SEASONS & OFF-SEASONS IN CAMPUS MINISTRY

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Growing up on a dusty cotton farm in West Texas, we lived by annual cycles. There were…(1) periods of high intensity - planting and harvesting were long, strenuous days with little rest. There were (2) periods of steady rhythm - summers of “normal days” plowing fields and controlling weeds, and (3) periods of regrouping & planning - winter when you repaired equipment and prepared for next year

During my first few years of campus ministry, it was hard to know how to spend the "seasons and off seasons" of ministry, how to survive the intense periods of Fall Kickoff and spring break mission trips, how to budget time during a typical week, and how to plan and prepare well during “off seasons.” 

THE BIG IDEA: In campus ministry, there are 4 seasons (6-8 weeks each) & 2 off seasons (summer & winter). Understanding seasons makes planning easier! Each 6-8 week period has a specific goal. 

Campus ministry experiences a different cycle than church-based ministry. Church life is built around a weekly rhythm that doesn’t change dramatically throughout the year. Campus ministry is seasonal. Campus ministry is built around annual rhythms even more than weekly rhythms: periods of great intensity, some weeks of regular rhythms, and some seasons, like summer and Christmas, where students are away from campus.

Farmers don’t toil the ground week after week just because they’re “supposed” to do that. Everything they do has a specific goal in mind: producing a harvest. Likewise, campus ministry will feel like an aimless activity if you don’t have the correct goal in mind: producing students who are lifelong disciple-makers! All of our activities should contribute towards that aim. 

My high school football coach had a saying, “Good off-seasons make great seasons.” There is a temptation in off-season to chill, read books, but not be thoughtful with your time. DON'T DO IT. One good day of planning saves MULTIPLE days of stress later on. Preparing well during off-seasons FREES you to focus on students during key times. Instead of saying, "Ugh, I wish I had done this months ago,” you say, "I'm so glad I did that months ago!" Great off-seasons help you avoid the vicious cycle of stressed-out overworking and then going comatose with exhaustion. Break the cycle by understanding how seasons work! Here are some helpful suggestions about what to focus on during the summer.  

Every season has a purpose!

AN OVERVIEW OF THE MINISTRY YEAR 

During a “normal week,” you have a daily schedule that, ideally, is full of events and high-value activities like evangelism and disciple-making. But these normal weeks are punctuated by strategic and catalytic events that mark the transitions in seasons: Fall Retreats, Spring Break Trips, Winter Conferences, etc. There are 4 seasons (6-8 weeks each) often separated by 2 catalytic events and 2 off seasons. In campus ministry- not all seasons are the same, but they are all important to success.

• SEASON 1: Intensity - the first 5-6 weeks of fall kickoff

  • CATALYTIC EVENT: Fall Retreat

  
  

• SEASON 2: Busy but steady - from midterms to December

  • OFF-SEASON: Winter Break - Some regrouping & preparing during winter break

  
  

• SEASON 3: Then, you kick off again in January (but maybe a little less intense than in the fall) until spring break.

  • CATALYTIC EVENT: Spring Break Mission Trip

  
  

• SEASON 4: March & April are future-focused as you send graduates and recruit staff & student leaders for next year.

  • OFF SEASON: Finally, in the summers, the fields may be fallow (with fewer students around), but you’re preparing wisely and well for next year’s intensity.

  
  

THE FOLLOWING WORKSHEET IS DESIGNED TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE ANNUAL SEASONS IN CAMPUS MINISTRY SO YOU CAN PLAN MORE THOUGHTFULLY AND EFFECTIVELY.

• Disclaimer:Your plan may look somewhat different from this overview. It’s not as a rigid guide you must follow. But use this worksheet to sharpen your thinking about each season of ministry.

• Understanding seasons makes planning easier. Each 6-8 week period has a specific goal.

SEASON 1: First 6 weeks

• GOAL: It’s all about contacts & personal connections.

• There is a narrow window, 3-5 weeks, where new students will attend LOTS of stuff. They’ll try out lots of groups, then decide on the few they will be involved with. THESE WEEKS ARE CRITICAL.

  • Numbers are most important in this season... 

  • 50%+ of the contacts you make all year will happen in these 5 weeks. If not, you're behind.

  • If your annual goal is to connect with 2000 students, you should aim for 1000-1250 of them now. 

  
  

• PLAN LOTS OF ATTRACTIONAL EVENTS IN THE FIRST TWO WEEKS. Parties, fun socials, hang-outs, food events.

  • The purpose of these is to connect with NEW students, not fellowship with returning students. 

  • Students are looking more for FRIENDS than for a friendly group. They looking for a place to belong more than activities to attend. Be highly personal. 

  • Plan ambitiously, spend a good portion of your program budget, and make as many waves as possible.

  • Do as many highly social outreach events in the first two weeks as possible. Some don’t have to cost much or any money but have LOTS of places for people to connect. 

  • “A slice of pizza may be first step in a transformed life.”

  • Make a BIG DEAL of the kickoff of your weekly worship service. Offer free food. Do it on campus if possible. Publicize like crazy. Make it the #1 thing you want everyone to attend. 

  • Need help thinking bigger? Listen to Paul Worcester’s talk, Give Me Freshmen or Give Me Death.

  
  

• IT’S ALL ABOUT THE CONTACTS! At every event and campus outreach table, GET PEOPLE’S PHONE NUMBER.

  • Get names and phone numbers. AND. FOLLOW. UP. WITH. EVERY. ONE. 

  • The absolute best follow-up strategy is Gospel Appointments. These should take up a huge portion of your energy - and your student leaders’ - during the first few weeks. 

  • Freshmen will fill out almost any survey during the first couple of weeks. Take advantage of openness.

  • Freshmen may be more open to spiritual things now than during high school. You will see the most evangelistic fruit during this time if you share the gospel personally and invite a response. 

  • Share and ask for a gospel response at Gospel Appointments and your weekly worship service. 

  
  

• Although the campus ministry I led at UT Arlington was known for doing cold-contact evangelism, we do less contact evangelism during the first few weeks and focus on more personal connections and Gospel Appointments. 

• During season one, you are building up towards a catalytic event, ideally a road trip like a great Fall Retreat.

  • WHY? If they take a road trip with you, they will most likely join your group. “If a freshman goes on Fall Retreat, we’ll have them for four years.”  

  • Before the trip, they say, "I go to that ministry." After the trip, they say, "I'm part of that ministry."

  • THEN you can train & disciple them for the rest of their time in college! They can become Luke 10:2 workers for the harvest.

  • During the retreat, onboard them to your culture & values. Share the importance of discipleship, evangelism, and missions. 

  
  

• All of your events before the Fall Retreat should enthusiastically promote the Fall Retreat. 

• DON’T FORGET: Literally EVERYTHING for the first five weeks can be planned before school starts: weekly calendar, speakers, curriculum, materials & supplies, planning events, scheduling lunches, outlining sermons, and ordering printing. 

• Questions to ask leading up to this season:

  • How are we going to get contact info from new students?

  • Are my student leaders trained and equipped to do follow-up with new students?

  • What events to we already do? What can we do to use them to connect with more students?

  
  

FALL RETREAT: Strategy and Goals

• GOAL: Freshmen go from “I attend that ministry” to “That is MY campus ministry.” 

• Focus on getting a high attendance, especially freshmen, not a perfect program. They’ll have a blast just being together!

• Focus on relationships and a great experience, not heavy Bible content.

• Get a guest speaker so you can focus on relationships and meeting with students. You can still MC, lead prayer times, share your ministry’s values and vision, etc. 

• The ideal time is five or six weeks into the semester. Do it too early, and freshmen aren’t yet comfortable enough to attend. Do it too late, and studies keep students from attending.

• Questions to ask leading up to this season:

  • What are some ways to can make sure the maximum number of students come?

  • Are my student leaders expected to come?

  • How can I cast vision for them to be our best recruiters?

  • Who are people in my network I can ask to come do food, music, logistics, speaking, etc?

  
  

SEASON 2: The next 8 weeks

• GOAL: Steadily engaging students in great weekly rhythms: small group Bible study, worship & preaching, Christian community, service & evangelism, and ongoing outreach. 

• Like water and sunshine on a tree, these rhythms produce imperceptible but certain and steady growth.

• Don't be discouraged if you FEEL you that you’ve lost some momentum. You'll get it back. A drop in attendance is normal. 

• This is when you recruit ALL your new staff members for next year (if you're able to invite graduates join your team) and many of your summer missionaries. It’s perhaps not when they officially sign on the dotted lines, but lots of ICNU conversations now lead to big decisions later. 

• If your ministry adds new student leaders twice a year, you’re also recruiting student leaders during this time. 

• Questions to ask leading up to this season:

  • What are the weekly rhythms our ministry needs to reinforce the vision we’re casting?

  • Who are the students I need to have an ICNU (I See In You) conversation with regarding staff, interns or mission?

  • What are some things we can do to help increase interest for our Spring Break or Summer Missions opportunities?

  
  

OFF-SEASON 1: Winter

• GOAL: Catch your breath, evaluate, get organized for Spring

• Make sure you’ve made plans for your winter conference & Spring Break Trips.

• Even if you don’t have lots of time, 1-3 great planning days pay HUGE benefits. Do things like schedule weekly speakers, lunches, plan your student leaders’ orientation, clean and organize your building & storage closets, etc. This is a great time to thank your donors and send a good newsletter.

• Questions to ask leading up to this season:

  • Who are the people who really made ministry in the fall possible and how can I show them appreciation or share with them what God is doing?

  • What is happening in the Spring that I can plan out right now?

  • What’s a good book or two I can read over the winter break?

  
  

SEASON 3: January to Spring Break 

• GOAL: Jump quickly into weekly rhythms: small group Bible study, worship & preaching, Christian community, service & evangelism, and ongoing outreach. These produce imperceptible but certain & steady growth.

• Have a smaller kickoff than the fall but still have a great social event and a big emphasis on your first worship service. 

• Try and make new contacts, but following up with the previous semester's contacts will be super fruitful. Circle back to people who didn't stick in the fall. Many will give you a second chance.

  • At UT Arlington, we like to gather our student leaders a couple of days before classes begin and divide up every single phone number we collected in the fall, and call + text them all with a personal invite to worship. 

  
  

• During this season, plan a couple of fun events that your Christian students can bring non-Christian friends to. Don’t FOCUS on events but having a couple of great ones can help students do relational evangelism. 

• Emphasize students discipling other students, students starting evangelistic Bible studies, and students reaching into affinity groups. 

• Some students will be ready for a big challenge - doing personal evangelism for the first time, committing to missions, and asking them them to stay in dorms to reach freshmen the next fall. Be bold in what you challenge them to do! 

• Just like the Fall built toward Fall Retreat, the Spring builds toward Spring Break. Have one or more great spring break options. If not all of your staff team goes on a mission trip like Beach Reach, consider doing local ministry with international students stuck on campus.

  • At UT Arlington, we did a combo mission trip & fun trip with students working hard on ministry projects in the morning and afternoon, doing worship & Bible study each morning, then having fun social activities in the evening. Even non-Christians could come and have a blast. 

  
  

• Questions to ask leading up to this season:

  • When can I gather my student leaders before the semester to recast vision and re-establish a follow up plan with new contacts?

  • Who do we need to personally invite to Spring Break and how can we use that to further grow our students?

  • Who in our ministry is ready to be challenged for the next step of leadership in our ministry?

  
  

SEASON 4: Spring Break to Finals

• GOAL: Grooming students for (1) summer missions (2) ministry the next fall (3) post-graduation life.

• Momentum will feel slower, but some SUPER important stuff is happening.

• You may think this season is the least busy, but it can be surprisingly hectic since you’re (1) doing all your weekly ministry (2) fundraising for summer missions or projects (3) thinking about next fall… all at the same time! 

• Don't plan big events. Finish steady & strong.

• Questions to ask during this season:

  • Who are the students I want to invite into leadership roles in the Fall?

  • What can I do to help my graduates launch well into what is next?

  • What do I need to put together for our Summer Bible Study or discipleship plan?

  
  

OFF-SEASON 2: Summer

• GOAL: Planning like a BOSS. 

• Great fall semesters - actually great YEARS - are made in summer. Plan to WIN during the summer!

• May is fundraising season. Go as all-in as possible.

  • Do financial support appointments for your personal support or your ministry budget. 

  • Do you have other staff? Coach and encourage them and give them referrals for potential donors.

  • At UTA, we did ZERO events for four weeks in May and focused on getting staff fully funded.

  
  

• During the summer, if you have some students around, it’s great to do a summer Bible study or discipleship training project. But don't do it all yourself.

  • It's a great time to empower students to lead since they have even more available time and crowds are smaller. Give them LOTS of leadership & responsibility. Let them lead Bible study instead of you teaching weekly. 

  • Keep It simple!

  
  

• Plan a strong leadership orientation for August. Make all the arrangements ahead of time and communicate with your leaders a few times throughout the summer.

• Make office visits to local pastors and youth/college staff for networking to develop stronger partnerships.

• I MAKE A HUGE WRITTEN TO-DO LIST AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER.

  • This takes a whole day. It includes every last thing that I want to get done over the summer - broken down into categories. 

  • Print it and post it next to your computer. Mark items off as you get them done. 

  • If you have a team, include them in making the list and write names next to who’s doing what items. 

  
  

• Do some personal development like reading great books. For books, choose a balance between skill development, spiritual life, and fun interests. 

• Take a long vacation where you can fully unplug from ministry for at least 8-10 days.  

• Questions to ask during this season:

  • What will beginning-of-the-year outreach look like?  How much can I buy, plan, and organize now? 

  • What curriculum will small groups use?

  • Will we do a fall retreat? Have all the details DONE by July.

  • What systems and organization do we need? Contact management software/spreadsheet, mass communication like a text messaging service, training materials?

  • What publicity and promo materials do we need like postcards, banners, posters, etc? Design and order now it all now. 

  
  

At the conclusion of each SEASON is a time for some evaluation and planning. Take a few hours or a day to catch your breath and honestly evaluate and plan before diving into the next busy season. Consider evaluating all of your events and processing using this grid and/or using assessment tools like this Campus Ministry Pathway Assessment to evaluate regularly and ask, “Am I on the right track to become a multiplying ministry?” Because plans are only as good as the information they are based on, you are in a good position to tweak your plans for the Second Quarter after the conclusion of the First Quarter. 

Gary Stidham  |  Director of Training for Texas BSM  |  linktr.ee/garystidham