It’s the start of a new term for many, in fact it’s in effect a new year if you are at school, college or university or parents if children who are (not forgetting teachers, tutors and lecturers).
A dominant theme in Christian media and in social media tends to be around helping students to settle into university life and find the right church. For a lot of churches that means attempting to persuade students via social media campaigns, offers of meals and even writing directly to smaller churches away from university areas, that they are the right church for them.
At its worst, this can give off vibes iglf a very unholy market place with churches competing with one another to be seen as the best offer when it comes to teaching, worship, pastoral care or food and hospitality. There can also be the risk that both churches looking for new students to join them and those sending 18 year olds on their way can feed into a consumer culture
At its best, we hope to see students coming to faith or growing in their faith whilst away. So I don’t begrudge there being a level of focus on them.
i only ask that we don’t forget that there are many people not affected in the same way by the beginning of the student year. It doesn’t mean they are unaffected at all by the change in season.
First, as we as students moving off to university, you find that this is the time of year when people are moving jobs, especially recent graduates. Do we put the same focus in helping them settle into new life, new communities and potentially new churches? Can we encourage them to be mission minded when choosing where to live and where to worship. I personally would love to see people considering how a job move might enable them to join an inner city or estate church, to be part of a church plant or revitalisation.
Secondly, don’t forget that there will be many young people who will not be moving home and church. This will include high numbers who continue into higher education whilst staying at home and going to a local university or college. There will also be young people moving into further training, apprenticeships and first jobs.
The concern here is that they will feel as though they are left behind when friends move away. Also if focus is on helping students who move to find churches (often with those churches seeking to invest by offering chances to serve, training etc) and if the home church is focused on praying and staying in touch with those who have moved, making a fuss when they come home for visits, then the risk is that those at home feel like they are second class, an afterthought, or completely forgotten.
Again, it is no bad thing to see concern for students moving city. However, can we find ways to ensure that those who stay are encouraged. This can be an opportunity for them too. How will local churches invest in and equip them?
Faithroots 