Thanks for tuning in with us as we continue the discussion on some things to consider when you begin or re-launch your collegiate ministry.

Today we wanted to discuss programs. When you begin a ministry you are often temped to make some mistakes with the way you program (i.e. what you do). One pitfall is to assume you need to have a large slick, collegiate service to draw in new students. A great weekly gathering is a wonderful thing, but not necessarily the right thing for your ministry. Many ministries can try to build something they are not ready to build. The worst thing you can do, really, is try a ministry that is not done well or one that is not the right next step. Before you start filling in slots for your ministry week with the standard: weekly gathering, small groups, and fellowships…stop to evaluate some of parameters of your church.

•               -     What has the church been doing for programming in collegiate ministry?
•           -    What is the history of collegiate ministry in the church?
•           -    Has the church tried something and had success or failure in the past?
•           -    How do students in the community view things the church has done before?
•           -    What kind of service or ministry does the church provide for Adults?
•           -    What are the major needs of the students who are coming? What is primary in their
•                 development?

At this point, remember that you need to develop a mission statement and a vision for your ministry. These will really enable you to “hone in” on how you need to proceed in developing your ministry.

So often we see so many ministries that feel they need to have this or do that. Honestly, they have never thought through what needs to happen in a holistic and systematic manner.

        Pastors, team leaders, and volunteers going on mission need to be concerned about the increasing trend of crisis situations when traveling overseas.  Obviously, Mexico and the border have been a recent concern for us here in Texas, and then the team detained in Haiti has been a strong reminder that despite our benevolent intentions, things can go significantly wrong. 

        The reality is that any time that an American leaves U.S. soil, he/she is no longer under American law.  Americans can sometimes even be targeted or hassled in countries where the people have an aversion to the west.  BEFORE going overseas, it is vital that we understand basic travel and safety principles that could drastically reduce or even avoid a crisis situation.

        In addition, pastors and church leaders need to be aware of the high likelihood of litigation issues if anything goes wrong on an international mission trip, including Mexico.  Experts say that the best we can do is to demonstrate that we have made every possible effort to provide for safety and preparation.  Many of the overseas incidents are avoidable to some degree, and all have the potential to hinder future volunteer trips and stall missions programs. 

        Questions like:  What happens if someone goes missing?  Who do we call if a team is detained by the government?  What are our rights if held by foreign government officials?  What is the best way to go through customs when on a mission trip?  How can we do some preventative training with our team before leaving for the field? 

        “We have seen a significant increase in the number of kidnappings, illegal detentions, car-jackings, home invasions, and other violent crimes against people traveling internationally,” said David Dose, security expert and president of Fort Sherman Academy.  “These acts underscore the growing danger and the call for security training to address these specific issues.  As we are called to go, just staying at home to be ‘safe’ is not a realistic option for many of us.  We must find innovative new ways to reasonably continue going where we are called, and that means being better prepared to travel and respond to challenges appropriately.”

           There is a major concern regarding youth teams traveling along the Mexican border and into Mexico as more incidents have occurred.  I understand that a mission partner or pastor on the Mexican side of the border may say that there is no problem for volunteer teams to come.  But, I honestly would not take their word for it because they are not thinking from the perspective of a foreigner and may not be aware of the dangers.  My recommendation is to do the research yourself.  Go online to http://travel.state.gov/  and check for any specific travel warnings for the particular area where you will be going.  You might even contact the local FBI officials near that area since they will be aware of specifics that your mission partner or Mexican pastor may not know.  When traveling with students, I would urge extra precaution.

        “The vast majority of all short-term mission teams will never experience a major security crisis,” said Dose.  “But unfortunately, these situations are occurring more often.  So we believe that it’s a good precautionary step to provide training just as you would buy insurance.  Not to plan for the accident, but rather to be prepared if and when it happens.”

Another excellent tool for pastors & leaders to use to provide training to all volunteer team members is the DVD-based curriculum, Safe Travel Solutions.  This DVD curriculum contains six lessons of video training with printable instructional support led by Fort Sherman Academy’s president, David Dose.  An authority in hostage survival and anti-terrorism training for civilian and faith-based audiences, Mr. Dose has consulted not only in training, but also in recovery efforts of persons detained or kidnapped outside the United States.  To order the DVD, Safe Travel Solutions, go to their website:  www.safetravelsolutions.org

        Since its foundation in 2001, the Academy has trained over 13,000 people from 47 government, commercial, church & mission organizations.  To date over 62 of those graduates have since endured and survived incidents like those covered in the training workshops and DVD based curriculum, Safe Travel Solutions.

        I have personally received training from both David Dose and the DVD curriculum.  In this world of uncertainty and increasing violence, I believe that it is vital for anyone leading teams overseas to commit to take the time to be prepared in the event of a crisis.  The stress level in a crisis can be drastically reduced even by team members just knowing that there is a plan and response in place.

Challenge Them!

No matter what people tell you about students today they are looking for someone that will challenge them. Sadly, they are often prepared for very weak teaching and little accountability. They need to hear from you that you are going to really challenge them to think and that you are going to make them question some of the things they have always been taught and have believed. They want leaders that are really going to question and let them ask the questions that they often are afraid to ask...

...However, do not let them ask these questions unless you are ready and willing to answer them. You need to be transparent enough that they know that you did not hang the moon so to speak. Yet, they see the purity and Christ-likeness in your heart and in your actions. It is a difficult line to tow, but it is so rewarding when you see students' eyes light up because someone told them that there are things in their lives that they need to stop being a part of and there are things in their lives that they need to start being a part of. If you raise the bar, in most cases, they are going to work on reaching that new height, not give up and just head down the road to the next option.  

Having done a thorough investigation of the church and its history and having set the mission in front of your group, you must find out who can help you accomplish the mission.

-  Who are the adult church members and the present students that will really help you develop the ministry? In other words, who is on your side? Who will put in the hours to help you reach students and develop them? You need to find adults that may not be a part of the ministry presently, but they were changed or are somehow connected to collegiate ministry. It is so very dear to their hearts, but they may not have been able to really connect and reach out to this group in the past.

-  You also need to evaluate the students who you will raise up to take key leadership positions. Who can you train to eventually be you? It will take some real time and evaluation but you must know who is going to help you in this great endeavor.