For many pastors and churches, when they hear about the strategic mission field of the college campus, they want to get involved. But for many, there’s a simple question: how? Where do we start?
Consider these your first steps. Imagine that one of our Cross Impact leaders is sitting down with you and walking you through the process. It’s not as hard as you might think! How can you start a Cross Impact chapter at your campus?
1. Pray, pray, and pray again.
For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
James 4:15
Prayer is essential to starting your Cross Impact chapter. If God wants you to pursue this strategic mission field, then He will open the necessary doors to make that happen. As you start and continue with Cross Impact, saturate this ministry in prayer.
Here are some specific prayer requests for your church:
Pray for (and with) your church family to embrace the vision for this strategic mission field.
Pray over and thank God for the volunteers and resources He has already given you.
Pray about the volunteers and resources that you need God to provide.
Pray for your volunteers and students.
Set up a regular prayer meeting with your church family and/or key volunteers.
Enlist your church family to pray in your weekly bulletin, newsletter, or during one of your services.
Pray with your young adults class about this ministry and their role in it.
Pray for open doors for the Gospel.
Pray that God will save lost souls on campus.
Pray that God will equip believers on campus to grow and live for Jesus in this difficult environment.
Take a prayer walk around your campus.
2. Learn what your campus requires to become a registered student organization.
Every campus has different requirements for what it takes to have a student organization. How do you learn what those qualifications are? Here’s a helpful RSO checklist.
Check out your school’s website and find their section on “campus life” or “student life.”
If you cannot find that, use the search function on the website and type in “registered student organizations.”
What do they require?
How many students do you need to register?
How many student officers do you need?
Do you need a faculty representative?
Do you need a constitution? (Cross Impact can provide a sample for you)
Sometimes you will need to meet with local campus officials to receive clarification about what it takes to start an RSO.
3. Evaluate what you have.
What resources has God already given you? Look through the following checklist.
Church to host the chapter
Young adults at your church (or maybe even a like-minded church)
A leader to run the Bible study
Students on campus
Faculty member from your church (or like-minded church)
Church budget for young adults ministry.
Which of the above resources do you still need? Make these needs a matter of earnest prayer.
As you begin to explore the possibility of starting a campus ministry, bathe that opportunity in prayer, learn the steps to becoming an RSO, and evaluate the resources that God has already given you.
In our next article, we’ll give you three more important steps to help you start a campus ministry.
Our previous article talked about why you should get your Bible study chartered.