College Union

In an interview with Leadership Journal, Dallas Willard talked about redefining success in ministry. “The popular model of success involves the ABC’s—attendance, buildings, and cash. Instead of counting Christians, we need to weigh them. We weigh them by focusing on the most important kind of growth—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, kindness, and so on—fruit in keeping with the gospel and the kingdom” (vol. 26, no. 3, p. 22).

I like what Willard says. Although counting students involved in our ministries can be an indicator of effectiveness, it is not the most important measurement. For instance, if you have a weekly large group worship where only five people show up, that’s an indicator that you need to reassess the situation. On the other hand, if you have a weekly worship where 200 students are showing up with no visible signs of kingdom fruit, a re-evaluation is definitely in order.

When I first started my current position over 16 years ago, a friend gave me some great advice. “If you take care of the depth, God will take care of the breadth.” Wise words I’ve tried to remember and use as a filter through which evaluation takes place. Because of the organic nature of God’s kingdom, when depth occurs, the life, ministry, and message of Jesus cannot be held back.

I am one who believes that more students than we realize are starving for depth. They want a deeper life in Christ. They want to know how to follow Jesus in a way that takes them beyond their comfort zones to the place where they trust God with all of who they are. They are looking for people to show them how to experience and integrate the weight of gospel in all of their lives.

As we serve in this exciting mission of transformation and change, let’s consider our kingdom weight and ministry depth, and let’s produce some kingdom fruit.

Categories: Nurturing the Soul of the Campus Minister
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