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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“What Can We Do To Meet Hungry Students?”

Purpose: Specifics on finding spiritually hungry college students.

College students are busy. They may be in class, studying at the library, writing papers, making plans, or eating! How is it possible to break into their schedules—through posters or radio ads or flyers or tracts?

Every good fisherman knows that anyone who wants to catch fish must go where the fish are. Likewise, the campus worker who wants to meet and get to know students must go where the students are. One word of caution—it is better to be a student rather than to hang around the campus and pretend to be one. Students tend to be a little bit skeptical by nature, and are sensitive to any sort of perceived deception. Ideally, it is advantageous if the campus minister is enrolled. Any study of the history and development of campus ministries will show that campus ministries are often established by and for students. There have been no powerful campus ministries that did not involve students reaching students. Several of the more successful campus organizations use an advisor who is not a student, but most of the soul winning is done by the students themselves.

As a student, the campus worker has several advantages:

·         All the university’s facilities are accessible to students. Students also have the right to say what they believe to anyone on campus. The university is obligated to protect the right of free speech, and most universities take that obligation seriously.

·         Each student shares the same class and subject with perhaps up to 500 other students in larger classes. This means that he or she can walk up to any one of these other students anywhere on the campus, make the proper introductions, and start a conversation about the class. In this way, friendships may be formed.

·         It says a great deal to a student if a campus worker is willing to face the same pressures, concerns, and obligations that other students must face. It is in this context that the Holy Ghost will become real to others. Being a student helps the worker to understand what students face and keeps him or her in touch.

Whether or not you’re a student, the list of possibilities for meeting people is limited only by your imagination. Here are a few:

1.      Become a Member of a Service Club or Organization—Clubs and organizations abound in a university setting. Joining one introduces you to many young people who share your interests, whether they be chess, outdoor sports, biking, mountain climbing, cave exploring, or hang gliding. This conversation becomes a platform for witnessing to start.

2.      General Campus Activities—Concerts, art festivals, recitals, exhibits, and lectures are generally open to the public. When the campus worker goes to such events, he or she should look for familiar faces and say hello to them. Students at college are often lonely and will respond to friendly, smiling people. Anyone who frequents the campus will see the same people over and over. The campus worker must make it a point to meet these people and get to know them.

3.      The Student Newspaper—Students are always short of money. The campus worker could offer to pay to have a lawn mowed, to have leaves raked, or to have a garage cleaned. When a few students answer the ad and do the work, they will welcome some refreshments. Friendliness, along with an invitation to come back for dinner, will do wonders. Campus ministers may also want to place a two- or three-line ad in the classified section of the student newspaper to offer free Bible studies, Bible literature, or even themselves as caring people to talk to. This up-front approach will only be answered by those who are interested.

4.      Foreign Students—Some universities have a support group linking families with foreign students. Members of this group help foreigners adjust to life in the host country and explain such commonplace things as how to use the Laundromat, how to order phone service, or where to shop for curtains. They meet the new students at the airport, escort them to their apartments, and help them settle in before the school year starts. The campus worker who gets involved in this type of activity has an open door to witnessing. (Once We Meet Students, What Do We Do? covers this topic in a more comprehensive manner.) It is possible to actually do foreign missions work right at the local campus!

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Part five: The World in Our Backyard, The Opportunity, A Testimony, How To Reach International Students, The Potential