Not Your Church’s Youth Group

THERE’S NO TELLING WHERE
COLLEGE MINISTRY WILL TAKE YOU

Many who attend a truly biblical college ministry after attending years of youth group find the change jarring. I know it was for me. Hopefully your time in youth group prepared you for what being a Christian in college could look like. But if you plan to plug in because church is what you do, the challenge is on. It’s time to set aside the days of games, snacks, and lock-ins, and get serious about your faith. Here are three reasons college ministry is not an extension of youth group.

1. College ministry assumes desire.

Those of us already involved in a college ministry generally assume you’re coming because you have some knowledge of God and want to learn more about Him. We assume you love Jesus and want to serve Him, or that you have questions about faith and an interest in a discussion. That doesn’t mean those who don’t believe in God aren’t welcome (come hang out!). What it means is there’s little room for those who are comfortable with showing up to a weekly social club with few strings attached. Don’t come out of obligation. Don’t come out of routine. God is clear in Scripture about having a lukewarm faith (Revelation 3:15-16). We want to WAKE UP and take our faith seriously. Come because you’re serious about God and want to see Him become real to you like never before.

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1, ESV

2. It’s aimed at maturity.

Lock-ins are great for children you need to keep tabs on. They’re not so cute when you’re 20. Now that you can make your own decisions, it’s not just about fun and games. It’s about the sincerity of your heart to know God. The time has arrived for you to decide if Jesus is important to you. Jesus made it clear what it means to be a follower of Him. He’s looking for a full surrender, someone who lets God call the shots in their life. Therefore, any college ministry worth attending isn’t just focused on fun but on making sure you know where you stand before God. It should pose the question: “If I say I love God, does my life show it? In what ways?” College ministry should develop your faith and challenge areas of your life you don’t let God touch, just like your church should. College ministry isn’t a replacement for church, but both places work together to help you grow in your faith and hear from God.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it…” Matthew 16:24-25, NLT

3. it implies giving.

College is a time where you’re sharpening your skills, learning how God made you, and what He might have planned for your life. It’s an appropriate time to do so. But Jesus still says it’s better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). College ministries provide opportunities to serve to balance out the introspection. Take them up on it! If you fear the burden it may place on your already-busy schedule, it’s only you who misses out. The rest of us are busy living in God’s Kingdom, where we’re seeing God show up. I thank God often for the purposeful evenings that make up my life thanks to Him, like writing for this magazine on Thursday nights. Even if it’s tiring sometimes, I wouldn’t trade it for a life spent on a couch in front of a screen. It’s also at a college ministry that you have a chance to build friendships that will help you fight against all the temptations that come along with college. You’re a fool if you think you’re strong enough to stand alone and live for God. Plus, how will other Christians stand strong without you helping them, too? We need each other.

“Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.” 1 Corinthians 10:24, NLT

I hope you have an increasing desire to read the Bible, to know what God says, and you see that He’s good. I hope you grow to surrender your whole life to Him. College ministries are there to show you how to do all these things, and they’ll give you friends to do them all together. Don’t worry, my friends and I still play kickball most summers…but we’re also sold out for Jesus and serious about our commitment to Him and each other. Any fun and games that come are bonus blessings of following Jesus radically together, not the main event.

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS?

We are Street Level Ministries. We are a radio station. We are a magazine. We are a coffeehouse. We are a creative studio. We believe that the purpose of life is to follow Jesus. Our goal is being Christians with our life and commitments -doing tangible things that grow our faith and make a direct impact on the kingdom of God. Our purpose is to provide opportunities to college students to commit their time, talents, passion, and abilities to the work of God. Find us at streetlevelministries.com