Literally millions of students in this country are being neglected in gospel work. Further Education (FE) Colleges have for too long been the forgotten frontier of student ministry. Many Christians hardly know these students exist, or are oblivious to the spiritual needs of the colleges on their doorsteps.
The facts speak for themselves: in the last academic year 2.35 million students were enrolled at FE colleges in England alone. Yet there are only 139 Christian Unions that UCCF know of, most of which have 2-5 members. Admittedly, many areas of Christian ministry are desperately lacking in resources, but at present there are only a handful of workers dedicated to FE colleges. As Steph Bushell, a student at Merton College, south London said recently: 'FE colleges are full of lost people as well'.
Toni Coulton, co-ordinator of UCCF's work in FE Colleges, is keen for the church to catch the vision for FE - to see the wealth of opportunities, to pray, and to support Christian students who long to share the gospel in their college. Working with her are four others. They try to assist as many groups as possible and help start new groups, but with limited time and resources the focus is on working closely with a small number of institutions. 'Regular work with certain CUs highlights the fact that, given a bit more support, FE CUs can thrive', says Toni. 'It also makes us long to see the others supported in the same way.'
