Staying Connected in College

             "1 in every 3 of you will most likely stop going to church when you get to college," a man on stage told my high school. Growing up in the church I was constantly warned about falling away from my faith in college. Telling me only the strongest in faith would be able to survive (as if college was the Hunger Games).
           Don't get me wrong it's very easy to start letting things like church or your daily time with God slip away while in college, but don't let anyone fool you into thinking it's absolutely impossible to stay connected and grounded in your faith while there.


1. First things first, and that is to find a church.

      I'm very grateful for the Christian college I am at, since they instantly help to connect you to a handful of churches. While on a secular campus it can be slightly harder, but as long as you are willing to put in the work you can easily find a church community.
     You can start off by asking around, seeing where other fellow believers attend. Google it, I mean we have phones for a reason and if you go to maps and type in "Churches" they will pop up. Make a plan of it and actually go. Get a group of friends to try it out with you and go out to eat lunch afterwards, or get a ride with someone you already know who attends there.
   Lastly, remember that sometimes finding a church home takes time. You might not find the place you feel you fit best for a while, but that first semester of freshman year is the perfect time to just try everything out before settling somewhere.



2. After joining a church, if they have one, join their college ministry

      College ministry is where you're going to be able to connect with other likeminded students. Being invested in a college ministry means you have people speaking into your life about issues you face daily as a student. Also it can help you to get involved as most college ministries have things like bible studies, small groups, and college age events.



3. Join groups/bible studies on your campus

      Being at a Christian college there are bible studies galore to pick from and millions of ways to get invested. Find ones that peak your interest (even if you're the only person you know going) and start attending. Make sure though to not get invested in too many bible studies or christian groups though. It's easy for me to want to be apart of every group, but like my bible teacher said "it's better to be an inch wide and a mile deep, than a mile wide and an inch deep." Meaning it's better to be apart of a couple things and really invest yourself in them, than to be apart of everything but not really be invested in any of them.
    At a secular college this comes with a little bit of a hunt. Most college campuses have Christian clubs or organizations you can easily be apart of. Search for bible studies on campus or even start your own (grab a few friends and a bible and you are all set) or invite your friends over to your dorm or to the park for nights of singing worship songs. Sometimes you have to get creative with staying connected, but if you desire to deepen your intimacy with Christ through fellowship with others He will undoubtedly help you to find ways.



4. Spend your own intimate time with Christ

    Honestly the first few weeks of college are a whirlwind, I mean you're trying to find classes and figure out who to eat lunch with and how to get you're homework done... it's chaos. College is a lot, but on the other hand I've realized how much more free time I have in college than I did in high school. Learning to spend daily time with Christ is another thing you have to be really intentional about, just like with church you're parents aren't there anymore telling you to do it or reminding you. It's all you. Desiring to spend time with Christ is now something you have to really want.

    Find time. One thing I found that I found works for me is spreading my time with God throughout the day. If I have time in the mornings I'll read through a couple Psalms and meditate. Later during a break between classes I'll dig into the book of John, highlighting and looking up commentaries for that chapter. While working out at the gym I might spend some time listening to worship music or listening to one of my favorite sermon podcasts. Then I also love to read for a couple minutes before bed whatever Christian book peaks my interest at the time. This way I keep my mind focused on Christ throughout the day, refocusing my heart and mind on Him and also not feeling overwhelmed by trying to do it all at once.



    Let me say I am nowhere near to perfect. I don't always get my daily time with God in, I sometimes am not feeling like waking up early for church on Sundays, and I get connected into too many things and wind up feeling drained than energized and refreshed with God's presence. Staying connected in college is all up to you. It's about being intentional, going even when you don't feel motivated, and learned to discipline yourself to find time for God. Also remember to not just give up when you can't find a church right away or there doesn't seem to be any bible studies on campus, keep leaning on Christ and He will lead you to where He wants you to be.


- Rachel