Building a Strong Faith in College

gordon.govier@intervarsity.org — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 18:18:57 +0000

Amy Hauptman

Building a Strong Faith in College

“I know why you’re here,” Keith’s friend said. “It’s because you’re a Christian and you want to show other people love as Jesus did.”

Keith was speechless. Earlier, he had had an overwhelming sense that he needed to visit one of his friends. To share his faith.

“I wasn’t sure what I was thinking, but I had this feeling that I needed to visit her. And that was a starting point in our friendship to talk about Jesus,” said Keith.

For fifteen minutes Keith and his friend talked about faith. His friend shared that she had grown up in a Buddhist family, spent some time in a Christian church, but now described herself as a "lost sheep.” Keith shared that the point of believing in Jesus Christ is not what we can do to get to God, but what God has already done to show his love to us.

Keith also shared some of his own testimony—how he had struggled with negative opinions towards others, looking down on them. He shared how he had prayed that God would change his heart—that he would see others with His love—and how God had answered that prayer.

Growing Through Spiritual Disciplines

At Michigan Tech, Keith learned the importance of spiritual disciplines through ��ñ��.

“I would say that I had a relationship with God when I came to college,” said Keith. “But I would also say that my relationship with God has become more important to me since coming to college.”

��ñ�� has helped Keith realize the importance of prayer, Bible study, evangelism, and Christian fellowship. Once a friend of Keith’s challenged him to read the entire Bible, which he had never done before. Keith now studies the Bible regularly and has experienced God’s transformation through His Word. Also, at ��ñ��’s Chapter Focus Week (CFW) Keith learned about the power of prayer.

“I remember a speaker prayed for his son’s healing,” said Keith. “Another student prayed for students struggling with depression, self-image issues, and fear. I’d never seen such boldness before.”

During the next school year, excited by what he had experienced at Chapter Focus Week, Keith started regularly attending ��ñ�� prayer meetings and started to see the impact prayer made in his own life. Though he admits that he sometimes struggles to make time in his schedule to pray, the power of prayer is something that he can never deny.

Becoming a Student Missionary

Next month, Keith will graduate as an environmental engineering major. No one would probably expect to hear that Keith is moving to another country. To teach English. And to share the gospel.

While at Michigan Tech, Keith spent three years learning another language as well as helping international students practice English. Keith found that he not only loved teaching English, but he also wanted to share the gospel with his international friends. So he started an international students’ Bible study.

“When I share the message of the gospel with others, I see what an amazing message it is, and how it's able to transform lives,” said Keith. “This motivates me to want to share it with others.”

Around November, with graduation nearing, Keith looked for teaching opportunities—teaching English. He hoped to take what he had learned through ��ñ�� into the real world.

“I wanted to find a job that would give me the opportunity to teach and share the gospel in a cross-cultural context,” said Keith. “So a friend from high school connected me with a job that combines my love for teaching English, tutoring, and sharing the gospel in another culture.”

The college years are an opportunity to prepare students for a lifetime of service to God’s kingdom by sharing the love of Christ with those around them. In ��ñ��, we’re honored to invest in students like Keith, who continue to look for opportunities to invest and share the love of Jesus with their friends, wherever they are at on their spiritual journey.

News Keywords

Michigan Tech

International Student Ministry

Chapter Focus Week