College Aged Ministry isn’t always easy but it sure is good! Many times we only want to talk about what works and not talk about the journey to those things. One of the things that we are striving to do at Compass is figure out what our college aged students actually need. Basically, we throw ideas and opportunities against a wall and see what sticks. In order to do that we need a team of volunteers that aren’t so tied to one idea that they are unwilling to admit when it doesn't work. For example, the past 3 years we have offered a “Big Game” Party with lots of food, games, prizes, and community. The first year it was a huge success, lots of students and lots of interest. The second year it was successful but not nearly as successful as the first year. That leads to this past year. Maybe just like halftime shows there were too many other options, but the success of our “Big Game” Party wasn’t that great. While we enjoyed hanging out with those who were able to make it, we also must evaluate if this is needed or if there are enough other good options that we could put our energy and efforts in other events. Isn’t that what following God is all about? We think we know best but ultimately only when we surrender our plans to His do we experience peace, clarity, and fullness of life.

While the “Big Game” Party may not have been a hit this year we were able to celebrate both the men’s and women’s basketball teams from Indiana Wesleyan University. We were blessed to host their senior banquets not only providing a space for them to celebrate but also a delicious meal at no cost to them. This is one of the ways we envisioned ministering to college coaches and athletes over 3 years ago as we were just getting started. We believe by providing space and meals for these teams allows coaches to focus on their athletes while we focus on the venue and meal. Our hope in doing this is that it blesses coaches and creates an opportunity for them to simply celebrate their players without worrying about too many details or finances. We are thankful for the partnerships God has blessed us with and look forward to seeing how we can bless coaches and players more in the future.

We have also continued to build our partnership with Unity Nights Worship. From hosting their worship nights to helping equip and release them to chase the vision God has put on their hearts, we are committed to walking this ministry road with them.

We have been blessed with so many amazing college aged students and adults who want to pour into their lives. From sitting around tables talking about God's Word, sharing meals, grabbing coffee, or just meeting together to talk about life we are truly thankful for every opportunity we are given to help people find community and grow closer to Christ in every aspect of their lives.

So, while it isn't always easy and sometimes our ideas may not be the best ideas we are thankful that God continues to carve the path for us to successfully find ways to meet students where they are and help them take their next step in their faith journey.