FRESHMAN YEAR IN COLLEGE
The reality is my freshman year of college was anything but honorable...Even though I was a pastors kid, had a ton of great parenting, mentoring and otherwise, I still fell away in my walk with God. I was a part of the 90% who, even though they served God in school, walked away.
Thank God, in April of my freshman year the Lord arrested my heart and changed my life. I did my best for the final month and a half to reach as many of my peers as I could for Jesus Christ.
The Quarry, our internship, was created because of the let down I experienced after High School. 3 years into Youth Pastoring I had seen so many High School students graduate and, like me, fall away from the Lord. I asked God to do something to help them and out of passionate prayer The Quarry was born. Now ten years later many statistics support such local church based internships. A recent 24-year study out of Portland Bible College indicates that 50% of students who complete a 1st year internship stay faithful in serving the Lord and 90% of those who complete a 2nd year stay faithful. What are the chances for a graduating senior to stay faithful to the Lord without an internship? 1 in 10. Can we afford this with our kids?
The reality is that students, like me back then, can have great parent's, numerous opportunities, mentors and good values, but without focus to keep them pursuing God, most (9 in 10), find themselves away from the Lord at some point after High School. As far as I'm concerned this should not be, and as parent's and pastors it is imperative that we respond.
Sadly, it is normal for a student to graduate High School, go to college or get a job, experiment with alcohol, drugs or both, have sex with different partners and challenge the values they have been raised with. For many this is just a stage of life, but all too often this experimentation leads to addiction, unwanted pregnancy, STD's, rape, or worse. In 13 years of ministering to this stage of life I have heard stories that break my heart too often--and I'm talking about the Christian kids. Why do we think this has to be normal?
Let's change normal! The new normal for our kids can be: graduate High School, do a 1st and 2nd internship, LOVE GOD WITH EVERYTHING, attend college or get a job, meet their God identified mate, get married and live an entire life loving the Lord.
Our kids, grand kids, god kids and friends kids no longer have to be defined by what is normal. Together we can change normal.
Every parent should consider changing their plans for their graduating senior to include an internship. My parent's thought they were safe with me. How different my life would have been without premarital sex, wild parties and foolishness. Truth be told, I probably would have discovered my calling as a pastor when I was just out of High School instead of my Junior year of college. How might that have changed the university I attended, my major and my life?
Mom and Dad, it's your tuition money. Perhaps paying the way for a degree they are most passionate about would be a better investment than a freshman year like mine? Internships don't replace college, they just help student's define the purpose of college. I am pretty sure if I had the opportunity to do an internship I would have discovered God wanted me at Bible college instead of State College. For me its' water under the bridge now and I can't change it, but for your senior there is still a chance to give them an opportunity to hear the Lord about their future, solidify their life long path as a Christ follower and build irreplaceable relationships.
