about CMI
Campus Ministry International (CMI) was formed to enable and encourage local churches to effectively reach out to the college and university populations in their vicinities with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is done by a variety of means, including motivating Districts and churches to establish and maintain campus evangelism, providing materials and training to aid in the formation of these campus ministries, acting as a clearinghouse for the gathering and distribution of new information, ideas, and materials, and establishing communication and cooperation between campus ministries in our fellowship.

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Getting Started

Purpose: This section covers the essentials in building an effective foundation to a Campus Ministry.

Overview

To get started in campus ministry, the necessary ingredients are not all that different from other areas of outreach. One way to approach a new effort is as follows:

• Pray and fast about your local campus.
• Talk to your spiritual leadership.
• Research your campus.
• Designate a leader.
• Get organized and choose an approach.
• Go ye therefore...

Please note that “Choose someone with a college degree” is not included in the above requirements. Students will listen to somebody who genuinely cares for them. While previous experience at a college or university is an obvious advantage, it is not necessary.

Also, do not be overly concerned that you might not “know as much” or be “as smart as” your perception of the students. Just as an art history major is not expected to know anything about microbiology, the person representing themselves as “majoring” in Jesus Christ is only expected to know about Him. With the Holy Spirit in our lives, we, in fact, are the experts in our field. Remind yourself of that.

The Details

Some of these are obvious with any new ministry, yet others are specific to this ministry.

1. Pray and Fast about Your Local Campus—This is absolutely vital. No matter how organized we get, no spiritual endeavor will succeed without God’s help. This was clearly taught by Jesus—”... If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:20-21)—and remains true today.

2. Talk to Your Spiritual Leadership—The support of a local church is also vital to the success of campus outreach. Students need to be provided with a church framework that is able to address their spiritual and social needs. It is also important for students to understand their role and responsibilities to the local church in whatever area in which they will eventually live and work after graduation.

As in all matters of outreach and ministries within the church, campus ministry must be done “decently and in order.” As scripture reminds us, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17).

3. Research Your Campus—There is a wide variety in the type and character of college and university campuses. The characteristics of a local community college vary widely from that of a large state university and a private liberal arts school.

There are many ways to decipher the personality of your campus—ask students who attend, call the school public relations office, visit the college home page, walk around the campus for a look, or even take a class!

Define your campus, by asking questions:

• How many students are enrolled?
• Are the students mainly commuters or residents?
• How large is the physical campus?
• Are the buildings scattered or clustered?
• What are the busiest months of the school year?
• What are the best days of the week and the best hours in the day to conduct campus outreach?

The answers to these questions will help determine how many campus workers are needed, what kind of method would be best in reaching students, what the best times of the year and of the day would be most effective for campus ministry, and how much time should be allotted per visit. With this knowledge, wasted time and effort can be avoided.

Doing this is consistent with the approach the apostle Paul took in Acts 17:1-2. Paul chose the place and time of his outreach in accord with the habits of the Jews, who were his evangelistic targets. Simply put, he went where most of the people would be at the time of his visit.

4. Designate a Leader—Every successful organization has somebody in charge; campus ministry is no different. This individual will serve as the focal point for the effort, and is also accountable to the local pastor. In addition, this is an excellent opportunity to develop spiritual responsibility in the leader and their co-workers.

As Paul informed us, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” (Ephesians. 4:11-12).

5. Get Organized and Choose an Approach—There is no one “best” method or approach to use in campus outreach. Many successful CMI chapters around North America are completely different. A variety of possibilities are described, and a basic plan should be identified as part of getting started. As you develop your chapter, the failures and successes you experience will confirm the best method of outreach to your campus.

Building Local Support

In a practical sense, it will be helpful to keep in mind the strength of the local church base in starting your ministry. It would make the job much easier if there are several people interested in the ministry and if the church has a high level of commitment to campus evangelism. (Financial backing also may be helpful, but not necessary.) Campus ministry can work without these resources, but if they are available, the campus minister should use them wisely and coordinate them effectively.

College students in the local church provide the best source of help. They are on campus, know their way around, have contacts with other students on a peer level, and understand the attitudes of college students. In fact, adult students may be more effective than younger people who are not.

A broad talent base in the church can be imaginatively used to enhance outreach and ministry on campus in a variety of ways. Most college students enjoy and respect talent of any kind. If the local church has a talent base in music, art, dramatics, or literature, it should be channeled into campus ministry. Instrumental and vocal music is especially helpful in leading worship in on-campus meetings, if that is the approach which is taken. It also may serve as a drawing card in special, music-oriented services.

Leadership potential among the ministry team must be sought out and actively trained. Many groups mistakenly concentrate all or most leadership functions in one person. This is not always intentional. Many times it happens because people who promise to help do not show up, or because no one else is capable of doing the job. Whenever possible, however, it is better to share these responsibilities, not only for practical purposes, but also so that the fate of the ministry will not be tied to a single leader. Moreover, when more people are involved, the capacity for multiple forms of outreach increases as well.

The organizer should break the ministry down into manageable tasks that individuals can handle and continue to teach the ministry team about the spiritual responsibility involved in each task. Training is not easy, but as the example of Jesus Himself shows, placing the work into the hands of others is richly rewarding.

6. Go Ye Therefore . . . —As Scripture often reminds us— “Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him” (Acts 28:31)—The most important part of any campus ministry effort is the “doing.”  While being organized is obviously necessary, nothing is accomplished if the plan is never actually implemented.

The ideal church which can supply all of the suggested attributes of a campus outreach effort probably does not exist. Take whatever tools God has provided, and let Him work in and through your team.

General Considerations
Whatever style of ministry is planned, experience has indicated a few considerations to keep in mind:

A. The Bible—Students are quite used to having a text book for class. Keeping as many of the activities as possible based on sound biblical teaching is quite consistent with normal expectations.

B. The Language Barrier—Terms used routinely in church, while completely appropriate coming from the pulpit, may not be understood on campus. The unfortunate fact is that many students are not familiar with any sort of church culture, much less one that is biblically based. Showing in scripture where Jesus died for each of our sins is probably preferable to asking someone if they have been “washed in the blood.”

C. Ministry Creativity—Novel approaches to campus ministry keep people refreshed and the work interesting. While some people may be more resourceful than others, worker should be encouraged to continually try new ideas to reach and keep people. They can take advantage of holidays, seasons, campus events, special interests, and even news stories in order to make them vehicles for sharing the gospel. Just because every one always does it that way, doesn’t mean you can’t reinvent it. So add a new touch of imagination to:

·         newspaper ads

·         radio spots

·         flyers / posters / tracts

·         displays

·         concerts

·         banquets / picnics / parties / dinners

·         prayer meetings

·         trips, and many other kinds of campus ministry tools all await

D. Resisting discouragement—Campus workers need to be aware that flat, unproductive periods occur in all ministries. No one understands why. We just know it happens. Sometimes, however, we can pinpoint reasons such as rebuilding years, flagging interest, personal failures, or shifts in spiritual direction.

A ministry team must be trained to meet these situations with prayer, fasting, and a willingness to engage in healthy, honest self-criticism. Of course, wrong attitudes must be corrected, and necessary changes must be made, but the team must maintain a determined resistance against discouragement.

E. Let God be God—The path of any evangelism effort is impossible to predict. Remaining sensitive to the Spirit, and allowing God to work through us is always the way to achieve the best long-term results. Remember, every soul that is brought into the Kingdom is a living miracle, and worth every bit of effort—”Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Ephesians. 3:20-21).

Continue...
Part three: Choosing your approach, Choosing a direction, What can we do meet people?, Once we meet people, what do we do