Preparing Students To Be Back On Campus

With the 2024 school year starting up again this month, the discussion about the presence of the church on public school campuses will begin.

And to be honest, it really is an easy discussion. Why? Because the point of emphasis in the discussion should be that the church has millions of campus missionaries who attend school legally.

The Last Tribal Stop

Many people have called the middle and high school campus 'the last tribal stop' of our young people. A case can be made for the University campus as a tribal stop, however, not every student will go off to college. The middle and high school campus really is the place where we find this group gathered together in sub-groups for the last time before adulthood.

The last tribal stop may be the final place the church can reach these students with the gospel. And because of this, we must challenge Next Gen Leaders to see the school campus as a primary mission field.

Too often I have heard youth leaders say their middle school or high school is closed to the gospel and the youth ministry is not allowed on campus. However, I have yet to see a closed campus in my 40 years of youth ministry.

Now, hang on, I know what you’re thinking. Sure, on some campuses (because of the administration, or, because of the issues of former youth workers) youth leaders may not be able to have a Bible study or prayer meeting at lunch in the cafeteria. But, there are so many other ways to get on campus.

Unfortunately, what I have heard are youth leaders so focused on the office or the coffee shop, their version of outreach is hoping that students show up on Wednesday night at the church. While at the same time young people are asking the church to show up at the public school.

Too many youth leaders are standing on the doorsteps of the church asking for students to come to the youth room. While at the same time, students at the school are standing on the doorsteps asking for the youth pastor to come to the campus. And the two never meet.

Here are two simple ways to reach the campus quicker.

The first way to reach the campus is to train campus missionaries.

There is no such thing as a closed campus. Because our students are there everyday.

We have campus missionaries who are on campus every day. Our teenagers are the campus missionaries to administration, faculty, and their friends. Next Gen ministries must take apologetics serious and train a generation how to take their faith to campus.

We must create missional faith in our students and help them take their relationship with Christ out of the comforts of church and onto the campus. An apologetics-based youth ministry becomes the sending power of our students!

The second way to reach the campus is by attending or working with the extra-curricular events on campus.

It could be attendance at the football game on Friday night (where the city comes to meet you), or, by helping coach or volunteer with a sports team, the choir, or even tutoring.

The unconditional love of students should get a youth leader past their fear or inadequacy of their campus presence. It can be intimidating. But, as we will show you in this article, be creative. There is no closed campus. Only a closed vision.

With that said, here are even more creative ways the church can have a presence on the school campus.

Practical Campus Presence

I offer 30+ ways to reach the campus as a Youth Ministry and create a presence in the middle and high school.

• The best way a Youth Ministry gets on campus is with campus missionaries (training the students who have access daily)

• Social Media strategies involving school activities

• Make yourself available to the school for crisis counseling

• Run for school board or other educational  positions in government and local elections

• Look to get involved in the myriad of  extra-curricular activities at school (purchase a season athletic pass, attend plays, concerts, and performances)

• Find the Christian para-church organizations that are recognized clubs on campus and have a presence or leadership in those ventures

• Send birthday cards to your students friends and faculty with youth ministry name on it

• Use seasonal and holiday themes to attend concerts and plays

• Have students wear youth ministry themed clothing and gear to familiarize the school with your youth ministry at events or daily at school

• Attending the funerals of youth, school staff, or faculty can build relationships in the school at important times

• Monitor current events and headlines and be ready to offer lecture, counsel, or intervention

• Pray publicly at community events where school officials are present (elections or banquets)

• Involvement in FCA can help access you to many students and staff

• Use your skill-sets in many different areas:

• Coaching athletics

• Choir

• Band

• Theatre

• Officiating

• Teaching       

• Use school facilities for a Christian concert or seminar

• Have your students promote youth group activities or events

• Encourage youth ministry students to invite the youth pastor to classroom as a guest speaker for a religious or non-religious subject

• Organize a Super Bowl party and use the school facilities to host it

• Promote your youth group website on clothing, gear, locker, or book stickers/covers

• Attend the Young Life, Youth Alive, or other campus  student led organizations

• Organize a 7 Project or Youth Speaker at your school

• Organize a clean up crew for after football games to sweep the grounds

• Ask to sing the National Anthem (or youth choir) sing the National Anthem at a game

• Attend or promote the weekly bible study at your school

• Offer a place for a class at school to build the Home-Coming float

• Purchase school t-shirts for a pep rally before an important game (place the youth ministry logo on the shirt)

• Chaplaincy and Prayer before or after a game

• Attend See You At The Pole every September

Finally

I want to challenge Next Gen leaders to prepare our students to be campus missionaries. Campus leaders. We must see our middle and high school campuses as a primary mission field.

It will take creative ideas like these and a planned apologetic emphasis to prepare our teenage campus missionaries for the last tribal stop.

Maybe the final place the church can reach these students with the gospel.