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What is your congregation doing to stay in touch with college
students studying away from home? Here are some good ideas:
On-line Newsletter
The folks at Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church in Mount Pleasant,
South Carolina, send a monthly on-line newsletter to students
away at college. The newsletter contains news of the congregation,
brief Scripture passages for study, and church-related humor.
In addition, the Presbyterian Women’s circle corresponds
with the students in a more traditional way, sending cards on
birthdays and other occasions.
Contact Lisa Sumner, Mount Pleasant Presbyterian
Church, in
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, at L.Sumner@mppc.net.
Leading Christmas Worship
College students lead worship service when they are home for
vacation at Pebble Hill Presbyterian Church of DeWitt, New York.
A hot cider get-together is held in the students’ honor
after the 11 P.M. Christmas Eve service. And a brunch is held
for the students sometime during the holidays. “We basically
set aside some time to try and catch up with each other,”
said Pastor Peter Shidemantle.
The congregation also stays in touch when the
students go away to study. Following the September 11 terrorist
attacks, Shidemantle sent a letter to the students, many of
whom attend schools in the New York City area. One student,
who attends Fordham University, saw the twin towers’ collapse.
“We keep a strong sense of family in our congregation,
whether people are at home or away,” the pastor said.
Contact Peter Shidemantle, Pebble Hill Presbyterian
Church DeWitt, New York, at petephpc@twcny.rr.com.
Prayer Ministry, Bible Study
Calvin Presbyterian Church of Louisville, Kentucky,
relies on the Worldwide Web to link its prayer ministry with
students attending college out of town. Students learn on-line
about prayer requests for congregational members back home.
At the same time, they are encouraged to request prayers for
their own concerns. The congregation is also asked to hold one
student in prayer each week.
Calvin is in the process of developing a Web-based Bible study
for its students, said Pastor Paul Detterman. An elder at the
church already teaches a Bible study class for students at Louisville
area colleges and universities.
Contact Paul Detterman, Calvin Presbyterian
Church, Louisville, Kentucky, (502) 896-0303.
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