Jesus that.

He’s the talk of your college campus. And not at all in a bad way. In fact—in a very real, studious and sincere way.

You are blessed to attend a Christian college. Everything about it challenges you and your faith. From the way your science professors incorporate the Word into the study of plate tectonics to the late nights you spend with your dorm mates discussing the Last Supper. Or debating Calvinist views about salvation. Or sharing each other’s testimonies about how you came to know the Lord.

You’re intellectually challenged, spiritually stretched and socially connected. Life is good. So why on earth do you need to go to church?

My College Is Just Like Church
You already feel as if you’re a part of a daily gathering of believers simply by the environment at your Christian college. If they’re not theology majors, your peers are at the least studying the Bible in the required religion courses. Everyone is learning and growing in some capacity. You’re immersed in the Christian culture. Why add church to your routine?

The truth is that church isn’t really about attendance.

It’s not about showing up or putting in your time.

It’s not about performing a religious ritual.

It’s not about ascending above your peers who don’t go to church.

It’s not about any of those things.

So what is it about? Church is where you go to get fed spiritually. To worship. To discover your gifts. To connect with other believers and hold each other accountable.

You’re thinking, Check. Check. Check . . . and check. I get all of that at my college.

If you were still under your parents’ roof, the reasons you might hear for why you should attend church may not hold much weight. They may not even be reasons at all. They might be better defined as empty blanket statements such as, “Because it’s a good idea.” Or, “Because every good Christian goes to church!” Well, that’s not very motivating. And as a college intellectual, you deserve a solid reason—as in something that makes sense.

What Kind of Lake Are You?
So, if you think the experience you’re getting at college is essentially the same experience you’d be getting at church, there’s just one thing to consider: You are getting, yes. Receiving plenty. But what are you giving?

“Well, that’s easy,” you say. You give your thoughts and opinions in class. Your listening ear and advice to your friends. You offer your prayers before meals or in a Bible study. That’s all great, because it’s important to be a student and a friend and to be active in group studies. It’s important to invest in your relationships. But what are you giving by way of worship to God? What are you sacrificing for His name’s sake?

Before you dismiss the idea as unimportant, consider this analogy from nature. You’ve probably heard of the Sea of Galilee in the Holy Land. It’s actually just a big lake that’s fed from water from Mount Hermon to the north. The water flows out of the Sea of Galilee as the Jordan River to the south. The water is clear and drinkable.

Now let’s consider the Dead Sea, at the far end of the Jordan River. It takes in water from the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan. The Dead Sea lives up to its name; it’s literally a dead body of water that nothing can live in. What’s the difference?

The first one has an outlet. The second one doesn’t. The only stream is the one flowing into it. Nothing is leaving it. Nothing is flowing through to bring fresh water, and it’s not giving anything away.

Don’t Become ”Dead”
When you take and receive and accumulate . . . and then take and receive some more, it may feel good for a while. But when you don’t have an outlet, or when you’re not giving, you aren’t staying fresh.

At this point in your life, giving back to the family of believers may be the single greatest, most logical reason for going to church on Sunday. You’ve got to give. Your brothers and sisters need you. Your God-given gifts and talents are yours to share. Be that through mentoring a young girl one on one or standing on stage as Comedy Girl at the high school youth group or organizing weekly outings to serve the homeless or helping set up and tear down chairs before and after services . . . the options are endless. And your church would love to plug you in.

College, by nature, is a place to absorb. To receive instruction and to grow intellectually, socially and spiritually. It’s important (and you’re paying a lot of money to do it!), and it’s why you’re there. But if you don’t have an outlet, a place to give, you run the risk of establishing a lifetime habit of being “me”-oriented. Self-focused. Self-centered. And as a Christ-follower, that’s not the life for you.

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ ” (Galatians 5:13-14).