10 Campus Ministry Principles
Written By // Steve Shadrach
Principle # 1 Prayer is our most fruitful ministry activity Definition
The best use of our time is to make prayer the FIRST priority of every aspect of our ministry.
Rationale
Without God’s involvement in our work, our labor is in vain (Psalm 127:1-2).
Through prayer we acknowledge that ministry is a supernatural work of the Spirit (Zechariah. 4:6).
God is the One who changes hearts and causes growth (1 Corinthians 3:6).
God promises to move when we pray (John 16:24, James 5:16, Matthew 7:7-8).
Prayer is essential to winning spiritual battles (Ephesians 6:10-18).
The first response to the harvest is to pray for laborers (Matthew 9:35-38).
Prayer transforms the intercessor (Phil. 4:6-7).
Application
Take a full Day of Prayer each month.
Regularly intercede for staff, students, events, and the world throughout each week.
Ask God for big things.
Cultivate the importance of prayer among our students.
Principle #2 Plan to Win
Definition: Strategically looking forward and preparing in order to most effectively accomplish your objectives.
Rationale
It helps us make the most of our time (Ephesians 5:15-16).
Planning makes our labor more effective (Proverbs 21:5).
Planning ensures that we maximize our annual window of 30 weeks on campus (Ecclesiastes 9:10).
Planning breeds confidence, initiative, and excellence in all your labors.
Planning helps you discern between what is good and what is best.
Ineffective planning causes the laborer to be: disorganized, unable to effectively prioritize and delegate, and disrespected by peers and students.
Application
Carve out time on the weekend to record the previous week’s activities and to plan the upcoming week.
Execute the five P’s (planning, phone, prepping, personal development, prayer) during weekday mornings.
Develop a semester plan well before each semester begins, and a summer plan in the spring.
Keep daily schedule and an organizing system.
Train students and staff whom you are leading to plan. Prioritize and delegate your weekly to-do list.
Maintain a discipleship log.
Principle #3 Focus on the Mainstream
Definition: A strategic process in which a laborer pursues the most influential and well-connected groups and individuals on campus.
Rationale
Because we want to reach the most people with the gospel, we want to focus on those with the greatest relational influence. You must begin ministering somewhere, why not among those who can have the greatest impact? Focusing on well-connected students makes the gospel more accessible to more people than focusing on those who are isolated geographically or relationally. The apostle Paul advocated adopting strategies that will maximize gospel impact (I Corinthians 9:24). Focusing on the mainstream can help us “run to win”.
Win the chief, win the tribe. Paul modeled targeting leaders first when he launched his ministry in Rome(Acts 28:16-17). “Focus on the mainstream” acknowledges that all groups have leaders who have greater influence than the average person in the group. “All people are equally important (or valuable); not all people are equally strategic.” Bill Bright, Founder CCC
God wants His gospel to be easily accessed. The major thrust of Paul’s missionary activity took place in cities along major trade routes. This strategy enabled the gospel “to ring out everywhere” (I Thessalonians 1:8). God placed Israel “at the center of the nations”(Ezekiel 5:5, Deuteronomy 4:6). God wanted as many nations as possible to be influenced by His people, so He made His “gospel” easily accessible. We seek to make the gospel as accessible as possible by getting it into the mainstream.
Application
Target the most influential affinity groups.
Within these mainstream affinity groups, first target people who have the greatest influence.
Involve influencers to help reach the rest of the target (i.e. host a Bible study, gather to events, etc...).
Principle #4 Attractive Front Door
Definition: Presenting yourself and your ministry in a culturally relevant and attractive way.
Rationale
Paul emphasized the need to be relevant and attractive to the group you are targeting in his ministry (Acts 17:16-32) and teaching; it affects receptivity to the gospel (I Corinthians 9:19-23).
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Not being culturally attractive can cause us to lose the audience before we can deliver the goods.
Through the incarnation, Jesus reduced every possible hindrance that might be keeping men from God. He became one of us (John 1:14)
Application
Intentionally learn the values, personality and culture of your target.
Present yourself in a culturally attractive way (grooming, dress, lingo, etc...).
Present your ministry in a culturally attractive way (content and location of ministry functions).
Regularly ask, “Am I presenting myself and my ministry in an attractive way to students?”
Principle #5 Sow Broadly
Definition: Initiating relationships, sharing the gospel, and giving opportunities to grow to as many students as effectively possible.
Rationale
We reap in proportion to what we sow (2 Corinthians 9:6).
Sowing broadly helps increase the possibility of response since we do not know where the good soil is
(Ecclesiastes 11:6, Matthew 13:3-23).
Without sowing, there is no harvest (Proverbs 20:4).
Application
Start the semester with several targets and then gradually shift to spend more time where responsiveness is greater.
In the beginning, meet as many individuals as possible in your targets.
Share the gospel with as many as you effectively can.
Incorporate hang time into your weekly schedule to regularly meet new people.
Recruit widely to meetings and events and use this recruiting as an opportunity to expand your contacts.
Continually challenge students to sow broadly in all seasons of ministry
Principle #6 Disciple in the Context of Evangelism (D.I.C.E.)
Definition: Establishing and equipping believers while reaching the lost with them.
Rationale
To follow Jesus is to fish for men. The call of discipleship is a call into the harvest (Matthew 4:19).
Jesus trained his men among the lost ‘that he might send them out to preach” (Mark 3:14).
The purpose of a laborer is to reach the lost harvest (Matthew 9:35-10:1).
The purpose of discipleship is to reproduce people who are like Jesus Christ. Discipleship without evangelism is not discipleship (Luke 19:10).
Executing D.I.C.E. will attract the students who want to labor and repel those who don’t (Luke 9:59-60).
Application
Regularly pray for the lost with your disciples.
Make evangelism the front door of your discipleship.
When you meet a believer, ensure that one of your first two one to ones is focused on reaching the lost.
Regularly weave the theme of outreach into non- ministry one to ones.
In the first follow up appointment with a convert; pray together for his/her lost friends.
Try not to do evangelism alone.
Check your discipleship log regularly to evaluate the frequency of sowing among the lost.
Principle #7 God’s Word Disciples
Definition: The Bible is the centerpiece of discipling content.
Rationale
God’s word equips believers for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The living and active word penetrates deeper than human words (Hebrews 4:12).
The Bible always accomplishes its work (Isaiah 55:10-11).
Making disciples requires teaching Jesus’ commands (Matthew 28:19-20).
Application
Regularly use scripture memory and meditation as you build into students.
Develop a habit of bringing “scripture first” when helping students with life’s issues and challenges.
Regularly share what you are learning in the Word with those you are leading.
Pray through scripture.
Encourage every student in the ministry to regularly spend time in the scriptures.
Principle #8 Pioneer Parent Partner
Definition: The stages of ministry required for multiplying laborers.
A Pioneer- Sowing broadly among a previously untargeted affinity group.
A Parent- Establishing new converts and other young believers in the context of their affinity group.
A Partner- Equipping mature believers and giving them ownership to labor in their own affinity group.
Rationale
A Pioneer- We must take initiative to seek the lost because the lost will not come to us (John 1:14, Luke 19:10).
A Parent- God commands us to feed those who respond (Matthew 28:18-20, John 21:15-17).
A Partner- Only through partnering will we reproduce laborers as Jesus did (Matthew 10:1).
Application
A Pioneering- Take initiative to sow broadly with the Gospel, Relationships, and Opportunities to grow.
A Parenting- Establish through one to ones, small groups, the wkly mtg., and events.
A Partner- Equip students and give them ownership of the ministry (Giving them complete responsibility to reach their target and allowing them to influence ministry wide decisions).
Principle #9 Select and Equip F.A.I.T.H. Leaders
Definition: The process of choosing to invest your life into students who have shown themselves F.A.I.T.H. (Faithful, Available, Initiative taking, Teachable, Heart for God) leaders.
Rationale
Investing in F.A.I.T.H. leaders helps ensure that your investment will multiply (2 Tim. 2:2).
Christ prayerfully selected his men before he invested in them (Luke 6:12).
If you don’t select, then you will never reproduce your life. If you don’t equip, selection means nothing because the individual doesn’t get the necessary tools and training.
Application
Select based on a track record, not potential
Seek counsel, fast, and pray before selecting
Invest yourself in those you have selected as your top ministry priority
Build holistically into the lives of those you equip with a view to multiplying yourself.
Principle #10 Mobilize to God’s global purpose
Definition: Calling college students to invest their lives and resources to fulfill the Great Commission.
Rationale
God’s global purpose is to be glorified among all peoples (Genesis 12:1-3, Revelation 7:9).
Jesus commands all of His followers to take personal responsibility for the Great Commission (Matt
28:19-20).
Leading missiologists claim that mobilization is the greatest need. “The number one priority is for mission mobilizers.” -Ralph Winter
The global harvest is vast and in great need (Matt 9:37).
College students are the most available missionary candidates.
Our vision is too small and incomplete without cross-cultural missions (Isaiah 49:6).
Application
Pray for the world in 1to 1’s and appropriate small and large groups.
Regularly weave God’s global purposes into your discipleship content (small groups, 1-1’s, lrg group).
Encourage and facilitate involvement in missions (giving, short term, and stint trips).
Play the role of an educator. Teach students about missions through available resources (Perspectives, Operation World, etc...).