Fuller Youth Institute devotes a section of its Web site to the topic of college transition. The 2007 article “You Make the Call: What college freshmen need to hear from their youth pastors” offers tips for following up with recent graduates. A few sample questions to ask:

• What challenges have you encountered since arriving at college?
• Who are your closest friends so far, and how did you meet?
• What do you usually do on the weekends?
• How have you found the spiritual scene on campus? What are the Christian groups like?
• What’s it been like to look for a church?
• How have you felt about your connection with God this semester?

Why your kids quit church

In the book Already Gone: Why your kids will quit church and what you can do to stop it, authors Ken Ham and Britt Beemer cite a study of 20-somethings who no longer attend church. The conclusion: Almost half of those who left the church did so before the college transition. This further emphasizes the importance of engaging students in the church long before they graduate. (Order from NextStep Resources at http://www.nsresources.com or 800-444-BOOK.)