|
 Families
continue to ask the question, "Why
choose a Christian college education?"
The conversation usually goes something
like this, "Christian colleges
are so expensive. We'll pay more compared
to attending a state college or university.
Besides, state colleges have Christian
groups my child can join. Doesn't
God want us to be 'salt and light'
in the world?"
There
are many para-church organizations
which have made tremendous impacts
in the lives of college-aged students
on campuses around the world. It is
also correct to acknowledge that Christians
shouldn't be fearful of or retreat
from the realm of secular academia.
We are commissioned to be Christ's
ambassadors. But the question of attending
(or not attending) a Christian college
based on "cost" is a misleading
distraction from the eternal investment
Christian higher education delivers.
A Christian college education provides
four life-transforming benefits that
secular education cannot accomplish.
1.
A Christian college education lays
a Biblical foundation
When
a contractor builds a home, he starts
with the foundation. A solid foundation
leads to a successful build. A weak
foundation leads to trouble. A Christian
education starts with Christ and His
centrality as found in the Scriptures.
A Christian education measures all
worldviews and philosophies against
the Word of God. When students are
faced with a major decision, we want
their first thought to be, "What
does the Bible say about this?"
As believers in Christ we need to
be exposed to more than just a campus
Bible study. We need to wrestle with
and appreciate the rich doctrines
of our faith. The systematic study
and incorporation of Biblical Truth
in the classroom establishes the immovable
foundation of our lives. Through this
rigorous investigation, we attain
the knowledge of the Son of God and
mature in our faith becoming the men
and women God intended.
2.
A Christian college education moves
beyond mere facts and information
We
are living in a culture that is redefining
the value of education. The Barna
Group recently reported that individuals
desire an integration of their faith
and life. Lives segmented by mere
facts and information do little to
transform lives. Young and old alike
want an education that is more than
knowledge-based. They want usefulness,
practicality, and meaning. A Christian
education sees education as more than
a path to a better soci-economic condition;
it's an understanding of and answer
to the deep questions of life: origin,
purpose, morality, and eternity. These
questions are coherently answered
by a Christian education.
3.
A Christian college education creates
a campus of community
An
education on a Christian college campus
allows for genuine community that
is centered on Christ. Christian college
campuses are not utopias and regardless
of where one attends, one can always
find the distractions for which they
are searching; however, a Christian
college campus does create a place
where students have a common denominator:
Jesus Christ. The common understanding
of Jesus Christ and His life and teachings
create an environment distinct from
secular campuses. Prayer, worship,
and fellowship permeate the ethos
and nature of the scholastic, social,
and spiritual dynamics of the campus.
When people are in pursuit of the
Gospel Truth in their lives, powerful
breakthroughs and transformations
occur,
4.
A Christian college education produces
Godly character
Students
will graduate with their business
or nursing or degree of their choosing,
but the question remains, "Will
they bring their beliefs into their
vocations?" A Christian education
weaves Biblical Truth into the very
essence of the student. Just as Christian
college courses intertwine Biblical
Truth into subject areas, students
learn to graft that same Truth into
their everyday attitudes and actions.
The fusing of Biblical principle with
practical reality creates a new character
in the life of the student. It's the
transforming power of Christ delivered
through higher education,
Remember:
The Word of God NEVER returns void.
A Christian education provides a return
on an investment that reaps eternal
rewards. The price of failing to invest
in our spiritual knowledge and foundation
is costly. The Christian college experience
is unlike any other - focused, deliberate,
and transformational. It truly is
an investment worth making.
Dr.
Mark T. O'Farrell
President
Trinity College of Florida
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