Over the summer some students will be going home to friends and family who are not Christians. It is very possible that they will be encouraged to sin or simply not devote their time over the summer to growing in their relationship with God. Others will be tempted to sin merely due to the boredom they may experience during break.
How can we as college ministers find ways to reach out to students over the summer by encouraging them and providing accountability so that when they return in the fall they are eager to advance God’s kingdom? With students from your ministry likely spread over several states it’s clear that we can’t minister to everyone over the summer. However, I’m sure there are a few students in your ministry that come to mind who would especially benefit from regular contact over the break. Think of the student who has expressed to you in the past how difficult it is to see friends who they used to drink with in high school. Think about the student who easily gets depressed or the one who has mentioned that their family is not supportive of their decision to follow Christ.
Why not take a couple minutes throughout the summer to reach out to them by calling, emailing, or sending a facebook message? You could get even more personal and send them a letter or a package through the mail. Whatever way you choose to do this make sure to reach out to them at least a couple times. There are times when we could all use some encouragement and summer break can feel very long for some. If you want to do something a little bigger scale you can check out my earlier post for ideas on how to Keep Students Plugged In Over Break.
This post applies whether you’re an advisor or student leader reading this blog. Remember what Benson Hines talked about at Propel – we are all campus ministers. Even though the summer is a great time for us to recharge, encouragement and accountability are things that we are called to year-round as a part of the body of Christ.
Hebrews 3:12-13 (NASB) “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”