Updated 3/28/12
In a previous post I shared some thoughts on a disturbing trend I’ve noticed on our campus… a trend where sophomore and junior year involvement in ministry-related activities is substantially less by comparison to that of freshmen (and even senior) involvement; and based on some of the comments I’ve heard, and conversations I’ve had with other college/campus ministers since then, it would appear that this trend is not unique to our campus.
The well curve trend (opposite of the more commonly known ‘bell curve’) of student engagement in spiritual activity on campus can be tied to a number of things… both good and bad.
On the up side, it can point to:
- students getting plugged into a local church, which allows them to get involved in a multi-generational and/or college specific ministries… and regularly get off campus, or
- students taking initiative to create personalized opportunities with friends on campus.
On the down side, and what seems to be much more common among the student I have observed, students seem to be choosing to focus almost exclusively on
- relationships,
- working,
- having fun, and
- just about anything that will advance their careers post-graduation…
For far too many, it would seem, that faith takes a back seat… to pretty much everything.
One of the things that has had me puzzled about this new trend has been the fact that this change has emerged in just the past few years – since I have been at BU. When I started here four and a half years ago (now almost 7 years) we were still seeing a bell curve of student engagement.
But an article I read in the Tennesseean back in the spring of 2010 shed some new light for me on this well curve of activity and some likely connections to the poor economy and job(less) market our nation was in the midst of. The sophomore and junior years are typically full of major-related classes. So if our students in those classes are hearing a message from their professors that says, “if you want to ‘make it’ you better give it all you’ve got” (a message professors have likely always communicated), it quite possible that the current recession is serving to amplify this message to the point that students are actually hearing it and feeling compelled to take much more seriously the preparation for their future. That’s possible… right?!
Now, even if this hypothesis is true… and it is only a working hypothesis… the fact that Jesus would not be a central part of these vital years of education and preparation in the life of a Christ-follower is very problematic.
Helping students to recognize the connections between how God has uniquely designed them, their future work and the deep needs of the world MUST be central to our work with college students!
IF they are disconnected spiritually during these critical years of formation and preparation for their future work, their preparation will be far from complete. They may be prepared mentally, but totally lacking spiritually. How will they be able to discern how God desires to use them? Or where God desires to use them?
Building relationships with students during their first year and helping them to make these important connections between their faith formation and future work is HUGE. If we can do this we just might see this well curve return to its former bell curve trend.
What do you think?
- How have you seen the recession impact the spiritual lives of students?
- Has the state of the economy served to elevate students’ focus on their studies – more so than before the economic downturn?
- Do you think students can be adequately prepared for work in the world if their spiritual formation is not a central part of their collegiate experience?
I’d love to know what you think!
