College students are heading back to classes this month . . . and campus ministry leaders are preparing to support the students and help them make connections in a very different way. Nancy Janisch, director of True North Campus Ministry in Grand Rapids, offers some thoughts about the topic in a recent newsletter.

 

Right now all three schools we serve are planning for a mixture of online and in person classes. All campuses are either prohibiting or strongly discouraging in person meetings for student organizations.

This means, of course, that the ways we connect with students and how students find us will have to change. Hanging posters around campus is not going to be sufficient. Many students will not physically be on campus this semester. But the need to connect, to make friends and to find a supportive faith community will not change. Add to that the challenge of attending college in a pandemic, in an election year, and in the midst of the “Black Lives Matter” social justice movement and our work on campus is even more necessary. 

So students heading to classes at five Michigan universities and nearby community colleges are invited to connect with campus ministries during a Zoom event at 3 p.m. Thursday, August 20. Those leading campus ministries serving Eastern Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, Michigan State University, University of Michigan and Western Michigan University will speak about opportunities for the incoming students to grow and connect in faith . . . and meet some friendly faces before the school year. RSVP to neil@ukirkmsu.org for the Zoom link.