As a way of kicking off my 16th year of ministry with college students (which also marks 20 years since I entered the college world as a freshman myself — a Biology major, no less), I thought I’d share 15 of the most important lessons I’ve learned about ministry with college students.

I’m certain this list could be much longer than it is, but these are some of the things that have shaped my life and ministry the most over the course of the last 15 years — as well as my current trajectory into the future.

My guess is that most of these things will not be new to you — but hopefully seeing them all in one place (especially as a new year begins) will serve to encourage, inspire, or challenge you as you launch out in service of college students — for the glory of God.

So here goes:

1. There’s always more ministry to be done. This was one of the first pieces of wisdom a colleague shared with me during my first days of ministry with college students. The message was simple: work hard when you’re on campus — or with students — but make sure that you go home and leave your work behind. If you allow yourself to burn out you’ll be no good to anyone.

2. Great student leaders make a BIG difference. I’m convinced that without student leaders — who understand our mission and vision, and are willing to step into increasing and appropriate levels of responsibility — our ministry on campus would be a fraction of what it is in terms of size and effectiveness. These need to be some of the students who get our time and attention.

3. Everyone needs a mentor. Students, staff, faculty — both new and old — we all need people who are older and wiser to walk with and learn from. They’re like gold! And they’ll help us to continually keep moving forward in our own growth and formation.

4. The right staff is critical. I have been blessed to have been a part of some great ministry teams over the course of the past 15 years. I’ve worked on four different campuses, spanning three different denominations, and have worked with a lot of great, GREAT people. This makes our work a lot more enjoyable, not to mention easier, because our relationships expand well beyond co-worker.

5. You need allies around campus. And not just allies — those people who are friendly towards us, but connections who can help open doors of opportunity, as well as collaborators and co-conspirators on new initiatives. I think the onus is on us to be good friends and willing teammates first — and then to initiate contact and pursue relationships and opportunities.

6. Other ministries are not your competition. Our first step in the right direction on campus is to learn this — and then live it. There are more than enough students to go around — let’s work together to glorify God and create a wide-range of opportunities for the students we serve.

7. Self-care doesn’t just happen. Healthy people make healthy choices. They have boundaries. They know their boundaries. They recognize their limits and do their best to live within them.

8. Self-care and soul care are two different things. As pastors, we must tend to our ongoing relationship with Jesus. We cannot give that which we do not have or know. We must be a disciple in order to make disciples. This is different from being emotionally healthy or physically well.

9. Family must come first. If your married and/or have kids, then they need to be your first priority. Sure, there will be times of the year when we ask for grace from our family, in order to give more attention to students on campus, but the reality is that no one else can be the spouse or parent that we’ve been called (and blessed) to be.

And the truth is same for singles. You need to establish this priority now, regardless of whether you marry someday or not. We are (or need to be) a part of significant relationships outside of campus. We play roles that only we can play. And there are a number of people who could come behind us and do our work with students.

10. Relationships are paramount. Yes, programs are necessary, but they cannot replace the significance or priority of relationships. This might be a challenge for you — but be willing to make any necessary shifts in your efforts with students.

11. Plan for the future, live in the moment. We constantly need to be looking (and planning) for the future. It’s a stewardship thing. We don’t want to come across as someone who just throws things together last-minute. At the same time, however, we cannot forget to live in the moment. When a student is present, and asking for time, we need to give it to them. The person in front of us should (almost) always be our priority. Exceptions to this should be rare.

12. Things move fast on campus, so don’t sweat the small stuff. Student populations cycle through quickly — faculty and staff much less so. We’ll never be perfect, but when we do make mistakes (or have ministry efforts flop), we need to be willing to own it, make up for it in any way(s) that might seem appropriate, and then move on.

13. College ministry can be a hard field to get into, but once in, it’s easier to move around. College ministry is a much smaller field than your more traditional pastor/youth pastor types of positions. College ministry, in many ways, is like being called into a specific mission field — a unique place in need of a specific kind of servant. Once you have some experience in the field, you become a unique and valuable resource — which can make it easy to move within the field.

14. Change can happen fast, but it can also take forever. Because we work in an environment that sees such high turnover, and because we work with young innovators who are curious and always wanting to leave their own unique mark on things, change is commonplace. At the same time, however, change (of some kinds) can take forever. Because we operate within a larger organizational structure — and because many of the students we serve are used to things happening at a rapid rate — change that doesn’t happen overnight can create feelings of angst and frustration.

15. Students are desperate to know that they are loved by God — no matter what — even if they never express this. Students, no matter the generation, need to hear that they are loved and cherished by God. They need to know that no matter what they’ve done, or how they feel about themselves, that God extends limitless grace and forgiveness. In a world of uncertainty, students need to know how consistent and constant the love of God is.  And that’s why we do what we do!

So there you go — 15 lessons from my first 15 years of college ministry.

I’m curious — do any of these resonate with you as you prepare to begin a new year?

I’d love to know what you think.