Two of the best BCM presidents we have had during my 20 years at LSU didn’t become involved in our ministry until January of their freshman year. Both of them went on a BCM ski trip and meet and connected with our students and staff. They both stayed very involved in our ministry and became presidents during their senior years.
This is a great reminder to me each year to not give up on involving freshmen in our ministry. There is no question that most of the freshmen involved in our ministry do so during the first two weeks of the first semester. Some become super involved and either stay or become involved in one of our local sponsoring churches. Others for a variety of reasons don’t attend anything we sponsor. It’s easy to think they just aren’t interested when in many cases this is not the case. Many of them want to get involved. I think it’s very important we keep trying to reach out to them. Here are some suggestions on ways you can involve freshmen in your ministry at the end of the fall semester or at the beginning of the spring semester.
1. Retreats, Events, Mission Trips – Each fall our BCM sponsors a mission trip to work with the Bowery Mission in Lower Manhatten during the week after finals in December. We always have some freshmen sign up for the trip that weren’t involved at the beginning of the semester. We have had some sign up that didn’t attend anything at the BCM until they signed up. We sponsor a ski trip each January and have the same experiences with freshmen. Many of you attend the Passion Conference in January. These types of trips can be a great way to involve freshmen.
2. Ministry Meals – I have had good success with involving freshmen into our ministry later in the semester by either hosting them for a meal at our BCM or taking them out to eat. If I or one of our leaders calls a freshman and they are interested in our ministry I set up a meal with them. I invite a couple of other freshmen or upperclassmen leaders to join us. This has been a great way for us to really connect with the students. For many of them it’s their first visit to the BCM. We also set up meals with freshmen after they attend a BCM meeting.
3. Collegiate Church Ministry Partnership – We provide the names and contact information of freshmen that attend our BCM for the first time to our local collegiate churches so they can reach out to the student and invite them to their church. This has been a great way to help the freshmen get involved in a local church. Many of them have then attended the BCM as a result of meeting and getting to know BCM students at the church.
4. Parents Surveys – Send a letter to the parents of all of the freshmen whose names you secure. Ask the parents to partner with you to reach and involve their son or daughter in your ministry. Ask them to fill out a survey that provides you with information about them. The vast majority of parents of college students want their son or daughter to grow and mature in their faith while they are in college. This week I have met with five different freshmen who want to get involved in our ministry as a result of parents survey information. Email me if you would like me to send you a copy of our parents survey.
5. Youth Ministers – Email the youth minister of the church where an incoming freshman was involved in high school. Ask them to partner with you in involving the student. Ask them to encourage the student to get involved in your ministry.
Steve Masters, Transitions Contract Worker
Posts
