Shocking Statistic on Faith Among College Students

Recently at a prayer summit I came across this astounding statistic which stated that, “As many as 80% of Christian students say that they have lost their faith after four years in college.”

[It's generally  a good idea to be a bit skeptical of statistics that come from unknown sources and research,  but even if this statistic is inflated to an extent (and maybe it isn't)  it is still MIND BLOWING.]

Parents, vacation bible schools, summer camps and youth pastors invest into student’s life for 18 YEARS only to have it eroded during four years of college. How tragic!

This is one reason why I believe college campus ministry is so hugely important. 

Campus ministry in the U.S. is not only an opportunity to tell those who have never heard the gospel – though it is that. It’s also an opportunity to help bring to fruition, during a key stage of transition and maturation, the deposits of truth and faith that have been made by countless others in a young adult’s upbringing.

When asked where his brother was by God, Cain said, “Am I my brothers keeper”?, implying that it wasn’t his responsibility to keep track of his brother. However, it was his responsibility. Similarly we can dodge the responsibility that we have to the younger generation. 

It is our responsibility to reach out to this hurting generation studying on college campuses.

If we ignore students, they will continue as a generation to slip away. 

I pray this statistic stirs your heart as it did mine, and spurs you to prayerful action.

The Privilege of Repentance

When we think about “repentance”, I think most of us think of it as a duty, something that is good and necessary, but certainly not as a “privilege”. This year I am reading through the Bible in the New Living Translation. As I was reading Acts 11:18 really struck me.

It is in the context of the Apostles hearing about how Gentiles had come to faith in Jesus from Peter, and says “When the others heard this they stopped objecting and began praising God. “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”

I try to be careful with the NLT because it is a much more loose translation than others I have used in the past.  So, when I come across something that strikes me as really different I cross check it with other  more literal translations. (This is made really easy by using BibleGateway.com!)

Here are a couple of other translations of this phrase that I bolded above in Acts 11:18- 

New International Version – “God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life”

New American Standard Version – “Well then, God has granted unto the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life”

English Standard Version - “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

In what sense is it a “privilege”, or in what sense has “God granted” repentance, you ask?

Though we are all, as human beings, commanded to repent of our sins, it is not merely a duty to do so, but a great privilege to be able to do so. To persist in stubborn rebellion is to be awaiting the rightful judgement of God. Praise God that he “grants repentance” even to us Gentiles!

In the past some people, have foolishly used this to truth of God’s role in repentance to wrongly teach that since God is the one who grants repentance then we might as well just not preach the gospel to people. This is lazy, foolish and disobedient to the clear charge of Scripture to go and preach the gospel. Beyond that, such an application totally misses the stunningly wonderful point of such a verse.

The point is that God is even more powerful and good than you may have ever imagined. He is the one that restrains evil hearts enough to grant the change of mind that takes place when a person truly repents. He is amazing and good and worthy of our praise, and our service, forever and ever.

Called to Greatness

I think many people today dream big and have high hopes for what they will do in life. This is especially true of those students I connect with through my role in college campus ministry. To dream big is great, because God hasn’t called us to mediocrity, he has called us to pursue greatness! He has a purpose for our lives that is good, just as He our loving father is altogether good. 

Yet, in that  we must always remember, that God’s version of “greatness” for our lives is frequently very different from the world’s version of “greatness”. 

“Greatness” in the world, is glamorous, famous and most certainly rich. Yet some of those who are truly greatest when assessed by the values of God’s kingdom are none of the above. They are unknown, unfashionable and materially poor. 

Some followers of Christ do end up in the limelight and are materially rich, but their possessions  and fame are merely part of their stewardship as for servants of God with a particular assignment. They are not the ultimate measure of true greatness. 

Be careful lest the values of the world infuse themselves into your Christian concept of “Greatness”.  As you dream big may God’s word and timeless truths inspire and direct your dreams.

10 Observations on Growing Churches

Church consultant Chuck Gaines recently posted an article in which he shares 10 observations on growing churches.  

Characteristics of growing churches include:

1. Positive spirit of excitement.

2. Spirit of expectation.

3. Celebrative worship service.

4. Opportunities to build meaningful relationships through small groups

5. Focus on giving away the faith through lifestyle evangelism

6. No sentence ever begins with “I”

7. “What can I do?” and “What can I give?” are expressed not only with meaning but with action.

8. Missions involvement

9. Pastor/staff who lead and congregations who follow

10. Church is a safe place to come to God – Grace rules!

The full article on the Lifeway website includes a brief explanation of each point which may help to clarify what he means by a couple of these. To read it click  here.

Persecution: Then and Now

I’m currently reading The Church History by Eusebius of Caesarea who lived apprximately 260-339 A.D.  He records some pretty horrific persecution of Christians during his day. For example he writes, 

“…why need I give example after example of the godly martyrs’ contests throughout the world, especially those who were no longer attacked under common law  but as enemies in war? A little town in Phrygia, for instance, all of whose inhabitants were Christian, was surrounded by armed infantrymen who set it on fire and burned to death men, women, and young children as they were calling on almighty God. The reason? All the townspeople, from the mayor himself and the magistrates to the entire populace, confessed their Christianity and refused to commit idolatry.” (Book 8.11)

He continues in Book 8.12 (For some reason they called each chapter a book back then.), 

“Sometimes they were killed with an axe, as was the case in Arabia, or had their legs broken, as those in Cappadocia. At other times they were hung upside down over a slow fire, so that smoke rising from the burning wood suffocated the, as in Mesopotamia. Sometimes noses, ears, and hands were mutilated and the other parts of the body butchered, as was the case in Alexandria.

At Antioch they were roasted on hot gridirons for prolonged torture, not seared to death.”

Sadly, such grotesque atrocities against followers of Jesus are not merely historical. Brutal persecution of Christians still takes place in many parts of the world today.

Those of us who live in relative comfort must be careful not forget our Christian heritage, and still more we must remember to pray for our brothers and sisters who are facing severe persecution in our time.