The population of college students can be a mission field. Here are some ways you can minister them, both as a family or individual, or as a church body.
How Families and Individuals Can Minister to College Students
Here are some things you can do to minister to college students:
- Adopt a college student who attends one of the local colleges. If you need to meet one, contact Connect Pointe and we’ll help you get introduced. Here are some things you can do with your adopted student:
- Take them out to lunch or dinner occasionally.
- Invite them to your home for a meal.
- Take them to a sporting event. They may even enjoy attending high school games your children or grandchildren are playing in.
- Take them fishing or golfing.
- Invite them over to watch a movie or play games with your family.
- Invite them to help you in your ministries.
- Minister to college students from your church who are attending college out of town:
- Send them text messages.
- Send them care packages, especially during finals week.
- Support Connect Pointe financially to allow us to continue our ministry.
How Churches can Minister to College Students
College students can be a challenging group to minister to since they come and go. But keeping them plugged in to a local church during these important years will greatly increase the likelihood that they continue to follow Christ after graduation. And this age group is still seeking to clarify their worldview, so evangelizing this age group is also important.
Here are things your church can do to minister to local college students:
- Connect with and support local college ministries such as Connect Pointe. We can help you find ways to connect with students on local campuses.
- Plan Invite college students to events and programs at your church. College students might like to attend men’s breakfasts, small group Bible studies or worship events.
- If your church is close to a college, put up notices on bulletin boards at the college that list your service times.
- College ministries can help you connect with students who want rides to your church, if you have members willing and able to drive them.
Here are things your church can do to minister to students from your church who are attending college, either locally or out of town:
- Plan to pack and send care packages to them. Good times for this are about a month into the school year and again at finals time.
- Take note of the academic calendar of each of the colleges where your students attend so you know when they have finals and when they’ll be home.
- Let the students know you’re praying for them.
- Include them in the church newsletter.
- Invite them to connect when they are able: ask them to do special music while they’re home, invite them to lead a devotion or teach Sunday school for the younger students during college vacations. Encourage them to help with Vacation Bible School.
- Plan a seasonal Bible study, Sunday school class or other activity when they’re on school vacations.
- Keep them plugged in and provide networking opportunities, to help them find mentors and career referrals. Keep the congregation aware of which colleges your students are attending, what they’re majoring in and which year they are in as they progress through their college years.
- Invite Connect Pointe to speak at your church or to a small group or your mission board.