The Student Mission Awards are coming in February 2018. What stories of mission have you got to share with the world? Could the freshers’ award be yours?
Benjamin Franklin wrote that there were only two certain things in life: death and taxes. Well in the world of student mission, there is a third certainty – freshers’ week.
Every year hordes of young students, complete bundles of excitement and nerves, descend upon towns and cities across the UK and throw themselves into these strange social phenomena of awkward nights out, new accents and people and the inevitable freshers’ flu.
For the church, freshers’ week is not just about how many Christians students we can invite along to our Sundays, but it is about welcoming all students to their new homes and inviting them to try church amidst the chaos of freshers’ week. This award is for the pioneers who have done exactly that.
Mission in freshers’ week can take on a variety of forms; from club mission to giving out donuts outside monotonous fire safety talks or partnering with your SU to support their big events and establishing a presence as church on campus right at the start of the year.
Get thinking now! What innovative and inclusive ways can you reach out to all students who will be moving to your town or city for freshers’ this year coming? What stories do you already have of reaching freshers’ last time around?
Whatever mission you’ve done in freshers’, we want to hear about it! We want to celebrate your bravery in stepping out of your comfort zone and jumping straight into the fluey, homesick chaos of freshers’ week.
