Updated 2/20/12

It’s February.

For college students (and probably most people) this is one of the hardest times of the year.

The weather is nasty and we’ve been cooped up inside for far too long. The days are still short… and only slowly getting longer. The refreshment and joy of the holidays are behind us. The newness of a new term and new classes has also worn off… and to make things worse… spring break still feels like it’s a long way off!

The month of February tends to feel like “the valley” of the academic year… and students typically struggle to navigate that valley well.

How do we, as those called to do life with college students, walk alongside them during this challenging season?

Here are a few suggestions I’ll offer:

1. Pray. Pray with intention about the challenges of this season on the campus. Pray for needs you are aware of and let your students know that you are praying for them! Do you have a way for students (faculty and staff as well) to readily submit prayer requests? Is so, promote it. If not, now would be a great time to create something. It could be an online link that sends an anonymous email to your (or your ministries) inbox. OR, you could go old school and simply created a box of some sort that could be placed in a “high traffic” area on campus. Label the box clearly, leave slips of paper and pencils next to the box for writing out prayer requests, and remember to check this prayer box regularly.
2. Educate. Educate your team, your student leaders, as well as the spheres of influence you have on campus in regards to this valley season. Find ways to connect with the counseling center and offer your partnership. The more who are aware of this challenging season, the more who will recognize it for what it is… and join us in intentional prayer, outreach and care-giving.
3. Provide. Provide programming and space for students to experience the love of Jesus in some new, intentional and significant ways that will help them to journey well through this season… and to begin to view seasons like these as opportunities to draw close and experience God’s divine provision in the midst of challenging times. This could include things like: new small groups, fun fellowship times, more open office hours, inviting students into your home, etc.

I’m sure that there are other ways in which we can walk alongside students during the doldrums of February… but these, I believe, are some of the most important.

What do you think?

Take a moment to offer your suggestions in the comment section below!