It becomes clear that college students in New England are a substantial group living in the city of Boston each summer. College campuses in most other parts of the country see a huge exodus during the summer. But many of the students in Boston do not have their own transportation to get away from the city, and most of them work in order to cope with the cost of going to school in Boston. We try to take full advantage of this by providing opportunities to build relationships with the students.

Sojourn is blessed to partner with REUNION Christian Church in this journey. Students become connected with this additional group of awesome Christians whose witness and influence add another layer of modeling faith and life in Christ. We at Sojourn are able to be an active influence in the lives of students and see the transformation taking place in lives along this journey. Many come to faith in Christ and are hopefully encouraged and challenged by their relationship with both Sojourn and REUNION. It is amazing to see those who have yet to make a commitment to Christ take huge steps toward faith and make lifestyle changes as they begin to understand the call of Jesus in their lives. Our hope is that they will reinvest what they are learning and how they are being challenged into the lives of others they know.

Some stories:

One student grew up around Christian faith but never made a life commitment to Jesus. One of the community organizations we partner with as a part of our generosity ministry is the Quincy Street Missional Church in Dorchester, MA. Grant was a volunteer worker with Quincy Street and he met one of the guys connected with Sojourn. As a result, Grant started attending REUNION Christian Church and was recently baptized into Christ. Grant is an example of how the witness and influence of both Sojourn and REUNION, and their partnership in generosity with another organization in the city, all work together to lead individuals into a relationship with Jesus.

Another student, who has become part of a one-on-one discipleship/mentoring study, has made some life-changing decisions lately. REUNION and Sojourn just completed a three-week study on sexuality and after finishing the study, this student decided to make some major changes in his life. It is amazing to see how God's word challenges individuals to change, even before they make a total commitment to Him. This student is thinking long-term about things and how decision he makes now will effect the rest of his life.

Sojourn seeks to create safe spaces where students can wrestle through tough choices, ask difficult questions, and feel comfortable in coming back even if they receive hard answers to their questions. We recognize that we are each at different levels of understanding and commitment, so we work to provide multiple opportunities to connect and challenge each student. Every day affords many challenges and opportunities; and we are always humbled by the fact that God uses us, even in our weakest moments, to minister to the students around us.