Preparing for College

Bread of Life Church

July 6, 2014

College – A Major Transition

High SchoolHigh School CollegeCollege

AccountabilityAccountability ParentsParents YourselfYourself

Student BodyStudent Body HomogeneousHomogeneous DiverseDiverse

AcademicsAcademics Standard Standard CurriculumCurriculum

Based on Based on MajorMajor

Religious ViewsReligious Views VariedVaried Even Greater Even Greater VarietyVariety

Decision Making Decision Making / Responsibility/ Responsibility

CooperativeCooperative IndividualIndividual

College – A Major Transition

High SchoolHigh School CollegeCollege

Social GroupsSocial Groups CliquesCliques CausesCauses

ClassesClasses Small – Small – PersonalPersonal

Large - Large - ImpersonalImpersonal

PoliticsPolitics Not usually Not usually discussed discussed

Can be VocalCan be Vocal

MoneyMoney Public School / Public School / occasional occasional fund-raisersfund-raisers

Tuition / Books / Tuition / Books / Fees / Housing / Fees / Housing / Utilities / etc…Utilities / etc…

Purpose StatementTo fully maximize the unique

opportunities that God offers to us in college in order to glorify Him and be faithful witnesses of Christ in this world.

General Characteristics1. Potential for Unprecedented Growth and

Maturity – (Spiritually, Socially, Academically, etc.)

2. Major factor in determining the future of the rest of your life.

3. Time of greatest exposure to different ideas.

4. Peak of social friendships and social activities

I. Spiritual Life“Spiritually, College can make or break

you.”

I. College offers unprecedented opportunities for spiritual growth but also extraordinary challenges to our faith.

II. The Habits and Practices that you establish in college will set the foundation for the rest of your life

I. Spiritual LifeHebrews 5:12-14

12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

I. SpiritualDifferences between a Church and Fellowship

GroupI. Campus Fellowships are para-church

organizations. Intended to supplement and assist the church

Advantages Fellowships are often more focused and well

established on college campuses Worship and Activities are geared towards

collegians

I. Spiritual

Dangers Fellowships can often take the place of a

church for many collegians Fellowship tend to have “looser” doctrine and

theology Do not extend beyond college

I. SpiritualWhat to look for in a church1. Sound doctrine and theology2. Committed to Preaching and Living out the

gospel3. Recommended by trusted friends4. Opportunities to minister5. Generational Diversity

I. SpiritualThings to Watch Out for:

1. Exclusivity – “Only true church”2. High Pressure3. Questionable Doctrine or practices4. Driven and Centered around one person 5. No generational diversity

International Church of Christ (ICC) or a.k.a. Boston Church of ChristIdentifying cults: http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4217733/

I. SpiritualFinding a Fellowship

1. Find out what organization or church is behind the Fellowship (doctrine and theology)

2. What is its primary mission or purpose?3. How does it view the church?4. Does it demonstrate any extreme

charismatic or cultic practices?

I. SpiritualMajor Campus Fellowships1. Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) -

www.campuscrusadeforchrist.com The mission of Campus Crusade for Christ is to turn

lost students into Christ centered laborers. Our spiritual mandate is found in Matthew 28:18-20.

I. SpiritualMajor Campus Fellowships1. Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) -

Our purpose is to help launch and build movements of spiritual multiplication on college campuses so that everyone will know someone who truly follows Jesus Christ.

Number of Campus Locations: 1,064 Number of Full-Time Ministry Staff: 3,409

I. SpiritualMajor Campus Fellowships2. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship -

www.intervarsity.org Purpose - to establish and advance at colleges and

universities witnessing communities of students and faculty who follow Jesus as Savior and Lord: growing in love for God, God's Word, God's people of every ethnicity and cultureand God's purposes in the world.

I. Spiritual2. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship

855 chapters on 556 campuses 32,200 students were actively involved in

InterVarsity chapters, 58% women and 42% men. 862 field staff support these student groups

I. SpiritualMajor Campus Fellowships3. Navigators - www.navigators.org/us

An interdenominational, nonprofit organization, The Navigators is dedicated to helping people navigate spiritually, to know Christ and to make Him known as they look to Him and His Word to chart their lives. Our ultimate goal is to equip them to fulfill 2 Timothy 2:2—to teach what they have learned to others.

I. SpiritualMajor Campus Fellowships4. Asian American Christian Fellowship (AACF) –

www.aacf.org Mission: to reach into the university and collegiate

community, primarily to those who are Asian Pacific Americans, with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.

Vision: making disciples by educating and equipping students in biblical foundations, Christian disciplines, and the development of spiritual gifts in order to prepare them for witness and service on the campus, in the local church, in the marketplace, and in world missions.

I. Spiritual4. Asian American Christian Fellowship• Cal States:

– Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Long Beach, San Jose, San Francisco

• UC’s: – Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Riverside, San

Diego, Santa Barbara

• Other Campuses: – University of Southern California, University of

Washington

II. Campus Life - Social1. Enjoy but be grounded in your

convictions.2. Budget time carefully (later

discussion)3. Be wise in choosing Activities. Be

even wiser in choosing friends.

II. Campus Life – Alcohol and Drugs

1. Alcohol - 80% of the students drink at least occasionally, according to the Core Institute. Almost half binge drink (4-5 drinks in quick succession.)

2. Drugs – college is most of then the time when people experiment with drugs.

3. Reasonsa. i) Peer Pressure / “cool thing to do”, ii) Escape

from pressure, iii) Availability / Parties– “The first 6 weeks of freshman year is an especially vulnerable time for

heavy drinking and alcohol-related consequences because of student expectations and social pressures at the start of the academic year.”

II. Campus Life – Alcohol and Drugs

4. Resultsa. Leading cause of death among 18-24b. 95% of all campus violence is related to

drugs or alcoholc. 40% of all students having academic

problems abuse alcohold. Over 60% of all college women who

contract an STD were intoxicated when they got infected.