Enewsletter Feature

How to Choose a College ... and Keep Your Faith

webteam@intervarsity.org — Sun, 11 Feb 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Gordon Govier

How to Choose a College ... and Keep Your Faith

1) Choosing a College

With more than 4,000 colleges and universities available in the United States, choosing a college is a daunting task for the graduating high school student. And considering that choices made in college shape the trajectory of the rest of your life, its significance can’t be underestimated.

Of course every one of those 4,000 institutions successfully educates hundreds to thousands of people every year. And there are a number of places that will rate schools for you. Truth be told, the effort that you put into college matters more than the institution that you choose to attend. But still, you’re looking for a good fit for you. So where do you start?

Websites that offer advice on how to pick a college recommend considering your anticipated major, as well as climate and proximity to your home. Financial issues weigh heavily; Consumer Reports has "Ten Questions Every Family Should Discuss."

What Do College's Want? Great advice in this article at the Washington Post.
A College Reality Check is offered by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
A College Scorecard is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
College Navigator is a service of the National Center for Education Statistics.
A campus visit can help with your decision.
The Best Colleges website offers a variety of perspectives to help narrow the choice.

Then, of course, there's the campus tour. It's good to evaluate and compare in person. Or is it? This New York Times article suggests skipping the tour and relying on an "experience surrogate." The Chronicle of Higher Education has a report: "The 7 Things Students Think About When Choosing a College."

For many students the decision comes down to a choice between a larger (and less expensive) state college and a smaller (more expensive) private school. In some cases the financial aids from the private school might shrink the cost difference and the student is left with the question, “Which will be better for my career, and for my faith?” You may ask, as an ��ñ�� staff member asked, "Does God Care What College You Attend?"

It appears counter-intuitive, but some research shows that Christian colleges and universities may not necessarily be the most faith-friendly choice. This is not to denigrate the quality of education provided by the members of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, or other Christian schools. It may well be that in your case, one of these schools can provide the best opportunity for you to pursue God’s will for on your life.

However, an article in the The Chronicle Review, published by the Chronicle of Higher Education, states that attending college as a member of an evangelical minority group tends to strengthen the faith of a student. Whereas attending a Bible college or religious school, where almost everyone believes the same religious teachings, is not always the healthiest faith environment.

“Homogeneity contributes to a more lenient attitude among Christian students,” author Edward Dutton stated, summarizing his study of Christian students in the Netherlands. Dutton contrasted his research with the work of Phillip E. Hammond and James Davison Hunter. “Their survey found that Christian students who attend Ivy League and other respected institutions tend to leave more fervently evangelical than when they began college,” he wrote. “Such universities tend to challenge students’ faith, prompting them to [activities which] preserve their sense of who they are.”

Here's a Christianity Today report on a study in Christian Higher Education that also "shows how common it is for students at evangelical colleges and universities to struggle with their faith."

After choosing a college, of course, there's also the whole issue of choosing a major. Nathan Gebharad offered some tips on that in an article in the New York Times.

God does care which college you attend but not necessarily in the way that you think. And, or course, which major and career you choose. That’s why prayer is a critical part of the process. Inform yourself as well as you can but also pray for God’s guidance.

2) Keeping Your Faith on Campus

You may be aware of surveys which appear to show that large percentages of Christians who profess faith in high school leave the practice of their faith by the time they graduate from college. Or you may have seen a movie or read an article that suggests Christians face a hostile environment on many college campuses. Most campuses aren't quite as depicted in one movie or one article but there are a whole range of challenges a Christian will face on campus, as ��ñ�� vice president Greg Jao explained in interviews with Mission Network News and CBN News.

How you respond to the challenges on campus will determine whether your faith will grow along with your knowledge in the other areas that you study. New students are often overwhelmed by the choices and options on campus as well as a desire to get the most out of their college experience. At the same time, no one else has the responsibility of nurturing your faith but you. Greg suggests three priorities that help a Christian thrive on campus:

Learn to study Scripture – Find a group like ��ñ��, where you can learn together with others.
Develop community – Get to know fellow believers who will support you but also challenge you, and may become lifelong friends
Engage your studies from a Christian viewpoint – Every major, every class, is in some way focused on the world that God created.

Christians shouldn’t fear the big state university, if that’s where you enroll. In his book Faith At State (��ñ�� Press), Rick Kennedy describes the big state university as more like a small town than a big city. His advice to Christian students is to seek out a campus fellowship group and a local church.

Become a citizen, not just a consumer. Get involved with the life of the campus. Look for ways that God is at work on campus because He is there. Ask God daily, “How can I partner with you today?” This is good advice no matter which school you attend.

In another campus guidebook for Christians, The First 4 Years Are The Hardest (��ñ�� Press), Michael Pountney advises students, “The basic props of any Christian life are fellowship and the Daily Quiet Time.” The Quiet Time is prayer and Bible study, the tools that Christians have always used to stay connected to God and his mission.

��ñ��’s new president, Tom Lin, makes many of the same points in his article, “Building a Firm Foundation” on ��ñ��’s website. If you do well in these areas in college, you will be equipped to live out your faith in college and beyond.

3) Preparing for College

Your first 72 hours on campus are the most important hours of your college career.The choices you make in terms of friends, peer groups, and using your free time will heavily determine how well you will navigate your college course. You and your parents may want to consider ahead of time how to prepare for those 72 hours by focusing on the social, spiritual, financial, academic, and time-management issues that you will face in college. Today, with the internet and social media, it’s easy to find other Christians when you’re new on campus or even before your arrival. Here are some additional resources.

College Church Connection offers a way to find out about campus Christian communities before you arrive on campus. There's a small fee for the personal survey and research involved, but the information provided can be very helpful.
The College Transition Initiative of the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding has a college prep seminar and a lot of additional resources. In an interview with ��ñ��’s Mike Hickerson on the Emerging Scholars blog, Initiative director Derek Melleby offered four questions that every college bound student should ask. One of the four is, “With whom will you surround yourself?” (Derek has a book, Make College Count.)

��ñ�� is on Many Campuses

Part of the answer to the question of who you surround yourself with relates to the kind of Christian community available to college students. ��ñ�� Christian Fellowship has more than 1,000 chapters on more than 600 campuses. Those numbers include more than 100 chapters at the schools on the U.S. News and World Report list of the top 25 colleges but there are also chapters on community college campuses. Click on the map to access contact information for ��ñ�� staff on campuses you may be considering. For another perspective on ��ñ��’s ministry on campus, check out this story by CBN News.

��ñ�� chapters provide much more than fellowship. They give you opportunities to grow your faith and challenge you with ways to respond to God’s call to serve him no matter what your chosen field. They will also often help connect you with Christian faculty. No matter where you are studying, you can take advantage of such ��ñ�� resources as ��ñ�� Press and the triennial Urbana Student Missions Conference.

These posts on the ��ñ�� blog by Steven Grahmann (Your Faith Can't Survive College) and Mike Hickerson (Is There Hope for the College-Bound Student?) offer helpful insight. For some additional reading to help you prepare for the transition, here are three books about college and one book about discerning God’s guidance:

In the end, you decide. But you don’t have to decide by yourself. The advice of these counselors and others may help you, and God invites you to ask him to guide you. Whatever choice you make, God is there ahead of you. Plan to meet him there.

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��ñ�� in the News - Racial Reconciliation

webteam@intervarsity.org — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 05:00:00 +0000

News

��ñ�� in the News - Racial Reconciliation

Earlier this spring ��ñ��’s commitment to racial reconciliation was examined by Jason Byassee, writing for the Faith and Leadership blog of Duke University’s Divinity School. Here’s the story.

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Price of Life Invitational - Report from Ohio State University

webteam@intervarsity.org — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 05:00:00 +0000

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Price of Life Invitational - Report from Ohio State University

OSU Price of Life Invitational from ��ñ��-twentyonehundred on Vimeo.

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Studying ��ñ��'s Doctrinal Basis

webteam@intervarsity.org — Mon, 17 May 2010 05:00:00 +0000

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Studying ��ñ��'s Doctrinal Basis

All Scripture is God breathed and is profitable for doctrine … so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

A Fresh Approach
��ñ�� staff member Thomas L. Trevethan has written a seven-part study guide for reflecting on ��ñ��’s Doctrinal Basis. In this guide, Tom invites us to read the Basis as a succinct summary of the essential truths disclosed in the Bible and to “deepen [our] understanding of the revelation of God by exploring it in the context of selected passages of Scripture.”

Study of the Doctrinal Basis will help us understand God’s vision for our life and help us set a pattern of behavior that will please the Lord, advance the kingdom of God, and bless our entire life.

The individual studies in the study guide are not addressed to each sentence in the Basis but to those statements that seemed both most basic and contested.

These are the truths that are most apt to be squeezed out of us in the spiritually hostile environment of the contemporary university. They are also what we take to be the most foundational issues, the perennial issues, for understanding and growing in Christian faith. These are the truths that have fired the zeal of faithful believers through the ages. These are the truths that ordinary men and women have confessed as they followed their Lord in suffering service and even martyrdom. These are the truths that have been the vehicle of revival and renewal in many cultures over many years. These are the first and the eternal things.

The first study guide examines John 14 and the doctrine of God as triune. Tom asks us to notice distinctive truths within the narrative, and then he asks a series of questions, such as, “How does Jesus relate love and obedience?” that stimulate our reflection and discussion within a small group. Subsequent chapters offer Bible studies about the nature of Jesus as fully human and fully divine, the meaning of the cross, Justification through Jesus Christ alone, and our eternal destiny.

Within the guides, each passage of Scripture is given a doctrinal truth and application to life. Tom urges those who use the study guide to linger on the applications, reflecting on their significance in our personal lives. Evading the applications of biblical truths, says Tom, “has given doctrinal teaching a bad name. . . .”

Finally, each study guide concludes with suggestion for further reading.

Though these studies were originally produced for the benefit of ��ñ�� staff and students, we offer them to you as an encouragement to your own spiritual development. We pray that you will find them as edifying and inspiring as we do.

To access Faith, Vision, and the Glory of God: Seven discussion guides for Bible study, based on the ��ñ�� Doctrinal Basis in a PDF format, please visit http://www.intervarsity.org/…/Seven_discussion_guides_for_Bible_study.pdf.

��ñ�� shares the gospel of Jesus Christ with students and faculty of every ethnicity across the United States, trains them in mature Christian discipleship, and prepares them for world-changing, servant leadership in the world. Through our participation in the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, we help students and faculty in other nations know Christ and grow in his grace.

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Reconnecting with ��ñ�� at your Alma Mater

webteam@intervarsity.org — Mon, 17 May 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Reconnecting with ��ñ�� at your Alma Mater

As a subscriber to ��ñ��’s monthly eNewsletter, you’re receiving the latest information about ��ñ��. We want to let you know that we are improving our monthly communications by working through ��ñ��’s alumni department, so you can receive information about the work on a campus you may be most interested in.

If you were involved in ��ñ�� and haven’t notified us of your alma mater, you can do so by going to http://www.intervarsity.org/alumni/alumni-feedback.php.

If you were not involved in ��ñ�� as a student but want to keep receiving this eNewsletter, you don’t have to do anything.

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Alec's Top Ten Booklist

webteam@intervarsity.org — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

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Alec Hill

Alec's Top Ten Booklist

Each spring, I have the joy of sharing my favorite books from the past twelve months. This year's list is arranged in order of preference.

1. Deep Church by Jim Belcher (��ñ�� Press, 2009) This is one of the best books I’ve read in the past decade. A first-time author dissects divisions within the American church and proposes a constructive way forward.

2. The Life and Times of Cotton Mather by Kenneth Silverman (Harper and Row, 1984) For over a year, this biography gathered dust in the corner of my bedroom. Frankly, reading a thick tome about a 17th century Puritan minister just didn’t seem very exciting. How wrong I was! This is a powerhouse account about a larger-than-life figure. Mather was a leading minister of his day, author of more than 400 books, the first American member of the British Royal Society of Science, a provider of the theological justification for the Salem witch trials, and deeply insecure despite all his accomplishments. He buried 13 of his 15 children and two wives of his three wives (and the last one may have been mentally ill).

3. The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal by David McCullough (Simon and Schuster, 1977) Before McCullough became famous for writing books like _John Adams, 1776,_ and _Truman,_ he penned this marvelous forty-year history of the Panama Canal. From the dreams — and disastrous — failures of the French to the bullying of the Theodore Roosevelt administration, the account reads better than many novels. One of the most interesting characters is Bill Gorgas, the doctor who eradicated yellow fever and malaria in Panama. A devout Christian, he regarded his medical calling to be a sacred trust.

4. The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa and Asia – and How It Died by Philip Jenkins (Harper, 2008) I simply could not put this book down. Jenkins follows up on his brilliant 2002 work, The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity, with an equally compelling volume. Ever wonder where those churches currently under attack in Iraq came from? Ever wonder why the Christian church all but died in so many Moslem nations? Ever wonder what happened to those church communities that were anathematized by the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D.? Jenkins answers these questions and more.

5. The Haunted Land: Facing Europe’s Ghosts After Communism by Tina Rosenberg (Vintage Books, 1995) Written shortly after the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia, Poland, and East Germany, the author describes scores of "villains" and "victims" from the former Soviet empire. Moral issues become clouded as villains tell their side of the story and victims turn out to be less virtuous than initially thought. A fascinating account of coming to grips with secrets, betrayal, truth, justice, and forgiveness.

6. Tyndale Commentary Series on 1 and 2 Samuel by Joyce Baldwin (��ñ�� Press, 2009) Page for page, this is a hard-to-beat series. Fabulous theologians writing to lay people like me. Uniformly excellent. In addition to 1 and 2 Samuel, I also read volumes on Judges and Ruth, 1 and 2 Kings, Job, Matthew, and John this year.

7. Africa Bible Commentary edited by Tokunboh Adeyemo (Zondervan, 2006) Every morning, I read this commentary in tandem with a Tyndale volume (see #6 above). Various African theologians exegete biblical texts. An absolute treat. In recent months, for example, I have been enjoying reading Musa Gotom of Nigeria and Isabel Apawo Phiri of Malawi.

8. Josephus: The Complete Works by Flavius Josephus (Thomas Nelson, 1998) Ok. This is an awfully nerdy choice. I mean — who actually sits down and reads Josephus? I have read around him virtually my whole adult life and finally decided to take the plunge. I have been pleasantly surprised by the readability of his Antiquities of the Jews and War of the Jews.

9. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (Norton, 1962) I realize that this novel must look horribly out of place vis-à-vis the other works on my list. I have never seen the movie — and don’t intend to — but the novel is riveting, a virtual primer on original sin. Burgess creates an absolutely irredeemable character and then gives hope of his redemption. Not for the faint of heart.

10. How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In by Jim Collins (HarperCollins, 2009) The only leadership book on the list. From his past writings (e.g. Good to Great), I get the feeling that Collins — who I don’t think is a believer — taps deeply into common grace. Some of his chapter titles could be taken straight from Scripture: "Grasping for salvation," "Undisciplined pursuit of more" and "Hubris born of success." In parts, the book reads like Proverbs revisited: pride comes before a fall; don’t be greedy; be disciplined, honest, loyal, humble, and persistent.

_Alec Hill is the president of ��ñ�� Christian Fellowship_

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Urbana 09 in the News

webteam@intervarsity.org — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 06:00:00 +0000

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Urbana 09 in the News

From CBN News to radio networks, to online news services, to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Urbana 09 was well-covered by a great variety of media. We have archived some of the links to those media here.

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Urbana Behind the Scenes

webteam@intervarsity.org — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Urbana Behind the Scenes

Urbana 09 Behind the Scenes Tour from twentyonehundred productions on Vimeo.

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��ñ�� in the News - Drake University

webteam@intervarsity.org — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:00:00 +0000

��ñ�� in the News - Drake University

We compile at least one staff profile every month for www.intervarsity.org. That doesn’t begin to plumb the depths of all of the dynamic staff stories that can be found in our ranks. We like to see campus newspapers profile our staff, which happened recently at the Times-Delphic at Drake University in Des Moines.

More exciting stories about ��ñ��’s work on campus can be found at ��ñ�� in the News at our online Press Room.

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��ñ�� in the News - Buffalo NY

webteam@intervarsity.org — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

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��ñ�� in the News - Buffalo NY

The assistant news editor of The Spectrum, at the University at Buffalo, wrote a column to share how ��ñ�� has enriched her collegiate lifestyle. Read the story here.

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How to Choose a College ... and Keep Your Faith

How to Choose a College ... and Keep Your Faith

1) Choosing a College

2) Keeping Your Faith on Campus

3) Preparing for College

��ñ���� in the News - Racial Reconciliation

��ñ���� in the News - Racial Reconciliation

Price of Life Invitational - Report from Ohio State University

Price of Life Invitational - Report from Ohio State University

Studying ��ñ����'s Doctrinal Basis

Studying ��ñ����'s Doctrinal Basis

Reconnecting with ��ñ���� at your Alma Mater

Reconnecting with ��ñ���� at your Alma Mater

Alec's Top Ten Booklist

Alec's Top Ten Booklist

Urbana 09 in the News

Urbana 09 in the News

Urbana Behind the Scenes

Urbana Behind the Scenes

��ñ���� in the News - Drake University

��ñ���� in the News - Drake University

��ñ���� in the News - Buffalo NY

��ñ���� in the News - Buffalo NY

��ñ�� in the News - Racial Reconciliation

��ñ�� in the News - Racial Reconciliation

Studying ��ñ��'s Doctrinal Basis

Studying ��ñ��'s Doctrinal Basis

Reconnecting with ��ñ�� at your Alma Mater

Reconnecting with ��ñ�� at your Alma Mater

��ñ�� in the News - Drake University

��ñ�� in the News - Drake University

��ñ�� in the News - Buffalo NY

��ñ�� in the News - Buffalo NY