This past Sunday, I had the joy and privilege of becoming an associate member at a small local church near the town where I go to school.
Standing before the congregation was a very sweet moment. I recalled a conversation I had with one of the deacons a few weeks prior: he impressed upon me the blessing of having so many college students at his church. I wondered how this could make such an impact on him that he felt the need to tell me personally. What do college students truly have to offer to a local church?
College is often an impactful time in a person’s faith. For those who did not grow up in a Christian home or had no prior exposure to the Gospel, college could create the opportunity in which they meet someone or hear something that leads them to that life-changing message. For those who already profess the Christian faith, college is a time to grow and strengthen what is already there – and to ultimately cultivate a faith of one’s own.
But there is also a strong temptation to neglect faith during college. Especially if the supports and accountability that have surrounded the young Christian his or her entire life are suddenly kicked out from underneath them overnight, neglect seems enticing. For some, this neglect might take the form of blatant rebellion, but for most it creeps up, slow and subtle.
The greatest way to fight such slippage during college is to become committed to and involved in a local church.
When I first entered Grove City, I naturally entered the period often called “church-shopping.” Growing up in the same church my entire life, the idea and experience of “church-shopping” was completely new to me.
I did not anticipate how much I would hate it; it felt wrong to be critical and on-guard every Sunday morning. I knew I had to maintain high standards, but nitpicking every detail−from the worship style to the pastor’s mannerisms to how many people introduced themselves to me−struck me as extremely petty and consumeristic. By the end of my first semester, I made up my mind to stop “shopping” and make a commitment. At a speed which shocked me, my discouragement faded, and I fell in love with the little Pennsylvania church I’d chosen to join.
Sadly, a lot of students do not make it out of the “shopping” stage. If they do not feel a pressing need to commit, something to dislike or improve upon will always nag them. No church is perfect, and it is pretty easy to find the cracks in a church if imperfection is all you seek during a weekly service. Why commit to the church, anyway?
In Ephesians 4:11-13, Paul writes, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God…” The church is the body of Christ, and we are the members that make up that body. We submit to Christ by submitting to the leadership that he has instituted for the church body, and we hear his Word through attending to the Word preached each Lord’s day. As Paul notes, Christians are all called to various forms of ministry. We need people to equip us, to guide us, and to teach us so that we might work for Christ and “attain to the unity of the faith.” The shepherding of pastors and elders guides us. One of the functions of the church, then, is to teach and build up in preparation for one’s ministry and calling.
What sets the church apart from other places of learning, however, is that people do not only come to church to be instructed and led by those above them. Each member of Christ’s body also has a duty to identify his or her gifts and use them in service and enrichment of other members. The church, then, is also a place to encourage and bless others. It is a place to give what you have.
Often, we have more to give during college and our twenties than during any other phase of life. We can make countless excuses about homework and extracurriculars, but when else will we have such access to time, freedom, and energy? Few of us have family duties and full-time jobs while at college – we have more time than we think.
College students can also serve by example. Seeing a college student committed to worship and hearing the Word can cause quite an impact on the heart of younger congregants. For children forced to attend church by their parents, seeing someone only a few years older than them gladly going to church by choice can be very encouraging.
Paul stresses that we are members of one body. We all have a part to play and a task to fulfill. If we truly are members of Christ’s body, we cannot be continually coming and going when we please, hoping the body will function fine without us. We should not miss the blessing of being a member, either. Daily tending to a body requires care and nourishment, living as a member of Christ’s body means that you are looked after and cared for−prayed over and blessed.
In Hebrews 10:24-25, the author writes, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” The day is indeed drawing near, and we must be ready at its coming; so, do not neglect meeting together. And do not warp such meeting by continually “church-shopping.”
Find a godly church and stick with it. It will not be perfect, but neither are we.
