Where are you going to college next fall?" During our senior year of high school, my friends and I answered that question more times than we could count. Many of my friends were going to well-known state universities or local colleges, so when they answered that big question, they'd get understanding nods and smiles in return. My story was a little different.

I'd decided on Hannibal-LaGrange College, a Christian liberal arts college in rural Missouri. When I told people, I'd very often get: "Why there?" For me, the answer was simple: I wanted to immerse myself in a Christian environment.

I didn't grow up in a Christian home. Sure, we occasionally went to church, but in the winter of my junior year, I found out what being a Christian really meant when a friend invited me to a Christian youth gathering. That night I gave my heart and life to Jesus. At first, I didn't really understand what it meant; I wasn't sure what the difference in my daily life should be. After studying the Bible, talking with Christian adults and praying a whole lot, I realized God wanted to be involved in every part of my life. For me, I felt that included my plans after high school.

All of a sudden, my future goals took a whole new direction. Before this, my love for travel and foreign language led me to consider joining the military to see the world. But after I found Christ, I felt God calling me to focus on growing both academically and spiritually. Because I'd never lived in a Christian environment, I looked forward to a Christian college giving me support, accountability and a fuller understanding of faith.

What I didn't know was exactly what that community of believers would look like. I asked myself, "What am I looking for, specifically, in a Christian school?" Here are three of the most important things I searched for—and found:

Coming from a small high school, I always wanted to attend a college where I could know most of my fellow students. But this desire for community was especially important for me when I looked at Christian schools. I wanted a place where I could be part of a close, loving family of believers who I could both learn with and learn from.

I really feel like I found that sense of community at Hannibal-LaGrange. On Sunday mornings, when I often wanted to sleep in instead of going to church, my roommate gave me extra motivation (or lots of poking and noisy reminders) to go in spite of being sleepy. When I had questions or wanted to learn more about something, I didn't have to wait until a professor's office hours or class time on Monday. My friends and I hashed out all kinds of things together—from complicated theological concepts to the proper pronunciation of difficult Old Testament names. A lot of my college learning was done at all hours of the day or night in the dorm lobby or sitting out in the grass with friends. I learned so much simply by listening to other perspectives and taking in new experiences.

When difficult times came, my faithful friends were always there to pray for me and give me sound, godly advice. I came to realize how valuable it is to be around people who share the same values and priorities. In fact, I'm still close to many of those friends, even though we live far from one another.

Being around so many strong, committed Christians also challenged me in a way I didn't expect and probably wouldn't have found anywhere but a close-knit Christian college. My Christian friends helped strengthen my new faith not only by what they said to me but also by the way they just lived their lives. By watching them and following their example, I learned to pray, make time for daily personal devotions and witness to other people. Most of all, I began to understand how being a Christian carried into my daily life.

I knew early in my college search that God had put on my heart to learn about him by doing—a kind of spiritual on-the-job training. I wanted to find a college where students and staff were urged to participate in ministry to the community and beyond. I knew how strongly service can grow one's faith and I wanted to find opportunities to do it but also professors and friends who would learn with me and encourage me to stay active.

So when I got on campus, I checked out several campus clubs. What I discovered surprised me. Not only did these groups encourage off-campus ministry, most actually required members to do some type of community service. In fact, this was a requirement in several of my classes, too.

By the spring of my freshman year, I had already taken a campus leadership role by organizing Spring Break mission trips. That first year, our student team helped build a Habitat for Humanity house for a family in Alexandria, Louisiana. When we met the mother and two children who would receive the house, I was overwhelmed with the feeling that God has a purpose for each and every person, and that he had used me in some small way to provide a home for that needy family. From the experience, I not only discovered how God was at work in my life, but I also learned so much about God's concern and love for all people. These were real-life lessons I couldn't have learned simply by sitting in a classroom. I continued organizing and participating in missions trips all four years of college and gained a lot of valuable experience in organizing and leading people. Most of all, I saw firsthand God working in the lives of both those being served and those doing the serving.

I really believe a miracle took place in my life during my college years. I left Hannibal-LaGrange a different person than when I arrived. While I learned a lot outside the classroom just by living with other Christians, the most obvious change came in my basic knowledge of the Bible and Christian doctrine. Not growing up in a Christian home, I knew during my search I needed a school that offered foundational classes in the Old and New Testament.

By the time I graduated, I understood more of God's Word than ever before. I was incredibly motivated by the chance to learn more about my faith. And these classes didn't just teach me important information; they helped me know how to continue the learning. I could now analyze God's Word and discover its meaning for me. It was a lot like learning to fish instead of just being given a fish to eat.

Of course, a lot of the credit for making me so motivated to learn goes to my Christian college professors. When I first started attending classes, I was amazed that my professors prayed before class began, and some even took class time for individual prayer requests. It's both encouraging and comforting to know my professors saw me as more than another faceless grade in a grade book. They saw me as a real person who needed and wanted their prayers. And several of my professors became caring friends and mentors. I was a guest in the home of several of my professors over the years, and even did some babysitting. Being able to build Christ-based relationships with them helped me learn more from my professors both inside and outside the classroom. Even now, I keep in contact with my former professors because they were such an important part of my life in college.

These professors and other students helped me realize college is about more than stuffing your head full of knowledge; I was also sharpened and refined into who God wanted me to be.

Copyright © 2004 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

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