Student Sunday
When | Sunday 4th October
Where | Your Church!
What is Student Sunday?
On October 4th 2026, Student Sunday will take place across the island! It's a chance for churches across Ireland to celebrate the students in their midst and to pray for them as they head out to share the good news of Jesus on their campuses!
We want to invite you and churches across Ireland to celebrate and support students in their important mission: giving every student a chance to hear and respond to the good news of Jesus. Here are three reasons we hope you join in!
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In many churches, most people don’t know who is going to college or who is already there. Student Sunday gives churches a chance to meet and hear from these students! It also lets students share what God is doing in their lives, in their CU, and in the lives of their friends who don’t believe yet.
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At University, many young people decide for themselves what they believe, and this can go in different directions. Some will leave behind a childhood faith, while others will meet Jesus for the first time. Both of these situations need our prayers! In this issue, we’ve already looked at students like Lucy or Laura, who’ve found faith at university. Of course, stories like this are so exciting when we hear about them!
But they don’t happen without people praying. Student Sunday is a great time to pray for students, and as in past years, we’ll also release a short devotional series that churches can use or share during this season.
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Starting student life can be harder than people admit. Many young people get through tough school years hoping university will be different and that they’ll finally find their community. When that doesn’t happen right away, the disappointment can be deep. October especially sees a rise in student dropouts and, sadly, suicides.
Churches can help with this. Even something as simple as a student lunch, whether held at the church or in someone’s home, can give a struggling student what they need most: a table, a welcome, and the feeling that they are not alone!
What would it look like for my church to host Student Sunday?
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. It could be as simple as carving out a moment in your service to pray for the students in your congregation or hosting a lunch where they can share what God is doing through their CU. Whatever your context, it’s a chance to remind your students that their church is behind them!
If you need inspiration or support, we offer resources to help churches run Student Sunday!