This week’s edition of the blog applies mainly to church advisors in the BASIC network and other part-time campus ministers. I thought over the summer it could be really helpful to think about how to effectively do campus ministry while working another job.
Before I get into the tips, I know most of our church advisors work full-time and then do campus ministry along with any other commitments they may have and for that I want to say a big “Thank you!” from all of the BASIC staff, students, and parents of the students. We are truly grateful for your service and I know it is making a big difference in the lives of so many people!
For this post I took some time to talk with Gene Kline and pick his brain. Gene has been the church advisor for the BASIC group at Stony Brook on Long Island for 21 years while working as a parole officer, so he has a lot of experience in this area. There were several things he said in our discussion that really stood out to me:
His attitude and commitment – Gene’s attitude toward BASIC and college ministry is phenomenal. Nearly every conversation I have with him he talks about how much of a joy it is to be involved in the lives of college students and it’s obvious that he sees it as a privilege to partner with God and serve in this capacity. He also referenced the importance of having a Col. 3:23 mindset, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” I think Gene’s joyful perspective and servant’s heart has been the number one reason he has been successful at college ministry for so many years.
Building a solid student leadership team – I would hope that you are not bearing the majority of the weight of running your BASIC ministry. God has given you people in your church who can work with you as a team and He has given you students who are excited and passionate about ministering to their peers. Gene discussed the importance of putting raising up new leaders at the forefront of your mind. Stony Brook’s group had typically put students in leadership roles once they were juniors or seniors, but Gene mentioned that he has recently shifted his perspective and now looks for mature sophomores and second semester freshmen who can step into those roles. He then has those leaders longer and has more time to look for future leaders. Their group has 4 students who serve on their e-board (president, vp, secretary, treasurer), but they also have a number of students who are in other leadership positions. Once you’re able to build a solid team of student leaders you can begin delegating more tasks and give them opportunities to take more ownership of the group.
Time management – Gene talked about the importance of being purposeful with the use of your time. He said it’s important not to compare yourself with other ministries that have full-time workers. Give your time to the Lord and ask Him to multiply it, so that you can be as effective as possible in the time that you have. He also mentioned that it’s important to be passionate about college ministry, but always be more passionate about God and your spouse. If things are getting really overwhelming he suggested taking a break once a semester from going to the meeting and go out to dinner with your spouse. As long as you can trust your student leaders or leaders from your church you should be able to do this without everything falling apart. Make sure to make time for your own interests as well, so that campus ministry can be a joy and never seems like a burden. Gene also holds only three leadership meetings per semester – one at the beginning, middle, and end. The student leaders meet more often throughout the semester and report back to him (depending on your group and student leaders this may or may not work for you).
I also asked Gene at the end of our conversation how he handles working with the college ministry when things get hectic or stressful at work. He said the important thing is to always separate work and this calling that God has given you to serve college students. I would also suggest taking a little time to pray before you go to the meeting that night in order to refocus yourself.
Thank you, Gene, for being willing to offer some of your time-tested advice on this subject! If you have any other tips for things that have helped you work full-time and do campus ministry please leave them in the comments below for everyone else’s benefit. My hope is that as campus ministers we would see the incredible need for the work God has called us to and serve joyfully from that perspective. Take some time over this summer to rest and recuperate and make a point of spending time with family. If you feel discouraged or worn out from this past year please don’t hesitate to call the office or another BASIC advisor, so that we can offer encouragement and be praying for you. Thank you for your willingness to serve, we appreciate you!