How to Get Exposure for a College Campus Ministry

One of the biggest challenges is getting students (especially new ones) to understand that your ministry accepts all denominational beliefs and that you are there the help them make God a part of their college life. (If you do not accept students of different denominations please move on and find another article to suit your needs)

The best way to get the message out that you are about God's love is to be visible on campus. There are some ways to go about it that are better then others.

I am sure you already know where students routinely gather (maybe outside a cafeteria) on your campus so that's where you need to be. Not just during the beginning of the semester, not just after winter break - the entire year. It's not just being outside the cafeteria handing out paraphernalia, brochures or flyers to your next cookout, its being at all the football games, basketball games, getting out onto the campus during events and being visible to the students. The purpose of this is so that the students know who you are and what you are about so that they know where to go when they need something else in their life.

The campus minister has to be involved in the ministry. If they are not, you will not recruit additional members. You will not hold the students interests and if new students come, they will not stay. It's up to the campus minister to bring life to the ministry - it's not up to the students.

The campus minister needs to be at the majority of the football and basketball games. They need to organize the students to band together and attend these events as a group. If the minister is only around for one week night bible study and a Sunday chapel service, the purpose will fail.

A schedule for a campus ministry should resemble something like this:

Monday could be the day where the minister and or students go to the local Christian radio station and talk about up and coming events the ministry has planned for the week.

Tuesday could be a planned day to hand out invitations to a co-ed flag football game with free food afterward.

Wednesday is a day for meeting with several high school youth groups and recruiting future attendees.

Thursday is campus bible study and it takes place at night. With thirty minutes of bible study and thirty minutes of open discussion.

Friday is an additional recruiting day with dinner and a movie. Students select a place to eat and everyone agrees to either see a movie, go bowling or play board games. The idea here is for the students to invite and bring friends.

Saturdays are usually up to the students since a majority of college student's work most of the day.

Sunday is chapel.

So, as you see the week is spent being seen and heard. Doing this gives your ministry exposure - consistently.

A few other ideas include hosting an Olympic games where the games are unusual, outdoor games like, bocce ball, lawn darts, corn hole, water balloon toss and other fun outdoor games - now it is known that these are games that some college students view as stupid and a waste of time. However, I have seen a water balloon toss tournament turn into a five hundred person event when it was expected to get around 75 people in attendance. It depends on many factors but I think that event was advertised in the weekly college newspaper.

Another idea is to assemble a group to attend the football games and basketball games get a name for your group (example: If you always sit in section 605 call yourselves cell block 605) and make up t-shirts and get the students to paint their faces and get a little crazy inside their own group and let people know that anyone is welcome to join the other "inmates". You could even offer free t-shirts.

The real deal is this - the campus minister has to be involved 100%. Just being present every once in a while doesn't cut it. The students have to be involved as well but that's easy when the minister is involved and doing their job.

Take these ideas and utilize and adapt them to your situation and get exposure!