TIGERVILLE, S.C. (BP) — The first couple of weeks are crucial for a college student, especially those away from home for the first time. A new environment awaits.

New place. New patterns. New people.

Church fairs have become a way for on-campus ministries to connect students with a local body of believers. A church provides not only a place to grow in their faith, but a community for guidance, not to mention that occasional non-fast-food meal.

“It’s been a wonderful opportunity,” said Will Cleland, associate pastor of Abner Creek Baptist Church in nearby Greer, S.C., of the church fair hosted at North Greenville University (NGU). “It helps us connect with students, share the importance of being part of a local church and get solid Christian literature into their hands.”

The NGU fair, which will take place this year on Aug. 21, puts more than that into their hands. Last year more than 100 churches gave away dorm staples like Pop-tarts, ramen, mac & cheese, granola bars and snack cakes. There were also hangers, coffee mugs, pens, Tide pods, toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

A sheet listing 53 available items was handed out to students by Joshua Gilmore and the NGU Church and Community Relations department, which coordinates the event that is open to all students. Participants were encouraged to bring their laundry baskets or a plastic tote to carry their haul back to their room.

“Everybody can get involved in engaging students,” said Gilmore, an NGU alum who arrived as senior director for church and community relations in 2018. “It doesn’t have to cost much. When churches hand out a slice of watermelon, students slow down to eat and it provides a chance to talk. You learn about them and even some things you have in common.”

About a half-dozen churches were coming to an informal church-fair-type gathering in the dining hall when Gilmore arrived. He and his team set to work growing it into what it is now — an event requiring space on the student rec fields and even including food trucks.

About 90% of the participating churches are Baptist, and all are required to be “Bible-believing and gospel-preaching,” said Gilmore, who points to the collaborative effort as substantial in reaching students.

The number of Vietnamese students on NGU’s campus is in the single digits, Gilmore estimated, but that didn’t prevent Greenville Vietnamese Baptist Church from being part of the event.

“Pastor Loc Nguyen and pretty much his entire congregation of about 35 people were there,” said Gilmore. “They served traditional Vietnamese food, simply out of Christian spirit.”

“It’s an honor for me and our church,” said Nguyen. “Joshua introduced us to the fair and we saw it as an opportunity for us to get outside of our walls and serve.”

Church members handed out rice paper rolls (spring rolls), soup and Vietnamese coffee. They will be back in attendance next month.

“We are a family in our church, but want to take care of all the students,” Nguyen said. “I think we got about 120 contacts last year and sent out letters, emails and texts to all of them. Three or four students visited our church, with one becoming a very active member.”

Paul Worcester, national collegiate director for the North American Mission Board, said church involvement is “crucial” for Christian college students.

“On-campus worship, Bible studies and discipleship can be life-changing, but there is no substitute for the local church in the life of a believer,” he said. “Students need intergenerational fellowship and a steady diet of Bible preaching. Lord willing, they will be a part of local churches the rest of their lives, so it is essential they build the habit now while in college.”

J.G. Faulk was an NGU student when he first attended the church fair. The 29-year-old still attends, but as pastor of students and college/young adults at First Baptist Church in Greer.

“It helped me make connections with local churches,” he remembered. “You were able to get a general feel for the church and how you could be involved.”

Faulk spoke with BP while on a mission trip in Vermont with high school students. College students, including those who became part of First Baptist through the NGU church fair, took a separate trip to the same place in May.

“It was a connection point as a student, and it still is,” said Faulk. “We want to communicate the importance of growing among a multigenerational community, learning from married couples, families and senior church members. As a student, I became friends and could engage with them. They invited me into their homes and we shared meals.”

This will be Abner Creek’s fifth year at the fair. Many students have become faithful members and continue serving at the church in numerous ways. While the event lasts only a day, Cleland and others pray its effects carry even further.

“Our hope is to disciple those who visit or join our congregation to understand the vital role of the local church,” he said. “It’s not only for their college years, but a lifetime.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Scott Barkley is chief national correspondent for Baptist Press.)