How to Get College Freshmen Actively Involved in Church

We have all heard the alarms. We have all seen the statistics. Students entering college are abandoning the church, leaving those of us in the church left to answer the key question, “What do we do?” While there is not one simple solution to such a complex issue, one thing is for sure. We must provide a better bridge for students at the pivotal transition from high school senior to college freshman that facilitates their activity in the local church.

If your church has decided to build that bridge for college freshmen, take a look at these practical steps that can help you no matter your situation.

1. Resist a cookie-cutter approach. It is always good to glean from another’s success, but resist the temptation to copy someone else’s model when it doesn’t fit your context. You are unique and it pays to spend more time studying your particular situation rather than someone else’s.

2. Assess your environment. With any project, you must begin where you are. You can determine where you are by asking yourselves questions like: What college students do we have in our church (if any)? Do we have people in our church interested in helping college students? How far are we from the college campus? How would a college freshman know we exist? Why would a college student want to come to our church? What are the college students in our city interested in? Where do college students spend their time? Answering these questions, and ones like them, will help you move to the next step.

3. Develop a vision. The other part of the process is to determine where you want to go. What is your destination? The truth is that people are attracted to vision. College students are no different. Now more than ever, students have a number of options when it comes to their time and energy, and they want to spend these resources on things that really matter. If the vision for your church is simply to attend a Sunday School Class or show up to your Sunday worship service, you will have very limited response. Develop a biblical vision and make it big!

4. Build a Relational Strategy. No matter your particular situation, one thing is for sure: relationships are the vehicle to use to cross the bridge to your destination. The great thing is that you don’t have to have a huge budget or a cool, college worship environment to accomplish this! Here are three phrases that can be used to guide this element.

• “Think home, not class” – Freshmen are detached from a home environment. Most will be living in a small dorm room or apartment. Many have not grown up in a stable home to begin with. On top of that, they are in a class every day of the week. They don’t need another class, they need people. This means that you need to craft your strategy to provide for interaction outside of a classroom environment. Whether this means trips, retreats, small groups meeting in homes, or just simple gatherings, form a strategy around ways to connect in “home-like” environments. Ninety percent of our college small groups meet in homes for this reason.
• “Think quality, not quantity” – You don’t have to have a big number to have a huge impact. Whatever the scale of your ministry, the true success will be determined by your ability to provide for biblical, mentor-type relationships infused with the truth of scripture. Whether you have two leaders or twenty, articulate what you want each leader to accomplish and hold one another accountable. Make scripture a non-negotiable of each one.
• “Think now, not later” – Aggressively pursue placing students in leadership positions in your church … now. Unapologetically encourage them to become church members, determine their gifts, and jump in. Don’t stop there. Focus their efforts on real needs in the world around them.

5. Make the connection – Chances are that very few students will just wander into your church their first Sunday in college without some help. You have to take measures to help them connect before they arrive and after. The phrase “Go to them, before they come to you” will help you on your journey. This saying will lead you to finding creative, effective ways to connect before they ever step foot in your building. Some examples are:

• Organizing an annual college move-in event for freshmen.
• Planning a college welcome week series of events.
• Utilizing social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
• Partnering with on-campus ministries.
• Follow-up quickly and personally with visitors.

Even if it’s small, it is essential that you initiate ways to connect with freshmen rather than waiting for them to come to you.

In order to build a bridge for college freshmen to become actively involved in your churches, you must be deliberate and intentional. These five qualities can assist us in the building process. Time to build!

Dan Reeves is College & Campus Teaching Pastor at the Journey Campus, a multi-site campus of Central Baptist Church in Jonesboro, AR. The church meets each Sunday in the Arkansas State University Student Union. Dan and his wife Veronica have partnered in college ministry for over 10 years.

For original post see absc.org.