11 Simple, Practical Ways to Support Christian Students

You see them on the other side of the church foyer, fueling themselves up with the strongest coffee available. What sorts of pressures might they be facing now that they’re in college? What messages do they hear while sitting in rows of desks instead of pews? And what stories exist in the shadows under their eyes?

If they’re like most other college students, then you can guess some possible reasons for those shadows. With workloads demanding long days and late nights, college is often stressful at best. Many students are also working to figure out fledgeling adulthood, possibly while navigating the realities of living away from home for the first time—all on a student-sized budget.

On top of these stressors come additional challenges which Christian students tend to face—like a barrage of unbiblical teachings, pressures to conform with the religion of secular culture, and a lonely (if not hostile) campus environment. Along the way, limited sleep, nutrition, exercise, and social contact can lower students’ defenses, leaving them less alert to think critically about the messages they’re hearing.

How can you support students to survive and thrive in such a setting? Based on my own experiences and conversations with students worldwide, here are 11 simple, practical ideas:

1. Say Hello. Christian students need community. Community consists of relationships—including connections with older adults outside students’ peer group. And relationships begin by saying hi! I still remember how the first time I visited the church that I ended up attending as a student, an older gentleman strode over to greet me after the service. With their welcoming friendliness and hospitality, he and his wife soon became valued friends whom I’m still in touch with today!

2. Listen. The next step is simply getting to know students and asking open-ended questions to find out what they’re experiencing as Christians on campus. Your asking questions not only gives students a chance to debrief, but also helps you understand how to support students in their unique situations—and how to pray for them.

3. Share a Meal. A fantastic way to get to know students is to invite them over for food. Chatting around the table allows space for informal mentorship, while simultaneously meeting students’ practical need for nutrition. Especially for “starving students” living away from home, free food and a family environment is just what the doctor ordered. Bonus points if you send them home with leftovers!

   (P.S. Many students who are getting into cooking for themselves may be on the lookout for new recipes. They might really appreciate an open invitation to snap photos of recipes you have—or even to come over earlier next time and learn how to cook something, if their schedules allow!)

4. Offer Transportation. Another way to get to know students while meeting their practical needs is to offer them rides to church if they don’t have a vehicle. (This offer doubles as a way of helping students stay plugged into Christian community!) Carless students may also appreciate occasional rides to grocery stores, appointments, airports, etc. I still remember the couple from my church who offered to wake up at 4:00 AM to help me catch a flight home from university!

5. Help Them Find Christian Connections. Research suggests that students who move away from home are three times more likely to attend church during university if someone from their hometown helps them connect to a church in their university city.1 So, if you know of a solid church, pastor, campus minister, mentor figure, or even potential friend who could connect with a Christian student you’ve met, why not make some introductions?

6. Encourage Their God-Given Talents and Callings. Giving students opportunities to serve using their unique gifts and callings lets them know they’re valuable members of the body of Christ.2 For instance, an art student I met in Paris showed me how her church had hung her paintings on their foyer walls. As another example, a retired pastor I’ve written about earlier asked a group of us students what burdens God had placed on our hearts. When I answered, “Apologetics and critical thinking,” he invited me to teach a small group session—a presentation which formed the basis for a main talk I give as an apologetics speaker today!

7. Give Them a Break. Because college workloads tend to be hectic, students may need encouragement to take a little mental break. Activities which involve being outside, experiencing nature, getting exercise, and spending time with people can especially boost students’ well-being.3 Why not invite students for a walk, family outing, game night, or other favorite event as the students’ academic schedules allow?

8. Write Them a Card. Campus can be a lonely place for Christians. Writing students notes with a few friendly words, biblical encouragement, and prayer lets them know that they’re not alone. (I kept a little row of notes like that on my desk as a student, including an encouraging birthday card from my pastor’s family.) Any card is awesome, but aesthetically appealing cards emblazoned with Scriptures can be especially welcome on students’ bulletin boards.

   (P.S. For ideas about what to write, check out these 28 Scriptures to Encourage Christian Students.)

9. Leave a Care Package. Another way to let students know that you care about them—and to be conduits of God’s faithfulness in their lives—is to bring them a practical gift. Food is usually a welcome option! A bag of groceries, basket of produce, or meals packed in easy-to-take-to-school containers can make a student’s day. Church members could even get together to make care packages for students, with fillers like fun socks, school supplies, self-care items, snacks, Bible verses, apologetics booklets or resources, “praying for you” cards, or even pocket Bibles which students can give to their friends.

10. Encourage Questions (and Help Them Find Answers). It’s no secret that students in public education systems are bombarded by messages claiming the Bible is wrong about the real world. These messages naturally lead students to ask questions. Students must be able to voice their questions before they deepen into the kind of unaddressed doubts which can corrode a person’s faith. Churches and families need to encourage students’ questions, help them find biblical answers, and equip them with biblical critical thinking skills for processing new information. Resources from AnswersinGenesis.org and Answers TV are here to help!

    (See also: How Tough Questions Can Strengthen Your Faith: A Conversation with a Student in Holland.)

11. Pray. Powerful and effective (James 5:16), prayer is indispensable for supporting Christian students. Looking back, I can see at least three types of “prayer warriors” whose prayers helped me through secular university. First, there were people at church who asked how they could be praying for me throughout the week. Second, there were people like my family members, whom I could text anytime to ask for prayer—including before I entered a faith-challenging lecture. And third, there were people like my retired pastor friend who came onto campus and prayed alongside students in person. I’m so thankful for the roles all these individuals played—and continue to play—in my life through prayer.

Summing Up:

These eleven ideas highlight just some of the countless ways the Body of Christ can support Christian students. If we step back and look at the big picture these ideas paint, we can see that supporting students often comes down to practicing a few key traits:

• Being friendly
• Looking for and meeting needs
• Finding creative ways to mentor
• Being open to students' real questions
• Being intentional
• Being available

By expressing these traits through simple gestures of support, you’ll be letting the young people across the foyer know they’re not alone. And for students, that’s even more valuable than strong coffee.