A Weekly Freshmen Event

I am a big fan of a weekly freshmen event. It can be a freshmen only Bible study group. Or, it can be a large group event. Here is one model of such an event:

Some years ago, we began to do a Freshmen Night that met weekly on Monday nights. Each session started with a large group gathering where we did a time of worship and did some general announcements. We then split into Freshmen Family Group Bible studies led by an upperclass leader with an assistant leader or host (one being male and one being female). The freshmen usually wind up calling them mom and dad. The Bible studies are super practical and relate to specific freshmen needs. Each Family Group usually has some sort of light refreshments or even pizza now and then. Throughout the semester, they meet for some fun event, such as Freshmen Night at the Fair, etc.

Later on, we transitioned to having a freshmen band that led worship during the opening large group time. This also served to enlist more freshmen and to serve as a developmental process for our worship band that led worship for our everyone worship event on Thursday night. The last year or so, we have done fun, get acquainted and team games during the large group time. This came out of a feeling that students were not getting to know enough people outside their own Family Group.

Could you be reaching more freshmen with a specific Freshmen Night? Or, instead of a weekly event for a whole semester, what about doing one the first 3 or 4 weeks of school with some food, fun games and addressing some specific freshmen needs with spiritual truths?

Freshmen are looking for fun and friends. Freshmen have time availability. The majority of freshmen active in church during their high school senior year have no spiritual connection in college. Many freshmen shipwreck their life during the first few weeks of their freshmen year...your ministry can be a lifeboat that God uses! Students can come to Christ!