Did you know that 50% of Christian school leavers fail to get involved with any Christian activity when they get to university. Over the years I have seen many Christians, who were active in their church and seemingly strong in their faith, go to university and end up falling away from and/or compromising their faith. If you were to ask any of these individuals the reason for this they could all give  different reasons however I believe that there are things which you can do to ensure that you will not be one of the number of fallen soldiers.

As Christians we need to see going to university, not just as another milestone in life but as a Spiritual battlefield and prepare for it correctly.  You need to arm yourself and stand firm believing that you will not become one of those soldiers wounded on the battlefield. If a young person were to ask me the steps they should take to spiritually prepare for university the main ones I would suggest are;

1- Find someone who you can be accountable to 

This should be someone who will pray with and counsel you before you leave for university. Before you leave you’ll meet with this person and go through certain Biblical teachings concerning things which may come up during your time away. 

This person will also be the person you will check in with on a regular basis. During these checking in times you should be able to be completely honest and open about any temptations you may be facing and the two of you together should be able to go to the Word and to the throne of God in prayer for strength to overcome. Remember you must be the one to approach them, this is your life, the onus is on you.

2- Know who you are in Christ and what you believe

Before you go to university decide how you are going to confront certain temptations. How will you deal with the pressure which may be put upon you to be one of the crowd when it comes to relationships, sex, alcohol or drugs.

Romans 12:2 
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Whatever the world says or thinks about a topic you need to counteract it by finding, writing down and meditating on what God says about that same topic in His Word the Bible. You are then to use this Word to encourage yourself when faced with temptation in these areas.

Psalm 119:11
"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you (NIV)"

3- Find other Christians who share your beliefs and are actively serving God

Make sure you check out the Christian Union stand at Freshers week and see what they are doing. There are quite a few organisations which have been set up to help young Christians survive and keep their faith at university. studentlinkup.org is a website which over 5000 students have used. 

Their aim is to get local churches close to your university to contact you. They will also

• send you regular emails, top tips and advice about what to expect
• help you to connect with other Christian freshers at uni
• provide all the resources you need
• inspire you to keep growing with God and to make the most of uni life.

You can also check out http://www.uccf.org.uk/ a site set up to help Christians to be more effective in spreading the gospel through their Christian unions.

4- Find a Bible believing church and get involved

 It’s so important that we are active in our faith and not just bystanders. Join the local youth and young adults group at the church, the drama group, worship team etc etc. Attend as many services as you can especially bible studies and keep yourself feed with the Word of God.

Hebrews 10:25 You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing, but you should meet together and encourage each other. Do this even more as you see the day coming. (NCV)

The writer tells us the importance of going to church to worship together, to encourage one another and to strengthen each other in the Lord.

5- Make friendships with a wide variety of people

 As Christians we not only follow the teachings of Christ and the Word of God but also to do as he did whilst on this earth. 

Jesus was nearly always found among the people who were non believers and was there not jut to hang out and have fun but to try and bring a positive moral and spiritual influence to their life. 

Far too many Christians try to separate themselves from the outside world, this is  not scriptual and not following the way of the master. We need to get alongside those students who don’t know Christ, not just to preach at them but to be the one that they turn to in their moment of need, to be the one they know will have the answer to the question, to be the one they see as special and different to the others because they see Jesus in you.

Matthew 5:14
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Let Jesus be seen in every area of your life, not just when your witnessing but the way you react to things, the way you make your decisions, the way you live your life.

Check out the organisation www.loveyouruni.org. They are calling all Christian students in uni to partner in sharing God’s love with a lost generation. Their hope is that together you can plan activities which will influence your world and your university for Christ.

What's your experience?

Do you have any comments or words of encouragements you would like to share with those who are off to university this term or do you have a particular experience or testimony you would like to share here which you feel will help others.

We would also like to hear from all non conformers  already at university. 

Have you started or are you involved with a Christian Union or group that you wish to tell new Christian students about?  

Do you attend a great church with a great student ministry to which you would like to invite all new students to fellowship?

Let us know and we will post them on our website as a resource which all Christian University Students can use to find out about Christian activity happening in and around their university.