Reaching Out to Freshmen

Reaching out to incoming Freshmen is one of the most important things we can do as a church or campus based collegiate ministry. Most colleges and universities do not provide the names of Baptist preference students so we are dependant on securing names of incoming students ourselves.

Here are some suggestions for ways you can secure the names and contact info of incoming freshmen.

1. FRESHMEN ORIENTATION - At each university, all colleges and universities have recruting offices. This is an important office to relate to. They will usually sponsor orientations for new students. Some campuses have tight regulations on religious group involvement in their orientation. At LSU we cannot have an individual table at an orientation. We have to be a part of one table that represents all the religious organizations at LSU. Find out the policies of your college or university.
2. CONTACTING YOUR LOCAL CHURCHES - To find out the names of graduates coming to your college. If the church prepares a picture report for a High School seniors recognition service, we get a copy and cut out the pictures and attach them to the info card of the student to help us get to know them better. You can also secure a picture and profile of the student from Facebook.
3. CURRENT STUDENTS - We ask our current students to provide us with names of incoming freshmen.
4. STATE YOUTH MEETINGS - In Louisiana, we secure the names and contact information of all juniors and seniors in high school that attend the State Youth Evangelism Conference. I'd encourage you to do the same and attempt to secure names at all local and state youth events.
5. LOCAL CHURCH CONCERTS - Last year we secured over forty names of High School Seniors at a Big Daddy Weave concert at one of our local churches. We secured names at the Passion event held on our campus.
6. SPECIAL EVENTS ON CAMPUS - LSU chooses one football game each fall and invites High School Juniors and Seniors in that are interested in attending LSU. We have a table set up during that day and secure names and make contacts.
7. CENTRIFUGE/WORLD CHANGERS - They continue to provide us with names of juniors and seniors in high school that either will or are interested in attending our college or university. These are provided to collegiate ministries through the state offices.
8. ACT LIST - You can purchase a list of students interested in attending your college or university from the ACT office.
9. RELIGIOUS PREFERENCE INFO - At LSU we receive the names of all freshmen that indicated they are Baptist on their Admission Form. If you don't receive this info then ask for it. It might be available. If the religious background question isnt on the Admission Form and you'd like it to be then request that it be done. Use LSU and other colleges that still secure this info as an example that it can still be done without violating seperation of church and state.

We secure the names of juniors and seniors at all times so we can establish a relationship with the students during their senior year. Once you have secured a name then its important that you contact the students. We attempt to call each student personally. We have attached a guide to contacting freshman (LSU BCM Freshmen Telephone Guide). It has evolved and will continue to do so. We have tried to design it where a BCM staff member, a BCM leader or another incoming freshmen could use it. We add all names into an email merge and email the students regularly. We mail all of them a newsletter and a Survival Brochure. They'll receive from 7 to 10 contacts from us before they begin the fall semester. One of our goals for these new students is that they be contacted at least once by a local church. We provide names to our local churches to do so. We've attached A Church Contact Guide we use to help them with making the contact. We include information about these local churches in our emails and newsletters. We also include the churches in all of our outreach efforts to the new students when the fall semester begins. Hope this has been helpful information for you.

Steve Masters, BCM Director, LSU

Coaching…Recruiting

By: Steve Masters, Transitions Ministry Specialist

There are many similarities between a football coach of a collegiate athletic team and a collegiate minister. During his season the coach is involved in the various responsibilities which include planning and coordinating practices, developing game strategies, motivating the team academically, etc… In the midst of all of this the coach is recruiting for next year!

You can be assured most if not all college and university coaches are involved in attending high school games on Thursday and Friday nights to scout for future players. One of your coaches is your designated recruiting coordinator. This coach has an extensive system and lists of players, coaches, alumni, to help them with recruiting for next year and beyond. The entire athletic department works together to host recruits as they visit the university to help make a choice of where they will attend college.

As collegiate ministers I think we can learn some important principles from this football recruiting process. These include:

Relationships – Jeff Schadt of the Youth Transitions Network shares new freshmen go through a “culture shock” experience as they begin college. They are overwhelmed by new classes, career choices, new friendships, being on their own, etc… There are many groups competing for their time. We have a much better chance of involving these students in our ministry if we have established a relationship with them weeks and months and even years before they arrive on campus.

Recruiting Strategy – An important part of being successful in recruiting is having a recruiting strategy. For collegiate ministers this involves having plans, strategies and goals related to reaching new students. This also involves keeping accurate records of contacts with students, their interest level, etc…

Networking – A good college coach develops relationships with high school coaches, principals, alumni, etc… Shouldn’t we do the same with youth ministers, parents, youth camp and conference directors, etc.? One of our great Transition ministry needs is have more youth ministers letting us know what high school seniors are coming our way. Having a good relationship with youth ministers will help us do so.


Recruiting Team– Each college or university football team has a team of individuals who serve as a recruiting team. They scout, develop relationships, run reference, etc… on new players. I suggest we do the same. I would suggest having a team of current college students who have the responsibility to develop ministries to, with and for new students at the college or university during the next school year. At our BCM we call this our Transitions Team. While we are involved in ministry with our Fall of 07 freshmen class we are already developing relationships with our fall of 08 class and are involved in ministries with them.

University Support and Involment – As players are recruited for the upcoming fall they begin relationships with the admissions office, the financial aid office, the housing office, etc… Each of these offices partners with the football office to make the transitions into college as smooth as possible for the athlete. The campus ministry organization and the church should model this approach. As our campus organization determines a high school senior is going to attend their college it is important they have their local churches make contact with the student. As a church finds out the information it’s important they help the campus minister make contact with the student. Having multiple contacts will help us reach the student. It will also help the student to see the partnership in ministry of the local church and the campus ministry.