Your church is in a residential college town. There is no Presbyterian (U.S.A.) campus ministry with traditional age (18–25-year-old) students. Maybe there used to be, but it died on the vine for lack of funding, participation by students, and leadership.

You’re concerned about the lack of focused ministry because the Presbyterian Church continues to lose young adults at an alarming rate, most never to return to the fold. And those who continue on the rolls may not identify strongly with our denomination. But you believe the Reformed tradition has insights to offer which can be of great help to them, and you’re troubled that so many are missing out.

Perhaps you’ve been moved by W-6.2002 in the Book of Order, which calls the church to offer nurture to people “assuming responsibility in the world,” assisting them with commitments and choices. You feel a sense of responsibility for ensuring that the church fulfills the promise of loving, prayerful guidance made at baptism.

So you begin to ask “what if?” What if we began or revitalized a campus ministry at the university or college in town?

Then reality sets in! How do you do what you dream of? It’s not easy; a project of this magnitude takes a great deal of patience, persistence, willingness and permission to fail.

But if you’re determined to see this ministry through, the hints below will help.

Explore

1. Find out if others share your vision; form a task group to explore possibilities. Include parents and/or grandparents of college students, as well as faculty or staff members from the local institution. And don’t forget to invite some students to be a part! Consider asking the student government president, a student recruiter, or a leader in a sorority and/or fraternity. The Student Life Office on your campus will have names and contact information.
2. In conversations with your group, think of campus ministry as a multifaceted work, encompassing mission, worship, education, personal growth, pastoral care, and the discovery of what God is doing in the world (Book of Order, G-10.0102).
3. Ask questions, such as:
   -How will this ministry support the mission of the college or university? Seek a meeting with representatives from Student Life and Student Affairs to explore this question. They will appreciate your interest in partnership to advance their mission.
   - Are there other churches or groups, of our own or some other denomination, with whom we might partner in this ministry? How?
   - How will it be funded and to whom will it be accountable?
   - What physical facilities will we need for the ministry?
   - Who will plan and lead it? Paid staff? Volunteers from the church? Students? All of the above?
4. Keep your pastor(s) and session involved and informed. Invite the pastor(s) to meet regularly with your group. Ask her or him to advise you about the proper internal process, such as adding a Campus Ministry Committee to the session. You will need session ownership of the ministry, and, of course, their official blessing, if it is to succeed.

Implement

1. You’ll need a regular “signature event.” Consider making this a worship experience, preceded or followed by a free meal. You might choose a contemporary or an emerging worship model. Whatever the style, make sure that the messages are relevant for college students, the music arises from their culture, and the dress is casual. If you schedule the event on a weeknight, remember that students have many other demands on their time. Sunday nights, around 7:00 or 8:00, usually work best for a gathering. Market the event as a way students can get recharged for their busy lives.
2. Of course, just because you offer something doesn’t mean students will attend. Remember that it’s the rare 18-year-old who will come alone. Students move in groups. So, you will need to identify several key students who are willing to invite their friends and will follow through on the commitment. Another idea: invite a different sorority and/or fraternity each week to worship as a group.
3. Word of mouth is the best publicity, but you also need to place regular, eye-catching ads in the school paper and public service announcements (PSAs) on the radio; develop an email list from attendees at your signature event and send regular updates; have a great website, preferably designed and maintained by a student; be on campus for orientation information fairs, and other events.
4. At your weekly event, gather names of students. Ask those who want to assume a leadership role in the ministry to make themselves known. From that group, assemble a planning council and elect a student president and other leaders.
5. Out of your weekly signature event will grow Bible studies, small groups, and mission trips. These will keep students connected with each other, the campus ministry leadership, and your church.
6. Name your organization (I recommend “Presbyterian Collegiate Connection”) and register with the university or college. The Student Life Office can advise you on procedures, but typically you will need to have at least a student president, a faculty advisor, and a campus email and address. As a registered organization, you are kept in the loop about events on campus (like information fairs and service projects) and may be eligible for funding from student government or discounts on ads in the school paper.

Evaluate

1. Three very helpful tools are "Are We Ready? A Readiness Assessment Tool for Congregations Considering Church-based Collegiate Ministry," "Holding Campus Ministries Accountable," and "Collegiate Ministry Self-Assessment Tool. All are available from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Collegiate Ministries office Web site, and from the Presbyterian Association for Collegiate and Higher Education Ministries site.
2. Don’t be afraid to fail. Campus ministry offers the freedom to try new things.
3. Remember: Your constituency is constantly changing, so what worked last year may not work this year.
4. Define success as faithfully building relationships and offering hospitality.
5. Keep talking with your planning council and with other students about what they need, want, and experience. Base your ministry on the real lives of college students.
6. E-mail the PC(USA) Collegiate Ministries offices or call toll-free at (888) 728-7228, ext. 5765 for more information.

Tom Cheatham is associate executive presbyter for Campus Ministry in the Presbytery of St. Andrew and Presbyterian Campus Minister at Mississippi State University in Starkville.