I recently met with some of our Filipino campus ministry leaders to talk about how to build mega-campus ministries.
(Here’s some context for our mega-campus ministries discussion. While most multi-site churches have one huge central mother ship, orbited by smaller dependent satellites, at Victory Manila we have three huge congregations, seven large congregations, and three bigger-than-average congregations. Somehow over time, we figured out how to reproduce mega-churches all over the city that reach multiple thousands. So the question was: Why not build mega-campus ministries all over the Philippines that reach tens of thousands of students with the gospel?)
Here’s my summary of our discussion:
1. TEAM. It took a united team to build Victory Manila and it will take a united team working together to build a campus ministry that reaches hundreds of campuses and hundreds of thousands of Filipino students.
2. MODELS. We need strong regional chapters that serve as models and resource centers to help smaller communities.
3. MENTORS. Those who are more mature and more fruitful should mentor the younger and less fruitful.
4. CHURCH. Campus ministry must be local church-based. And campus ministry and a multi-generational culture must remain top priorities in all Victory churches.
5. FOCUS. As much as possible our campus missionaries should focus on one campus rather than working on several campuses.
6. STANDARDIZATION. We need to decide what needs to be standardized and what needs to be flexible. No need to re-invent the wheel. But also, we must recognize that different vehicles require different wheels.
7. PRAYER. Campus missionaries must pray together.
8. MEASURE. We measure what we value. Since we value discipleship (obeying the Great Commission) we must find a way to measure more than those who show up at a meeting. How can we measure discipleship?
9. HEALTHY LEADERS. If we have healthy campus missionaries, we will have healthy campus ministries.
Final thought: at 50, I’m more excited about campus ministry than at any other time in my life. Change the campus, change the world!