My biggest passion as a preacher and writer is the work of reversing the church’s catastrophic dropout rate. There are countless people who grew up in the church who simply drop out some time between when they leave high school at 18 and their early to mid 20s, and college is often either a significant factor behind their departure or the excuse they were already looking for to leave behind their religious foundation.

So, what can be done? Let’s look at 6 actions a college student can take to weather the storms of college and come out spiritually stronger on the other side.

Get prepared

If a Christian worldview isn’t in place before the journey into the “real world” begins, it’s all the more difficult to establish one later in life. Parents and church leaders, work to make sure your young people are ready to defend their faith well before they graduate high school, because they’re going to face the world’s difficult questions well before they leave for college. If you are that person entering college now, write out your core beliefs about God, the Bible, why you’re a Christian, and the church’s doctrines and then test yourself to see if you know how to defend them.

Keep your guard up – no matter where you go to school

Plenty of people lose their faith or have it radically altered while living safely in the confines of a Christian college campus (yes, even the “best” ones). No matter how doctrinally sound a school may appear, go in with your guard up. There’s a very good chance your faith will be challenged on any college campus in America, so don’t let yourself get lulled into thinking that you won’t need to be wary of your teachers and textbooks just because of the name of the school you attend.

Get involved with a nearby congregation

This is such a crucial point. If you are a member of the body of Christ, it’s absolutely necessary for you to be an active part of the congregation you attend. Don’t just join the college group of the biggest church around because it’s the easy way out – look for where you can fit in and be of service. Get in the habit of being a contributor and not just a consumer.

Find a mentor

Just about everybody in the church – but especially those who are growing into their adult lives – need older Christians who can serve as mentors. This type of discipleship is one of the most vital principles of the church of the New Testament. You need people you can call and ask questions, people who can pray for you, people who can give you biblically-based advice in your questions. These people will help you remain grounded in your faith and in who you are.

Find peers who will help you grow spiritually

This doesn’t mean “surround yourself with people who think exactly like you,” but it does mean that you have to be careful about the spiritual value your group of friends adds to your life. If all of your closes friends are people with whom you can’t go to worship, study the Bible, or discuss spiritual issues they aren’t going to help you solidify your relationship with Christ.

Make time for God – if you don’t now, then when?

There’s a lot of truth in the old preacher adage that talks about how people say

“I’m in college, but once I graduate I’ll serve the Lord.

I’m working on getting my career going and getting married, and once I do that, we’ll serve the Lord.

Once we have kids, then we’ll serve the Lord.

Once we can just get these kids out of the house, then we’ll spend our time serving the Lord.

If I can just get to retirement, then I’ll have time to serve the Lord.

I’m old and tired, I really can’t serve the Lord.”

If you don’t start making spiritual disciplines a part of your life now, when is it going to happen? Yes, college is a busy season of life. But so is trying to get a career going, getting married, having kids, and every other season of life. Someday you’ll regret it if you let 4-5 years slip by without growing in your relationship with God. Make time for Him now. Put Him first now. The habits and priorities you build during these years can and will be a part of your life for many, many years.

By Jack Wilkie