Before the end of the year, we want to tell you about some opportunities to network with other college ministers across the state of the Texas.  As some of you may already know, due to our mail outs, we are hosting several luncheon and training opportunities for college ministers starting January 19, 2012.  We would love to see you (and buy you lunch) and for you to connect with other local college ministers as we visit Lubbock (West Texas Churches), Houston (Houston area churches) and North Richland Hills (DFW Area Churches).  Below are dates for the various luncheons, as well as other events we have going on in the upcoming year with the times for the luncheons in parentheses as well as locations.  To find out more information about our regional events please click on the following text: Regional Events. If you have any further questions please contact me @ rhayes@sbtexas.com or Amanda Hayes @ ahayes@sbtexas.com.

The following is a blog post that appeared in FaithonCampus.com's blogathon on leadership and originally appeared on the website on November 2, 2011.  I came across the article and though it was a helpful reminder of how we should help students understand their worth in Christ.  I believe this is crucial in the lives of our college students so that they thrive in their relationships with Christ and with others.  The following post came from Rod Edmondson who is the strategic pastor at Grace Community Church.  So without further ado, I hope you enjoy his post.

Living in a college community, I can’t imagine not investing in the next generation intentionally at that college. Austin Peay State University, our local university, is not only the fastest growing university in our state (Go Govs!), it’s also my alma mater. I also have two college-aged sons (one a graduate), which naturally draws me to the age.

I love college ministry, because it involves college students. Sounds like a fair reason, right? College students are confident, idealistic, and full of hope and passion for life. I love investing in them knowing they have years to carry out what they are learning. We have an incredible college ministry at Grace Community Church, led by a great college pastor, but I must be honest, sometimes I envious of his time with college students. I take advantage of hanging out with students whenever I get the chance.

So, while I’m not a college pastor, but if I was one these days, I think I’d:

Help students understand their worth in Christ – When a student can operate out of this identity it will help them withstand some of the temptations they face.

Intentionally mentor a few superstars – I can’t reach all of them, but I can invest in a few. I would work to develop leaders who would in turn invest in others.

If invited, meet on their turf – I was invited to a college apartment recently. As they cleaned a place off the couch for me to sit and kicked various drink cans under the bed (which was in the same room), I was reminded that this was a special opportunity I had been privileged to attend. I felt I had enter the sacred grounds of college life again.

Feed them – I like to buy lunch for college students. Now if any of ours read this my requests will increase and I may have to say no, but it’s amazing how open students become when there is a free meal in front of them.

Let them be themselves – I think it’s important not to try to change them or conform them to a standard, other than Jesus. They are in a period of discovery. Let them explore and stay close enough to help steer them to Christ.

Be yourself – Don’t try to “fit in” with college students if you aren’t one. Be the age you are and the person you are. They can spot an impostor quickly.

Have fun – College is a fun period of life. It should be less stressful. When you are hanging out with college students, don’t expect to be serious all the time. There will be times when they are very serious (even deep), but sometimes are just to hang. That’s okay.

I’m not a college pastor, but if I was…I’d love it! Anyone looking to hire one? (Just kidding…kind of…)

Join collegiate leaders from across the state for an hour of prayer for Collegiate ministry in Texas in 2012!  We will spend most of the hour taking prayer requests and praying for ministries across the state to grow in presence among the college campuses in Texas.  We all know that great awakenings are started by great prayer and it is our prayer that in the year 2012 (as well as the end of 2011) that God awakens the spirits of college students to minister to their campus with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Join us this week as we minister to each other and pray for the college campuses of Texas!

To join in on the hour of prayer, click on the following link:

sbtexas.com/webinars

We hope to see you there!

The following post comes from Tim Elmore's blog blog.growingleaders.com and originally appeared on the blog on November 21, 2011.  I thought the article could be helpful in advising your college students who are about to graduate and also help them in entering the job market.  The action steps are especially helpful.

I read a New York Times article that got me thinking about students today. Recent graduates are learning two big lessons about the economy and the current job market in particular.

Lesson One: A larger percentage are taking jobs in the social sector, working for the government or for non-profit organizations since jobs in the corporate world are slim. The lesson: They end up doing good since the economy did them wrong.

“In 2009 alone, 16% more young college graduates worked for the federal government than in the previous year and 11% more for nonprofit groups, according to an analysis by The New York Times of data from the American Community Survey of the United States Census Bureau. A Labor Department survey showed that the share of educated young people in these jobs continued to rise last year.” Sometimes over 100 applications are received by non-profits for one position, and many are from Ivy League schools. Applications for AmeriCorps have almost tripled between 2008 and 2010. Applications for Teach for America rose 32%. It seems the spirit we saw in earlier Millennial generation kids has re-surfaced due to the sour economy.

Lesson Two: There actually are jobs available, but not in the positions graduates are ready to take. College graduates continue to discover that they are not prepared for the market that exists. In my state, our Superintendent of Education told me last week that tens of thousands of jobs remain open—but students majored in subjects that are irrelevant for the job market. For instance, the number one major that remains unemployed is psychology. The market is flooded right now with students who are interested in this field, but only the gifted ones make it.

Perhaps we’ve placed so much emphasis on strengths—we forgot to talk about opportunities and needs in the marketplace. Success comes when our gifts intersect with a real need; when our passions align with an opportunity.

Actions Steps For Students:

1.  Study the opportunities and needs in your desired field of work.

2.  Be willing to start at the bottom on the ladder and work up.

3.  Discover your strengths but examine how they can actually be employed.

4.  Don’t pursue what you can get out of a job, but what you can contribute.

Don't forget to join us on Monday, December 5th, for our monthly webinar.  This month we will be hosting an hour of prayer for collegiates and college ministries across the state of Texas in 2012.  We pray that God does some mighty works across our college campuses and the more than 1.3 million college students in the state of Texas.  The hour of prayer starts at 10:30 am (CST) and you can attend by clicking the following link: sbtexas.com/webinars

Hope everyone had a productive and great Thanksgiving and I want to inform everyone of the email we received from Threads letting us know that it's time to start planning for Spring Break retreats.  I don't know if you've ever attended Beach Reach but this is an excellent opportunity for college students to encounter Spring Break partiers (think I may have just made that word up) who desperately need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Beach Reach provides students with a plethora of opportunities to share their faith with other college students while transporting them around their Spring Break destination.

Threads website describes the event as follows: 

BeachReach is a mission trip experience where servant evangelism takes the form of free van rides and pancakes. Thousands visit Panama City during spring break and many are hurting and searching for meaning. College students provide simple acts of service that open the door to life-changing conversations about the hope and love of Jesus Christ.

I enjoyed BeachReach when I went with some college students 2 years ago and was amazed at the spiritual conversations/conversions that occurred from simply chauffeuring people around Panama City and making free pancakes for college students.

I would encourage you to click the following link Threads BeachReach Website for more information on how to register and for dates for BeachReach.  I hope you decide to bring a group their this year and that God matures your students and uses BeachReach to help them minister to the lost and fallen world.