Reaching College Students Staying at Home
by Ken Owens Director, Collegiate Ministry Group
and Tracy Turner Director, Spartanburg BCM

         Challenges in the economy may open more doors for the church to minister to college students, especially those who are staying at home. As the Baptist Collegiate Minister serving the Spartanburg (SC) area colleges, Tracy Turner had a conversation with an admissions counselor with a state-supported college in his area at the beginning of last fall. After asking how enrollment looked for that semester, he was told, “Okay, but many of the students that were committed to our school pulled out last minute and enrolled in either a technical college or a local community college.” When he asked why she replied, “Money”. She went on to explain that many of those students just could not afford even state-supported colleges because of the challenges in the economy. Confirming what the admissions counselor had shared in that conversation, Greenville Technical College and Spartanburg Community College (local, commuter colleges in the upstate) were both at capacity with student enrollment during that semester.

So a great question the church can ask is, “How can we reach more college students and develop our students while reaching others on local campuses during difficult economic times?”

1) Recognize that the commuter student population will likely be on the rise. More students are likely to live at home and be near your church. As such it will imperative for churches to plan ministries which can help students build community and stay connected relationally. Here are a few ideas:
a) Plan and develop a Sunday School or small group for young adults, ages 18-25. Having a Bible study and small group for this age is just as important as having one for high school or middle school students. Consider asking someone who has been a good leader with high school youth to lead this group – the relationships they already have with the college students staying home would be beneficial to keeping those students involved in the church.
b) Plan at least one fellowship event per month for this group – a game night at someone’s house, dinner and a movie, bowling or paint ball or a meal after church. Young adults want to enjoy life and to do so together. If the church doesn’t help plan these types of community building activities, then young adults will find other ways to do it.
c) Organize and promote a weekend retreat or mission trip for this age group. Even if it is a small group, the experience will be invaluable for building strong relationships and commitment among those who participant. The South Carolina Baptist Convention offers a Christian conference planned for this age group, called Converge. It happens the last weekend of January and could be a great way to help your college students share together while being challenged from God’s word.

2) Young adults need and value older adults who will “spiritually shepherd” them. Ask a spiritually mature woman to host a group of college age women once a month for lunch or coffee to share about life and to pray with the students. Ask a spiritually mature man to mentor 3 or 4 young men – having lunch with them on campus or leading them through a cycle of Men’s Fraternity. Enlist adult Sunday school classes to “adopt” and pray for students who are attending local campuses.

3) Develop a ministry team of 3 or 4 students in your church who are staying at home and commuting to school. Challenge them to meet monthly and plan activities and means for reaching students on their campus and involving more young adults in the church. They are capable of leading and planning, if given a little direction. During an economic downturn, the number of students staying at home and commuting to college is likely to rise. Commuters are looking for places to connect relationally and to find true community. The church can provide these things and use it as a tool to develop disciples.

4) Consider adopting a commuter campus as a mission field of your church.  Organize a prayer walk throughout the campus.  Work with the Collegiate Ministry Group and your local Baptist association to organize and lead a BCM on that campus.  Chances are that an active, on-going Christian ministry is not present on your local commuter campus.  Contact Ken Owens at the Collegiate Ministry Group, kenowens@scbaptist.org, for more information on how to be on mission to the local campus.