At the end of Matthew 28, Jesus looked at those He spent the most time with and told them to "go and make disciples." Now, what do you think these men went away thinking they were supposed to do? What principles would they have thought about implementing?

They would have known what they had seen and experienced with Jesus. He brought them along in His life and ministry and taught them as He went. I'm fairly certain they would not have walked away thinking, "I gotta find one person to meet with once a week, go through a book and ask 10 questions to make sure I hold them accountable."

Looking Back

My friend Suzy is married to Bill, and they have three children under the age of 10. They have invested time and energy in countless college-age people. They have these young adults in their home a few nights a week—maybe for dinner, just to hang out or to babysit for them; but they have been intentional about opening up their lives. Why? Well, Suzy frequently talks about a couple who invested in her when she was in college. This couple took her into their home, spent time with her, let her into their lives and ultimately shaped her life and faith. Being exposed to this family at such a personal level changed her life, and now she wants to give that to others.

I can't tell you the number of Christian adults I've talked to who speak about a significant person or people who impacted them while in college. I would guess you, too, can point back to someone who has invested in you in a similar way. It works because it was what Jesus did.

During the years of college ministry in our country, people have tried all kinds of programmatic things. Some work...for a time, but the only timeless approach is the one Jesus had. Nothing more is needed.

Resources

If you're interested in teaching or in small-group material, check out YouthWorker.com, SimplyYouthMinistry.com and CampusCrusade.com.

To learn more about college-age issues, see my book, College Ministry 101: A Guide to Working with 18- to 25-Year-Olds.

Another resource is Jeffery Arnett's book Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens Through the Twenties. This is not a Christian book, but it gives great insight into the college-age stage of life.

Read the free e-book about campus ministry Reaching the Campus Tribes by Benson Hines (ReachingTheCampusTribes.com).

Lastly, I'm extremely thankful to be able to announce two more books coming out this year. The first I co-wrote with Reggie Joiner and Abbie Smith: The Slow Fade: Why You Matter in the Story of Disappearing Twentysomethings (David C. Cook). The release date for this book is May 1, 2010, and is written to adult believers who want or need to be encouraged to invest in a college age person. It helps them overcome intimidation by showing them what really is needed, as well as practical ideas for playing a significant role in the life of a young adult.

My other title, releasing Sept. 1, 2010, College Ministry from Scratch: A Practical Guide to Start and Sustain a Successful College Ministry (YS/Zondervan) will help church leaders realistically define what it means to be successful, how to measure their effectiveness, develop a job description that focuses their energy and offers steps to take in the first 90 days of starting or re-launching a ministry. Chapters cover just about every aspect of daily college ministry: small groups, working with interns, leading mission trips, doing retreats, what to talk about in one-on-one conversations, recruiting older adults and teaching topics and approaches.