Mark Seanor said he never tires of the annual trips to college campuses. It is there Seanor, minister to students at First Baptist Church, Huntsville, said he has a chance to catch up with his students since they have left Huntsville.
A recent visit to Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger near the Auburn campus proved how fun the visits are. Seanor met with 11 Auburn students from First, Huntsville. He was accompanied by the students’ Sunday School teachers from Huntsville, Rick Nelson and Steve Chambers.
“This is a chance for us to provide a touch from home,” Seanor said. “I have a trunkload of care packages from parents and grandparents to give to them.”
Seanor has been making the trips to Auburn — along with Samford and The University of Alabama — since coming to First, Huntsville, in 1992. He said the students appear to enjoy the meetings, noting humorously that it is not hard to draw a crowd since college students rarely turn down an opportunity for a free meal.
“In large campuses like Auburn and Alabama, many of them will graduate [from high school] together, but because of their different educational interests, they may not see each other,” he said. “So it’s interesting to me to just listen to the buzz over the table, between the students catching up among themselves.”
The animated chatter among the Auburn students was evidence of their enjoyment.
Heather Howard, a sophomore majoring in building science, confirmed Seanor’s observations. “I’m a college student, so I always enjoy a free meal. It’s great that my home church cares enough to come down here and check on me. And I don’t get to see these guys often enough.”
Seanor said he invites campus ministers to attend if possible, to help form a link between the students and the Baptist Campus Ministry.
Other ways Seanor stays in touch with the students include sending them the church’s newsletter, personal cards and e-mails, and a program he calls “Love a student, write a line,” in which he prints news of the students in the church newsletter and asks members to send them cards and letters.
Seanor also encourages students to get involved with local churches while they are in college. “I encourage them to find a church, a worship style, they can be comfortable with. I tell them, ‘When you find a church, join it. When you come home, you can move your membership back home.’ ”
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