While college students are away, here are recommended resources for students connected to our congregations to aid in their ongoing spiritual formation and Christian witness amidst their studies. Check out the information below for ways to connect with campus ministries, local congregations, spiritual formation resources, and opportunities for you to serve and worship alongside college students in Philadelphia.

Send Care Packages to Your College Students. Who doesn’t like to receive a package in the mail, especially when away from home? Many congregations have a practice of packing care packages full of popcorn, snacks, gift cards, church bulletins, information on services for when they return for breaks, devotionals, notes from congregants, etc. Consider having congregants sponsor a college student and have a packaging day, possibly coordinated by youth in the church who may one day receive a package. A good time to mail these packages is just before finals week. Here is a helpful resource adapted from the PCUSA Ministries with Youth.

Provide Dinner and Presence at Christian Association at the University of Pennsylvania
Interested in supporting local campus ministry? You and your congregation can provide dinner and presence for the Wednesday night fellowship and worship gatherings at the Christian Association at the University of Pennsylvania. The college students love the homemade food and you can stay and eat with them, too. For more information, contact our own Rev. Megan LeCluyse, Campus Minister, at lecluyse@upenn.edu.

Connect College Students to Campus Ministry and Local Congregations
Is your congregation sending recent high school graduates and others to college this month? Help them find campus ministries or local churches near their school! You can find a map of Presbyterian Campus Ministries at https://www.ukirk.org/ (under “ministries”) and/or search for Presbyterian congregations at https://www.pcusa.org/search/congregations/.

UKirk Daily: App for Daily Scripture Reading
UKirk Daily is an app that offers two Biblical passages and a prayer. It was created to encourage collegiate students and young adults to develop a regular practice of connecting with God through listening (reading) and speaking (prayer). In both it’s design and interface, it really couldn’t be more simple. Open it once a day // Read the Psalm and New Testament reading // Pray the prayer. That’s it.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ukirk-daily/id1049602965?mt=8

UWorship is a liturgical resource that engages both the rhythm of scripture and the life of a college student through a 4-year, 32-week lectionary cycle, which includes prayers for every aspect of worship, liturgy for occasional services for first and last Sundays of the academic calendar, mission/service trips, Advent, Lent, and Easter, and other special services related to the unique demands of collegiate ministry.
https://ukirk.pcusa.org/page/uworship/

2018 College Conference at Montreat