Being a Christian on a Secular Campus

Keeping the Faith at a Non-Christian College

College students studying

Adjusting to college life is hard enough, but being a Christian on a secular campus can pose even more challenges. In the midst of you fighting homesickness and trying to make new friends, you face all new forms of peer pressure. That peer pressure, as well as the normal college pressures, can easily pull you off your Christian walk. So how do you hold on to your Christian values in the face of total hedonism and alternative ideas?

The Non-Christian College Life

If you have seen movies about college, they probably aren’t that far off from real college life. That is not to say that some colleges are more academic oriented, but many students are away from parent influences and succumb easily to drinking, drugs, and sex. After all, there is no authority figure there to say, “No.” Plus, alternative ideologies abound, which can be just as tempting as those “sins of the flesh.”

College is a time of learning about new things. You will be exposed to all kinds of new beliefs and ideas. As a Christian, those ideas will seriously make you question your faith. Sometimes people are rather convincing in their ideas. You will hear ideas that denounce your faith in lectures and at rallies. You will even hear people on campus espousing a hatred of Christians.

Staying Strong in Your Faith

Being a strong Christian on a secular campus is not easy. It actually takes work – more work sometimes that high school. Yet there are ways that you can stay focused on God and His work in your life:

  • Join a Christian Fellowship group. While there are clubs and meetings for just about anything on a college campus, fellow Christians often meet beyond traditional Wednesday and Sunday services.
  • Go to church. Find a church right away and get involved in their college group. Worshiping with fellow Christians can help keep you strong. Going to church at least once a week can help keep your focus.
  • Start a Bible Study. If you cannot find a fellowship group, try getting a Bible Study together. Put up a flyer in your dorm or meeting area, and you will be amazed at the response you get.
  • Do your devotionals. Staying rooted in the Word will help you remain strong in your faith. When you are faced with a moral dilemma, knowing the Word will help you make Godly decisions.
  • Stand up for your beliefs. If someone is putting down your faith, stand up for God. You’ll feel better knowing that you didn’t allow someone to badmouth something you love.
  • Ask for help. If you feel yourself straying from your walk, don’t be ashamed to ask a fellow Christian for prayer or inspiration. Talk to your youth leader or pastor to get advice.

No matter where you go to college, you will be faced with moral decisions. You will be confronted with opposing beliefs and immoral acts. While some situations are clearly good or bad, the situations that try your faith the most will not be so clear. Keeping your eyes on God will help you navigate through the world of college.

Galatians 5:22-23 – “When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this king of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentelness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.” (NLT)

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Mahoney, Kelli. "Being a Christian on a Secular Campus." Learn Religions, Apr. 5, 2023, learnreligions.com/being-a-christian-on-a-secular-campus-712707. Mahoney, Kelli. (2023, April 5). Being a Christian on a Secular Campus. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/being-a-christian-on-a-secular-campus-712707 Mahoney, Kelli. "Being a Christian on a Secular Campus." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/being-a-christian-on-a-secular-campus-712707 (accessed March 19, 2024).