Are you looking for a way to multiply your visibility and impact during the upcoming year?

Have you considered eating lunch in the cafeteria on campus?

While some things have changed on the landscape of university life, other things haven’t… students (especially first year students) are required to have a meal plan — which lands them in this centrally located eatery multiple times a day.

But how often do we take advantage of this fact?

If you’re anything like me, it can be easy to rationalize NOT choosing the cafeteria for your mid-day meal — whether the prices seem too high for what you’re getting, or the food seems too greasy, processed or mass-produced for your liking (some of which may be true, some of which may not be true) — but the reality is that the cafeteria is a great, convenient location at which to eat, connect with students and multiply your ministry efforts.

First, we’ve all got to eat lunch… so why not choose the location with the MOST students in which to eat it?  Sure, there will probably be times when it makes good sense to get off campus with a couple of students, or even eat in your office in order to take care of pressing business, but if at all possible, why not make this one of the most fruitful hours of your day by putting yourself where the MOST students are!

Second, connecting with students is central to our ministry efforts.  Connecting with students on campus can sometimes be a challenge.  Often they are on the move, from one thing to another, but when they stop for lunch they’re often blocking out an hour of their day to sit and enjoy this meal.  What a great opportunity to connect, and re-connect, with students that you’ve recently met.  It’s also a great way for students who may not know us to gain familiarity and comfort with us — as they see us interacting with their peers.

Finally, if choosing the right lunch location has the potential to multiply our ministry efforts, than doesn’t our decision on a lunch location become an issue of stewardship?  It seems like it would fit into the ‘work smarter, not harder’ category of life/ministry choices!  As we put ourselves into close proximity with students, and meet the friends of students that we’ve already connected with — on their turf, it’s hard to imagine how God wouldn’t choose to exponentially grow the length of our reach.

As a classic introvert, and 35-year-old trying to stay in shape, it can be tempting to use my lunch hour to run errands or grab a quick work out.  But this year I’ll find another time for such things.  So, if you’re on campus and looking for me over the lunch hour (or want to join me) just head over to the caf… I’ll (hopefully) be sitting with a group of students!

How about you?

• Do you utilize your lunch hour for ministry with students?  What benefits have you reaped from using your lunch hour this way?
• Do you frequent the cafeteria?  Why or why not?
• Are you more likely to take the lunch hour ‘off,’ grab lunch with a 1 or 2 students in an off-campus location OR enjoy lunch with a group of students in the caf?

Thanks for sharing your insights and experiences!

[p.s. - it may be worth talking with the food provider at the institution your serve as they may be willing to offer you a discounted rate on meals and/or a meal plan]