Collegiates: Leadership for Your Student Ministry

Written by Bill Wade

There are more than 250,000 college students involved in Southern Baptist churches and campus-based collegiate ministries. Of this total, more than 16,000 have indicated they feel God’s call to a full-time Christian vocation. 

These future national, church, and denominational leaders must be given opportunities to develop basic leadership skills and use their spiritual gifts. Therefore, they must also have opportunities to develop basic leadership skills and use their spiritual gifts.

There are boundless opportunities for collegiates to experience such growth within your church’s student ministry. Many college students feel they live in a world in which there are few ways they can truly make a difference. As a result, many become spectators in an adult world; and we, in turn, criticize them for being lazy and uninvolved. Moreover, churches are guilty of not expecting and not challenging this emerging generation to invest in Kingdom growth. Yet, there are wise churches that have tapped into this incredible spiritual resource.

These churches have stressed the importance of college students being involved in the total life experience of the local church. They encourage students to serve in the church’s worship, children’s ministry, student ministry, outreach, and serving ministries. They urge them to be involved in teaching Sunday School and discipleship groups. This involvement helps college students define and develop their spiritual gifts and leadership abilities. These lessons in church leadership help them see where God may use them in the local church, regardless of their vocational choice.

It’s important to realize that the most likely ministry in which to involve college students is your church’s ministry to teens. There are several very legitimate reasons this is a natural fit.

1. College students are in tune with the cultural norms for communication, fashion, music, art, and so forth. They understand the thinking patterns and social axioms of students. This is critical if we are to reach youth for salvation and ongoing discipleship.
2. Involving college students in youth ministry provides a seamless transition from high school to college. If strong interpersonal relationships can be established between college students and teens during the later stages of the teens’ involvement in the student ministry, it ensures an easier transition into the collegiate or young adult ministry. If the graduate moves away, the chances of him searching for church involvement and relationships similar to those they have experienced the past few years greatly increase.
3. A benefit of involving collegiates in student ministry is the duplication process of transforming discipleship. Because of a college student’s investment, students mature in their faith walks. These former youth can duplicate the discipleship process with students in the church’s current student ministry.
4. College students can establish mentoring relationships with two or three students in your ministry. Mentoring will help collegiates honestly evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses as disciples.

As you involve collegians in the life of your student ministry, be careful in evaluating their level of involvement. They will have an incredible influence on the lives of those students entrusted to them. It would be wise to pursue students exhibiting the following characteristics:

• exhibits a vital, growing, personal relationship with Christ;
• life reflects strong commitment to discipleship;
• attends worship regularly;
• a student of God’s Word;demonstrates the ability to make wise decisions;
• exhibits high ethical and moral standards;
• has strong communication skills;
• relates well to peers;
• has demonstrated an interest in cultivating relationships with youth;
• works well with adults.

Involving college students in your student ministry is not without its risks. Remember, these are young leaders at the beginning of their leadership journeys. They will have a ton of questions and will, like you and me, sometimes make poor decisions. The rewards, however, will last for all eternity as you and they invest in God’s plan for redeeming a fallen world.

Bill Wade has been successful in ministering to collegiates and in involving them in meaningful ministry projects as a way to mentor students. He has guided students to use their gifts in ministry and in serving others.

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