I went to a writer’s conference in the middle of June. It was an exciting time! We heard keynote addresses from writers who’ve been writing Christian books for years. I met many great writers and communicators who were genuinely interested in my message. If I haven’t said it in a while, my message is that Christian students can thrive in College with the right preparation. I want to be part of the solution to what has been a problem in the Christian community for years: students who believed the message of Christ and participated in church and Christian community but stop believing and stop engaging in Christian community during their college years and beyond. Why is this message so important? Because those weeks and months and years when former Christians check out of their faith equate to years of aimlessness, guilt, self doubt, and being someone who is not who God intended for them to be. We can not live our best lives apart from Him. He is our creator, John says that all things that were made were made by Christ (John 1:3). In addition, living apart from the Christian community is like living estranged from the family who knows and loves you best. The Bible says, You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family (Ephesians 2;19).
If you know someone who has gotten off track, a believer who is distant from God and his instructions to tell others about Him and to live in God’s family with every other believer, then pray for them first. Then reach out to invite them back into the community through church or another Christian event. You will feel afraid and nervous to approach them, but, ultimately, you will build up your own faith as you do your part to bring someone back into Christian community.
