Contrary to what we often hear, your faith is not something “private,” something reserved only for your personal life when your front door is tightly shut.  Rather, it’s something you live amidst real issues in your life.  And I believe that in going to college one’s faith in Jesus is challenged here maybe more than anywhere.  And for this reason, the relationships which are forged with other followers of Jesus is essential.  Yet, not all “Christian” student groups measure up to their title.  If you or someone you know is heading back to the campus this fall, you need to read J. Budziszewski’s (pronounced, “Boo-jee-shef-ski”) How To Stay Christian In College.

 As a professor at the University of Texas in Austin, where he teaches in the Depts. of Government and Philosophy, and as a former atheist, J. Budziszewski really understands the pressures and pitfalls that are scattered through out the college experience.  There’s so much in his book that is helpful, but for the sake of time, I’ll only mention one–fellowship with Christian student groups that you might become involved with.  J. offers (and expounds upon, though I can’t here) a checklist of characteristics to look for and of characteristics to avoid that, while not profound, is still helpful. 

It can be difficult to evaluate a particular Christian student group which you may know little or nothing about.  So, to this end, J. offers the following (138). 

In Christian student groups, LOOK FOR:
1. Fellowship that openly acknowledges Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
2. Fellowship that accepts the Bible as the true and authoritative Word of God to humanity.
3. Fellowship that understands that we are made right with God by faith in Christ, not by our own good deeds.
4. Fellowship that holds members to high and clear standards of moral conduct.
5. Fellowship whose members are not quarrelers or backbiters but have sacrificial love for each other.
6. Fellowship that will challenge you to grow in Christian maturity.

In “Christian” student groups, AVOID:
1. Groups that reject or twist the Bible.
2. Groups that demean or dilute the Bible.
3. Groups that idolize their human leader.
4. Groups that try to cut you off from your family.
5. Groups that try to mix Christianity with other religions.
6. Groups that try to mix Christianity with occultic practices.

Along with the obvious book suggestion in the title of this blog post, let me give you two others for those dealing with deviant Christian groups:
Scripture Twisting: Twenty Ways the Cults Misread the Bible, by James W. Sire.
When Cultics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Cultic Misinterpretations, by Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes.