Worker Guide‎ > ‎

02 Church Life

The local church is key to every believer’s growth. Navigating church-life in a Baptist context is especially essential to each BSM Director’s personal growth and example to students. Also, as a BSM Director, the relationship with the Association of Baptist churches supporting the ministry is critical in order to continue the ministry on campus. The goal is to develop a healthy personal church-life, lead students into local church involvement and serve the churches that provide support to the local BSM.

The Givens for Church Life

  • Biblical Basis:
  • Pacesetter: Engaging in the life of Associations, Churches, Pastors, Staff on a consistent, monthly basis. Minimum of 2 face to face visits and 3 other contacts not including luncheon servers.
  • Spiritual Focus: Require student leaders in the active participation with a local church, with strong emphasis on Baptist Churches.
  • Equipping: Assist churches to engage the college campus.
  • Incarnational: Participate in the life of your local church with family and/or friends serving as their missionary to the campus.
    Church Life Tasks for New Workers
    1. Visit two churches and/or pastors and staff in the local Baptist Association per month. Here's the BGCT's church search tool for help finding contact information.
    2. Visit personally with the Director of Missions (DOM) at least once per semester for fellowship and updates. Here's a list of Associations.
    3. Join a local Baptist church within 3 months of starting.
    4. Develop a Local Advisory Group of 6-8 to meet two to four times a year.
    5. Communicate your expectation to Leadership Team members that they be involved in a local church, particularly a Baptist church.
    6. Attend all Executive Board Meetings and Pastors Lunches.
    7. Write an article in your monthly Associational newsletter as allowed.
    8. Read How to Teach and Encourage Your Students to Join a Local Church by Brenda Sanders (adapted from Rick Warren’s emphasis on the church in The Purpose Driven Life).
    9. Read Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches that Reach Them by Ed Stetzer, Richie Stanley & Jason Hayes.Schedule all Local Advisory Group meetings for the entire year, visiting with the Chairman during first month. (Year 2)
    Church Life Reading
    Top Reading Recommendations
    1. College Ministry from Scratch: A Practical Guide to Start and Sustain a Successful College Ministry by Chuck Bomar
    2. Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches that Reach Them by Ed Stetzer, Richie Stanley & Jason Hayes
    Additional Church Life Helps
    1. Ginger Bowman
      • Ginger is our Texas BSM Church Life Specialist. She is here to help local churches build and grow their college ministries. Whether it's connecting church leaders in networking opportunities, suggesting resources for Bible studies, or helping you know how to encourage and support the local church college ministries in your area, Ginger wants to help you connect students with local churches. Find her contact info here.
    2. Connecting with Local Churches
      1. 5 Ways You Can Help a Local Church by Ginger Bowman
      2. Connecting with the Local Church by Ginger Bowman
      3. Staying in Constant Communication with Local Churches by Wayne Dillen
    3. Connecting Students & Churches
      1. Church Shopping by Ginger Bowman
      2. Connecting Students & Churches Welcome Week by Nick Howard
      3. Connecting with Churches….Not Just About Lunches by Nick Howard
      4. How do you find a church at college by David McDurham
      5. How to Teach & Encourage Your Students to Join a Local Church by Brenda Sanders
    4. Local Church College Ministry 101
      • If you're working pastors, churches, or volunteers who are thinking of starting a ministry to college students please encourage them to visit our TX College Church website designed especially for them. The address is http://www.txcollegechurch.org. 
      1. Top 5 Needs of Church College Ministry
        1. Workers for the Harvest
        2. Connections with Students
        3. A Strategy for Discipleship
        4. Integrating into the Life of the Church
        5. Resources
      2. 7 Deadly Sins of College Sunday School
      3. Bridging the Gap Between Youth and College by Joyce Ashcraft
      4. Creating Great Group Times - Ministry with Collegiates by Joyce Ashcraft
      5. Developing Your Local Church College Ministry by Joyce Ashcraft
      6. Fertile Soil for Growing a College Ministry by Ginger Bowman
      7. Starting a College Ministry in Your Church by Ginger Bowman
      8. Starting a College Ministry in Your Church Presentation by Joyce Ashcraft
      9. Tips-For-Starting-A-College-Ministry by Paul Worcester
    5. Find a Church at College
      • Churches around the state are partnering with BSMs at neighboring universities. Visit our TX BSM website at https://txbsm.org/find-a-church for a complete list of partnering churches.
    6. Find a Texas Baptist Church
      • If you'd like to search for a church near you, visit the Texas Baptists website at https://texasbaptists.org/churches to search by city, state, zip, name, language, or ethnicity.
    7. Connect Graduating High School Seniors to BSM
      • Help graduating high school seniors find a BSM on the campus they plan to attend, and get them connected before they even get to campus! https://txbsm.org/sign-up-now.

    © Texas Baptist Student Ministry   |  collegeministry@texasbaptists.org   |   214-828-5250  |  Updated 10/29/2020
    http://txbsm.org/church