College Students: Join a local church!

Here is a fantastic article on why college students should join a local church. And it’s fantastic time to focus on this because classes start back at our local colleges (GHC, Berry, Shorter) on August 20, and our college ministry kicks off August 22.

Why College Students Should Join a Local Church

I was once a college student in my hometown, and now am a pastor in my hometown. This I can say with experience and now with biblical knowledge and authority: don’t fail and miss the local church.

1. One cannot be a Christian and ignore covenantal connection/membership to a local church. Yes, we are part of the universal church. No, you can’t claim that membership without connection to its manifestation in the local church. The letters and epistles in the New Testament were written to local churches that manifested themselves in a local context, and the members were so covenanted to each other that they had standards of holiness by which they held each other accountable and followed Jesus’ teaching on the matter (Matthew 18:15-20) because Paul demanded that they do so. My connection to the “head”, Jesus, is predicated on my connection to the rest of the body while I supply some benefit to the other members. See Ephesians 4:11-16.
2. You need the local church.
3. The local church needs you.
4. Don’t “church hop” and consume spiritual services. You have benefit, if a Christian, in covenant connection to a local church. The local church has benefit for you.
5. Related to number 4, narrow the focus of your time. You can’t do everything well, but you can do a few things well. A local church should be one of them. This requires discipline, but it’s necessary for life, so learn it now.
6. Disciplined execution of healthy spiritual habits culminates in a life of fruitfulness at the end. Undisciplined consumption of spiritual resources results in knowledge, maybe, with nothing to show but a big head and little heart of love for others and the world.

So, if you are a college student, I hope this helps. If you are not a college student, I hope this helps you too, as we can all learn and grow up into Christ inside of his church as meaningful members.