Why You Need a Church Home in (and after) College
~Originally written for Every Nation Campus Philadelphia~
For many people, college is a major time in their walk with God. Essentially, college can either set the groundwork for immense growth or be a breeding ground for future roadblocks. College will likely open you up to things you have never encountered before: be it ideas, events, substances, or people.
Due to the influx of new experiences at such a critical time in life, college can be a huge faith shaker. You will encounter people who don’t look, think, act, eat, live or even speak like you, and the newness can become very enticing. Finding a solid church to call home during your time in college is one of the most important things you can do for your faith, and there are very practical reasons why.
A good church:
1. Will help you to continue learning about God. Obviously, we go to church to get more knowledge about God and the Christian faith. Having a solid church means consistently being filled with Godly teachings. Attending a good church weekly means that if nothing else, you have a weekly lesson on and reminder of how God has called you to live.
2. Connects you with positive influences and accountability partners. In college, it is easy to find people to party and drink with, but solid prayer partners are few and far between. Having friends who are following Christ with you and battling the same situations, as you can be a major source of strength. Sex, drugs, alcohol, lying, cheating, all of these things are running rampant on college campuses, and knowing that you have a network of people who can support you when dealing with some of these issues is very comforting.
3. Means people to bounce ideas off of. Many people who attend your church will not be freshmen in college, and therefore are probably a little more experienced at life than you are. This is helpful because being connected with such a large quantity of mature individuals means a wealth of knowledge. Maybe you heard something in class that doesn’t sit well with you, or maybe you want to know if something you’re being asked to do is against what God said, it is nice to be able to ask those questions to people who may have been through similar experiences.
4. Will present you with opportunities to serve and go deeper in your relationship with God. Arguably one of the most rewarding parts of finding a good church to be connected with is the ability to serve God’s people and experience extreme personal growth. A good church can present you with opportunities to serve your fellow men and in turn, grow as a follower and a servant of Christ.
There are countless other benefits to finding a good church home that were not mentioned above, and it is my hope that you will find those on your own when you find the church for you. I would love for you to join me at Freedom Church of Philadelphia on Sundays at 9:30 or 11am, at the Prince Theater located at 1412 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19102.
Grace and Peace,
Lorae