For healthy inreach/outreach of our college ministry, we take a Three-Pronged approach.
1) Local students ministry
2) Distance students care
3) Campus Outreach
Local students and Distance are our homegrown students that graduate from our youth group. Throughout the students’ senior year, we try to make a connection between the students and our current college students. Our goal is to guide them in a smooth faith transition from youth group to college life in church.
For local students who do not go far for college, we want them to get connected to our existing college group. With churches our current size, this is not easy, because the needs of the education ministry leave few students left over to form a separate college gathering on Sundays. So we persevere by ministering additionally to distance students and reaching out to campuses to build up this critical mass.
For distance students who are not able to come to our church on Sundays, our priority is to make sure that they get plugged into a church on campus. This is done through visitations and follow up contact. We also care for them throughout their college years, that if they return to our area after graduation, they will reconnect to our church. Thus, regular visitations are made to campus and we keep in touch with encouragement packages during finals.
For campus outreach, we take a missional approach. We can reach many students and build them up during this important time in life. Also, students’ hearts can open to Jesus after entering college and looking for direction in life. The reality for campus ministry is that the majority of students leave to other areas after graduation. So to engage and thrive in campus ministry, we really have to take a missional stance before God. To reach collegiate and to send them out into the world.