Student Blog

Coming to university can be both exciting and daunting. It’s a time to grow in independence, to explore and discover. Many people will be thinking through big questions about their life, identity and the world. What makes me myself? What are my gifts? Who are my friends? How should I spend my time? What will make me happy? How do I deal with the fear of failing? Where do I turn when things are overwhelming? What should I do with my life?

There are all sorts of places we could look to for answers to these kind of questions and your friends at university may try all sorts of answers on for size, wondering, does this fit?

Right now, you may also be wondering, what will my first year look like, how will I fit in, will I find my place, will I enjoy it, will I cope?
In his letter to the Colossians, Paul tells the Christians at Colossae that wherever they are tempted to look for answers, hope and satisfaction, Christ is far better and Christ is wonderfully sufficient.

Whether you’re itching to start or dreading the day, when we see the magnificent picture of Christ in Colossians 1:15-23, we’re reminded that Christ is the one we can look to in all circumstances because he’s big enough and good enough for all circumstances; even first year of university in a pandemic.

Vs 15: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

University life feels unknown.

That’s unavoidable given the circumstances we find ourselves in. But amidst all the uncertainty, we can be sure of God’s unchanging nature because it is perfectly revealed in Christ. Christ shows us just what he is like. Christ, the one who pursues us in love, gave himself for us in death and rose in resurrection life, offering us a hope unshaken by anything we might encounter. The Father’s heart for you is revealed in the Son who gave himself for you. What an assurance in which to rest!

Vs 16: For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

University life feels daunting.

When I moved to university, nerves definitely featured more than excitement. But if you know Jesus, you know the one who created all things, who is above every power you can imagine and even the ones you can’t. As you move to Durham, Jesus knows exactly where you’ll be – he made it! He is in control, he isn’t surprised by Covid or unsure of the future. What a saviour to trust!

This is not just a comfort, it’s also an invitation. It’s an invitation to explore the world that Jesus made. He knows exactly what you’ll be studying – because he made that as well. Whether it’s contemplating the nature of justice in law, what it means to be human in anthropology or whatever the heck quarks are in physics, you can do it to God’s glory, delighting to discover the intricate depths of what has been created through him and for him.

Vs 17: And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

University life feels full.

Friends, societies, sports, music, church, oh, and your degree. Holding it all together sometimes feels like trying to eat a poorly constructed fajita. But Christ holds together all things. That’s one big fajita. He made it, he sustains it. When you feel overwhelmed, he isn’t. When you come to the end of yourself, he’s a refuge in which to hide.

And his rightful place is before all things; that’s a helpful guide for figuring out your priorities at university. Christ is already before all things in creation, we don’t choose to put him there. But we can choose to live our lives recognising that reality, living in light of it, living with the grain of all creation – in worship of Christ.

However you’re feeling and whatever your first year of university will hold, rejoice that in Christ you have a magnificent and utterly trustworthy saviour who is bigger than anything you might face.

Moving to a new place with family, work or as a student usually means looking for a new church community in which to participate, grow and serve. This guide is specifically for new students here in Durham who are typically choosing a church for the first time. Hopefully it will be useful for anyone choosing a church.

There is always a danger that a church leader giving guidance on these things just gives a series of pointers leading to the inevitable conclusion that you should go to their church. As a check on my own inevitable bias, I spoke to a friend who is a minister of a different denomination from out of town to see what he said. What emerged from our conversation is included in what follows.

Look first for church that is passionate about the gospel, about spreading the gospel and which worships in a way that helps your engagement with God and discipleship. Churches will have different styles and emphases but fundamentally they should be concerned about the gospel, the Bible and making then growing new disciples. Look for a place where you can thrive as a believer.

Look for a church that is generous hearted in its evangelicalism – that both holds its convictions deeply but respects and values the contribution of other churches with whom they may not agree on secondary issues but with whom they can have fellowship on essentials. Standing clearly for gospel truth is vital. But exclusivity, superiority, a sense that they are the only true church, extending the essentials to less important matters or personal hobby horses are all danger signs.

Look for a church that will teach you. A focus on teaching from the Bible is essential but not in a simplistic way that doesn’t get you to think deeply or analytically but instead helps you grasp itmore deeply and live it out in practice. Lifestyle preaching has its strengths but does not take us very deep in Bible learning. Narrow preaching that focusses on a few favourite themes will take you deep in a few areas but it will also make you narrow or shallow in your appreciation of the immeasurable riches of what God has to say to us in Scripture. If the church has no organised way of engaging with Scripture beyond the pastor’s favourite text or themes – avoid.

Look for a church that gets the right balance between activities specially for students and integration with the rest of the church. Preparing well for church after University means getting out of the student bubble and learning to relate to other people too. It also means having some activities and opportunities that take account of your special status as a student.

Student organisations and groups have some significant value in dealing with issues relating to students and there is an important place for this in church too. If you are too involved in student Christian activities to plug into church properly you’ve got your priorities wrong.

It is also pretty unhealthy in church if there is kind of spiritual apartheid so students never get to interact with non-students. The church is meant to be a body not a series of parallel channels.

Look for an integrated and balanced vision of how students relate to the wider church.

Look for a church that will help prepare you for years ahead. Being a student is a special opportunity to learn quickly and think deeply about Christian faith and about how God might lead you in the future in career or church.

Look for a church that it would feel comfortable to bring a non-Christian friend along to. Good churches offer opportunities to bring guests that you could imagine bringing someone along to as well.

Look for a church where you can encounter God. The rational, truth-based, word-focussed part of discipleship is essential for healthy Christian living. So too is meeting God powerfully in the Spirit. It deepens and solidifies faith in more experiential and emotional ways. Chasing experiences is not healthy but pursuing God and knowing him deeply involves our whole selves longing  for him, his word and his glory.

Which seems like a pretty good note to end on!

Grace and peace in the Lord Jesus

Mark

Photo by Nagesh Badu on Unsplash