So what are you going to do when you graduate? That's a question you may grow to love or hate by the end of high school. I hope one of the cornerstone issues regarding your college choice is where you will best be prepared:
Some of the five areas listed above, can be accomplished in virtually any environment: secular college, Christian college, or going directly into a vocation. However, becoming prepared for service, ministry and life are so fundamental, they reach beyond our chosen career path and spill into the basic part of who we are. They are at the heart of our Christian walk and they are areas that can be directly and uniquely addressed in a Christian college environment. While there are certainly secular institutions where godly people can assist you in these areas, it’s clear that these vital areas are not a fundamental part of the education and environment at the local community college or state university.
We may be able to place certain areas of our lives into individual "compartments" in order to focus on a particular task for a specific time. However, the spiritual aspect of who we are and who we've been created to be, cannot be placed aside, not even for a short period of time. One can’t be in an environment for four years and put his/her faith in a box…not have it challenged - negatively or positively. We are, at the very core of our personhood, spiritual beings. “Ministry” can look very different for you than it does for your best friend, your parents or your siblings. “Ministry” is about a daily response to God's plan and purpose. To borrow a phrase from Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby, it's a matter of joining God in His work.
Four years. That sounds like a long commitment. However, each year of your life that passes will likely demonstrate the tremendous impact that the four years you spent in college will have on the rest of your life. Will your college choice help you be prepared for the most significant areas and decisions of your life? Be prepared, God has a plan!
Thom Seagren
The Christian Connector, Inc.
Christian College Grad, Class of 1987