Ministry Skills

Objectives and Strategies

Objective: to network with the A/G and learn how to communicate meaningfully with an A/G pastor.

Suggestions:
• Phone for an appointment
• Introduce yourself to pastor and your vision for campus ministry
• Ask pastor to share their vision for their church
• Ask pastor how they prepare their sermons
• Ask pastor how they received their calling to ministry
• Thank pastor for opportunity to meet him and for the helpful advice
• Have one visit each semester

Follow-up:
• Ask CMIT to report on visit
• What does the CMIT see he needs to improve

Objective: to observe the relationship between staff and student leaders. To witness the development and empowering of students leaders.

Suggestions:
• Encourage the CMIT to participate in discussions, but not to dominate
• Welcome the insights and new ideas of CMIT
• Encourage the ministry assessment of the student leaders
• Monitor the strategic plan for the year created by staff and students
• CMIT witnesses the decision-making process of students and staff
• CMIT volunteers to help with projects, but not to the extent it takes away from the student leaders

Follow-up:
• Discuss dynamics and philosophy of developing new student leaders on an on-going basis

Objective: to witness the dynamics of a multiple staff campus ministry. To witness the team approach to strategic planning.

Suggestions:
• Invite CMIT to attend as many or all of your staff meetings
• If you wish, have them attend a late to allow staff to discuss sensitive issues without them present
• Encourage the CMIT participation
• Do not give the impression the CMIT is a local staff member, remember they are there to learn and grow but not share the authority or responsibility.

Follow-up:
• Ask CMIT to give impressions of what they are learning about teamwork in ministry.
• Have CMIT indicate what gifts / strengths they would bring to a staff position, and what gifts in an added staff person would augment them best.

Objective: to assist the CMIT to think through the purposes of a main meeting, and how to implement those purposes.

Suggestions:
• Review different purposes of small group and large group meetings.
• Discuss importance of time frame, room arrangement, room location, promptness, MC, announcements, fun, altar responses, time scheduled during week, etc.

Follow-up:
• Have CMIT describe on paper the first four main meetings of a XA group with 35 returning students and 20 new visiting students
• Review this plan with them

Objective: to equip the CMIT to plan worship sessions.

Suggestions:
• Have the CMIT attend several worship team rehearsals.
• Discuss various types of worship music and how they blend together.
• Discuss issues of musical key signatures and transitions.
• Discuss non-musical forms of worship for a worship service.
• Have the CMIT join a worship team in some capacity appropriate to their gifting.
• If appropriate, have the CMIT lead a worship session.

Follow-up:
• Have the CMIT, on paper; describe how to implement worship in a pioneering situation with them as pioneering campus missionary.

Objective: to become familiar with the culture of the A/G. To learn to balance participation in a local church without over-committing and thus making themselves less effective on campus.

Suggestions:
• Check that the CMIT is regularly attending an A/G church.
• Make sure the CMIT interacts with the pastoral staff of the church.

Follow-up:
• Discuss on an on-going basis the CMITs impressions of the church they are attending.

Objective: to give the CMIT a responsibility that they must plan, think through, delegate further responsibilities, coordinate, and assess the event / assignment.

Suggestions:
• Have them plan a 4-hour seminar. • Have them administrate a campus retreat.
• Have them be responsible for the info page for main weekly meetings.
• Have them coordinate a city outreach project.
• Have them lead a regular campus prayer meeting.
• Have them plan a campus group fundraiser.
• Have them lead an IBS.
• Have them facilitate a weekly book table with a "Question-for-the Day."

Follow-up:
• After the event they should sit down with you and give their own evaluation of the event. You critique their evaluation.

Objective: to receive on-going evaluation of their support team raising and support maintenance.

Suggestions:
• They should do a newsletter, that you review, in September, November, Christmas, January, March, and May.
• Show them examples of letters, promo materials, phone logs, etc. that you have used for S-R.
• Brainstorm potential new support team partners with them.
• Set as a goal that they will raise an additional 10% of their budget while doing their CMIT program.
• Help them think through raising special one-time funds, i.e. for a mission trip, purchase office equipment.

Follow-up:
• Monthly, ask them how their funds are holding up.

Objective: the CMIT should leave the internship knowing how to build discipleship and student leadership into a campus ministry. They must exhibit effective discipling skills with students.

Suggestions:
• They should lead or co-lead a discipleship group for at least one semester. Their assignment depends on their background in campus discipleship.
• Their group should be reviewed just like the other small groups are reviewed.
• Review with them the members of their small group. How do they assess them? What are their goals with their students?
• Take a discipleship training class.
• Review with them what you are doing as a Resource Leader to your small group leaders.

Follow-up:
• Determine, is their philosophy of discipleship in keeping with Chi Alpha's high standards?

Objectives: to insure the CMIT is able to be self-motivated and self-controlled as it pertains to the use of time.

Suggestions:
• Review their ministry / internship priorities.
• Review their task list and how they are prioritizing it.
• Review their weekly schedule, and check to see that they are not too narrow or widely focused.
• Determine if they are either lazy or a workaholic – two negative extremes.
• Are they able to plan long and short-term?
• Do they control their schedule or does their schedule control them?

Follow-up:
• Make sure they use a time management tool.

Objectives: to understand the sources of income for an on-campus ministry budget. To learn how to expend funds effectively and how to account for the funds.

Suggestions:
• Make the distinction between missionary work funds and local ministry work funds.
• How can funds for ministry be raised?
• Review the issues of student tithing and local churches?

Follow-up:
• Have the CMIT create a monthly / yearly campus ministry budget with a projected $200.00 per month income.

Objectives: the ability to build a caring relationship with a student is absolutely essential to becoming an effective campus missionary.

Suggestions:
• Observe is the CMIT connecting in an appropriate a loving way with students? Give him feedback.
• Key skills to watch for: honesty, caring, approachable, open, affirming, respectful, authentic, patient, accountable.
• Correct inappropriate or ineffective relational skills.
• Model a relational lifestyle.

Follow-up:
• Discuss: "What can we do to foster a meaningful friendship from the very beginning of a relationship?"
• “How would you foster community from ground zero in a new campus ministry?”

Objectives: to experience the variety of structures the A/G has for coordination of ministers and ministry development.

Suggestions:
• Have them attend with you some sectional pastors meetings, some of District Council and some of Ministers Institute.
• Nurture appropriate respect for the A/G, and correct an excessive critical spirit.
• Have them attend the PDC All Ministries Summit.

Follow-up:
• Discuss their impressions after each meeting.

Objective: to have them prepare for and go on a foreign [preferred] mission trip.

Suggestions:
• Assist them in the Fall to determine what trip they will take.
• Talk about raising funds for the trip, both for staff and students.
• Discuss the purpose of taking students on cross-cultural mission experiences.
• Discuss their fears of foreign travel.
• Review the materials now available from XA on preparing student teams.

Follow-up:
• Monitor their progress as they prepare for their mission trip.

Objective: to experience numerous avenues in sharing Christ on campus. To learn how to follow-up on a contact and view follow-up as evangelism.

Suggestions:
• The primary task of a CMIT at the beginning of the school year is to meet new students and incorporate them into the ministry.
• Have them work book tables.
• Have them follow-up on religious preference cards and all other contacts.
• Have them attempt to start an IBS.
• Have them serve as a host for an international student.
• Challenge them to find regular ways to meet new students or follow-up of students on the fringe of the ministry.
• Have them follow-up on students who have been absent recently.
• Brainstorm ways to creatively present Jesus to the campus.
• Have them coordinate an outreach at Passion Week.

Follow-up:
• Monitor their effectiveness and encourage development and growth.

Objective: to make friends with international students. To learn cross-cultural communication skills. To learn discipleship and evangelism with IS.

Suggestions:
• Have them assist with international student orientation.
• Have them assist with IS move-in to their dorms.
• Have them serve as a host as an "American Friend."
• Have them volunteer to serve as an English conversation partner.
• Have them lead an IBS for IS.

Follow-up:
• Determine their attitude regarding ISs, have them report to you the progress they are making in befriending ISs.

Objective: to determine if they are called into ministry, and in particular university ministry for a career [minimum 5 more years].

Suggestions:
• Discuss this issue with them on several occasions and ask them to detail what evidence they have that God is calling them to university ministry.
• Have them journal this issue, and then read back to you what they have written.
• Determine with them what they can refer back to after their internship to reaffirm their calling.

Follow-up:
• Determine if you see evidence of God's calling on their life. If so, let them know. If not, let them know and why.

Objective: to learn how to effectively communicate the Word of God to university students.

Suggestions:
• Schedule a date to them to speak [probably in the Spring semester] and let them know at least two months ahead.
• Ask to see their passage and theme at least three weeks prior.
• At least 10 days prior work with them on their content, introduction, conclusion, and illustrations.
• Ask to see their outline at least three days ahead.
• Give them a 30-minute time frame to share at a main meeting.

Follow-up:
• Assess with them within seven days how they did and suggest areas to improve and affirm what they did well.

Objective: to observe all the behind the scenes ingredients in sponsoring and directing a student retreat or special event.

Suggestions:
• Have the CMIT participate in all discussions for planning a special event.
• Give the CMIT a major responsibility in planning an event.
• Discuss the purpose of special events and rationale why this event this year.

Follow-up:
• Give careful oversight and feedback before and after the event.

Objective: to learn how to encourage students to participate in prayer meetings, and how to led a prayer meeting.

Suggestions:
• Have the CMIT focus on prayer occasionally in their small group.
• Have them start a small prayer group with students.

Follow-up:
• Have them report back on these corporate prayer times.

Objective: to learn the strategic planning process.

Suggestions:
• Review with them the strategic planning process the DC Team has experienced.
• Have the CMIT participate in the special and on-going planning / assessment process with your students.
• Have them assist you with your student planning retreat.

Follow-up:
• Have them reflect what they are learning about the planning process and including students into the core of the planning process.

Objective: to demonstrate how to cast vision and motivate students to attend special conferences.

Suggestions:
• Discuss with the CMIT their attitude regarding these special events.
• Ask them what their attitude is regarding the cost factor of SALTs, etc. Are they a cheapest-price-at-all-costs kind of person?
• Counsel against a poverty mentality.
• Discuss creative ways to cast vision.
• Discuss vision casting with students 1-to-1.
• Discuss the logistics of getting students to events and back.

Follow-up:
• Have them participate in a skit or in some way promote a special event.

Objective: to assist the CMIT to know how to introduce the Spirit-filled life to predominately non-Pentecostal students.

Suggestions:
• Have the CMITs report back to you their conclusions from the Pentecostal Issues class of the internship.
• Discover their openness to spiritual gifts, the infilling of the Holy Spirit, and spiritual gifts they have experienced.
• What evidence do you see of a Spirit-filled life in them, and then affirm it.

Follow-up:
• If they are closed to spiritual gifts, then report that to the CMIT director.

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