How “Real-World Ministry” is different
than college
I’m at the point in my senior
course where we talk about how “real life” differs from college life. Each
student is required to ask past graduates how full time local church ministry
is different from college life. The class combines all this advice and makes a
video of it (I’ll post it next week). The feedback from ministers now active in
full time ministry is powerfully instructive for these seniors and alerts them
to the massive changes coming. I wind up the section by using the following
grid describing the transition to adult life common to all majors entering all
professions. I wonder what you’d add.
|
AREA |
College Life |
Adult Life |
|
FEEDBACK |
Frequent, fast and concrete feedback
(comments on papers, semester grades, GPA) |
Occasional, delayed, & nuanced
feedback except from dissatisfied minorities who
provide “frequent, fast and concrete” negative feedback. |
|
DIRECTION |
Doing work with lots of direction,
specific expectations, clear syllabi, regular assignments, & rubrics for
grading. |
Doing work with unspecific directions,
living with varied expectations by different groups, unstated requirements
for success, with “grading” being pass-fail without any mid-term feedback. |
|
FOCUS |
Focus on SELF—with a supportive
environment providing to me opportunities for development, being mentored,
being ministered to and getting support and guidance. |
Focus on OTHERS—providing development,
mentoring, ministry and support help to others. |
|
TIME OFF |
Time off for fall break, a month at
Christmas, a week for spring break, and four full months of summer. |
Two weeks a year vacation or sometimes
three weeks; must use this “vacation time” for spring break. |
|
SCHEDULE |
Personal control over time—I decide for
myself how I will spend my 92 waking hours a week (beyond the 20 required
hours of class and chapel). |
Others control my time by appointments and
office hours; my required show-up time increases to 50 hours a week. |
|
MONEY |
I pay one fee in tuition and it covers
food, Internet service, library, wellness center, water, electric, garbage,
health center, room rent, and sports entrance fees, often debt-financed;
parents may cover some costs like health insurance, cell phone and maybe even
auto insurance. |
Many fees; everything I do costs money
and I have to start paying back my college loans at the same time and parent
expect to quit paying for some expenses. |
|
MENTORING |
Professors and staff are paid to invest
in and mentor me. |
I am paid to invest in and mentor
others. |
|
DRESS |
I can dress pretty much any way I
want—they should accept me. |
I dress the way they expect me to
dress—I must accept their standards. |
|
ANSWERS |
Many right answers—people respect and
applaud differing answers. |
One right answer—accepting “our answer”
as right. |
|
PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS |
Choose my performance level (“A”, “B” , “C” etc.); able to “pass” with C+. |
Expectation of excellence with anything
falling short is criticized. |
|
CHALLENGES |
Intellectual challenge—know to succeed. |
Relational challenge—get along to succeed. |
|
SUCCESS |
Do what is “required” and succeed; do
what I’m told to do to succeed. |
Do what is needed to succeed; see needs
and respond without being told; self initiated. |
|
CONSEQUENCE OF FAILURE |
I must repeat the course. |
I lose my job. |
·
What would you add
to this list? How did you find
real-life local church ministry different than college life? Would you take a
moment to help this year’s ministerial graduates prepare for the transition
from college life to real-world ministry?
So what do you think?
During the first few weeks, click here to comment or read comments
By