When I was a student, I was 6 hours away from home, family and friends, and any source of familiarity. In my first year I lived with six others who dabbled in drugs and alcohol and big nights out whilst I had a 9-5 degree and hospital placements. I was convinced that when went to university I would find my best friends in my halls of residence, but in fact I was lonely and spent most of my time in my room. I didn’t know how to cook, I frequently burnt pasta, and even when I wanted to cook the kitchen was piled up with pans and leftover scraps from the night before. So I tended to buy the classic £3.99 wrap, drink and chip combo from the local high street where the food hygiene was questionable. On my first weekend after moving into my halls of residence my Dad met me at my door and said ‘I’ve found the quickest route to get to church’ with the biggest smile on his face. I stood there scared, quite hopeless, and very tearful knowing that after this weekend I had to fend for myself until the Christmas holidays. 

I went to church and immediately felt welcomed, I sat next to the student worker on my first Sunday – which was definitely God’s grace and kindness! I was adopted by a family within my student church, a woman who was a mature student studying physiotherapy (the same degree as me), her husband who worked for the church, and their three boys. They invited me into their home, they cooked for me, we played games, they helped me with my physiotherapy questions, and they prayed for me. It was a home away from home, a friendly face at church each week and a family I knew I could count on when I felt overwhelmed, stressed, tired or homesick. It was such a comfort. It helped me feel part of the wider church family rather than being contained in my little student bubble. 

Now I’m on the other side, I have the privilege and joy of adopting three students at The Globe Church. Initially I was nervous. Am I going to be cool enough? What do I wear? What do we talk about? How do I get to know them without interrogating them and asking them the classic university questions they’ve answered 100+ times?

However, I was reminded that students aren’t another entity – they are church family, they are my brothers and sisters. I’ve also been a student and know what they are experiencing. It is important for church family not to be separated or exclusive, with students in one corner, 20s/30s in another, and families in another. NO – we must be united and consider how we can support and encourage one another in our different circumstances and stir one another up to become more like Jesus. How can we move towards others in love and gentleness, crossing boundaries of different circumstances? For in Acts 4:32 it says: “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.”

Adopting a student does not need to be a big commitment. My flat mate and I have set up a WhatsApp group to share prayer requests and create plans to meet up with our students every 6 weeks. We have invited them into our home, cooking for them, chatting about random topics from how’s your week been, to how often do you wash your bed sheets, to weekly peaks and pits. We have done pizza making, played games and had sleepovers. We have spent time praying, discussing challenges of friendship and juggling church, studying, societies, exam season and other commitments. Often as a student a warm meal, a warm flat, a friendly face and a safe space to chat things through and pray is all they need, and what a joy as a church family that we can serve and love them in this way! 

Adopting a student is not just a one-way friendship, it’s not just for the student. Adopting a student is both for the student and parent. I have been incredibly blessed and encouraged by the students I have adopted. Their love for the Lord, their excitement to share God’s word with their peers, their willingness to serve at Globe and ask questions to find out how they can get more involved has been such a witness to me. Student life is hard, it’s ever changing there are many stresses, temptations and unknowns and it has been so encouraging to see how rooted they are in God’s word and hear about how they are living this out in their flats, courses and societies. This has challenged me to be bold and courageous in doing the same in the workplace! I have also benefited from netball tips, invites to showcases, and student osteopath assessments – what more could you want?! My adopted students are wonderful and precious friends in my life, we are mutually committed to love, encourage and pray for one another and what a gift from the Lord this is! 

Adopting a student does not need to be done alone. I would strongly encourage adopting more than one student so friendships can be established not only with the wider church but with fellow students too. Consider inviting students to gatherings you are having with other people in the church too like birthday parties, games nights, film nights or a meal to provide space for students to not only get to know you as adopted parents but also others from the church congregation. 

If you are considering adopting a student my answer would be GO FOR IT! It is such a joy to get to know the students of our church, hearing more about this ministry at Globe, and getting involved in this mission field by serving our students in a multitude of ways, praying for them and joining them for student socials. Let’s be encouraged to be united as a church family moving towards our student brothers and sisters, supporting them, stirring up fellowship and community with them, encouraging them, being generous and sharing our lives with them, bearing their burdens, and praying for them. May we be a church that grows and worships together as a whole family, glorifying the one who made us in His image. For as it says in Psalm 133:1, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”

To find out more about adopting a student, or being adopted if you are a student, email our Student Worker Sarah Khan for more info at sarah@globe.church.