One of the things that can be hard to come by in college ministry is money. We all know college students are usually hurting for cash and unless your group has a significant budget with the college Student Association the funds you need can be hard to come by.
As the end of the year approaches most churches will be working to get their budget finalized for the coming year. Even if the BASIC group hasn’t been in the church budget in the past I want to strongly encourage you to talk with your pastor about getting funding through the church this year. The college ministry is a ministry of the church just like the other ministries that get put in the budget such as youth ministry, food pantries, children’s ministry, etc.
Consider how you could help more students come to conferences, leaders come to Propel, buy Bibles to give away to new believers, get pizza for social events, buy sound equipment for your meetings, etc. It’s not just about money, that money adds up to more students on your campus being reached, strengthened, and encouraged in their walks with God. There are so many ways that your BASIC group could benefit from having a dedicated budget to work off of from your church.
Make sure you do a little homework before you sit down to talk with your pastor. Think about anything that could benefit the BASIC group that you could use money for and start a budget. The word “budgeting” can seem scary, but really it doesn’t have to be that difficult. Your budget could look something like this:
If you haven’t started this discussion then you’ll want to right away as the end of the year is coming fast! It would also be good to start thinking about how you can get in the Student Association’s budget as well. It varies for every school, but it’s usually good to submit a budget shortly after the spring semester begins. It’s also best when submitting a budget to the school to ask for more than you need because they traditionally will give you a little less than you ask for.
What things have you put in your budget in the past that people may not traditionally think of, but have really helped your group? Please share in the comments below.