February 25, 2021
If you’ve been thinking about attending college after high school, there are a lot of questions to consider.
Which major should you pursue–and does the college even offer it? Should you look at a college out of state, or close to home? Should you choose a Christian college or a secular one?
Do you attend the same college as your friends, or should you “go it alone” and pursue a brand new college somewhere new?
In this post, we can’t answer all those questions, but we will talk about the differences between Christian colleges and their secular counterparts.
A new wave of college students is working to accomplish their goals in the industry world, emphasizing hard work and connections as a means of being successful. Those who put the most into it get the most out of it.
While hard work is valuable, there needs to be an emphasis on the hard work’s purpose. As Christians, we need to define the goal of success in light of God’s will on earth and with the reverence to serve Him wholeheartedly.
When we develop our careers with God’s Kingdom and His calling in mind, we see the need to infuse our skill sets with our faith. Christian education helps formulate a worldview that propels Christ in every action we take while promoting academic excellence in a value-centered environment.
What Are The Values of Christian Education?
Christian colleges center on eternal truth derived directly from God’s Word
All truth is God’s truth. When you begin to apply this thought to a liberal arts education, the wonders of mathematics, science, and general academia become ways of revealing God’s complex and beautiful plan for creation.
Through this revelation, students can begin to formulate answers to the skepticism of the modern age.
The Pew Research Center conducted a study in 2016 that found that 18% of students raised within Christianity or another faith now identify as agnostic, with no religious affiliation. When asked why, many students indicated “science” as the reason they do not believe in religious teachings.
Students noted “learning about evolution when I went away to college” and a “lack of any sort of scientific or specific evidence of a creator” pushed them to be religiously unaffiliated.
Nevertheless, many secular institutions do not acknowledge the uncertainty of the current scientific data. Instead of thoroughly investigating the possibility of intelligent design, they focus on more traditional secular education—on evolution and life’s origin, with Darwin’s theory of evolution still being the most widely taught.
Your worldview is directly affected by what you choose to learn, study, and absorb.
The purpose of Christian education is to present academics with a faith-based worldview, equipping you with skills and biblical principles needed to thrive in future professions, including science-based ones.
Christian colleges encourage a deeper understanding of life and academics.
A life with Jesus is a life that is called to go deeper. No matter what a student at a Christian college chooses to study, the most valuable education any student can receive is from the Word of God. That’s where the value of Christian colleges lies.
Christian colleges understand this, so they often require biblical and theological courses as part of general education. Here at Crown, we equip you with an education that pushes you to grow down into your relationship with God.
- Explore more about Crown College’s Academics programs and our culture.
Biblical and theological courses provide tools that help students understand intrinsic biblical principles. The necessity for more relevant Christian critical thinkers is as high as ever. With subjects from evolution to global ethics and LGBTQ+ issues, students need to be capable of responsibly engaging with culture while giving well-thought-out reasons for their beliefs.
And the biblical teaching does not stop in biblical and theological courses. Most Christian colleges require staff and faculty to agree with a statement of faith before accepting employment.
Each class taught, conversation had, and interaction with a professor is with an individual serving as a mentor who infuses the principles of Christianity into every activity. Christian colleges often hold chapel services, small group Bible studies, corporate prayer activities, and other resources to help you grow in your faith.
Communities thrive at Christian institutions, cultivating a culture where friends affirm faith, spend time in prayer, and grapple with tough issues together from a biblical perspective. College is a time to set a firm foundation in Christ through deep nurturing and development of your faith.
Christian colleges value high-quality education and affordability.
Small classes are the norm in many Christian colleges—something you won’t usually see at many larger institutions. Not only do faculty dedicate themselves to integrity and sound teaching, but they can teach from a holistic perspective, caring for your individual needs.
Because of this, students often have the flexibility to personalize course schedules to accomplish specific academic goals.
As student debt has risen substantially in the last decade, it is more apparent than ever to make a wise financial decision when considering colleges. Though private institutions’ sticker prices tend to be higher, many Christian colleges can provide substantial financial aid to students, making Christian education affordable.
According to an analysis conducted by Econsult Solutions, Inc., the loan default rate for graduates from institutions within the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) is 6.3%, nearly half the national average of 11.5%. (Crown College is a member of the CCCU.)
You can find information about Financial Aid on each institution’s website.
Everybody wants to be successful in their own ways. Quality Christian colleges help you to define success in alignment with God’s will for your life.
Find a place that will foster Christian faith in academics, creating opportunities to develop you as a Christ-centered thinker. Be academically prepared to live out your call to be a witness of the Gospel. Go deeper.
One thing to remember when picking a Christian college
The majors provided are important. You can’t exactly pursue a career in youth ministry if the college doesn’t even offer that degree. And location is certainly important.
Yet, the one thing that seemed to come up over and over again is this simple truth: you have to get to know the professors you’ll have, at least to some small degree.
it really does come down to the adults who will stand in front of you in the classroom. How they relay their knowledge to you will make all of the difference.
Professors often help in ways that are more valuable than any textbook, more important than having a workout room on the dorm floor, and more memorable than any experience on an athletic field.
The most important part of choosing a college is that you will spend time with caring adults who will guide you in ways you might not even realize.
2 Timothy 2:2 describes it this way: “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” That verse can serve nicely as a recipe for how to pick a college.
Are the professors there to check in and check out like you’re a number? Do they talk to you outside of class? Do they even know your name?
Consider a longer visit on campus, asking deep questions, or really getting to know someone who currently attends or who graduated recently.
Just make sure you remember this one thing: picking a college is hard; but at the end of the day, you’re really picking the professors who will teach you.
Article Source: https://www.crown.edu/nook/why-christian-education-is-still-valuable/