The impact of connecting through campus ministry
As freshmen finish moving in and the rest of us begin adjusting back to “college life,” I’d like to share a little piece of advice that is applicable to everyone: get involved with campus ministry. Campus ministry is defined as a group of college-aged individuals who meet on campus to share and express their faith in God with others. It can include things like worship services, Bible studies and many other events for fellowship, and there are a wide variety of different denominational ministries at most colleges.
Coming to college after growing up in a small town, I had no idea that there were people my age who also loved the Lord and wanted to pursue Him, so it was quite a surprise when, after a couple of months of being here, I got connected to a campus ministry group called Chi Alpha and witnessed an entire room of people my age worshiping together.
Through Chi Alpha, I joined a small group of women who not only studied the Word weekly but also shared their lives and supported one another. This was a place where I made some of my best friends and was able to grow in my faith in ways I never could’ve imagined. I became a lot more open about sharing and expressing my faith and began living a life centered around Christ.
Coming to college, I didn’t expect that I would fully dedicate myself to Christ, but it is most definitely one of the greatest blessings in my life. I know it may not be normalized to spend your entire college career not seeking after the world but doing so will bring you more fulfillment than you could know.
From the beginning we were all made in the image of God. We spend our entire lives trying to find something to fill the emptiness we all feel. C.S. Lewis said, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” Jesus, who was fully man and fully God, died on the cross so that we would be set free from our sins. His love is the only truly sacrificial love we will ever know and is the only thing that can truly fill our emptiness.
Regardless of your age or where you are in life, accepting Jesus as your Savior is one of the greatest decisions you can make. He can take all that you are, no matter your past or how much you don’t deserve His saving grace, and renew you as His child.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” —John 3:16