How to Start a College Ministry at Your Church
Many young college students also have the time and capacity to meet with others, to seek mentorship, and to spend time in activities like volunteering, worship, ministry, and prayer. In other words, college can be a perfect time to learn more about God.
There’s no other season in a young person’s life quite like college years.
If a young adult attends a four-year university–and has the luxury of taking time off of work to study–then college can provide a unique opportunity to ask some of life’s more important questions: Why am I here? What’s my purpose in life? Is there a “right” and a “wrong”? Do I believe in God, and if so, what do I believe about Him?
Not only that, but many young college students also have the time and capacity to meet with others, to seek mentorship, and to spend time in activities like volunteering, worship, ministry, and prayer. Not yet faced with the regular stresses of life, they may have plenty of capacity to devote time and energy to their faith.
In other words, college can be a perfect time to learn more about God.
That being said, churches have a wonderful opportunity to reach college students. If your church is in a college town or is within 10-15 miles of a university campus, then you may just have “low hanging fruit” that you’ve never thought of before: potentially thousands of young people who are seeking truth.
In the following article, we’ll talk about how to start a college ministry at your church.
What is a College Ministry?
A college ministry is designed to meet the spiritual and social needs of college students. Most college ministries have a leader or college pastor, several student leaders, and a structure for regular meeting times.
Benefits of a College Ministry
An effective college ministry can be a wonderful source of blessing to your church.
Why?
Because college students:
- Bring a fresh infusion of faith and energy to a church community
- Often have time and capacity to serve in volunteer or internship positions
- Are open and willing to learn and grow
Other benefits of a college ministry include growing a multigenerational community, offering a much-needed bridge between youth and adults, and creating a pool of mentors for high school and junior high students.
Challenges to Running a College Ministry
There are also significant challenges to running a college ministry at your church.
First, college students tend to be seasonal. If your church consists of 30% college students, then your congregation may shrink by 30% every summer and winter break.
Next, college students are often financially strapped and don’t have many resources to give. That being said, it’s critical to teach young adults to give what they can…even if that’s only a few dollars a month!
Third, college students may be exposed to deconstruction of Scripture–potentially through their university classes. That makes it even more important to teach the Truth.
All that being said, college ministries can still bring new life and growth to a church. In the next section, we’ll talk about the practical steps to starting a college ministry at your church.
4 Steps to Starting a College Ministry
Here are 4 practical steps to starting a college ministry at your church.
- Hire a college pastor. The first step to starting a ministry is to find a leader who is passionate about college students! This might be a paid staff member, intern, or volunteer. In any case, this person should have experience working with college students, exhibit strong character, and show leadership abilities.
- Appoint student leaders. You need more than one leader to see a ministry thrive. You need several college students who are excited about seeing God move on their campus. These should be young men and women who are committed to their faith and committed to regularly meeting with each other and with other students.
- Start a Bible study (or several studies). Small groups are one of the best ways to disciple young college students into a walk with Jesus. Decide on a location, day of the week, and time, and gather leaders who can organize and facilitate Bible studies for students.
- Start a college worship service. Give students an alternative to partying with friends, and host a weekly worship service where they can worship, fellowship, and hear the Word of God. Again, you’ll need a location and time, as well as a committed set of leaders who can organize worship and teach.
How to Reach College Students
Okay, so you’ve started a college ministry. Now how do reach students on a specific college campus?
Social Media
Many college students spend a significant amount of time on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. That being said, it’s super important to have a strong social media presence that showcases who you are and how they can get involved! Appointing a student leader to handle your social media accounts is the best way to ensure that your social media posts are consistent and relevant.
On-Campus Ministries
More than likely, the college you are trying to reach already has some on-campus ministries. Reach out to ministries like InterVarsity and Campus Crusade to offer your partnership in reaching students.
Sports and Clubs
Honing in on specific sports teams and clubs can be a great way to reach college students. Finding strong leaders who participate in those activities is clutch to gaining influence on teams. You can also organize opportunities for intramural sports at your church.
Tithely Wants to Partner with You
Tithely is an online technology platform that can help you start a college ministry in the following ways:
- Build a church app. College students are more tech-savvy than almost any other generation. Tithely can help you build an awesome, affordable church app that will help you engage young students and give them a way to connect.
- Build a better website. Young people are likely to visit your website, and if it looks outdated, they’ll quickly abandon it! Tithely can help you create an awesome website and online presence that gives college students everything they need to visit your church and learn more about your mission and values.
- Post great content. Looking for free graphics to post on your social media accounts? Tithely Media is a free resource packed with thousands of church graphics that you can post on your social channels, website, and more.
Finally, the team at Tithely has sat down with several successful college ministry leaders on Modern Church Leader. Here are a few of our favorite episodes:
- How to Start a Successful College Ministry
- Inside a Successful College Ministry w/ Shelby Holloway
- Using Tech to Reach College Students
Enjoy!
Sign Up for Product Updates
Tithely provides the tools you need to engage with your church online, stay connected, increase generosity, and simplify the lives of your staff.
With tools like text and email messaging, custom church apps and websites, church management software, digital giving, and so much more… it’s no wonder why over 37,000 churches in 50 countries trust Tithely to help run their church.
There’s no other season in a young person’s life quite like college years.
If a young adult attends a four-year university–and has the luxury of taking time off of work to study–then college can provide a unique opportunity to ask some of life’s more important questions: Why am I here? What’s my purpose in life? Is there a “right” and a “wrong”? Do I believe in God, and if so, what do I believe about Him?
Not only that, but many young college students also have the time and capacity to meet with others, to seek mentorship, and to spend time in activities like volunteering, worship, ministry, and prayer. Not yet faced with the regular stresses of life, they may have plenty of capacity to devote time and energy to their faith.
In other words, college can be a perfect time to learn more about God.
That being said, churches have a wonderful opportunity to reach college students. If your church is in a college town or is within 10-15 miles of a university campus, then you may just have “low hanging fruit” that you’ve never thought of before: potentially thousands of young people who are seeking truth.
In the following article, we’ll talk about how to start a college ministry at your church.
What is a College Ministry?
A college ministry is designed to meet the spiritual and social needs of college students. Most college ministries have a leader or college pastor, several student leaders, and a structure for regular meeting times.
Benefits of a College Ministry
An effective college ministry can be a wonderful source of blessing to your church.
Why?
Because college students:
- Bring a fresh infusion of faith and energy to a church community
- Often have time and capacity to serve in volunteer or internship positions
- Are open and willing to learn and grow
Other benefits of a college ministry include growing a multigenerational community, offering a much-needed bridge between youth and adults, and creating a pool of mentors for high school and junior high students.
Challenges to Running a College Ministry
There are also significant challenges to running a college ministry at your church.
First, college students tend to be seasonal. If your church consists of 30% college students, then your congregation may shrink by 30% every summer and winter break.
Next, college students are often financially strapped and don’t have many resources to give. That being said, it’s critical to teach young adults to give what they can…even if that’s only a few dollars a month!
Third, college students may be exposed to deconstruction of Scripture–potentially through their university classes. That makes it even more important to teach the Truth.
All that being said, college ministries can still bring new life and growth to a church. In the next section, we’ll talk about the practical steps to starting a college ministry at your church.
4 Steps to Starting a College Ministry
Here are 4 practical steps to starting a college ministry at your church.
- Hire a college pastor. The first step to starting a ministry is to find a leader who is passionate about college students! This might be a paid staff member, intern, or volunteer. In any case, this person should have experience working with college students, exhibit strong character, and show leadership abilities.
- Appoint student leaders. You need more than one leader to see a ministry thrive. You need several college students who are excited about seeing God move on their campus. These should be young men and women who are committed to their faith and committed to regularly meeting with each other and with other students.
- Start a Bible study (or several studies). Small groups are one of the best ways to disciple young college students into a walk with Jesus. Decide on a location, day of the week, and time, and gather leaders who can organize and facilitate Bible studies for students.
- Start a college worship service. Give students an alternative to partying with friends, and host a weekly worship service where they can worship, fellowship, and hear the Word of God. Again, you’ll need a location and time, as well as a committed set of leaders who can organize worship and teach.
How to Reach College Students
Okay, so you’ve started a college ministry. Now how do reach students on a specific college campus?
Social Media
Many college students spend a significant amount of time on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. That being said, it’s super important to have a strong social media presence that showcases who you are and how they can get involved! Appointing a student leader to handle your social media accounts is the best way to ensure that your social media posts are consistent and relevant.
On-Campus Ministries
More than likely, the college you are trying to reach already has some on-campus ministries. Reach out to ministries like InterVarsity and Campus Crusade to offer your partnership in reaching students.
Sports and Clubs
Honing in on specific sports teams and clubs can be a great way to reach college students. Finding strong leaders who participate in those activities is clutch to gaining influence on teams. You can also organize opportunities for intramural sports at your church.
Tithely Wants to Partner with You
Tithely is an online technology platform that can help you start a college ministry in the following ways:
- Build a church app. College students are more tech-savvy than almost any other generation. Tithely can help you build an awesome, affordable church app that will help you engage young students and give them a way to connect.
- Build a better website. Young people are likely to visit your website, and if it looks outdated, they’ll quickly abandon it! Tithely can help you create an awesome website and online presence that gives college students everything they need to visit your church and learn more about your mission and values.
- Post great content. Looking for free graphics to post on your social media accounts? Tithely Media is a free resource packed with thousands of church graphics that you can post on your social channels, website, and more.
Finally, the team at Tithely has sat down with several successful college ministry leaders on Modern Church Leader. Here are a few of our favorite episodes:
- How to Start a Successful College Ministry
- Inside a Successful College Ministry w/ Shelby Holloway
- Using Tech to Reach College Students
Enjoy!
podcast transcript
Tithely provides the tools you need to engage with your church online, stay connected, increase generosity, and simplify the lives of your staff.
With tools like text and email messaging, custom church apps and websites, church management software, digital giving, and so much more… it’s no wonder why over 37,000 churches in 50 countries trust Tithely to help run their church.
There’s no other season in a young person’s life quite like college years.
If a young adult attends a four-year university–and has the luxury of taking time off of work to study–then college can provide a unique opportunity to ask some of life’s more important questions: Why am I here? What’s my purpose in life? Is there a “right” and a “wrong”? Do I believe in God, and if so, what do I believe about Him?
Not only that, but many young college students also have the time and capacity to meet with others, to seek mentorship, and to spend time in activities like volunteering, worship, ministry, and prayer. Not yet faced with the regular stresses of life, they may have plenty of capacity to devote time and energy to their faith.
In other words, college can be a perfect time to learn more about God.
That being said, churches have a wonderful opportunity to reach college students. If your church is in a college town or is within 10-15 miles of a university campus, then you may just have “low hanging fruit” that you’ve never thought of before: potentially thousands of young people who are seeking truth.
In the following article, we’ll talk about how to start a college ministry at your church.
What is a College Ministry?
A college ministry is designed to meet the spiritual and social needs of college students. Most college ministries have a leader or college pastor, several student leaders, and a structure for regular meeting times.
Benefits of a College Ministry
An effective college ministry can be a wonderful source of blessing to your church.
Why?
Because college students:
- Bring a fresh infusion of faith and energy to a church community
- Often have time and capacity to serve in volunteer or internship positions
- Are open and willing to learn and grow
Other benefits of a college ministry include growing a multigenerational community, offering a much-needed bridge between youth and adults, and creating a pool of mentors for high school and junior high students.
Challenges to Running a College Ministry
There are also significant challenges to running a college ministry at your church.
First, college students tend to be seasonal. If your church consists of 30% college students, then your congregation may shrink by 30% every summer and winter break.
Next, college students are often financially strapped and don’t have many resources to give. That being said, it’s critical to teach young adults to give what they can…even if that’s only a few dollars a month!
Third, college students may be exposed to deconstruction of Scripture–potentially through their university classes. That makes it even more important to teach the Truth.
All that being said, college ministries can still bring new life and growth to a church. In the next section, we’ll talk about the practical steps to starting a college ministry at your church.
4 Steps to Starting a College Ministry
Here are 4 practical steps to starting a college ministry at your church.
- Hire a college pastor. The first step to starting a ministry is to find a leader who is passionate about college students! This might be a paid staff member, intern, or volunteer. In any case, this person should have experience working with college students, exhibit strong character, and show leadership abilities.
- Appoint student leaders. You need more than one leader to see a ministry thrive. You need several college students who are excited about seeing God move on their campus. These should be young men and women who are committed to their faith and committed to regularly meeting with each other and with other students.
- Start a Bible study (or several studies). Small groups are one of the best ways to disciple young college students into a walk with Jesus. Decide on a location, day of the week, and time, and gather leaders who can organize and facilitate Bible studies for students.
- Start a college worship service. Give students an alternative to partying with friends, and host a weekly worship service where they can worship, fellowship, and hear the Word of God. Again, you’ll need a location and time, as well as a committed set of leaders who can organize worship and teach.
How to Reach College Students
Okay, so you’ve started a college ministry. Now how do reach students on a specific college campus?
Social Media
Many college students spend a significant amount of time on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. That being said, it’s super important to have a strong social media presence that showcases who you are and how they can get involved! Appointing a student leader to handle your social media accounts is the best way to ensure that your social media posts are consistent and relevant.
On-Campus Ministries
More than likely, the college you are trying to reach already has some on-campus ministries. Reach out to ministries like InterVarsity and Campus Crusade to offer your partnership in reaching students.
Sports and Clubs
Honing in on specific sports teams and clubs can be a great way to reach college students. Finding strong leaders who participate in those activities is clutch to gaining influence on teams. You can also organize opportunities for intramural sports at your church.
Tithely Wants to Partner with You
Tithely is an online technology platform that can help you start a college ministry in the following ways:
- Build a church app. College students are more tech-savvy than almost any other generation. Tithely can help you build an awesome, affordable church app that will help you engage young students and give them a way to connect.
- Build a better website. Young people are likely to visit your website, and if it looks outdated, they’ll quickly abandon it! Tithely can help you create an awesome website and online presence that gives college students everything they need to visit your church and learn more about your mission and values.
- Post great content. Looking for free graphics to post on your social media accounts? Tithely Media is a free resource packed with thousands of church graphics that you can post on your social channels, website, and more.
Finally, the team at Tithely has sat down with several successful college ministry leaders on Modern Church Leader. Here are a few of our favorite episodes:
- How to Start a Successful College Ministry
- Inside a Successful College Ministry w/ Shelby Holloway
- Using Tech to Reach College Students
Enjoy!
VIDEO transcript
There’s no other season in a young person’s life quite like college years.
If a young adult attends a four-year university–and has the luxury of taking time off of work to study–then college can provide a unique opportunity to ask some of life’s more important questions: Why am I here? What’s my purpose in life? Is there a “right” and a “wrong”? Do I believe in God, and if so, what do I believe about Him?
Not only that, but many young college students also have the time and capacity to meet with others, to seek mentorship, and to spend time in activities like volunteering, worship, ministry, and prayer. Not yet faced with the regular stresses of life, they may have plenty of capacity to devote time and energy to their faith.
In other words, college can be a perfect time to learn more about God.
That being said, churches have a wonderful opportunity to reach college students. If your church is in a college town or is within 10-15 miles of a university campus, then you may just have “low hanging fruit” that you’ve never thought of before: potentially thousands of young people who are seeking truth.
In the following article, we’ll talk about how to start a college ministry at your church.
What is a College Ministry?
A college ministry is designed to meet the spiritual and social needs of college students. Most college ministries have a leader or college pastor, several student leaders, and a structure for regular meeting times.
Benefits of a College Ministry
An effective college ministry can be a wonderful source of blessing to your church.
Why?
Because college students:
- Bring a fresh infusion of faith and energy to a church community
- Often have time and capacity to serve in volunteer or internship positions
- Are open and willing to learn and grow
Other benefits of a college ministry include growing a multigenerational community, offering a much-needed bridge between youth and adults, and creating a pool of mentors for high school and junior high students.
Challenges to Running a College Ministry
There are also significant challenges to running a college ministry at your church.
First, college students tend to be seasonal. If your church consists of 30% college students, then your congregation may shrink by 30% every summer and winter break.
Next, college students are often financially strapped and don’t have many resources to give. That being said, it’s critical to teach young adults to give what they can…even if that’s only a few dollars a month!
Third, college students may be exposed to deconstruction of Scripture–potentially through their university classes. That makes it even more important to teach the Truth.
All that being said, college ministries can still bring new life and growth to a church. In the next section, we’ll talk about the practical steps to starting a college ministry at your church.
4 Steps to Starting a College Ministry
Here are 4 practical steps to starting a college ministry at your church.
- Hire a college pastor. The first step to starting a ministry is to find a leader who is passionate about college students! This might be a paid staff member, intern, or volunteer. In any case, this person should have experience working with college students, exhibit strong character, and show leadership abilities.
- Appoint student leaders. You need more than one leader to see a ministry thrive. You need several college students who are excited about seeing God move on their campus. These should be young men and women who are committed to their faith and committed to regularly meeting with each other and with other students.
- Start a Bible study (or several studies). Small groups are one of the best ways to disciple young college students into a walk with Jesus. Decide on a location, day of the week, and time, and gather leaders who can organize and facilitate Bible studies for students.
- Start a college worship service. Give students an alternative to partying with friends, and host a weekly worship service where they can worship, fellowship, and hear the Word of God. Again, you’ll need a location and time, as well as a committed set of leaders who can organize worship and teach.
How to Reach College Students
Okay, so you’ve started a college ministry. Now how do reach students on a specific college campus?
Social Media
Many college students spend a significant amount of time on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. That being said, it’s super important to have a strong social media presence that showcases who you are and how they can get involved! Appointing a student leader to handle your social media accounts is the best way to ensure that your social media posts are consistent and relevant.
On-Campus Ministries
More than likely, the college you are trying to reach already has some on-campus ministries. Reach out to ministries like InterVarsity and Campus Crusade to offer your partnership in reaching students.
Sports and Clubs
Honing in on specific sports teams and clubs can be a great way to reach college students. Finding strong leaders who participate in those activities is clutch to gaining influence on teams. You can also organize opportunities for intramural sports at your church.
Tithely Wants to Partner with You
Tithely is an online technology platform that can help you start a college ministry in the following ways:
- Build a church app. College students are more tech-savvy than almost any other generation. Tithely can help you build an awesome, affordable church app that will help you engage young students and give them a way to connect.
- Build a better website. Young people are likely to visit your website, and if it looks outdated, they’ll quickly abandon it! Tithely can help you create an awesome website and online presence that gives college students everything they need to visit your church and learn more about your mission and values.
- Post great content. Looking for free graphics to post on your social media accounts? Tithely Media is a free resource packed with thousands of church graphics that you can post on your social channels, website, and more.
Finally, the team at Tithely has sat down with several successful college ministry leaders on Modern Church Leader. Here are a few of our favorite episodes:
- How to Start a Successful College Ministry
- Inside a Successful College Ministry w/ Shelby Holloway
- Using Tech to Reach College Students
Enjoy!
Sign Up for Product Updates
Tithely provides the tools you need to engage with your church online, stay connected, increase generosity, and simplify the lives of your staff.
With tools like text and email messaging, custom church apps and websites, church management software, digital giving, and so much more… it’s no wonder why over 37,000 churches in 50 countries trust Tithely to help run their church.
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