Rubbish, it’s June.
However, do not write off the young people of this year. There IS still time to help those one or two students who are leaving you this year head off well. Here are four easy things you still have time for, to help your young people head into university life well...
Prepare them
Take them for a pint/coffee and discuss what they’re excited about and what they’re nervous about. Pray with them for this next season.
- Bare necessities: If you can’t meet up with them, buy them a School Leaver Pack so they can do the bible studies and read the A-Z of starting uni to help prepare themselves.
- Step it up: Spend a day going through the prep for uni sessions in the Trainer Pack in early September. You could invite other school leavers from local churches to join you as well.
Connect them
73% of Christian students don’t connect with a church at university. Connect your young people with churches near their uni through Student Linkup.
- Bare necessities: Facebook/email them the link to www.fusion.uk.com/studentlinkup
- Step it up: Order linkup cards for them to fill out and then look at the Fusion website with them and help them shortlist some churches they’re keen to try out. (If they’re really nervous why not call up one of the student workers and arrange for someone to meet them when they first arrive).
Commission them
This is a significant life moment. Commission these young people as you would leaving missionaries - let them know that you're proud of them, that this moment matters and send them with your blessing.
- Bare necessities: Pray for those leaving to go to university in a church service in early September.
- Step it up: Show The Start, pray for those leaving and pair up members of the church community who will pray faithfully for those individuals who are going away.
Keep in touch
Text/email your young people at the end of freshers week and then again before they come home with an encouragement and to remind them you’re praying for them.
- Bare necessities: Send an email to your new students at the end of freshers week encouraging them. Do the same a week before they come home saying you’re looking forward to seeing them at church over Christmas.
- Step it up: Pair up your students with people who are praying for them and encourage those individuals to send little packages of chocolate, texts and ‘looking forward to hearing how it has gone' messages throughout the term. Make sure each student is accountable with someone from the church for the first few weeks until they find a new church family to do that with at uni.
These also work in an adapted format for young people going from school/college into the workplace!
After walking with these young people for the last few years, lets do what we can to see them step confidently into the next life stage. God bless you as you support and encourage them and as you do, may the God of all hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom 15:13)
