Campus Fellowship Guideline
For Starting Groups
OVERVIEW
A campus fellowship is a gathering of people, coming together in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
pursuing spiritual edification and growth. It provides a way for church members who attend the
same university or live in the vicinity of the university to help one another to grow in their faiths.
“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls
were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in
the breaking of bread, and in prayers...praising God and having favor with all the people. And the
Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:41-42, 47).
The campus fellowship members are in many ways like the newly baptized members of Acts. They
convened often to study the Word, to have fellowship, to share in physical and spiritual sustenance,
to pray, and to bear witness to the love of Jesus Christ. A campus fellowship provides the
opportunity for its members to study biblical teachings together, to draw closer to God and each
other, to intercede for one another, and to evangelize.
This guideline is appropriate for starting fellowships and discusses the following:

Understanding the basic structure of a campus fellowship by introducing the formats of
fellowship meetings and fellowship activities

Maintaining a campus fellowship in its administration

Surveying the common challenges in starting a campus fellowship group
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of a campus fellowship are threefold:

To provide spiritual edification for each member of the fellowship

To foster spiritual growth

To testify of our experiences in Jesus Christ
ESSENCE
The first section deals with the basic structure of a campus fellowship. This can be divided
into two components: weekly meetings and fellowship activities. These two components are the
main channels to edify more effectively and help a campus fellowship grow. They are centered
around Bible study, fellowship, prayer, and evangelism.
Weekly Meetings
There are two modes of spiritual cultivation: self-cultivation and group cultivation. While it is just
as important to spiritually cultivate on a personal level, the main function of a campus fellowship is
to help members become spiritually edified as a group. This section focuses on how the campus
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fellowship can spiritually edify the group during regularly scheduled meetings. During the week, the
fellowship meets at least once to worship, praise, and pray together.
The following is a sample fellowship meeting schedule that includes the duration of each section.
WEEK
LOCATION
DATE
TOPIC
HYMN
WORSHIP
LEADER
FACILITATOR
DESSERT
SUPPORT
1
Church
9/8
SPIRITUAL CONVOCATION
---
---
---
---
2
Room 1
9/15
---
---
---
---
3
Room 1
9/22
---
---
---
4
Room 1
9/29
Bible Study: Habakkuk 1
SPECIAL TOPIC:
Time Management
Praise & Reflection Session
---
---
---
---
5
Room 1
10/6
Bible Study: Habakkuk 2
---
---
---
---
6
Room 1
10/13
Bible Study: Habakkuk 3
---
---
---
---
7
Room 1
10/20
Praise & Reflection Session
---
---
---
---
8
Room 1
10/27
---
---
---
---
9
Room 1
11/3
---
---
---
10
Room 1
11/10
Bible Study: Haggai 1
SPECIAL TOPIC:
Life After College
Bible Study: Haggai 2
---
---
---
---
11
Room 1
11/17
Bible Study: Nahum 1
---
---
---
---
12
Room 1
11/24
---
---
---
---
13
Room 1
12/1
---
---
---
14
Room 1
12/8
THANKSGIVING BREAK
SPECIAL TOPIC:
Personal Cultivation
Bible Study: Nahum 2
---
---
---
---
15
Room 1
12/15
Praise & Reflection Session
---
---
---
---
16
---
12/22
FINALS
---
---
---
---
Sample Time Allocation for Bible Studies or Special Topics



The assigned praise/hymn leader leads a hymn singing or praise session from 7:30 – 7:55 PM.
The assigned worship facilitator:
o Starts the main worship session with a brief prayer. This can either be a prayer of
understanding or a short opening prayer in the Spirit from 7:55 – 8:00 PM.
o Conducts a short sharing session from 8:00 – 8:15 PM.
o Leads the main topic from 8:15 – 8:50 PM.
o Ends the main worship session with a longer concluding prayer in the Spirit from 8:50 –
9:00 PM.
The assigned dessert provider prepares refreshments for fellowship to enjoy at the end of the
evening.
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Topic
The fourth column of the sample schedule contains the topic of the main worship session for that
week, which can be broken into the following:
 Sharing Session
o Prior to the main topic, there can be a brief sharing session.
 Can limit the sharing to a few campus fellowship members, who are asked in
advance to prepare. This can be very edifying.
 Depending on the size or available time of the fellowship, there can be
voluntary sharing, group-wide sharing, or sharing within smaller groups.
 Can schedule one or two members to prepare a devotional.
 Bible Study
o Studying the Word of God is essential to building up one’s faith and spiritual cultivation.
Bible study is an effective method of studying the word of God since it encourages
mutual sharing from all the members on a biblical topic.
o By the beginning of every term, the campus fellowship should determine, through
prayer, the needs of the fellowship as a whole and the biblical topics to study.
 For instance, if a campus fellowship prays and feels that it needs to focus more
on campus evangelism, then it can study Acts to understand the struggles and
triumphs of Paul and his fellow workers during their missionary journeys.
 A schedule can be put together for the quarter that lists the topics that are to
be studied and on what dates.
o Different methods of Bible study
 Book by book
 Topical
 Character studies
 Miracles of Jesus
 Parables
o Prior to the Bible study session, a praise leader conducts a hymn/praise session,
typically lasting fifteen to thirty minutes, to prepare the hearts of the campus fellowship
members.
 The praise leader or everyone in the group can share a song and reflect on its
lyrics and life application.
o During the Bible study session, which typically lasts an hour, time can be allotted for
testimonies, sharing, and/or reflections relevant to the topic of study.
 Life application
o A good method for addressing specific issues in a member’s spiritual life, family life, or
work/school life is to hold periodic special topics or workshop sessions.
o It is beneficial for the members if guest speakers (i.e. ministers, church council
members, or experienced members) can come and share their experiences with the
fellowship or lead workshops regarding:
 School/career (choosing a major/finding and choosing a job)
 Peer pressure
 Finding God
 Prayer in tongue
 Life issues (dealing with serious illness, marriage, interpersonal relationships, time
management, stress)
 Serving the Lord (evangelism, pastoring, counseling)
o Fellowship members can also host special topics in a discussion format, with older
brothers and sisters or “guests” present to share their thoughts.
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o Special topic sessions and workshops equip a fellowship’s members with the attitude,

tools, and skills necessary to serve the Lord.
Praise & Reflection Session
o If appropriate, an entire worship session can be dedicated to hymn singing, sharing,
and testimonies.
Hymn Leader

The assigned hymn leader commences the fellowship meeting with a hymn singing/praise
session.

The goals of the hymn leader (refer to the fifth column of the sample schedule) are:
o
To lead and encourage the campus fellowship’s members to sing praises to and glorify
the Lord.
o
To prepare the campus fellowship for the main worship session.
o
To emphasize that the hymn-singing session is an integral part of worship, rather than a
form of pre-worship.
Worship Facilitator


The goals of the worship facilitator (refer to the sixth column of the sample schedule) are:
o To prepare the hearts of the fellowship’s members for worship.
o To initiate the worship session
 By reviewing what was learned the previous week
 By explaining, in a broader context, the biblical concepts to be learned
o To facilitate so that the discussion stays on topic.
o To be prepared to handle unexpected situations, such as introducing the method of
praying in Spirit to visitors.
If it is necessary, worship facilitators can be assigned in pairs.
Prayer



Biblical importance
o Just as the apostles spent a countless amount of time in prayer, fellowship members
must also rely on the power of the Holy Spirit for guidance, direction, and power.
o It is important to remember that prayer is the foundation of the campus fellowship.
o The Holy Spirit can unify the fellowship so that all work in one Spirit and mind to
encourage one another, spread the Gospel, and serve the Lord.
o If a campus fellowship becomes rooted in prayer, serving the fellowship and
evangelizing to the public will naturally come from a willing heart.
Prayer meetings
o The prayer time at the weekly fellowship meeting would not be enough to sustain the
spiritual needs of the fellowship. Therefore, the fellowship establishes an additional
prayer time and a day where the members can pray in Spirit.
o A list of prayer requests should be made and updated to properly address the needs
of each fellowship member.
o Consider implementing a prayer network in which each person is assigned to pray and
care for another person.
Sequence of prayer during the fellowship meeting
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o The hymn leader should open up the hymn singing/praise session with a silent prayer.
o Then, the worship facilitator should:


Start the main worship session with a brief prayer. This can be either a prayer of
understanding or a short opening prayer in the Spirit.
End the main worship session with a longer concluding prayer in the Spirit.
Dessert


At the end of the fellowship meeting, the dessert or refreshment portion is a good time for
campus fellowship members to get to know one another and discuss the content of the
fellowship meeting.
The assigned dessert provider (refer to the seventh column of the sample schedule) brings
refreshments for fellowship to be enjoyed at the end of the evening.
Support

If available, an elder, deacon, pastor, or experienced member from the local church can
provide spiritual and/or biblical support during the fellowship meeting (refer to the eighth
column of the sample schedule).
Spirit of the Fellowship
This subsection focuses on the fellowship activities, internal and external. The internal portion
refers to the mutual care among members within the fellowship. There is a need to care for
members who have been missing or have distanced themselves from the fellowship. Oftentimes,
the internal portion should be the primary focus of a starting campus fellowship because it is
important to create channels through which everyone gets to better know each other. Thus,
spiritual friendships can be better built. The external portion pertains to evangelical outreach,
which includes preaching the gospel to friends on campus and organizing evangelical services.

Internal – Mutual Caring
o This portion concerns the aspect of fellowship and the mutual caring for members
within the fellowship.
o There is a need to care for the sheep in the flock, which includes members who have
been absent or have distanced themselves from the fellowship.
 As recorded in John 21:15, Jesus told Peter, “Feed my lambs”, which applies to
caring for and retaining the members of the campus fellowship.
o It is very likely that some campus fellowship members are away from home and the
whole group needs to show care and concern for these members.
o It is important for members of a starting campus fellowship to create opportunities in
order to get to know each better.
 Some members may already know each other from their local church area,
but some members may come from afar.
 A good way of initially becoming more familiar with each other includes
informal pastoral support activities such as:
 Visiting each other and praying in the dormitories
 Participating in informal day trips and gatherings
 Cooking/eating meals together
 Providing rides to weekly meetings or the local church
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A second way is to plan formal pastoral support activities, which include but
are not limited to:
 Participating in formal day trips and road trips to visit regional church
members
 Making care packages for remote area members
 Devoting time to community service
 Planning activities with other campus fellowships
 Participating in campus-wide activities
o These activities strengthen the bond within the fellowship and allow members to work
with others and offer their talents that God blessed them with.
o The life of a fellowship is seen in how the members help each other to cultivate
spiritually.
o Spiritual accountability is important since it allows members in the fellowship to be
compelled by a genuine love to care and pray for each other. Members should care
and provide support for one another’s needs. The problems or issues that an individual
member may have are also the problems or issues of the fellowship.
 The fellowship members must remember to strive for the common goal of
spiritual cultivation and the everlasting bond of God’s love.
o It is equally important to cultivate individually.
 An individual must still concentrate on his/her spirituality by developing the
determination to pray and read the Bible outside of the fellowship.
 Establishing a one-on-one relationship with Christ is the first step in walking with
Christ.
 Individual trials and tribulations are the fire that will test a person’s faith before
God.
External - Evangelical Outreach
o Reason for evangelical outreach efforts:
 After His ascension, Jesus entrusted us with the Great Commission, which is to
preach the precious gospel to the ends of the earth:
 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching
them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am
with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:19)
 It is important for more seasoned campus fellowships to focus on
spreading the gospel and cultivating the members within the
fellowship. Though a starting campus fellowship can have the same
heart, it may be necessary to focus more on internal issues before it is
possible to truly focus on evangelism.
o Ways to evangelize
 Word of mouth
 Testify about the word of God through personal testimonies, reading,
and quoting from the Scriptures.
 Inform your friends about the basic beliefs of the church.
 Posting/distributing flyers
 Advertise campus fellowship meeting times and special events to the
university community.
 Post in public areas, such as on bulletin boards and bus stops, to draw a
wide and diverse pool of people.
 Distribute flyers to random passersby in public areas.
 College Newsletter/Newspaper Advertisement


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Advertise campus fellowship meeting times and special events in your
school newsletter or newspaper.
 People from all walks of life are reached with this type of
advertisement.
 External Website
 State and explain the basic beliefs of the church.
 Present the details of your campus fellowship, such as Bible study
meeting place and times.
Organizing an evangelical service
 Preparation is necessary in establishing an informal or formal evangelical
service during which friends can be invited to come, learn, and reflect on the
word of God.
 The first step is to decide on the format of your campus fellowship’s evangelical
service. The format can range from casual to formal, depending on the needs
of the audience and the fellowship group.
 The service can be held in an on-campus meeting room or at someone’s
house or apartment.
 Determine the theme and title of the evangelical service.
 Discuss the format, from the introduction to the main event to the conclusion.
 The main event can consist of thematic discussions, skits, a short movie
introducing the beliefs of our church, or a musical presentation.
 Ask for volunteers or pass around a sign-up sheet for different work teams such
as food preparation, praise session team, discussion leaders, etc.
 The leader of each work team can assign action items and follow up with their
team members.
 Figure out the budget for the event and how the costs will be covered, either
through local church sponsorship or campus fellowship offerings.
 Make plans to keep in contact with the friends that attend (i.e. making a
contact card that the visitors can fill out, sending emails regarding any
upcoming special events).
 Most importantly, pray, pray, and pray!

o
ADMINISTRATION
This section focuses on both the external and internal administrative portions of the campus
fellowship. The external portion includes various administrative tasks that are required by university
organizational guidelines. Also, it includes advertising the campus fellowship on a broader scale
through means of a student organization fair or a publicity website. The internal portion refers to
three important elements within the campus fellowship: structural organization, website, and
financial resources.

External
o Contact the clubs/organizations department of your university.
o Obtain the forms and documents necessary for setting up an official student
organization.
o Submit a constitution or statement of intent
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In order to become registered as an official school organization, universities
require a constitution or statement of intent that conveys the purpose of each
organization.
 Draft a constitution. It would be beneficial to go over it with the campus
fellowship members.
 Submit to the club/organizations department along with any other necessary
forms.
 If necessary, revise your fellowship’s existing constitution.
o Meeting setting
 Decide which day of the week is best for everyone’s schedule for a fellowship
meeting.
 The university may dictate the time and day of the week depending on the
availability of rooms.
 If you are using the campus facility for meetings, contact the student
organizations department.
o Confirm the organizational roles of the fellowship.
 If necessary, fill out the names of the people who are to be coordinators for the
term.
 Provide contact information for the officers.
o Student organization fairs
 Contact student organization personnel to reserve a table for the campus
fellowship.
 Obtain and fill out the proper paperwork.
 Sign up for different shifts in operating the campus fellowship table.
o External Website
 The purpose of an external website is to publicize the campus fellowship to the
student body of the university.
 The website's featured information can include the meeting times, location, and
contact persons of the campus fellowship.
 The university may provide web space.
o Facing minor challenges
 Getting started may seem difficult and overwhelming, but determination and
organization is necessary in carrying out the aforementioned administrative tasks.
 Make sure to follow up with the student organizations department each learning
term to ensure that there are regular meetings scheduled and room reservations.
 Be optimistic and pray about fulfilling the goals of your campus fellowship.
Internal
o Structural Organization
 Delegate or vote on who will serve as the following:
 Coordinator(s)
o Provide overall support to the fellowship
o Keep constant watch over the overall “health” of the fellowship:
 Are all members involved?
 Do all members feel a sense of belonging?
 Do all members have ample opportunities to serve?
o Collect and listen to opinions regarding possible activities and
discussion topics
o Make executive decisions when needed
 Treasurer
o Encourage and manage freewill offerings


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Provide reimbursement and maintain a balance sheet for the
fellowship’s financial account
 Optional roles - As needed, designate specific roles such as:
o Prayer network coordinator
o Praise session leader
o Activities director
o Evangelical outreach coordinator
 Depending on the size and need of the fellowship, a campus fellowship
can extract what it needs. (For further explanation of the duties of
suggested external and internal officers, refer to Appendix A and B.)
 For smaller campus fellowships, all members should be responsible for assisting
the coordinator in fulfilling his/her duties.
 For larger campus fellowships, it is beneficial for specific duties to be assigned to
each person.
o Internal Website
 The purpose of an internal website is to provide the fellowship with updated
information regarding but not limited to:
 Bible study schedule
 Class schedules of the fellowship members
 Edifying sharing and reflections
 Fellowship pictures
 Contact information of each fellowship member
 The website should provide information about the fellowship for first-time visitors.
 It may be beneficial to have an external website for the public and an internal
website for the fellowship members.
o Financial resources
 Freewill offerings
 The money that is collected will go toward any expenses incurred by
activities within the fellowship.
 Set up offering boxes, or have the treasurer collect the offered money.
 Church contribution
 The local church may be willing to provide funding for the fellowship or
for specific events such as evangelical services.
 In return for the church’s support, the fellowship could make an offering
to the church.
Additional notes
o Special events and holidays
 Be aware of special events and holidays that may occur at the same time and
may result in canceled weekly meetings.
 Local church spiritual convocation
 Scheduled off-days for the university
 Final exam periods
o

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CHALLENGES
This section addresses the different types of challenges that can arise when starting a campus
fellowship.
 Many organizational tasks
o Be prepared for the many organizational tasks by scheduling meetings and delegating
tasks among the campus fellowship members.
o Pray to God to ask Him for patience, strength, and unity.
 Treating the fellowship as routine and having a lukewarm atmosphere
o Pray to God for His guidance to lead the spirit of the fellowship and for the spiritual
growth of individuals and the group.
 Lack of biblical knowledge
o Members may feel that they are not as well-versed enough with the Bible to lead or
speak in a Bible study.
o Study the Bible diligently, pray to God for wisdom, and contact church workers if there
are any lingering questions.
 Becoming a more Bible-based campus fellowship
o Make sure that weekly meetings are spiritually-focused.
o Be aware that during the dessert time, the topics of conversation should not negate the
spiritual atmosphere, and be true to biblical fellowship.
o Conversations and interactions outside of the weekly meeting should also be spirituallyfocused.
o Try to be more sensitive to the members around you by thinking before you speak.
 Getting to know everyone in the campus fellowship
o There may be a tendency for campus fellowship members to form groups or “cliques”
within the fellowship.
o It is important to first reach out and establish bonds with the newer members of the
fellowship, who need the most support.
o In regards to celebrating events for a specific member(s), such as birthdays and
graduations, the fellowship should take extra precaution to treat every campus
fellowship member equally. Since the fellowship is an "official" unit of the church, and
not simply a group of friends, any impartial treatment can be easily portrayed as the
actions of the church, causing others to stumble.
o It is important that everyone is and feels included, as we are one body in Christ.
 Maintaining consistent meetings and carrying out scheduled duties
o The campus fellowship should make a sincere effort to adhere to the fellowship
schedule and duties in order to preserve the spirit of worship and fellowship.
o Encourage campus fellowship members to uphold fellowship meetings and duties as
priorities.
 Members who are not motivated to join the fellowship
o There are members who may have their own personal reasons as to why they do not
feel motivated to join the fellowship, but it is the campus fellowship’s duty to pray for
and take care of these precious sheep and bring them back to the fold.
 Consensus building
o It is critical for starting fellowships to build and reach a consensus. Everyone needs to
have the same vision and agree upon the sacrifices and commitments needed to make
the fellowship work. Otherwise, only a handful will end up doing all the work. This may
lead to a quick burnout and even friction among the members.
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It is imperative that coordinator(s) possess a humble attitude and serve as good
communicators and mediators. Most college students do not anticipate this issue when
starting a campus fellowship, but it is possible that the actions of some well-meaning
members can lead to unintended results.
Managing competing commitments
o The fellowship schedule can be adjusted according to the group's need so that young
fellowships do not feel overwhelmed or overburdened. Some services can be
combined with local church services or family services, especially if a church is nearby
and members already attend the evening services.
o Competing time commitments may not just be academic, social, or student group
activities. They can also include church duties such as teaching, interpretation, helping
with the youth fellowship and senior class, conducting/singing in choir, etc.
o While a campus fellowship in a remote area may have its challenges, a campus
fellowship in close proximity to a church may also feel over-stretched. It is easy for
members to feel that a fellowship is not needed. To counter this, the fellowship might
need to focus on the unique needs of the college youths that are difficult to meet
through other church functions.
o

ADDITIONAL POINTS
 Training
o Training programs equip a fellowship’s members with the attitude, tools, and skills
necessary to serve the Lord.
 Interpreting
 Sermon speaking
 Bible study leading
 Choir
o Feel free to approach the local church for additional training support.
 Campus fellowships that are far from a church
o Since keeping the Sabbath is a commandment, it is important that these campus
fellowships include Sabbath worship services in their weekly schedule.
o The campus fellowship can also work with local families and members to establish
Sabbath services and distribute the holy work duties.
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APPENDIX A
For External Use
President



Leads and guides the
fellowship to meet its
objectives
Makes administrative
decisions regarding
different topics
Serves as the main
contact person of the
fellowship
Secretary



Supports the president in
administrative affairs
Keeps meeting minutes
Maintains fellowship
records
Treasurer




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Collects donations
Provides reimbursements
Maintains financial
accounts
Oversees fellowship
budget
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APPENDIX B
For Internal Use
A list of possible coordinator positions a campus fellowship should be aware of.
General
 Leads the fellowship
toward its common
goals
 Coordinates meetings
 Communicates
information to the
members
 Oversees general affairs
Activity
 Works with fellowship
members to brainstorm
ideas for activities
 Organizes and/or
delegates groups to
plan various fellowship
activities
Prayer
Praise
 Works with the members
to define the praise
session format
 Delegates leaders for
praise sessions
Scheduling
 Compiles a regular
fellowship meeting
schedule
 Incorporates any other
fellowship information
into the schedule
Financial
 Collects offerings
 Provides
reimbursements
 Maintains financial
information
 Gives regular financial
reports to the fellowship
Pastoral
 Focuses on the spiritual
edification and caring
of fellowship members
 Plans and organizes
activities that deal with
caring for the fellowship
Website
 Designs an external
and/or internal website
 Maintains the website
with the most current
fellowship information
Transportation
 Assigns drivers (may be
a driver as well)
 Considers the
transportation of all
fellowship members
 Sends out weekly
transportation updates
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

Organizes a prayer
network to share prayer
requests and updates
Arranges a time for
fellowship members to
pray on a regular basis
Page 13
Outreach
 Works with fellowship
members to brainstorm
ideas for outreach
efforts
 Oversees the planning
and implementation for
an evangelical activity
or event
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