person a self-starter or do they need a kick in the pants to get going?"

Teachable - If someone doesn’t have an open heart and willingness to learn their attitude can effect those around them. Student leaders don’t go into the position knowing all there is to know about campus ministry and will certainly need some on the job training. Are your prospective leaders open to learning? How do they receive correction when an issue arises? Would you consider them approachable?

Heart for God and People - There are those who fit all of the first 4 categories listed above, but if they don’t have a heart that seeks after God and loves people they will not make good student leaders. Even if the students you have are not outgoing do they have a genuine love for those around them? Are they regularly spending time with the Lord?

[blockquote]All of the first four points would qualify someone to be a leader in any other campus group, but when it comes to ministry we need those who are spiritually qualified as well.[/blockquote]

I would encourage you to seek out and prayerfully consider who in your group fits the F-A-I-T-H acronym. Having solid, Godly student leaders in place makes all the difference in seeing your campus reached for Christ.

While this is not an exhaustive list, I think it's a good place to start. Do you have any other characteristics you look for in student leaders?

Looking for a way to quickly train new leaders? A great way to learn from others in the BASIC network and begin planning for the fall semester is by bringing them to the Propel College Leadership Summit in May. Online registration is open and you can find all the details over on our events page.

Never Stop Innovating

chris@thebasicsite.org (Chris Zeigler) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:40:11 +0000

Thirty-five years ago film and camera company Eastman Kodak was on the top of their game. In 1976, they commanded 90% of film sales and 85% of camera sales in the U.S. It was common to see people pulling out their yellow boxes of Kodak film any time there was a picture taking opportunity, but change was around the corner and Kodak wasn’t adequately prepared for the world of digital.

Looking back it doesn’t make any sense. In 1975, an electrical engineer at Kodak invented and built the first digital camera. However, the company decided to scrap the project fearing that it would threaten their film business. This was the first in a series of catastrophic decisions that would eventually lead to the company declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy this past January.

People have debated the many possible reasons for Kodak’s demise, but one thing has remained clear through it all. Kodak failed to see beyond what was successful at the time to what the future held and thus missed out on one of the biggest advances in the history of photography.

Kodak isn’t the only company that has failed to keep up. Borders recently liquidated after losing out on the ebooks game. Last year Blockbuster sold out to Dish Network after Netflix and Redbox began dominating the movie rental business. So, what can we learn from these companies?

Never stop innovating. Change is always going to happen and, while campus ministry isn’t a business, it’s still possible to get left behind if we’re not looking at ways to stay current and improve. We live in a consumer culture and if students feel a ministry is outdated or lacking in an area they’ll move on to somewhere else.

I’m not saying we should begin viewing students as customers, but it is important to keep in mind that God likes to do new things.

If we’re not paying attention we won’t just miss out on staying current, we’ll miss out on what God wants to do through our ministries.

What was successful 10 years ago may not work any more and what seemed like the perfect system when your group had 15 students may be a burden to your ministry when you have 40 students. As we prep for conferences and plan for the future the BASIC crew is regularly asking God for creativity and I think our groups should be doing the same thing.

I’m so grateful that we have access to the greatest innovator and creative mind this world has ever seen! Let’s seek Him for fresh ideas, new insights, and supernatural creativity in our ministries!

Has your group done anything creative or out of the ordinary? Please share in the comments below so we can encourage and help each other.

A great way to learn from others in the BASIC network and begin planning for the fall semester is by bringing your leaders to the Propel College Leadership Summit in May. Online registration is open and you can find all the details over on our events page.

Communicating the Whys

chris@thebasicsite.org (Chris Zeigler) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:28:24 +0000

In Benson Hines’ guest post last week he touched on a point that I wanted to expand on. He shared about the importance of discussing the whys, not just the whats. Very often we talk about the significance of doing something or making a big change, but we don’t always communicate why it’s so important.

While Benson discussed this in light of providing a Biblical basis, I think this can apply to several different areas. We can look at it in terms of experiencing freedom from sin, evangelizing, casting vision, preaching messages, etc. You see if we communicate what students should do without ever telling them why they should do it we’ve only taken them halfway there. Because we’ve only taken them halfway they are less likely to buy in.

Think of it in terms of buying a new product. If you’re like me you need some convincing before you buy something new or change products. When the iPhone came out I immediately thought it looked cool, but I resolved not to buy it until I knew why it made sense for me to get it. When I started working for BASIC (two years after the first iPhone was announced) and began traveling a lot more it finally made sense to purchase something as useful as the iPhone.

When we take the time to discuss the whys as we cast vision people are more likely to want to get involved. When we explain why we want to restructure our small groups or change the way we do worship in our meetings leaders are more apt to jump on board. When we talk about why God cares about issues like sex before marriage or getting drunk students begin to rethink their choices. Some students have beaten themselves up for years trying to follow all the “what we should do as Christians” rules instead of taking the time to learn why God asks that of us.

I agree with Benson when he says that just telling students the whats without the whys can border on legalism and often it drives students away. In the end, when we communicate the whys it will encourage students to embrace the whats.

In light of this discussion, I want to quickly close by talking about why you should come to the BASIC conference this weekend. If you haven’t signed up yet it’s not too late. I attended the BASIC conference every semester during college (8 in all) and every time I left changed. I would go discouraged and leave encouraged. I would go struggling with sin and leave experiencing freedom. I would go with questions about life direction and leave with answers.

So, why go? When you dedicate a weekend to God I promise He will speak and I believe your life will be transformed. Online registration has closed, but you can still call the BASIC office to register and you can always sign up at the door throughout the weekend. Don’t miss out on a chance to hear God’s voice this weekend.

Also, with the conference this weekend I will be taking a break from the blog next week. I look forward to seeing you all this weekend!

Five Areas Worth (Re)Thinking About

chris@thebasicsite.org (Chris Zeigler) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:19:48 +0000

This week's post is a guest blog from Benson Hines. He is the writer of the Exploring College Ministry blog and has taken nine road trips to visit over 300 campuses in all. Before he began devoting his time to helping leaders in college ministry he served locally for 8 years in college ministry. He has also written a free ebook about a yearlong roadtrip he took called Reaching the Campus Tribes. Benson was the main speaker at last year's Propel Leadership Summit held by BASIC.

There's a big problem with making a list like this: There are plenty of other items that could end up on it.

That being said, here are some of the areas your college ministry might want to rethink - or consider in the first place! Each of them has the potential to take a ministry to its next level of impact, so hopefully two or three of them (at least) will give you some pondering-fodder in the months ahead!

1. Get smaller. What would happen if you devoted a heavy portion of energy to impacting one particular "people group" on campus - the Theater club, for instance, or one dorm floor where a few of your ministry's students already live? This is niche-based college ministry, and it's one strategy always worth considering. If (by God's leading) you put disproportionate effort into reaching deeply into one campus segment, you may find that you actually reach more students that way... and more non-Christians, too.

2. Learn the tribe. How much time have you, as college minister or student leader, put into "learning your tribe"? Any missionary would likely spend months observing, studying, and discussing his particular mission field. Do you know your campus's demographics? Do you know the goals of the administration for the next 24 months? What segments of campus are other college ministries reaching well? What's the history of your mission field? If you don't know the answers to these and other questions, you're not making the impact you could.

3. Prepare for success. College ministers should be evaluated on how well their graduates are doing two years beyond college. (That's not the only measure of success, but it's a big one.) How well is your ministry doing at preparing students for "the real world"? While this should be a purpose throughout the college years, it should receive special attention as students near graduation. How are seniors being discipled in choosing a church, handling money, finding community, dating, being a Christian employee, and the many other struggles of life beyond college?

4. Share whys, not just whats. How often do you encourage students to do something without helping them understand why? It's easy to push students to service opportunities, invite them into community, or urge them to excel in their studies without once teaching them what the Bible has to say about these things. (And students probably won't argue that they're each important.) But giving instructions without biblical motivation is legalism, and it makes us no different from their fraternities and service clubs when it comes to encouraging "good behavior." A quick test: For each aspect you consider to be a "pillar" of your college ministry, have you engaged in ministry-wide discipleship on that topic?

5. Evaluate. When you really think about it, do you know that your ministry is making an impact? How do you know? One of the trickiest things about college ministry is figuring out how to evaluate our work, but it's still worth attempting to do. Are students remembering (and applying) your weekly talks? Are small group leaders communicating well? Is your annual on-campus service project accomplishing what you hoped? Are students actually succeeding spiritually in the years beyond college? Are visitors feeling welcomed and getting the information they should? If you don't have regular and effective means of evaluating your activities, it's time to develop some!

Have you considered these areas in your ministry? What other areas in your ministry have you realized needed to be reconsidered?