By Briana Bass, Christian Romance Author, Devotional Writer & Certified Professional Coach

College is an exciting time in a young person’s life. Meeting new people, learning new ideas, living on your own for the first time – it’s an opportunity to find out who you really are and embrace the new you.

Faith can be difficult to maintain when a young person moves away from home. They may be geographically disconnected from their home church, no longer able to attend on Sunday mornings. The bonds they relied on from birth become frayed. No one is at fault in these situations. It’s simply life moving forward.

What can be done? Will the young person turn away from church and religion all together? How do they prioritize their faith? What role does their church family continue to play?

Three Ways to Stay Engaged in Faith

My college friends, you are entering a brand new world, full of exciting opportunities and adventures. I know how easy it is to put God on the backburner in favor of campus parties and football games and hanging out with your friends. I want to let you know that it’s okay. God will patiently wait for you to return to Him. He’s not going anywhere.

Some of you do want to maintain a relationship with the Lord during your college years. That’s wonderful! Here are some ideas of how to keep faith a priority:

• Get involved with religious life on campus
• Join a local congregation
• Join an online faith community

Don’t feel bad if you can’t commit to every Sunday or every activity. Your job is to study and do well in your classes. If you can participate, though, I highly encourage you to do so. Our relationship with Jesus may be personal, but there is value in our connection to one another. Human beings are pack animals. We crave community. Find your squad, and not just on campus.

There are so many ways to put God first when you’re in college!

Three Ways to Express Love to Students

For the rest of us, how do we support our college friends, especially when they are so far away? We may hesitate to reach out, wondering if we are welcome or if we’re intruding. Reach out, my friends! Let your young people know how much you love them. Here are a few ways to show your love:

• Send a card or care package
• Invite them to church when they are home on break
• Connect them with people you may know near campus

We may not see our college students as often as we used to, but they are still beloved members of our church family! We must be intentional about maintaining bonds with them. It is our responsibility to remind them that they are always welcome and that they will always have a home with us.

God Can be Found on Campus

God and college can go hand in hand. You don’t have to attend a Christian college to have a relationship with the Lord! You do have to be intentional about letting God into your life and spending time with Him.

Church families bear a responsibility to their young people. We raised them but we’re not done raising them. They still need us to disciple them, lead by example, and pray for them. They may be out of sight, but we must never let them be out of mind.