Preparing High School Seniors for Life and Faith in College

How can you prep a high school senior for life and faith in college?

During a panel discussion at one of our Iron on Iron student ministry conferences, Jeff Martin, a seasoned student pastor and good friend of Snowbird, was asked this question. His insight is below:

Probably just watch God’s Not Dead once a week, haha. (That’s a joke.)

But that’s a good question.

I think, Lord willing, the real preparation is the product of your hard work throughout their time in your ministry. I think there are vital things we want to instill in that time. 

“Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” – Colossians 1:28

That idea of considering someone mature, in this context, is when they’re leaving the protection of youth group and going to do this new season of life. We want to have a long-term view of that. In the way we teach the Bible, we have to think about not just their college years, but when they’re 70 or 80 and taking their last breath. I think a key story like earlier with Jamie; he spent a year with them.

So being faithful in the time that I have, what are the things I want to emphasize to prepare them to finish their lives well for the Gospel?

Show them a love for the Word of God.

I want them to have a love for the Word of God, a love of Scripture. I think there’s a freedom to wrestle with Scripture under our care, to ask tough questions; and to know that is alright.

I have three kids, all under ten. One of the rules in our home is they can question anything we say, provided they do it while obeying and with respect. There’s safety there and it gives to great conversation. It grows that relationship and their ability to comprehend things. If our students struggle now with difficult questions in this place where they know they can go to Scripture and ask questions; in an environment where they won’t be shut down or put off as if they’re questioning God’s authority, I think that gives them confidence in the sufficiency of the Word of God so when they go to school and are challenged by a professor, they’ll be confident because they’ve already challenged themselves and the Word in a respectful, submissive sense.

Give them a love for the lost.

Get them preoccupied with the Great Commission so they aren’t easily ensnared with the temporary worldly pleasures they’ll be bombarded with.

Be about the Gospel now. Give them a love for the church. Get them plugged into serving the local church where they have a love for serving, a love for their pastors, a love for the elders in the church so they can be plugged into a local church there. Campus ministries are great, but they do not replace the local church.

Open conversations. Learn how to answer the tough questions—and meet later if you’re not ready.

Yeah, start your ministry now, where doubt isn’t a dirty thing. It makes a huge impact. Think about John the Baptist in his darkest moment when he questions Jesus, saying “Are you the one, is there another?” The sooner the students realize they can ask questions and it’s okay to wrestle, the better.

Get accustomed as their minister, their leader, to say this: “I don’t know. But I think there’s a good answer, I’d love to look into it and get back to you.” We so often shoot from the hip and try to have an answer for everything, when sometimes the best thing to do is to not answer at all.

That’s a great evangelistic tool. When you’re talking to someone who doesn’t know Christ and you say that, what did you just do? You set up another meeting; how often does that happen? It’s really good to model that for your students.

Find a church.

Realize it’s okay to search. Plug in ASAP. You can church shop every week, but I tell them to visit a few then pick one and plug in! Serve and be invested in your college time. Be there every Sunday.

Teach them how to set the right goals.

I told my students when I went to college I committed not to have sex or drink until I was 21. So now I ask my students to define some commitments they want to work towards when they go. The biggest thing for me is when I got discipled by a college pastor he asked me what I was involved with. I told him I was in a Christian fraternity on Monday and I go to late night at the Presbyterian church on Tuesday night, I lead worship at youth on Wednesday, Bible study on Thursday, I go to late night at the black fraternity on Friday night, nothing on Saturday, and I go to Bible study on Sunday night.

He said, “When are you with lost people?”

So he told me he would disciple me if I chose two people to disciple and that I reach out to two people who don’t know Christ. He wanted to know their names and how to pray for them. I tell students not to over-Christian-bubble-ize yourself. Have people you’re intentionally pouring into and two people you’re intentionally building bridges with.