Come September, many new students will flood your campus, many of whom have never met – some never ever heard! – of Jesus. One thing your CU can do to make the most of this opportunity is to engage in what we call ‘first contact’ evangelism. First contact is about meeting others where they are at and starting a conversation.
Generally, there are two styles of first contact:
- Chatting with students about life’s biggest questions with the hope of drawing them towards engaging with the CU.
- Gathering in Christians who have arrived at university, but have not yet found the CU. This is important because new students joining the CU will help the CU in mission over the rest of the year
There are so many creative ways of engaging with people for the first time – you may have thought of your own! – here are a few ideas for first contact on your campus this coming term.
Be relational
Being a new student is always disorienting. Good first contact will open the arms of your CU so you can offer connection and friendship to all. John reminds us that we love because God first loved us, so it’s worth thinking about how to express that love at your university.
Think about:
- What is one of the best welcomes you’ve ever received? What made you feel so welcomed? How might you be able to imitate that this Autumn?
- Consider your goal for each interaction. What do you want people to take away? At least, they should leave thinking the CU is a place they are welcome to return to. You may want to emphasise this verbally, or get them signed up.
- How will you present yourselves? Perhaps a with bright colour or a fun design! Think about what your t-shirts and signs communicate too. Perhaps holding a large laminated sign inviting people to ‘come and say hi!’ would show you’re there to chat!
- How could you thoughtfully address people’s needs? Could you put together a goody bag of things you would have found helpful in your first weeks at university? Or something delicious? Aim for quality, not novelty.
- What are the relational next steps after first contact? We want to build friendships where we can, so good next steps will give you a chance for personal interaction – an invite to a CU Explore Group online or the next upcoming event.
Be visible
Students passing by will need to see something worth stopping for, and they’ll need to see it’s open and inviting. Bear in mind some people will feel a Christian Union stand is only for Christians. It’s not! Aim for first contact which is visibly intriguing and relationally safe!
- What does your first contact look like from 10m or more away? Big signs and printed publicity can pique interest and communicate your big question or theme.
- How can you reassure students that it’s relationally safe to stop? Is it clear a conversation is okay and your team is welcoming? Be wary of subtle ways you’re inadvertently communicating the wrong thing.
- How can you make the most of your new found freedom to interact. Research shows merely standing near someone for a while makes them feel secure and welcomed.
- Can you give something away? A good give away leaves an enquirer with something tangible to remember you by! Think strategically about what will be most effective, not just what you can buy most easily.
Be engaging
Going to university raises massive questions about life and our place in it for all students. First contact can connect with the real issues facing students in their lives today, issues like:
- Will I be able to make friends?
- Will anything ever change?
- Why is starting uni tough?
- What if it all goes wrong?
- Do I have a hope for the future?
It’s important to address these questions at the right level – it’s unlikely someone will open up with their deepest fears the first time you meet, but they may be willing to share something of their story during a conversation.
A few examples
So, what would relational, visible and engaging first contact look like come Autumn? Here’s some ideas to get you thinking!
Interactive conversation starters:
- Spectrum answers Draw out a line on a board with the title ‘why I came to uni’. Label one end ‘for the degree’ and the other ‘for the fun’. Ask people to mark their answer along the line with a cross. Remember to ask them why they put their cross where they did.
- Yes/No questions For example, “are you nervous about university?”. Draw one arrow pointing left, marked ‘no’ and another arrow pointing right, marked ‘yes’. Invite intrigued students to vote by marking their answer on the board.
- X/Y Axis Graphs and Venn diagrams draw an X/Y graph on a board or a large piece of paper. Ask people to place their cross according to where their biggest hopes for uni lie.
Finish the sentence: write the start of a sentence in the middle, such as ‘By next year, I hope to…’ then get students to complete the sentence.
Solarium: Solarium provides 50 original photographic images and 5 simple questions – allowing you to answer with pictures as well as just words.
Provide a simple game: sometimes people just want an excuse to spend a bit of time with a welcoming group. Providing a simple game can provide you something to do while you chat.
Flyers: handing out a flyer that clearly articulates your next meeting can help someone follow up on your conversation. You can either hand these out around campus if you university will let you, or give them away with each interaction.
And remember – try and invite everyone you talk with to take the next step. This might be passing on a flyer with details about the CU, an invitation to a CU event, an invitation to a lunch bar that is just about to start and so on.
Questions to ask
- What big questions are students asking at our Uni?
- What physical presence are we allowed to have on campus?
- Whose permission do we need?
- How can we minimise the risks involved and how do we show we are doing so?
Postscript
We do not know what the restrictions will be on campus this year. You may need to adapt your first contact activity to specific restrictions still in force, such as mask wearing or social distancing. Remember to make it as easy as possible for students to see what you are doing and approach you.