The fall is not as far away as you may think

Hello friends,

Spring is barely here, summer is around the corner and we are already thinking and talking about the fall. Are you? We think about the fall a great deal, because it is the most strategic time of the year.

In Ephesians 5:15-16, Paul encourages the Ephesians to: "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil." Let's make the most of every opportunity next fall!
A couple things to keep in mind:

• Be prepared - are leaders in place? do you have a room reserved for the first meeting of the year? If it all possible, it is best to have the same room each week, that way people don't have to go looking for you.
• The first six weeks of the semester are probably the most important ones your ministry will have. It is during that time that most people make decisions of how they will spend their time and who their friends will be. You will want to start your meetings right away, have lots of posters up, and this is also when you want to do outreach and community building. (fun stuff)
• The importance of reaching freshmen/first year students. If you reach the freshmen class each year, you reach the campus. Freshmen come in eager to learn and eager to meet new people. If you miss a couple of years of reaching freshmen, most likely your ministry will die out.
• The necessity of having a plan. If you want to make the most of your 1st 6 weeks and if you want to reach freshmen, you will have to have a plan.

Here are some questions to consider when forming your plan:

What will you do for outreach?
What will you do for prayer?
How will you publicize?
How will you welcome new people?
How will you keep them coming back?
What will you do for your first bible study, your first weekly meeting?
Who will do what?
What do we need to make these things happen?

As a leadership team, please discuss these questions and come up with a plan for next fall. Pray and trust God for big and mighty things on your campus next year! I also encourage you to go to http://www.godsquad.com/leading/fallplan.htm for some additional planning tools and tips.

What does it take to transition well?

Hello friends,

Do you ever feel like you are in a race? At points during the semester life feels like a marathon. 3 more weeks until finals, 5 more days until Saturday. It's all you can do to endure! Other times (like now perhaps), it can feel like a sprint. So much to do in so little time!

Ministry can be like a relay race. The runners need to work together to accomplish the goal, and the trickiest part can be passing the baton.

As leaders, it is important to have a good hand-off to future leaders from semester to semester. The success of next semester could depend on how well you pass the baton in the next few weeks.

(2 Timothy 2:2 "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.")

Here is a link to a brief article that helps identify some of the qualities that spiritual leaders need to develop: http://godsquad.com/leading/pictureldr.htm

Its definitely worth taking a couple minutes to read these resources, as you involve new leaders in the ministry.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Do we have leaders or a leadership team lined up and preparing for next semester?
• Do they know what their responsibilities are?
• Do they know who to talk to on campus to reserve a room or table, to request funds?
• Is the paperwork all taken care of? (some ministries flounder in the fall because previous leaders didn't submit a list of officers or request a room)
• How have you helped align them to our mission of turning lost students into Christ-centered laborers and the vision of building transformational community?
• For our favorite article on transformational community go to:
  http://godsquad.com/squadroom/leading/transcom.htm
  
  Let's do what we can to make the most of the opportunity to reach people for Christ during those first two weeks of the fall semester!

Easter approaches!

Hello Friends,

It may be hard to believe it at times with the gray skies and chilly winds of March but Easter is coming! Easter eggs, chocolate bunnies, tulips and ham are what many people think of these days when they think of Easter. As Christians it is our most wonderful celebration of all! Our Lord was crucified for our sin, he died and rose again! He triumphed over sin and death and reconciled us to God. How amazing! Yet, it is so easy for us to get complacent and view what Christ did as an ordinary, every day event.

Easter is a wonderful time for us to appreciate again the gift of salvation and ponder the hope that we have in heaven. It is also a wonderful time to share the message of salvation with the many people around us who need Jesus.

As Easter approaches please consider what you and your ministry can do to share the Good News of Christ this Easter season. Easter is April 12th and the best time to do outreaches related to Easter is the week Before Easter so that means Passion week is less than 3 weeks away.
“Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."" John 11:25-26a

Please check out this godsquad link for Easter outreach ideas:
http://www.godsquad.com/squadroom/seasonal/easter.htm

Some ideas to consider:

• Every students Choice Beyond Blind Faith poster campaign http://everystudentpromotion.com/campaigns/04-easter/index.html
• Give out free Easter Candy on campus, Easter Egg Hunt or Easter Baskets (college students like to have fun too!)
• Special Easter Dinner or Banquet, that you invite non-Christian friends to and have someone share story of how Jesus resurrection has changed your life.
• Prayer Table or Informational Table: conduct Easter survey, pass out free candy, articles, book about the life of Jesus or claims of Christ, Bibles, offer free prayer, etc.
• Plastic Easter eggs with candy and advertisement for http://www.everystudent.com/ in them.
• Show the Jesus film or Passion movie on your campus

Any combination of the above ideas and/or your own additions and thoughts.
We pray that God will use these special events in the lives of students on your campus!

Do you have any friends graduating?

Hello friends, The seniors in your ministry will be graduating in just a couple months. Please do what you can to honor and encourage those who are graduating. Here are a few questions that you can pass along to them (or look over yourself if you are a Jr or Sr.) to help them finish well on campus and prepare for life post college:


How can you graduate as a Christ-centered laborer?
God has given us time, money, talents and abilities. How will we use and invest His gifts to us?

Some related parables and scripture to read and reflect on:
The parable of the talents Matthew 25:14-30
The parable contrasting the two managers Luke 12:35-48
Counting the cost Luke 14:28-33

Please read Matt 28:18-20: "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'"

As you graduate and move into the next phase of life, what are some ways you can contribute to helping to fulfill the great commission?

What do you want to do after graduation?

Why do you want to serve in this vocation?

What are some ways you can potentially share your faith in your future work environment?

How can you use your vocation to help demonstrate the love of Christ? How can you have a positive influence in our culture, potentially helping encourage the openness of others to the gospel?

What are some specific things you would like to do to express God's love and have a positive impact?

When and how do you think you may be able to do this?


Please take a few minutes to consider these questions and/or pass them along to juniors and seniors involved in the ministry on your campus.

How can you help reach others on your campus?

Dear Friends,

We pray that you are doing well, enjoying life and ministry on your campus!
Wherever we go in life, to a family get together, work, a walk down the street or on campus we are surrounded by people who need Jesus, people who are lost without Him. Matthew 9:36, tells of Jesus' compassion: "When He saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."

As we go about our daily lives, it is often easy for us to become immune to the spiritual needs of others. Instead of forgetting the needs of others, we can choose to actively reach out with the love of Christ. 1 John 3:16-18 says, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

The following are some ideas to help you and others on your campus share the love of Christ with others.

Outreach Ideas for Your Campus

• Broad Exposure Outreaches: Freshmen Survival Kits, Everystudent.com posters or Facebook Flyers which advertise http://www.everystudent.com/ (to download the flyers and posters go to http://everystudentpromotion.com/)
• Community Service: invite others who don't consider themselves Christians or other student groups on your campus to join with you in volunteer at a local rescue mission or homeless shelter, have a food or clothing drive on campus, set up a basketball or volleyball tournament to benefit a charitable organization (have each participant contribute an entry donation & ask local businesses to donate prizes)
• Special Events: Evangelistic bands, speakers, and discussions; Info tables where you give out articles, books, and other materials. Prayer booths.
• Campus Needs: Get together as a ministry to support one of your campuses athletic teams that lacks a large fan base, Collect trash in the dorms, Pick up litter on campus, etc.
• Initiative Evangelism: Conducting surveys, asking students and friends about their opinions on spiritual matters.
• Relational: creating a list of 5 or so people to be praying for, looking for ways to care for them, and to share the gospel with them. Talking to your friends about Christ, sharing your testimony, going through Knowing God Personally with them. Attached is a document listing several questions you can use to start spiritual conversations. Please use the questions you find helpful.