Students need encouragement from churches ‘back home’

As May’s high school seniors head off to college, many of their churches are left asking, “How do we continue to minister to them?” This question becomes even harder to answer when the schools are two, three or more hours away.
   
One Alabama church decided to answer the question with goodie boxes and cards. 
   
A few years ago, when First Baptist Church, Glencoe, had two of its students leave for college, their Sunday School class decided to stay in touch. “It lets them know that we’re thinking about them and we care,” said Nancy Conner, who teaches the college and career Sunday School class at the Etowah Baptist Association church.
   
For the close-knit church, having two members move away meant just that — they moved but were still part of the church.
   
So Conner’s class sent boxes of home-cooked goodies and snacks to the two young men. As the class members packed the boxes, they signed cards, encouraging the students to stay strong in Christ and church involvement.
   
The class also regularly sent cards to the students, keeping them updated and encouraged.
Blake Amos, who attended LSU in Baton Rouge, La., was one of those students.
   
“(The cards and box) helped me understand that I was missed at my home church,” he said. “It helped me stay focused to find a similar church with the same heart in my new area.”
   
First, Glencoe, Pastor Vince Whittington said students “need to know that the Lord still loves them and wants them and needs them.” 
   
“Just because they have left home doesn’t sever their relationship with the Lord.” (TAB)