These days we alternate between two extremes. We assume all will be normal this fall and the other extreme of no school until October. But, we do know for sure that there will not be the opportunities for normal incoming freshmen connections this summer.
Here are four ideas to play with and see if one or more might benefit your ministry OR cause you to think of something totally different. The first comes from Clayton Bullion at Tarleton State in Texas and the second is my adaptation of an idea from Steve Masters at LSU.
1. HASHTAG MANIA
Clayton Bullion has shared that his ministry gets no religious preference list from the university and are given no access to Summer New Student Orientations. So, they have been quite creative. They use the hashtags that the school is using in their new student posts and ones that students are using such as #Senior2020, etc. They hashtag their information and connect with those students that respond or like things they post. Then, one of their students will follow-up with a personal connection. One good reminder that Clayton gives to those of us who do not look twenty years old. In your social media have your picture in school gear and pictures of you with students. Avoid the appearance of CREEPY!
2. ZOOM WITH FRESHMEN GROUPS
Steve Masters at LSU did a Zoom meet up the other night with a group of incoming LSU freshmen. I think that has all kinds of possibilities. Many high school seniors have already completed their on line high school classes and are looking for connections. Call a youth minister and ask him or her to set you up with some of their seniors coming to your school. If they can tell you just one, invite that student to do a Zoom call and do they have other friends they might invite. Ask them questions, what are their fears and questions? Give them "5 Tips for College Success"; "4 Dumbest Mistakes Freshmen Make at _____________University", etc. Do a virtual tour of some campus spots.
Would it be possible to do multiple of these Zoom meet-ups and point toward a larger event a few weeks away? In the larger one upperclassmen would be sharing different strategies for school success and growing in the Lord? Or, do one Zoom "Tip Seminar" each week for incoming freshmen. Play with this idea.
3. FACEBOOK LIVE FOR PARENTS
Parents are more concerned than they have ever been for their sons and daughters going off to college this fall. Most parents are on Facebook. Do a 10 minute talk for parents on Facebook Live on things to know and ways for students to succeed in college. Make it more than just a commercial for your ministry. Encourage them to share it with other parents. The more helpful information you share, the more it will get passed around.
4. FRESHMEN SURVIVAL BY ZOOM
Many ministries use some variation of Freshmen Survival at the start of school that contains a variety of college success tips, making friend connections, and spiritual growth tips. Could your ministry do one on Zoom in August prior to the start of school? Zoom will even allow you to break up into different groups.....these can be the different breakout groups. Or, do a "One Hour College Survival Zoom" with five or six of your upperclassmen sharing five minute tips on "Being a Good Student at Siwash University"; "Roommate Tips"; "Dating Tips"; "How to Have a Quiet Time". Do a quick virtual tour of your Center, if you have one. Show some key spots on campus. Play with this idea.
Send me your ideas. I love the way everyone is being creative and thinking new thoughts. But, we all don't have to individually invent the wheel. Keep sharing and learning from each other.
Arliss Dickerson is a college ministry/leadership consultant and the author of five college ministry books available in eBook and print at amazon.com (type in Arliss Dickerson). His new book, "ALMOST Everything About College Ministry" will be available in early summer.
We don't get any lists like these and are not invited to orientations. For years what one of my friends with IVF has done is have student leaders who have access to incoming class pages/groups post a clearly Christian post or church post for incoming freshman. Then all the students who like it, they private message to see if they are interested in a ride to church or coming to a non-threatening social on/near campus once school starts up.
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