David Anguish
In the last couple of months, several of our young people have become world travelers. They're not tourists per se, rather their itinerary has an eternal purpose, for they are with groups committed to spreading God's Word and/or encouraging fellow Christians in foreign lands. Some may eventually be preachers, or preachers' wives. Some may settle on a mission field. Some will earn their living another way. But we predict that most will be among the most diligent workers in the local churches they'll call home. We predict such for the future because of what we know of the past.
Aside from being part of a growing list of our youth who have been involved in such efforts, what most of these young people have in common is that they are students in one of our Christian colleges. Whether Faulkner, Freed-Hardeman, Harding, Lipscomb, or some other, a young person attending a Christian college is encouraged in more opportunities for good than any of them can possibly do. Not just in the summer either. During the school year, they have opportunities to visit nursing homes, adopt "grandparents", teach the Bible in churches and neighborhoods where they find themselves, preach for churches who can't afford a full time preacher, and other activities too numerous to mention here.
We know of a few state school settings where the herculean efforts of believers to provide Christian student centers have filled a void and provided opportunities similar to those described here. Such efforts to do good should certainly be encouraged, for they are hard-fought toe-holds in the face of secularism, co-ed dorms and politically correct amorality. But while we encourage good wherever we find it, we are also committed to commend the greater good where we find it.
Students who attend schools with an institutional commitment to Christ are encouraged in philosophy, history, science and math, as well as in the Bible classes required in their academic programs. They are involved in pace-setting academic programs where their teachers not only do not delegate classes to graduate assistants, but often form lifetime friendships with their students. Most of the schools now offer foreign study opportunities. And their students compete for, and sometimes receive, some of the top scholarships available (such as the Fulbright or Rhodes).
More importantly, they consistently encourage students to be and do good. The dating pool is made up of a majority of Christians who are committed to more than pew-warming. Statistically, by marrying a Christian who has been nurtured in such an environment, the odds favoring a lasting marriage are nearly doubled.
Those who still question such statistics should consider a study the church in Leoma, TN conducted. According to Steven Guy, preacher in the Leoma church, the church tracked the faithfulness of 130 of their young people from 1976-1998. Twenty-five attended a Christian college for at least two years. All remain active and faithful in local congregations. None are divorced. Thirty-three attended state schools. Fifteen of these - fewer than half - are faithful. One faithful member has divorced. Four others are also divorced. Seventy-two of the young people did not attend college. Only seventeen of these have remained faithful, with four of those experiencing divorce. Fourteen of the fifty-five unfaithful members from this group are also divorced.
One Christian university president we know reports that some have challenged whether this study is really indicative. He responds by challenging his challengers to conduct a similar study in their congregations. He has yet to have one report anything significantly different that what was found in the Leoma church.
In our public prayers, we often hear petitions on behalf of our young people who - to quote a composite statement - "face a world which is now more dangerous spiritually" than in previous generations. Safe havens for faith nurturing abound and thrive. We wonder why more who pray so fervently for our youth do not at least explore them.