College Guest - Recap

Last night we had a guest speaker, Jennifer - a current Junior at Ball State, share some of her story.  Hard to recap everything but below are a few key points and most of what Jennifer had typed up in advance to share.  Obviously, some other things naturally came up that weren't written out in advance.

Key Points:
1. Jennifer thought she had a "real faith" while being a good kid in youth group.  But, she was tied up in looking the part and getting recognition from others for being the committed Christian and good student.
2. She served and went on mission trips and other activities because she knew that was what she was supposed to do.  It wasn't attached to her heart or God.
3. College was and is a pivotal time.  At first, she got off track, but later realized her need and a few key moments "woke her up," including a Bible Study.
4.  Consistent involvement and community with Christians keeps her from:
 -A. Slowly giving in to the temptation around her.
 -B. Accountability and support
 -C. A vibrant faith that helps her learn who God really is and what it means to share your faith (something the college ministry she is involved in (Cru) without being scared or overly in someone's face.

Read Jennifer's answers below (underlining done by Phil):

1. Give us a little bit of your background (Family life, growing up, things you were involved with in high school, level of involvement in church and youth group, etc).

I’m the oldest of 5, including my twin brother. I went to church with my family every Sunday growing up. I was baptized when I was around 9. I thought I was a good person with a good life.

I got my satisfaction from being good and well-liked. I was in the top 10 of my class, took AP classes, played tennis, did Eco club, NHS, SHS, and was really involved in my youth group and church.

2. Share where you were spiritually when you got to college?
I went on mission trips and did service clubs all through high school, but everything I did was to maintain my own image. If people thought of me and thought "She's so smart" or "She's so good" I was happy. That’s really where my faith stopped. I did good things so that people would think I was good, not out of love for God, and I certainly didn’t have any desire to share my faith other than to let people know I was a Christian so they’d think I was good.

3.  What happened, or didn’t happen your freshman year, that caused you to lose focus on your relationship with God?
When I came to Ball State, I was no longer at the top of the class. People didn't know me at all, let alone think I was a good person. There was no one to affirm me or make me feel good about myself. I was just like everyone else. On top of that, at the end of my senior year my parents started getting a divorce. I felt like any security I had from my family, friends, or school had all been taken from me. I finally realized how alone and empty I felt. I wanted to get involved in a Christian organization because that’s just who I thought of myself as, but after going to 1 Cru meeting it rubbed me the wrong way so I gave up and for the most part didn’t go back. I had no community like before, so no one cared if I went or not, so I didn’t go and my faith really fizzled out.

4. Looking at your Christian or youth group friends from high school, how are they doing?  Why do you think they’re struggling with spiritually?  (Was their faith never real? Too much temptation? Selfishness? Desire to “live it up” during college? Poor preparation? Bad parents?)
It’s really all across the board. Some of them just went to youth group/church because that’s what their family did, but it was never really personal for them. A lot of them went to college they just abandoned their faith to have “fun.” The one that really breaks my heart is the ones who party and still try to live for God. A select few of them are actually growing and doing well in their faith. I know the girls are struggling with trying to find love, either in boys or whatever else. I’m not sure about boys! We’re all just trying to find a place to belong, something to do with our life, and someone to share it with.

5. What was the toughest part of transitioning to college?
The toughest part was definitely the lack of community. I went from having friends in youth group and going to a church where everyone knew and cared for me to university where I was starting over from scratch. It also made it hard that I didn’t know where to start looking, either for Christian groups or for churches. Not having a car meant I could only go to the church right off campus, and I didn’t like that one so I hardly ever went.

6. What got you back on track?

Still wanting to be the good "Christian" girl, when I went home for the summer after freshman year I joined a Bible study. I started realizing that all I was using God for was to make me look good, but he wanted to do so much more than that. He wanted to heal the hurts I felt from my family, give me joy, and give me purpose. It really was God that opening my eyes that got me back on track.

7. Talk a little bit about your experience with Cru.

When I came back to Ball State after that summer I got involved in a Bible study with Cru. I still didn’t really like Cru or even my Bible study, but I had friends in Cru and knew I wanted community. I went to Cru’s winter conference that year and I saw probably for the first time that God was so much bigger than I had been giving him credit for. I began to see what it meant that Jesus DIED for me. That the God of the universe who I had been using to get ahead and paying no real attention to had come in the flesh and died for me. That is some huge love. So I asked God to show me his character. I wanted to know and be changed by his love, not just talk about it. And lo and behold, the series at Cru that semester was about God’s character. I went ever week and took notes. I also started meeting with my Bible study leader, a Cru staff woman, and a friend of mine to sort of relearn the basics of my Christian faith.

I started feeling like I should go on a summer project, which is basically a mission trip focused on discipleship and evangelism, but I put it off a long time because I was scared. Finally my friend called me out on that, so I applied. I then proceeded to get accepted, raise support, and had the most awesome summer of my life. I could talk on and on about what God taught me in Ocean City. J This year I lead a Bible study of freshmen/sophomores in one of the dorms, and I’ve started discipling a girl too! It’s been so crazy and amazing! This summer I’ve just been accepted to go on a summer project to East Asia!

8. Things you would tell the high school version of you.

Oh man, so many things!
It’s not about you.
Stop trying to impress people.
Don’t be so stressed about planning out your life.
Let God be God. You are beautiful and loved.

9. Advice for graduating seniors about beginning their college experience
GET INVOLVED IN CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. That is so crucial! Find somewhere immediately. Don’t wait to get settled in. The first few weeks are when you can try out tons of different organizations with no strings attached, so do that. You can make good friends in those first few weeks. Get involved in a Bible study. Find a church.