While we're coming into year 2 post-pandemic our goal is to move our students a little futher into discipleship. 10/10 say they want to "grow" in structured growth and organic growth. Which means all of them want to have tools to grow but also want a destination by the end of the semester - this will be our Bible Study Projects. But also, they want to personally grow - this will be our built continually through their own personal devotions, prayer, community building, and mentorship (you!)

ACCESS will serve as our primary place to 1) build intentional community (integrate groups, build relationships, etc.) and 2) train our youth to disciple their own youth. The goal is to use ACCESS this year to help them plan to teach on Sundays. So many of the lessons are practical lessons that each youth will then teach their own DG groups on Sunday.

Sunday DGs will be used as both 1) discipleship time (caring, praying, and comforting) and 2) project time. Each youth will be responsible for creating their own bible study project but each DG group will be assigned the same bible verse to study. Ex. Avel's DG group will be studying Romans 1 while Natalie's group will be studying Philippians 2. By the end of December, each youth will turn in their work that they've been building on for the past semester.

The hope is to have these be bible studies that are theologically rich, creative, and contextual to youth today so that we're able to resource these bible studies to our fellow youth groups and translate these into different languages for churches to use around the world.

Dear College Sponsor, you truly have an opportunity to do something bigger than we could ever have imagined. We had a dream of integrating college students who took their discipleship and membership seriously and asked what could happen if it worked. I had asked, "What if our college students would see themselves as still a part of the church but used their time in college not only to grow themselves but also to be intentional in intergenerational discipleship? What if they could be an advocate for students and student ministry while learning and growing on their respective campuses? What would happen if our students were connected to a local church (their local church) while at college and continued to see that connection as primary and their college campus ministries as secondary?" This was something that not a lot of churches were asking. But the more I think about it, the more I go, "why not? why haven't churches and college students thought like this?"

So here's my plea for you:

1. Grow grow grow: Do whatever you can to intentionally grow deeper in the Gospel while you're at college. Don't waste your opportunity to be around other Christians that are more and less mature than you to learn from and help disciple while you're on campus. Immerse yourself in bible studies, different modes of prayer, and become challenged to sharpen your weaknesses. Find mentors and peers who truly love the Lord and will not tolerate sin because they are serious as you to grow in the Gospel. Grow because it is difficult to lead and to mentor students when you don't have anything to give.
2. Pray pray pray: Spend time praying for the youth at CBC. Use the google doc to pray for the students by name. Pray for their salvation. Pray for their desire to grow. Pray for their relationship with their parents. Pray for their struggle with sexual sins. Pray for their anxiety, loneliness, and anger. Pray for their friend groups and their mission field. And then find others on campus, whether it's your small group or roommates and invite them to pray WITH you for the youth. They may not know who they are and that's ok because they know that you love them and that you care for them. And you're inviting them to join you to pray for these youth.
3. Disciple from afar: Here's where I think you can have an outsized influence college students. Work with your DG leader and find out a way to cover your group during the week/month. Obviously i'm not asking you to follow up with all the students during the week but I am asking you to try to meet up and/or chat with at least 1 student per week. That may be a FaceTime or Zoom call but something where you check in and the very least, pray with that student. You can go so far as to share what God has been teaching you at that moment or how the student can be praying for YOU. We're just trying to make sure we cover our students throughout the semester and how awesome would it be for a student to hear from their college brothers and sisters. You can go above and beyond and send them notes, cards, cookies, or prayers. You and your roommates can tag them on social and just let them know that you care.
4. Engage when you're here. When you're back or when you see students in person, be sure to engage with them personally. Intentionally spend time asking them how they're doing and if you can, continue to build those relationships. I invite you to join every single event that we're doing this semester.

Lastly, as college sponsors, I want you to know that we as a leadership team support you as well. You're not just here to serve but we want to serve you as well. We want to know how we can help you do ministry better on campus. We want to know how we can pray for you in times of joy and sorrow. We want to know what resources you may need at any time in your life. You are us (though you may be far) but you are a part of this team and family.