You shouldn't do college ministry if:

Crazy ideas make you nervous.

Several years ago a student approached me asking if he could organize a 24-hour prayer vigil for 7 days in our college building. I'm going to reveal my personal lack of faith here, but my first thought was, "Oh no. It's going to be a crazy student party involving muggings and vandalism and all kinds of destruction.  Who gives the keys the building to a group of students?"

So I suggested he go talk to the facilities staff (little secret about pastors -- if they tell you to talk to the building people they are quietly hoping you might never return, that you'll get lost in the terrifying labyrinth that is church facility policy).

The facilities staff came back to me and asked if it was okay.  I was starting to wonder why we had facilities staff.

So I took a deep breath and said, "Sure! If it's okay with you, then it's alright with me."

We unleashed these crazy students, armed them with a key to the building, and gave them the green light. And do you know what they did?

They organized our church to PRAY! For 7 days there was a constant stream of people going in and out of the building at all hours to pray for our ministry.  Not just students, either. There were youth kids, young adults, old adults, and yes, college students.  Hundreds of people.

And God responded -- it was one of the most exciting, fruitful seasons of ministry since I've been a college pastor.

Go figure -- unleash an army of students to do something crazy, and they might just do something wonderful.  Yes, it might be messy, but it might change your church or even your world.

So if you are a compulsive rule-follower, college ministry might be tough on you. But if you are willing to let a little bit of wacky in the door -- well, who knows what God might do through a few devoted and wild-eyed students?