7 Reasons to Invite Everyone (and their brother) to BASICcon
I am so excited for the upcoming Fall BASICcon! On November 8-10, hundreds of young adults from around the northeast will come together at the Rochester Plaza Hotel in Rochester, NY. This BASICcon features worship with Grammy nominated band Leeland and headline speaker Matthew Barnett, pastor and cofounder of the Dream Center in Los Angeles. […]
The 86% Principle
How would you feel if I told you that 86% of students on your campus would reach their senior year without ever knowing that your ministry existed? That’s 86% of people who may never hear the Gospel. To put it another way, on a campus with 8,000 students only 1,120 of them will even hear […]
The Key to Building a Successful Ministry
As the semester gets started we’re all hoping to see the same thing – a successful ministry built and lives transformed. So, it’s important to remember the key to building a successful ministry is through investing in people. That’s why I love the above quote from Michael W. Smith. Jesus transformed the world by pouring […]
Starting Your Semester: Faith for the Unseen
One of my favorite chapters of the Bible is Hebrews 11. The writer talks about the fathers of the faith and thus strengthens our faith as he lists off the numerous things God accomplished through their faith. This chapter holds two incredible verses. The first starts the discussion by saying, “Now faith is the substance […]
Effective Planning Pt.3: Plan Backwards
So, you’ve read the first post in this series and determined where you were relying on past successes. Next, you read the second post and began a thorough evaluation of your ministry – the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. As you’ve been praying through this I’m trusting that God has started giving you […]
Effective Planning Pt.2: Evaluating Your Ministry
Edison could have been happy with reading by candlelight. Henry Ford could have decided there was no better way to get around than horse driven carriages. Steve Jobs could have stopped after making the Apple II. You get the point. This is a series that was originally written for the Campus Ministry Collective website. The […]
Effective Planning Pt.1: Moving On From Past Successes
As the fall semester will be upon us soon, I wanted to write a series of three posts to give you tips for planning. I’m sure most campus ministers have done some planning already at this point, but have you done effective planning that will ensure success for your ministry in this new school year? […]
Helping People Feel Welcome – Part 3: My Most Awkward Church Experience
Music blared as people shouted excitedly. The cramped room was buzzing and the air smelled of sweat. One by one more people were added to the conga line that circled our family and I was praying I wouldn’t get pulled in. I thought to myself, “Since when did the normal wedding festivities become common in […]
Helping People Feel Welcome
My wife once had an awkward experience. She decided to attend a meeting held at a local church for mothers of young children. Unfortunately, she had mistaken the time the meeting started and showed up half an hour late. While my wife is very punctual, mothers always show up late to things, so it should […]
We Set the Lid
It can be a scary thing when you realize just how important you are to the success of the ministry on your campus. Wait, isn’t it all up to God? Don’t worry, I’m not trying to encourage some kind of egotistical, chest beating, God-can’t-do-this-without-me type of spirit when I say that. But what I have […]