Higher Education Sunday

Will your congregation be saying farewell to students heading off to college this fall while welcoming new and returning students to your community? Timing is everything.  Sometimes, even the simplest little thing can make all the difference in the world, if it happens at the right time.  So in concurrence with Higher Education Sunday, we would like to provde you with these resources, and encourage you to take advantage of this timely opportunity to recognize those students who will be heading off to college in the next couple of weeks, and remind your congregation of the baptismal covenant we make with them as they go, and as we welcome new and returning students into our communities.

There a number of ways you can honor your students who are leaving for college or graduate school and welcome new and returning students to your community of faith.  If you happen to know of a student heading off to a school in Georgia this fall, we have a wonderful new Referral Form on our website that you can use to connect them with one of our existing Campus Ministries.  And if your student is going somewhere out of state, they can also check out pcusacollege.org.

Download any of these Worship Planning Ideas and Resources:

Service for the Lord’s Day and Commissioning Inserts – Higher Education

PCM of Georgia Bulletin Inserts (5.5″ width)

PCM of Georgia Bulletin Inserts (7″ width)

Welcoming Students into a Congregation

New students will start arriving on campus this month. Those students will begin to settle into their dorms or apartments and will start to get adjusted to campus life. We urge congregations close to campuses to issue a special invitation to students to join your fellowship while they are on campus.

Acts of welcome and support for college students might include:

• A breakfast or luncheon some Sunday early in the semester, to which students are sent personal invitations.
• Inclusion of students and staff in the leadership of worship that Sunday.
• Circulation of invitations and opportunity to sign up for an adopt-a-student program, matching students and church member-hosts for the remainder of the year.
• A reception at which the church’s outreach to and mission opportunities for students are presented, and the category of affiliate membership is explained.
• Invitation to be added to the church’s mailing list.
• Help incoming and returning students move-in.  Provide care packages include your church information and offer rides to church activities including worship.