As If College Wasn’t Bad Enough Already

by Nathaniel Dame

My perception of youth ministry is beginning to shift substantially. I still believe that it plays an important role in students' lives right here and now.

But I'm beginning to realize that we must also focus heavily on the challenges of faith, beliefs, character, and integrity that students will face in the future--particularly when they take the plunge into the world we call "college."

Why?

• College is a time when people get serious about spirituality, in whatever form.
• Secular colleges are dominated by secular worldviews. Christian values and beliefs are often shunned as childish and immature.
• There's always news about, frankly, strange stuff happening on college campuses. Recently, students and professors at the University of Maryland rigorously defended their rights to publicly screen pornographic films and to discuss their educational qualities.

How are you preparing students for the challenges of higher education?

Nathaniel Dame is a youth ministry coach and youth culture expert. His passion is to equip youth pastors to be the leaders that God has called them to be and to have a deep, lasting impact on their students. He is the founder of Called to Youth Ministry and blogs regularly at Effective Youth Ministry.