How to help your teens to keep faith in college

5 steps to ensure that your children will keep faith in college As a parent, you want your children to keep the faith while in college. But the truth is that if you don’t prepare your teens for adult life, they will likely drop out of the church by their sophomore year. According to statistics, 70% of young adults stop attending church once they leave their parents’ house and start living on campus.

Let’s figure out what you can do to ensure that your children will not walk away from the faith in college.

Have an honest conversation
First of all, you should talk with your children about the real struggles of living out the Christian life. You should discuss all the challenging decisions they will have to make and solutions they will have to find, like what major to choose, how to pass a test, and how to make new friends.

Remind your teens that the struggles of their life test their faith. And the more struggles they will overcome, the stronger their faith will become.

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6–7 ESV).

Share your personal experience
Do you remember what struggle you faced in college? Do you regret the “wrong choices” you made being a student? Share your experience with your teens and explain why they should avoid the mistakes you made.

Your son and daughter are not little kids anymore. You can talk with them openly on any topic. Assure them that if they manage to keep faith in college, that will positively impact their lives.

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13–14).

Help your teen to choose the right college
There are many colleges out there that claim to be “Christian.” But in fact, just a few of them promote actual Christian values and faith.

If your children haven’t chosen a college yet, make sure they consider suitable options. Visit websites of popular Christian colleges, read reviews, ask the opinions of alumni. Analyze all possible opportunities and guide your children to finding the right place to study.

Be aware that if your children opt for a non-Christian educational institution, they will face many temptations on campus. They may also like to turn to the best paper writing website instead of dealing with their homework on their own.

“So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Get your child involved in the Christian community
The presence of the Christian community plays a vital role in keeping the faith. If your children get support from like-minded people, they will likely keep attending the church. But if it turns that your teens are the only Christians on campus, there is a chance that they will lose interest in going to church.

Before your son and daughter leave for college, you need to check whether there is a Christian group on campus or near the campus. You should help your children join a new Christian community so that they will start a new chapter of their life on the right note.

Here is a great verse that proves the importance of community. “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all” (1 Thessalonians 5:14).

Pray for your college children
If you strive to help teens keep the faith in college, you need to pray every day. You should pray for your children to have unconditional trust in God, who guides them toward making the right decisions. You should pray for your son and daughter to choose wise friends who will be not only a source of great joy and laughter but also will be great supporters.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

Trust your children
As a parent, you should provide your children with comprehensive support. However, you shouldn’t be intrusive. Excessive persistence in matters of faith and religion can lead to the fact that your teenager will begin to perceive faith not as a feeling and attitude given to us from above, but as a compulsory necessity. But faith has nothing to do with coercion as it comes from the heart and soul.

Instead of pushing, support your young student on their new path. Remind your child that faith has no boundaries or location - it accompanies us at every step, and gives us strength to face difficulties.

And most importantly, trust the choices your child makes. Parental unconditional trust, love, and support is the only way to grow a healthy personality, instill the right values, and teach to remain a Christian regardless of life situations, guided by the parting words of love, prosperity, peace, and goodness.

Let your teens make their faith their own, and then your entire family will be happy. However, remember to remind your child that every action, intention, and even thought has a consequence. It is important to remain a Christian not only in our actions but also in our thoughts.

Conclusion
Unfortunately or fortunately, the period of study in college coincides with the age at which young people want to commit all sorts of recklessness, push the boundaries, and taste life. The lack of direct and daily parental control only increases the desire to succumb to temptation. Your task is to teach your child to turn to faith every time they make a decision and take a step towards the unknown.