When Cheryl and I started working with BASIC College Ministries we were a part of helping a church start a BASIC group at SUNY Geneseo. We very quickly realized that the students who got involved and stayed committed to the group were the ones we spent the most time pouring into.
From what I’ve seen in my short time in college ministry (and really ministry in general), cultivating relationships with those you minister to pays huge dividends. I’m not saying we should think of students in business terms, but we noticed that the students we actively took time to get to know kept coming every week and many of them eventually became our student leaders. There’s no formula for developing leaders, but meeting weekly with students who have potential can make a big difference.
That first year Cheryl and I made a point of meeting with students over lunch or coffee regularly. We didn’t meet with every student because we would never have had enough time to do that, but each of us picked out a few who were either leaders at the time or potential leaders. As we sat down with them we were able to get to know them better, speak into their lives, and provide accountability. We also tried to pay for their lunch or coffee as much as possible to bless them and let them know we cared about them. Getting to know your students well is the best thing you can do to build and encourage leaders.
If you can begin sowing seeds that form into relationships this next semester I believe it will go a long way in helping you find and prepare student leaders for the fall. Ultimately, this will benefit your group and the things you sow into them will “trickle down” to other students in the group.
With Christmas coming up I’ll be taking a break from the blog next week to relax and spend time with family. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy ringing in the new year with friends and family!