Finding the school that's just right for your college-bound child is never easy. So many factors and so many possibilities! For many families, the "Christian college option" is the best fit for their goals for higher education. Listen in as five parents explain why they're passionate about an education that's distinctively Christian.

Debbie Ford Gourley is a homemaker and entrepreneur in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Craig, and their three children. In addition to running the Gourley household, Debbie operates an interior design business from her home. Craig Gourley is physician in the Charlotte area. Graham is the oldest of the three Gourly children, and he is currently a junior at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

As the three of us conducted Graham's college search, we looked into both Christian and secular schools. The more we looked, the more our son became convinced that he wanted his education filtered through a Christian worldview. He was really bothered by the way some public universities demonstrated an anti-Christian bias. We were impressed by how passionate Graham felt about this, and let him know we supported his educational decision.

To be honest, I was surprised when Graham decided to visit Baylor. While the school has an excellent academic reputation, I felt some uncertainty because of its ties to the Baptist tradition. We're not Baptist and I wondered if that particular denominational emphasis would seen too foreign to our son. As I stood in a parking lot on Baylor's campus on a dreary, overcast day, I prayed that something good would come out of our visit there. God answered my prayer.

The school's Christian atmosphere and emphasis really impressed us. In fact, the first night of our visit was the annual University Sing, a long-standing tradition at Baylor where fraternities and sororities present elaborate stage performances. Along with enjoying the event, my son was deeply moved when a frat guy got up and sang a hymn. In Graham's mind, this would never happen at a secular school. When the Baylor student finished singing, my son turned to me and whispered, "This is where I want to go."

We're glad our son ended up at Baylor. More than that, we're very pleased that he's approaching his studies from a Christian worldview.

Winston and Candyce Titus live in Devil's Lake, North Dakota, where Winston is a minister in the Assemblies of God church. Candyce is the office manager for the Lakewood Park Bible Camp. The Titus' three oldest children are graduates of Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, and their youngest daughter, Brittany, is currently enrolled as a freshman at Trinity Bible College in Ellendale, North Dakota.

As parents help their kids decide where to go to college, they need to look beyond their children's ability to earn a good living. They need to look for that place where their son or daughter will build the best foundation for life and faith. Candyce and I believe that place is a Christian college.

A Christian school is not a utopia. But it is a place that offers two things a public school simply cannot. First, it offers a Christ-centered educational experience. Second, the Christian men and woman on these campuses desire to help young people apply Christian principles to difficult issues and personal struggles.

No, a Christian college isn't perfect. It's simply a place where imperfect people come together to learn and try to live out true Christian values. And frankly, I can't think of a better place to send my children.

Eddie Johnston lives in Newark, Delaware, with his wife Robin. Eddie is the health and environmental affairs manager with DuPont and Robin works as a counselor. All three of their children have attended Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania, and the youngest, Anna, will graduate from there this year.

When our oldest son, Nathan, started looking at colleges, Robin and I joined him in his search. As committed Christians, we wanted his education framed within the context of Christian values. We also thought a Christian campus would be the right size for our son. We felt Nathan wouldn't get lost in the crowd there, and hopefully his professors would know him personally and not just as a name on a roll with two hundred others.

One Christian school we took a very close look at was Messiah College. With a strong academic reputation, Messiah also offered a solid liberal arts program that interested Nathan. Locally, Messiah grads have always been known for both the quality of their education and for the high character with which they conduct themselves. It didn't take long for Nathan to decide Messiah was the right school for him. His positive experiences at Messiah encouraged his younger brother, Michael, and our youngest child, Anna, to follow in his footsteps.

My advice to parents as they help their children with the college choice: Be sure you look for a school that fits your child's academic and spiritual needs. Keep searching until you find an institution with both the values you are looking for and the academic requirements that fit your child's vocational goals.

Kathy Dean and her husband, Chuck, live in Daphne, Alabama, a suburb of Mobile. Kathy is the Public Relations Director for the University of Mobile, and Chuck is the network systems administrator for a local utility company. Their daughter, Megan, is a freshman enrolled at the University of Mobile. Kathy brings an interesting perspective for potential parents because she works at the University of Mobile and has an insider's view of life at a Christian college.

My husband and I knew that college would be our daughter's first opportunity to make choices without her dad and me standing over her. We also knew that she'd be making many decisions that would affect the rest of her life, like what career path to choose or possibly whom to marry. We wanted Megan to be able to wrestle with important decisions in the context of a university where Christian values are taught and encouraged. And while she had other options, we were glad she chose the University of Mobile.

At a small Christian college like Mobile, Megan has many opportunities to interact with professors and other faculty members. In this kind of setting, she's less likely to "fall through the cracks." And while no school is perfect, a Christian college provides a lot of positive peer pressure. Whether in the classroom or in the dorm, she's around many people who influence her life and her decisions in healthy, Christ-centered ways.

As you think about your own child's college choice, I encourage you to plan visits to some Christian schools. Talk to professors and students, and talk to alumni about the quality of a Christian education. You and your child will have to decide for yourselves if a Christian education is the best option. As for my husband and me, all we have to do is listen to our daughter's non-stop chatter about her college experience. The excitement in her voice shows she's in the right place.

Kim and Rhonda Carver recently moved to Evergreen, Colorado, from Dallas, Texas. Kim and Rhonda met at their alma mater, Abilene Christian University. Rhonda is a homemaker and Kim is a Financial Services Manager with Primerica. Both of their children, Matt and Mandy, are currently enrolled at nearby Colorado Christian University.

When Rhonda and I first started looking at colleges with Matt, we really wanted him to attend a Christian university. Of course, academic standards of any institution were important in choosing the right college. But we knew that the school we sent our kids to would educate their hearts as well. Only a Christian college would allow them to grow in a strong Christian community with values similar to those they've learned at home. As we searched, Colorado Christian really impressed us. We liked that fact that it was an interdenominational school where students from various denominational backgrounds came together to learn about the Christian faith. We also appreciated the freedom the school offered students to explore their beliefs in the context of a Christian environment.

At a Christian school, I know our children will build a strong spiritual foundation that will serve them well in the real world. In fact, I thoroughly believe that future employers are looking for more than book knowledge and career skills. When I interview prospective employees, I probe to see if they have strong people skills and personal character. In the long run, that's what really counts. Just about any school can teach you to do a certain job. But a Christian school is the place that seeks to nurture those jobs skills in the context of Christian compassion, morality and integrity.

Copyright © 2005 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine.
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