Kingdom and College

There is something I've been wrestling with for a long time that I finally decided to write about. Over the last 15 years in Youth Ministry I have have struggled with one main thing when it comes to talking about following Jesus. The idea I wrestle with is talking to students and families about the importance of college.

Here's my thoughts. I have been working with an organization for a long time called Youth With a Mission What they do is typically provide a ministry training ground for post high school students who want to spend time growing in their faith and serving but either aren't ready for or who have made the decision to not attend college. What I have found over the years is that the education that these "students" receive at YWAM is of huge value to them and to the world. What they receive is an opportunity to make a difference as 18 year old and a focused time to growing closer to God. What the world receives is an example of someone who's passion and pursuit is Jesus.

I realize I may be over simplifying that and I'll probably get some critique because of it but I'm trying to make a point quickly.

All the Churches I have worked at have mostly middle to upper middle class white families. I would guess that for 95% of the families I have worked with that the question is not "if" students are going to college but "where".

What I would like to do is to propose to many students that they take 1 year away from high school to serve somewhere and then go to college. The problem with that is our society seems to make that idea not socially acceptable. The expectation is that you will go to college and 4 years later you will either go to graduate school or get a "real" job. Unfortunately, many students graduate without any clue about what they want to do and are forced to take a job to begin paying off debt and full filling the expectations that they will become an adult.

Even as I write this I realize that it will be met with skepticism. I'll probably even take some heat from parents who will tell me not to encourage their kids to do something different. To them I say relax. I'm not preaching that or talking to students about it. I'm just voicing something I wish we had the freedom to talk about more. I'd love the opportunity to work on creating something like that for students.

One thought I will end with though is I'd like us to honestly evaluate how we would feel if one of our son's or daughters came to us and said that they wanted to follow Jesus and for them that meant they weren't going to go to college. How would that make you feel as a parent? I think coming to terms with that is important before we can have an honest discussion about this.

Comments

[phil cunningham]

I have been talking to Amy about this whole thing lately. She graduated from high school, went to YWAM and married me and we had kids. Now, she is in a place where she feels like she has missed out on a lot by not going to college. I think some of it is that she has hit a wall in her abilities and feels that she needs more schooling to go forward, or she is just frustrated about where she is at.

In that, I think that you can lean to the other side and say that college does not matter so just go serve Jesus. We need to provide a healthy option of both.