about a year and a half ago, i started getting involved in the college ministry at church. it has definitely been a challenge to figure out ways to get the students plugged in at church. we've done free lunch after church, lunchtime on campus with some members, small dinner groups with members, worship and theology night, among other things. i think each one has had it's success, but it's not quite what i had envisioned.
a huge challenge that we face in our church is "competing" for the students time and involvement. many students are involved in cru or iv, and they're not just involved, they are leaders. this means, their time is taken up by Bible study, discipleship meetings, large group meetings, and leaders meetings. take that plus being a student, it leads for very little extra time to do anything else.
i, personally, think cru and iv is great for helping students grow, challenging them to think about missions, connecting them with other students, outreach, evangelism, and discipleship. but there comes a point where i think it's necessary and important to teach the students the importance of church and fellowship. God has been putting this issue on my heart, and i've been struggling to find ways to effectively do this. i feel the students are so engrossed in the college ministries that it is hard to pry them away from this "college Christian bubble" that has formed from cru and iv. the danger i see is that when they graduate, they will soon find out that the were truly in a bubble and potentially flounder in finding a church and getting involved in fellowship. and by getting involved, i mean more than just attending church on sunday. i floundered after i graduated, and it wasn't until i got married and spoke more with nat that i realized how much i lacked Christian community.
i feel that this transition from being heavily pursued in college via Christian ministries to "being on your own" is a place where many students fall away from the church and their faith. so, i've had this sense of urgency to pursue the college students in our church. i've sent out an e-mail trying to prepare them for the difficulties of this transition and encouraging them to participate in fellowship within our church so that they can in a sense "practice" before they leave. i know that not all will see the urgency that i have for them, but i have been encouraged by a few students who have sought out fellowship.
i pray that the Lord would continue to give me wisdom of how to encourage these students and love them and that they would be able to find a good solid church and community after they graduate.
