Tim Casteel

Thoughts on Leadership and College Ministry

Masterplan of Evangelism

Going from Launching to Building Movements

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If you’re anything like our team, after all the hard work of the first weeks of the fall, you feel like:
  • We worked our tails off reaching out to freshmen and, honestly, the results are not what we had hoped
  • Where are all the guys? We are terrible at reaching sharp, male leaders.
  • Our weekly meeting numbers are not what I hoped they would be at this point in the fall.
I think it’s the amount of work in relation to the payoff. The excitement and crowds of the first few weeks always seem like they will pay greater dividends than they inevitably do. We’re four weeks into the year and it seems like we are not having any effect on our campus.

 

The high energy of large numbers at our first week events (and the ensuing, inevitable numerical downturn) can cause us to forget what matters AND what ultimately will impact the world.

 

masterplanJesus’ “concern was not with programs to reach the multitudes, but with men whom the multitudes would follow.” Dr. Robert Coleman – The Masterplan of Evangelism

 

Movements are not built in the first few weeks of the fall. They take years. Movements are not built by the masses. Movements are built on the efforts of a small group of passionate followers of Christ. It only takes a handful of students to change the world.

 

Robert Coleman reminds us that Jesus’ first few years of ministry “had little or no immediate effect upon the religious life of his day, but that did not matter greatly. For as it turned out, these few early converts of the Lord were destined to become the leaders of his church that was to with the gospel to the whole world.”

 

In the fall there are two important stages of ministry –
    1. The first few weeks of reaching freshmen
    2. Selecting who you will invest in this year

 

Now is the time for Stage 2.
In light of that, this week in staff meeting we read this article by Brian McCollister- Going From Launching to Building Reproducing Movements (and here’s an abridged version I edited down to read in one sitting with my student leaders).

 

Brian is one of the best college ministry strategist in the world. Almost everything we do in reaching freshmen the first weeks is based on his model from Cru at Ohio University. It’s not a short article- we are reading it over two weeks at staff meeting – but it’s the perfect topic for your staff and student leaders to be talking through right now.

 

In addition to this article, this fall all of our staff are taking their disciples through The Masterplan of Evangelism. Here is a link to a week by week discussion of Masterplan.

 

What is your team talking about and doing right now?

 

FoTRP – Selection part 2

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(part 4 of a week long series on “Focus on the Right People” and multiplication)

“What really counts in the ultimate perpetuation of our work is the faithfulness with which our converts go out and make leaders out for their converts, not simply more followers”

Robert Coleman



This week we’re discussing “Focus on the Right People”.  Today, some practical tips I’ve gleaned from one of the best in the business: Roger Hershey.

Many of you know Roger Hershey as one of the greatest spiritual multipliers in Campus Crusade’s history.

A few of his thoughts (that he taught at our Local Leaders conference last fall):

Campus Directors — one of your most important roles is to monitor multiplication

2 key components of monitoring multiplication with your staff — help them learn how to:

  1. Work with the right people (read more about the Right People in this great article by Tim Henderson on CruPressGreen; written to students so it’s a great resource to have student leaders read)
  2. Do the right things with disciples (another great article by Tim Henderson at CruPressGreen on the 3 components of good discipleship)

Movements don’t grow when staff or student leaders work with people who aren’t aligned to our mission and don’t want to multiply.

One very practical way to monitor multiplication with your staff/students:

  • Give each staff a blank multiplication chart (see below to view/download) at the beginning of the year and review it with him/her throughout the year (almost on a weekly basis)
  • Evaluate which disciples are multiplying and which ones are not and ask why they aren’t — what are the barriers and how can you help them?



One more resource on this topic: The definitive book on Selection in ministry is The Masterplan of Evangelism – we’ve often read Chapter 1 (that addresses Selection) as a staff team.

For those who’ve never read it – it’s a look at how Jesus did evangelism.  A must read for anyone in ministry (and it’s short!).

Download a great study guide on the Masterplan of Evangelism here.  And buy the book for cheap from CruPress.



Roger’s Blank Multiplication Chart:
[gview file=”https://www.timcasteel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Blank+chain+with+BS+box.pdf”]


photo courtesy of Steve took it via flickr