THE HIGH SCHOOL MINISTRY OF CRU

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Multi-ethnic group of young students sharing and having fun at a university campus.

Gathering Students

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Have you ever been in a club that was trying to recruit new members? You may have had a party and invited other students to come check your club out, or you may have had a sign-up table at a student event. Gathering students to your ministry is like this. You want to meet students, let them know about your ministry and get them involved. This can be really fun. You can be as creative as you want to be. Gathering lets you find a group of students who want to grow in Christ, and reach others with His love and forgiveness. As long as you keep gathering new students into your ministry, it will continue to grow and reach more and more students for Christ.

THE FOUNDATION FOR GATHERING IS BASED ON THE FIVE PRINCIPLES LISTED BELOW:

  1. Pray

    Your best preparation for gathering Students is seeking God. Get some friends together and pray for direction for your gathering plans. Ask God to show you the best way to do it. Pray for students to come to Christ. Specifically, pray for students you know. Ask God to introduce you to students you wouldn’t normally have contact with and ones who He has already made hungry for truth (remember, you would like to see every student on your campus come to Christ, not just the ones you know personally).

  2. Meet Students

    Ask these questions:

    • Who do I know that might attend an event because I ask them?
    • Who do I already know that is involved in a different circle of friends?
    • Who are some of the leaders on campus, and how can we get them involved?
    • What would make these people feel comfortable (welcome) in our ministry?

    Again, the key to gathering students is relationships. Go out of your way to meet people and get to know them. People are starved for others who care about them. The more people you meet, the more will be involved in your campus ministry.

  3. Share Christ

    God has chosen you to help reach your campus. A personal relationship with Christ is the only thing that truly changes a person’s life. Anyone you meet is someone who you can share Christ with. God will empower you and wants to use you. Take the first opportunity you get to share Christ’s love with them. Find a tool that you feel comfortable using to share the gospel and become very familiar with it. You will also need to train those who work with you to use the tool.

  4. Challenge to Growth

    God’s Word tells us that He wants every Christian to grow in their faith. Since this is true, we need to put together a plan for helping students grow. Two things to remember are that growth happens quicker in groups, and growth is an ongoing process. Take advantage of the natural groups that students are part of (teams, clubs, etc.). The rate of growth is quicker in a group setting since they learn from each other. It is also more fun for them to get together when their friends are involved. Create opportunities for them to grow, and they will respond. Regularly give them chances to trust God. Let them open the group in prayer or share their testimony. Take the group out to share their faith, involve them in an outreach, involve them in leadership. Continue to challenge them to grow in their faith.

  5. Evaluate

    It is wise to evaluate your progress. If involving new students in your ministry is foundational for success, then you should measure whether you are accomplishing that goal. Ask yourself these questions:

    • Are new students becoming involved in our activities? Discipleship groups? And in leadership?
    • Am I building relationships with new students regularly? If not, why not?
    • Is the entire campus being represented in our ministry? If not, why not?
    • What changes are needed?
    • What is needed to increase the level of growth of the students involved?

Gathering and involving new students in the ministry is one of the most important parts of your campus ministry. It takes planning to make sure it is taking place. Pray, develop your plan and go for it!

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What they’re saying about Cru

“Local youth workers are finding other creative ways to be visible on campus. They are volunteering with a purpose… providing hallway supervision, or working at school activities such as field trips or the annual college fair.” Marshall Snider, Network City Coordinator – Dallas, Oregon

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” John 1:14 (NIV)

Rather than shouting His message of hope from a distance, Jesus modeled “incarnational” ministry. He came and “pitched His tent” among us. We can and must do the same thing among students within the school environment if we are going to impact them for Christ.

HOW TO BEGIN

  • Build the Foundation for a Bridge

    To penetrate a campus community, prayer must be the foundation of our approach. Through prayer and observation, we can gain insights about a specific school and discern ways He is already working there. Ask Him to send other workers along with you into that specific field of harvest. Pray for a good personal connection with a school staff person who is already an insider on the campus.

  • Build the Bridge: Know the School

    Knowing a school’s culture and unique student groups is invaluable for maximum impact. Start by interviewing students from your own ministry. Read the school newspaper and annual yearbook as well as the local section of your community newspaper. Go to sporting events. Start by getting to know school administration and other school gatekeepers. Meet the principal and other school leaders informally at events, games, etc. Ask parents to introduce you.

  • Cross the Bridge: Begin with Relationships.

    Campus Alliance does not have a political agenda. The goals are eternal and spiritual in nature. Long-term spiritual fruitfulness will grow out of trust built with school authorities far more than stirring conflict or public confrontation. Start by getting to know school administration and other school gatekeepers. Meet the principal and other school leaders informally at events, games, etc. Ask parents to introduce you. Write a note of encouragement. When appropriate, seek to have a formal appointment. Keep it brief. Communicate your availability to assist with their needs.

  • Keep the Bridge Open: Serve the School

    Find a point of need where your interest, effort or experience is needed. You or your local ministry may have the expertise, a facility or the equipment that your school cannot afford but needs. Each school is different, but you might consider coaching, tutoring, using your technical/video/photography skills, support help, and chaperoning of events. The list goes on. Prayerfully brainstorm with other youth leaders and concerned adults about how the body of Christ can serve the schools.

  • Widen the Bridge: Personal Contact with Student Groups

    As you serve within the school, students will begin to recognize you as an insider. Identify what sports team, music group or student subgroup you are running into most regularly. Learn from the example of Jesus in John 4. as He encountered the woman at the well. Show interest by asking good questions and listening well. Pick up on students’ needs and offer hope. By asking the “5 Ws” (who, what, where, when, and why questions), you can talk to almost any student for 10 minutes or more.

  • Mobilize Other Adult Leaders

    You cannot penetrate every student group by yourself. Recruit and link with other Christian adult youth leaders to find at least one way that they can penetrate the campus as well. Even on a very busy and limited schedule, being at the right place at the right time will open doors for ministry. Try athletic events, evening activities, and other carefully selected opportunities.

  • Equip and Motivate Your Students

    You might picture yourself and other adult leaders as the point of a spear going to the campus, and students like the shaft. As you set the pace, model compassion, meet needs, and share the gospel, students will have an example they can follow. Help them shape their own personal plan for evangelism among their friends and others on their campus.