What else have I learned about campus access from this disastrous experience and nearly three decades of campus access?

The times, they are a-changing! When I started as an earnest volunteer at a high-school campus in 1982, I did not have to sign in to go on campus. In fact, I didn’t really even need permission to be there! I made a point of knowing the administrators, but that was just because one of them was a nice guy who helped me meet other students. An increased awareness of sexual predators, heightened dangers from drug dealers and a greater sophistication regarding security since 9/11 has demanded that schools clamp down on campus visitors. This is a good thing, and we should not resent it.

Fight for the right? I know there are others who disagree with me, but I do not recommend insisting on your constitutional right to be on campus. I believe this only fosters an antagonistic relationship with the school administrators and guarantees that you will not have any sort of positive relationship with school officials. I would rather be respectful and slowly chip away at any barriers to access by being a consistent presence.

My experience also tells me God is bigger than campus access. In other words, if you think your youth ministry rests on whether or not you have campus access, I would say you have a small view of God. On one high-school campus, I was not allowed to even meet the principal because his secretary decided I could not be there. Inside I was fuming and wanted to have it out with her. Instead, I smiled politely, thanked her for her time and started praying. I spent that whole year showing up at various events on campus, especially volleyball games because I knew several students on the teams. This particular secretary was a big volleyball booster. She noticed me at all the games, and I gave her a nod and a hello every time I saw her. What I did not realize was that she was noticing me talking with parents, cheering for the team and chatting afterward with students who came up to thank me for coming. Two years later, when a new secretary was questioning why I was on campus (I never gave up trying every September), my old antagonist came over and said, "You can trust Kelly. She has been here for years!" God sure is funny.

Respect the campus rules. Romans 13:1 says, "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established." The authorities that exist have been established by God. Let us model a respectful spirit to our students by respecting the administration and the district policies. Like the adversarial principal I met all those years ago, now I scold a fellow youth worker if I find out he or she has gone on campus without signing in at the office or without previously asking for permission from one of the administrators. Before going onto any campus, consult with an experienced youth pastor in your community and find out what the official rules (and conventional wisdom) are regarding campus access. When I want to meet the administrator, I make an appointment. They are very busy people. Do not just show up and think you can just poke your head in. When I arrive for the appointment, I come a bit early and am dressed like an adult. If possible, bring a business card and a list of student who you know from that campus, as well as their parents' names. Sometimes it is also helpful to bring an involved parent along with you. If you are returning to the campus and the administrator is new, briefly mention how you have been on campus in the past, along with names of various administrators and staff you have known and with whom you have worked. If you are new in town, make a point of being respectful and ready to serve.