Those darn college kids...

by: Stephen Miracle

Situation: Where are all the 20 yr olds?

The question of questions, whoever tells you they have the full proof strategy in reaching this age are merely fooling themselves. In reality, there are innumerable reasons why this age group is straying away from the church, and it can’t be boiled down to being rebellious. One reason for the drop-off is that this is the age where everything is in a constant change for the person. He or she might live in one town, going to college, for 8 months and then go home for 4 months. How in the world can a church have a successful college ministry if the church cannot keep a constant crowd to minister to?

The answer might rest in adapting to the constant change that is in this age group. Do not pull your hair out or become depressed when the age group leaves for summer, Christmas, spring break, or final times. When you have a specific ministry spent for this age get more relaxed at these times. Use summer time as a chance to regroup and evaluate the progress of the previous year. Instead of shoving more teaching down their throats, invest in a sacred space where they can just go, “ahh, now this is nice.” This is especially important during finals week when the college group is already drained to the limit, but can be remembered any of these times. Before doing any planning of your ministry to them, always remember to pick up the schools calendar’s. This way you can avoid conflicting situations that may arise if you plan without looking at the whole picture. In the end keep this ministry fluid, allow change to occur naturally as the dynamics and seasons leave.

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