Happy New Year! You can’t post a blog at the beginning of January and not somehow mention the new year, resolutions, starting, re-starting, or something of the sort, right? How about three potential NEW ministry emphases for the new year?
If you work with college students or young adults, January is always a great opportunity to re-visit your ministry strategy. If you are looking for some ideas to breathe new life into your ministry to young adults, here are a few ideas to consider:
1. NEW Missions Emphasis
Perhaps nothing pulls young adults together better than a clear articulation of a great need. Have you heard about the Forgotten 50? This is a list of the 50 most unreached college campuses in North America and could be one option for how you might start a new missions emphasis with your group. It factors in the number of students on campus compared to the number of evangelical churches in the area, and NONE of the campuses on the list have a Christian club meeting on the campus. Maybe 2019 is the year to start praying for one of these campuses and see how God might lead your group to impact the lost in a new place.
2. NEW Evangelism Emphasis
Maybe you are wanting to be more intentional about impacting the lost in your own city. Want to encourage the young adults in your group to be more intentional about sharing Christ with other students, co-workers, family members, and the others God brings into their circles of influence? Check out Gospel Appointments for ideas that might help you and the young adults you minister to intentionally share Christ with those around them.
3. NEW Discipleship Emphasis
Could it be time to revisit your approach and rhythm to Bible study? 2019 could be a great time to launch a new Bible study environment. Maybe that means starting a Bible study in a dorm on campus or in a lunch spot near where lots of young adults work. There is no shortage of Bible study options for you to choose from, but one exciting new resource that would be great for young adults is Imago Dei which releases in February!
If you have some other ideas for NEW emphases you are going to try this year, go ahead and add them to the comments below. Those of us in the Lifeway Young Adults community would love to hear your ideas and cheer you along! Let’s anticipate together all that God will do in the lives of college students and young adults as we seek to obediently follow Him with both our current ministry strategies and our NEW ideas in 2019!
Bill Noe is the Collegiate Ministry Specialist at Lifeway Christian Resources. A former campus minister (and current collegiate ministry volunteer at church), Bill loves being a part of seeing college students grow in their walk with the Lord. Connect with Bill on Twitter.
Photo Credit: Annie Spratt on Unsplash