How to Start a Successful College Ministry
While college ministry is an incredibly effective form of outreach, it is no small task to get off the ground. College students’ attention is being pulled in every direction with studying, on-campus activities, and friend groups. Many college campuses don’t offer faith-based organizations for students, so churches and other off-campus organizations have to provide great value to students in order to make their attendance a priority.
As of early 2012, Belmont University did not have a women’s ministry for its students. While many female students attended the co-ed ministry groups, Mac Bridges and Kenz Durham decided to take matters into their own hands and started a women-only Bible study.
Their Bible study grew by 15-20 women each week, confirming the need for a women’s ministry on campus. Mac & Kenz attribute such fast growth to the commitment of staying honest and vulnerable in their leadership and conversations.
“I think that’s why more and more women kept showing up. They had never experienced anything like what we were offering… There are certain things you can talk about when only other women are in the room.” - Mac Bridges
Soon, what started as a simple Bible study turned into what is now Delight Ministries.
After only a few months of meeting on campus at Belmont, Mac and Kenz convinced a few close friends from their hometowns to start a Delight Chapter on their college campus.
“We were serving so many women on our campus that we knew other campuses had to have the same need ours did.” - Kenz Bridges
With funding for their first full year of ministry, Mac & Kenz were able to start writing their own curriculum and focus on building the Delight Ministries brand. They quickly spread to multiple campuses across the country and eventually were able to hire their first staff member.
After ten years since that first faithful Bible study on Belmont University’s campus, Delight Ministries is now on more than 200 U.S. campuses serving over 14,000 college women each semester and has 20 staff members.
Mac & Kenz have since graduated from Belmont University, each married and still working full-time running Delight Ministries.
Click here for more on Delight Womens Ministry.
Watch the full interview on Youtube here --> https://youtu.be/v9ft2CYYDyI
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While college ministry is an incredibly effective form of outreach, it is no small task to get off the ground. College students’ attention is being pulled in every direction with studying, on-campus activities, and friend groups. Many college campuses don’t offer faith-based organizations for students, so churches and other off-campus organizations have to provide great value to students in order to make their attendance a priority.
As of early 2012, Belmont University did not have a women’s ministry for its students. While many female students attended the co-ed ministry groups, Mac Bridges and Kenz Durham decided to take matters into their own hands and started a women-only Bible study.
Their Bible study grew by 15-20 women each week, confirming the need for a women’s ministry on campus. Mac & Kenz attribute such fast growth to the commitment of staying honest and vulnerable in their leadership and conversations.
“I think that’s why more and more women kept showing up. They had never experienced anything like what we were offering… There are certain things you can talk about when only other women are in the room.” - Mac Bridges
Soon, what started as a simple Bible study turned into what is now Delight Ministries.
After only a few months of meeting on campus at Belmont, Mac and Kenz convinced a few close friends from their hometowns to start a Delight Chapter on their college campus.
“We were serving so many women on our campus that we knew other campuses had to have the same need ours did.” - Kenz Bridges
With funding for their first full year of ministry, Mac & Kenz were able to start writing their own curriculum and focus on building the Delight Ministries brand. They quickly spread to multiple campuses across the country and eventually were able to hire their first staff member.
After ten years since that first faithful Bible study on Belmont University’s campus, Delight Ministries is now on more than 200 U.S. campuses serving over 14,000 college women each semester and has 20 staff members.
Mac & Kenz have since graduated from Belmont University, each married and still working full-time running Delight Ministries.
Click here for more on Delight Womens Ministry.
Watch the full interview on Youtube here --> https://youtu.be/v9ft2CYYDyI
podcast transcript
While college ministry is an incredibly effective form of outreach, it is no small task to get off the ground. College students’ attention is being pulled in every direction with studying, on-campus activities, and friend groups. Many college campuses don’t offer faith-based organizations for students, so churches and other off-campus organizations have to provide great value to students in order to make their attendance a priority.
As of early 2012, Belmont University did not have a women’s ministry for its students. While many female students attended the co-ed ministry groups, Mac Bridges and Kenz Durham decided to take matters into their own hands and started a women-only Bible study.
Their Bible study grew by 15-20 women each week, confirming the need for a women’s ministry on campus. Mac & Kenz attribute such fast growth to the commitment of staying honest and vulnerable in their leadership and conversations.
“I think that’s why more and more women kept showing up. They had never experienced anything like what we were offering… There are certain things you can talk about when only other women are in the room.” - Mac Bridges
Soon, what started as a simple Bible study turned into what is now Delight Ministries.
After only a few months of meeting on campus at Belmont, Mac and Kenz convinced a few close friends from their hometowns to start a Delight Chapter on their college campus.
“We were serving so many women on our campus that we knew other campuses had to have the same need ours did.” - Kenz Bridges
With funding for their first full year of ministry, Mac & Kenz were able to start writing their own curriculum and focus on building the Delight Ministries brand. They quickly spread to multiple campuses across the country and eventually were able to hire their first staff member.
After ten years since that first faithful Bible study on Belmont University’s campus, Delight Ministries is now on more than 200 U.S. campuses serving over 14,000 college women each semester and has 20 staff members.
Mac & Kenz have since graduated from Belmont University, each married and still working full-time running Delight Ministries.
Click here for more on Delight Womens Ministry.
Watch the full interview on Youtube here --> https://youtu.be/v9ft2CYYDyI
VIDEO transcript
While college ministry is an incredibly effective form of outreach, it is no small task to get off the ground. College students’ attention is being pulled in every direction with studying, on-campus activities, and friend groups. Many college campuses don’t offer faith-based organizations for students, so churches and other off-campus organizations have to provide great value to students in order to make their attendance a priority.
As of early 2012, Belmont University did not have a women’s ministry for its students. While many female students attended the co-ed ministry groups, Mac Bridges and Kenz Durham decided to take matters into their own hands and started a women-only Bible study.
Their Bible study grew by 15-20 women each week, confirming the need for a women’s ministry on campus. Mac & Kenz attribute such fast growth to the commitment of staying honest and vulnerable in their leadership and conversations.
“I think that’s why more and more women kept showing up. They had never experienced anything like what we were offering… There are certain things you can talk about when only other women are in the room.” - Mac Bridges
Soon, what started as a simple Bible study turned into what is now Delight Ministries.
After only a few months of meeting on campus at Belmont, Mac and Kenz convinced a few close friends from their hometowns to start a Delight Chapter on their college campus.
“We were serving so many women on our campus that we knew other campuses had to have the same need ours did.” - Kenz Bridges
With funding for their first full year of ministry, Mac & Kenz were able to start writing their own curriculum and focus on building the Delight Ministries brand. They quickly spread to multiple campuses across the country and eventually were able to hire their first staff member.
After ten years since that first faithful Bible study on Belmont University’s campus, Delight Ministries is now on more than 200 U.S. campuses serving over 14,000 college women each semester and has 20 staff members.
Mac & Kenz have since graduated from Belmont University, each married and still working full-time running Delight Ministries.
Click here for more on Delight Womens Ministry.
Watch the full interview on Youtube here --> https://youtu.be/v9ft2CYYDyI
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