Hey Fusion family! Christ-centered community is important, and as many of us are starting a new semester, I thought I might offer some advice for building that community on campus.
1. Have purposeful conversations about this with other believers
Talk meaningfully with other Christians about finding and creating this kind of deep, enriching community. If it is something you’re looking for on your own, you won’t ever find it. Make it a group mission; have some partners.
2. Find or create welcoming spaces to meet
Not all of us have warm and cozy homes at campus. Living in a dorm or apartment can make gathering as believers difficult, so don’t be shy to check out the reservable common spaces on your campus. Every campus has meeting rooms in libraries or student unions that you can use to gather for prayer, worship, or get-togethers. Don’t feel uncomfortable about using them, they’re a resource God’s given you.
3. Plan activities that aren’t just Christian-ey
Here at UNC, our community often hosts game nights and movie nights. These are things that people who don’t yet know Jesus feel comfortable coming to and can experience meaningful relationship at (which is always the first step in evangelism).
4. Pray consistently for yourselves and your campuses
The truth is, nothing will happen for the Kingdom of God without the Spirit of God. So no matter how well or how poorly it’s going, pray that the Lord will be moving on your campus to change hearts.
5. Celebrate victories, no matter how small
Relational evangelism can feel slow and fruitless at times, but I think that’s because we need an adjustment of what we call success. If you had a loving and positive interaction with a non Christian, even if the gospel didn’t come up and they didn’t accept Jesus, that’s a win, and we should thank God for that. If you had a party or event at your house, hoping to start some meaningful evangelistic relationships, and only six people came, celebrate those six people. Leave the pressure on God, and just work hard at what you can day by day.