My week at Spring Harvest was something of an eye opener.
Parents and grandparents alike reacted with fresh eyes when told about the pathway we create to connect young people with local churches and other Christians before they've even left home for uni. Parent after parent looked at us with hungry, grateful eyes and I was reminded again how simple, how brilliant this is.
When you work at something every day you can lose the wonder of its brilliance. I know its blowing a Fusion trumpet but Student Linkup is an amazing idea, and I don't say that just because I love it - I say it because they loved it. And it's catching.
Phone calls, emails, tweets, keep coming in from people who want to make sure their young people connect with churches at uni. We've had over 200 free Linkup cards ordered off the website already and its not even summer yet.
Nearly 500 Students have already linked up, and it's not even summer yet - the word is spreading, the idea is catching. Praise God for that.
This summer Urban Saints and Fusion are trialling a Student Linkup Tour in the North East and Yorkshire. We're partnering with local churches to see them prepare whole towns of Christian young people for uni and introduce them to churches there before they've even left home. We're already chatting about 8 dates - it's catching. If you're in the North East and want to make this happen in early July for your town, city or region let us know (pippa@fusion.uk.com).
Giving young people a chance to prepare for the challenges, dream the possibilities and connect to churches and other Christian freshers before leaving home is vital. It could be the difference between them hitting the ground running for Christ at uni and slipping away, unnoticed, from church, then Jesus, perhaps for the rest of their lives. We need to catch on, we need to crack on, this year.
It's happening in Redcar, Newcastle, Leeds, Durham, York, Hull, Scarborough, Lancaster, Norwich and Liverpool. The Wirral, Lowestoft, Colchester, Stockton and London have been in touch and so many others are picking up Trainer Packs and running with it. Imagine if churches in every area of the UK committed to preparing the young people in their locality well for uni and connecting them to churches there. Imagine the difference that would make. Let's make that happen and happen well together. Let's see it catch.
