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.

print version

“Once We Meet Students, What Do We Do?”

Purpose: To provide direction on growing a spiritually successful campus ministry.

After the initial connection, the challenge is to bring them to the point where they can receive the gospel. Before discussing specifics, let us look at what students face in their first few years in college. After that, we will look at what has been most successful in one-to-one campus ministry.

Challenges to College Students

The college years may best be described as a five-year crisis. The student is asked to take stock of his or her strengths and weaknesses and commit the next few years to a rigorous schedule of classes to prepare for a career that will last until retirement.

Additionally, they are adjusting to their newly acquired independence and dealing with the many associated pressures. Realistically, someone who is struggling with these issues cannot be expected to accept the gospel within five minutes. It often takes time, patience, and love before they are ready. Experience has shown that it is not unusual for a student to wait at least a few months or even an entire semester after an initial contact before obeying the gospel.

Challenges to Campus Ministers

Since it will take time and friendship, the campus minister must relax and give students as much time as they need to develop confidence in the salvation experience. After all, they are being bombarded with many experiences in their college life, and may think that every thing available is to be tried, with each experience claiming to be the greatest. They may not recognize the power of Christ in an instant.

The campus worker should open his or her home to students, host a casual dinner with them (perhaps on a weekly basis), and maybe give a standing invitation to come back. Sharing the gospel may need to come after a discussion on current issues or on other interests in research and study. These areas almost always lead into discussions of ultimate values and question, right and wrong, ethics, and so on, and the campus minister can present the biblical view. From such a dinner session, those students who seem most interested to study the Bible’s views may be invited to do so. They may then come to a separate, ongoing, weekly Bible study at a convenient location for them.

In dealing with these types of issues, an informal atmosphere works best. Students will feel much freer to participate, express views, ask questions, and make comments. Of course, the worker should ask them what authority they use to support their feelings and should refer frequently to the Scripture to see if their feelings are valid biblically. This technique will assure that they are exposed to the Word of God. At the same time, it should be balanced by a demonstration of loving, patient giving.

Seeing Through Jesus’ Eyes

Students need to feel that they are valuable for themselves and not because they are a campus worker’s project. From their standpoint, they are not merely souls to be won; they are people to be appreciated. The worker should avoid making a student feel that he or she is just a means to a goal. Students need to feel that they are loved and that they are welcome in the campus minister’s home at any time, even if they do not decide to come to Jesus.

In general, the answer to the question “What do I do?” will be clear if the campus worker makes friends with students based on mutual respect and appreciation. Friendship that is based on common interests will grow, and the relationship will deepen. What road that takes is not important, as long as it is maintained in the Spirit of Christ. What will help win the student is warmth, love, and concern—qualities that are sadly lacking in our world today.

Continue...
Part six: The Need, Integration Into The Local Church