The Holiness of New Student Outreach

August 27, 2024

Inter-Varsity

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It's my favorite time of year: New Student Outreach

I love the first few weeks on campus for many reasons. I love the energy and pure hope you can almost tangibly feel, without the weight of finals and projects, without the pressure of classes and presentations. Students show up with an expectation to meet new people, knowing that their lives are about to change. They are more open to conversations about faith. Students bond together as they face the life-altering experience of going to high school and university.

New student outreach is a spiritual moment

There’s also a sense of holiness during these weeks: the Spirit of God is at work crafting friendships and fellowships that will leave a lasting impact on the campus. Research shows how important these first weeks on campus are: 74% of students that connect with a campus ministry do so within the first few weeks on campus. If a student connects with a campus ministry, they are more likely to keep their faith (Renegotiating Faith, 2018). New student outreach feels like a big deal because it IS a big deal. For many young people, the start of the school year is filled with excitement and nerves: it’s so important to connect them with a loving God and intentional community.

This season of ministry is a massive undertaking for campus ministers. We plan outreach events, prayer gatherings, and campus-wide games months in advance. We prepare our tables for clubs’ day and have endless conversations with awkward and nervous teens. It’s a team effort to make it happen and we could use your help to make these weeks go well.

How can you partner with us in New Student Outreach (NSO)?

Pray. On the outside NSO seems like a lot of logistics and social effort but at its core, it’s a spiritual moment. We need the Spirit to pave the way for us to have fruitful conversations and get students connected to a fellowship. We need God to make rooms and space available on campus for our events, and we need protection from the Evil One that wants to thwart our plans with sickness, distraction, and all kinds of nonsense.

Will you pray with us? There are so many ways to pray for the start of the year and we will send more information on how to pray for high schools and campus ministries soon. We want to invite you to join us in praying for students during our week of prayer for NSO from September 4-11. We are teaming up with 24/7 Prayer Canada and Power to Change to cover each hour in prayer for schools across the nation. Would you be willing to sign up for an hour of prayer for students as they arrive on campus this year?

Advocate. Do you know a student going to high school or university this fall? Please connect them with a high school or campus ministry! A personal connection goes a long way.

See Our Campus Ministries

Give. NSO outreach can be more effective when we have resources available to put on excellent events when we can have a dedicated campus minister on campus. Would you be willing to give towards new student outreach this year? Support our initiatives by clicking on the button below. To support a specific campus minister or campus, use the drop down menu.

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Thank you for your partnership!