Maybe you're wondering what your faith has to do with your education. Aren't academics and faith completely different things?

Not according to Christian college presidents.

One says, "Your faith is very much a part of your education. It's like putting water and oil into a bowl and blending them together. Some things—like faith and education—might seem on the surface to be separate and unrelated. But with the right kind of support and environment—like you find at a Christian college—those things can become one without diluting either of them."

Growing in your faith at college requires the same things it requires anywhere else. Typically, these things include:

Daily devotions. You'll want to read your Bible and pray every day, if possible. You might even keep a prayer journal to record things you've prayed for and how you've seen those prayers answered. You might also note important Bible verses or spiritual lessons you've learned in this journal too. And it's important to actually schedule your devotion time. You may think you can just have a quiet time when you find a spare moment. But you'll be so busy during college that those spare moments will be hard to find. Deliberately set aside a block of time each day for devotions.

Fellowship. You're probably involved in some kind of youth group in high school, and those meetings have helped you grow in your faith. The same thing will be true in college, so be sure to find some kind of a fellowship group. You might think, "I'll be at a Christian college, so I'll be hanging with Christians everywhere I go. Who needs fellowship on top of that?" You do. Hanging with Christians in a chemistry class, in the dorm or the cafeteria is not the same as Spirit-filled fellowship, where you're praising God and learning about him together.

Chapel and church. These overlap the "fellowship" category a little bit, but the big thing here is the idea of "corporate worship"—getting together with a bunch of believers of all ages, singing hymns and praise songs, praying as a congregation, hearing and responding to the message. You'll have the opportunity to attend campus chapel services one or more times a week, and to head to a local church on Sunday morning.

Small groups. While the "fellowship" and "church" categories apply to large groups, you'll also want to find some kind of small group for Bible study, prayer, accountability and just good old friendship. Where do you find a small group? Often, you can find one through the fellowship you join; ask one of the leaders to get you plugged in. You might find one at the local church you attend; ask the college leader for information. Or you and your friends can start one in the dorm.

Discipleship. You might want to find someone who can be your spiritual mentor, a person mature enough in their faith to help you mature in yours. This might be the campus chaplain, a prof, someone at church, an older student. It might be a one-on-one relationship, or perhaps you and a friend or two might find someone to disciple you as a group.

Service. You'll find ways to serve others while you're in college. A Christian college offers all sorts of service projects and missions opportunities. But don't just think about the "organized events" when you're looking for opportunities to serve. And don't just think that service needs to be extended to non-Christians. If you're a math whiz and your roommate is struggling with math, offer to be a tutor. That's service. If you were a state tennis champ and somebody down the hall wants to learn to play, give some free lessons. That's service. By keeping your eyes open, you'll find opportunities to serve every day.

Evangelism. What? At a Christian college? Yes. Many Christian colleges admit non-Christians, so there might just be a non-believer on your hall. But even if your campus is exclusively Christian, there's still a community around you. Get involved in the community, and always look for a chance to tell someone about the heavenly hope you have.

Chapel is essentially "college church." It's a church service held in your campus chapel, usually once a week, sometimes more. Chapel is "family experience" at the college, a regular time for all students and faculty to gather together to worship God. It's a pretty cool distinctive of the Christian college; you don't find anything like that on secular campuses.

One Christian college official told us, "Chapel is a vital part of the student life. It's a key to spiritual vitality on any Christian campus. It's not only good for the individual, it also builds a sense of community."

Not all chapel services are the same. At one service, you might hear someone's testimony. At another, a Bible message. At another, a worship band. You might see a video on world missions, or hear fellow students share a report on their service trip to Albania.

Often, you'll hear music and worship geared for and led by college students. Contemporary praise choruses are far more common than hymns, but many chapel services still include some of the great old classics.

Do you have to go to chapel? Many colleges require it. When chapel isn't required, many students unfortunately "blow it off." Resist that urge and get to chapel as often as you can. It's not only an important part of building "community," but a vital part of your spiritual growth.

At a Christian college, you might sometimes feel like you're "up to your ears" in fellowship. You might even find yourself thinking, I've already got chapel, dorm Bible study, prayer meetings, and a missions fellowship. Why plug into a local church too?

Well, here's how a few college students answered that question:

"It's the perfect opportunity to worship with people of all ages."

"I enjoy celebrating the Lord's Supper, and I've found a church that celebrates Communion every Sunday morning."

"I began working in a children's club on Wednesday nights, and discovered abilities and a love for children I never realized were there."

Here are a few more reasons for getting involved in a local church:

Corporate worship. Obviously, you'll have the opportunity to worship God in chapel services, but generally, chapel is not as geared toward worship as the local church. And the key word here is "corporate," as in the "whole body" of Christ. A local church, with people of all ages and backgrounds, is a more complete "cross-section" of the universal body of Christ than a college chapel Sunday school classes. In this setting, you'll have a chance not only to hear solid biblical teaching, but to discuss it as well. Discussion and occasional debate often make lessons more meaningful.

A "home away from home." If you're a long way from your family and old friends, a church near your college campus can play the role of an "extended family." Some churches near colleges even arrange "adoption" programs, where a local family invites a college student for occasional meals and outings.

A place to serve. A local church can serve you and meet your needs. But you can serve as well—by teaching a children's Sunday school class, singing in the choir, ushering, helping out on Clean-Up Day, and plenty of other ways. Ask the church how you might be able to serve.

Make church a part of your regular schedule. Plan on going, and know how you're going to get there in advance.

Even at a Christian college, your faith will likely be challenged—perhaps even more than at a secular school.

One Christian college president says, "Students at a Christian college sometimes think they can put their faith on hold for a few years. They don't work on developing their faith because they believe no one is judging them since everyone there is supposed to be a Christian. So it often takes more discipline on a Christian college campus to keep all of that in perspective and to continue growing in your faith."

Your faith will also be challenged through your academics. Another college president says, "A Christian college isn't about being in an isolated, sheltered, protected greenhouse kind of environment. Through your written assignments, readings and lectures, you will find yourself examining many views that directly challenge your Christian worldview. But you'll face that challenge with an advantage at a Christian college, where you can examine those questions with the support, guidance, love and care of faculty members who have examined those same issues and affirmed their Christian faith."

You might be surprised to find that even the professors at a Christian college will challenge your faith by planting questions in your mind. College profs want you to develop "critical thinking" skills—a means of looking at problems and solving them with reasoning, logic and deep thought, not just easy answers. So profs might occasionally challenge what you believe in order to keep you on your toes. A prof might begin a class one day by saying, "Suppose for a moment that Christianity is not true. Suppose that Jesus was not resurrected …" And he or she might go on to give you some pretty good arguments to support those suppositions.

You might think, "WHAT?!? I thought I was at a Christian college, and now this guy's trying to gun down my faith!" Nope, he's trying to strengthen your faith, by getting you to question your assumptions and find answers. Sometimes the best way to solidify your faith is to probe it, to question it, to address the doubts about it. You'll not only want to know what you believe, but why you believe it.

College is also a time when you really begin to take "ownership" of your faith. In other words, it won't just be something you grew up with, something "passed down" from your family or your church. Chances are, you'll even question your own beliefs. And this time of uncertainty can be scary. But out of these struggles, you'll develop a more solid faith that you can truly call your own.

"Be prepared to have your cherished opinions and ideas challenged," says one Christian college president. "You may find yourself questioning things you had just assumed to be true. You'll find that other people think differently on issues. That can be disconcerting."

Adds another college prez, "That's true. But keep in mind that a school wouldn't admit you unless it felt you could overcome the challenges you'll face."

Most Christian colleges offer a variety of ways to put your faith into action. There are service clubs on most campuses set up for just this purpose. Some of the more popular clubs at Christian colleges include community service and outreach ministry groups, like Habitat for Humanity. Christian colleges will give you plenty of opportunities to serve. And again: Don't just look for the "organized" methods of serving. You'll have opportunities every day to put your love into action—to your roommate, your R.A., your profs, almost anyone on campus. Your service isn't just designated for people off-campus, it's for your college family too.

Many colleges also provide opportunities for missions experiences, both domestic and international. You'll have opportunities in the surrounding community, and you'll have opportunities overseas. Most of the "study abroad" programs include service work and missions. That's part of the integration of faith and learning. You can go to another part of the world and study a culture, but the best way to really learn about a culture is to immerse yourself in it. And the best way to immerse yourself in it is to serve the people who live there.

Often, you'll receive college credits for service projects, especially in the "study abroad" programs. Ask the colleges you're considering what services and missions opportunities they offer, and whether they give credit for these programs.

As you can see, faith is very much a part of your college education. Your faith has the chance to stretch and grow as much during your years on campus as during any time in your life.

Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life's Ignite Your Faith magazine.
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