The Obstacles

            Let’s start with the reasons a conservative Christian college or university may not be very inviting to you. One reason is accreditation. Students who graduate from schools which are not accredited will have a hard time getting classes transferred to other schools or getting into graduate school. This is a legitimate concern, and, if you look at a Christian college, you should definitely ask about the school’s accreditation credentials. But most of the colleges and universities in our brotherhood are accredited through some association and several are “regionally” accredited which is the best guarantee of a transfer of credits or graduate school entrance.

            The second reason you or your high school senior might not be interested in a Christian college or university is that there aren’t any that have the degree program you’re looking for. Many of our brotherhood colleges have very specific purposes: to train students who want to go into traditional ministries like preaching, youth ministry, music ministry and missions. But many of our colleges have changed or are changing in this area, recognizing that Christians need to be trained for ministry in all walks of life, as well as traditional “church” ministries. Our Christian universities and some of our colleges now offer multiple degree programs in careers like education, business, nursing, TV and radio, and the Humanities. Search the web, request catalogs, and find out what degree programs our schools are offering.

The Benefits

            So why the Christian college/university alternative?

            Reason one: disciplined Bible study with experts in the field. We all know that we’re supposed to read and study the Bible, and we all feel like never do so enough. What I enjoyed about attending a Christian college was having Bible classes—these forced me into the discipline of Bible study. Because I had to study for class, I read and studied more Bible in four years than most Christians do in their entire lives. Yes we’re supposed to want to study the Bible without the motivation of a grade or the fear of failure, but we often don’t. 30 or more hours of Bible in college gives us a reason to “make time” to study, learn and grow. Having highly educated professors who can help you understand what you’re reading and teach you how to better read the Bible on your own doesn’t hurt either.

            That said, let me recommend that, when you look into Christian schools, you look for one that requires lots of Bible/theology classes with every degree program. A very few of our schools with multiple degree programs unfortunately only require a token few Bible classes. Look at the colleges that require every student to major in Bible or theology whether their career major is ministry or business, missions or education.

            Reason two: an environment of spirituality and moral expectations. Christian colleges are not holy towers where saintly children go to polish their halos together. There is sin on a Christian college campus because there are sinners there. But there are no wild orgies. If a campus has certain expectations, everyone there tries more to live up to those expectations. Our students aren’t perfect, but they know there is a higher standard and they strive to reach it. At a Christian college there are also many opportunities (in addition to regular church attendance and participation) for formal and informal spiritual encounter: chapel services, devotion groups, dorm gatherings, and lots of late night conversations among like-minded Christian kids who don’t have to feel embarrassed because they’re sitting in a dorm room or lounge talking about their personal pursuit of God.

            Reason three: God has no grandchildren. I think a major reason young adults face the danger of leaving the faith is because they are no longer children. For eighteen years our kids believe the faith of their parents, but, as they enter adulthood, they come across a major spiritual challenge: making their faith their own. This is not just a problem for kids who go to secular schools. I’ve seen it over and over again: good Christian kids seriously committed to Christ who finally start doing what they’ve never done before: having doubts, asking questions, wanting answers. This is not because they lack faith (though they often wonder if that is the case). Instead it is because they are finally making their own spiritual way. They cannot live on their parents’ faith anymore—they have to make their relationship with God their own. College age is the age at which that happens. And if Christian college students struggle with it, how much more will Christian kids struggle on a secular campus without any spiritual mentors to help them?

            Simply put, a Christian college or university can help Christian young people live lives in Christ. That’s career training for eternity.