How Churches Can Reach Freshmen Through The BCM

Reaching freshmen is one of the priorities of the campus based ministry of our denomination. Incoming freshmen who are living at home will be referred to as commuter freshmen. Freshmen that move to a dorm or apartment to attend college will be referred to as resident freshmen. The partnership between the BCM and the local church is critical in regards to helping students either stay or become involved in a local church during their college years. For the commuter freshmen that are still living at home their involvement in BCM can be an encouragement to them to stay involved in their church. It can also help them be involved in small group Bible studies, participate in mission trips, meet and get to know other Christian college students, etc…

Being involved in the ministry of the campus based ministry by a commuter freshmen can also greatly help their church to reach the resident freshmen that have moved to the university to live in the dorm, an apartment, a fraternity, sorority house, etc.

The partnership of the BCM and the local church is at its best when these resident freshmen meet and get to know commuter freshmen that are involved in a local church. If the commuter freshmen from a church are not involved in the campus based ministry then their church loses representation, a voice, a touch, etc. to that student. The resident freshman will end up visiting and attending and joining the church where other college students meet, get to know and reach out to them at BCM ministries.

BCM ministry is not a church and has no desire to be so. One of the major goals of BCM is to help students stay or become involved in a local church. In order to do so in the most effective manner it’s important that local churches encourage their commuter students to be involved in the BCM to help them reach out to the new resident students. It’s also important they encourage their resident students, freshmen and upperclassmen to stay involved in the BCM after they have become involved in the local church. If upperclassmen from a church are involved in the BCM they will be able to reach out to freshmen in the BCM. BCM and church involvement is at it best when it is a “both and” and not an “either or”.

The BCM secures names of incoming freshmen in a variety of ways which includes: 1. The college or university admissions office 2. Local and state churches 3. Conferences such as Centrifuge, Missionfuge, World Changers, etc. 4. Orientations for freshmen. The BCM then contacts these students by telephone, newsletter, email and facebook to invite them to become involved in the BCM ministry and to either become or stay involved in a local church. If your church would like to help with this contacting of these incoming students then please contact your local BCM director. They would greatly appreciate your partnership in outreach.

As freshmen attend the BCM the name and contact information of these students is available for local church ministry follow-up by the BCM. If the student is not a Christian this provides a wonderful opportunity to share the gospel of Christ with them. If they are a believer the local church can invite them to become involved in their ministry.

It is important that the BCM and the local churches do all they can to reach out to freshmen during the first few weeks of the fall semester. However, it’s also important to remember that the reaching freshmen is not just limited to that period. Freshmen can be reached throughout the year.

Many freshmen are overwhelmed by all of the changes in their lives as the fall semester begins. As their lives begin to settle into a routine they may realize their need for spiritual growth through the BCM and or a local church. It’s important the local church ministry realizes this and continues to reach out to students throughout the school year. In situations where there are multiple collegiate churches of the BCM it may be November, December or even the second semester before they choose a local church to be involved in.

Involvement in the BCM ministries, events and conferences by a collegiate minister of a local church can greatly help the spiritual growth of BCM students from all the local churches and not just the church of the collegiate minister. In this case the collegiate minister develops relationships with, provides spiritual leadership and examples to students that don’t and may not ever attend their church. This enriches the unity and community of the BCM and its sponsoring churches and benefits students in their growth in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

By: Steve Masters, BCM Director at LSU