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Right about now you probably have some graduates from the class of 2008 coming home from their freshman term at college. For some, their first few months of college were chock full of great times with God, great new relationships with other believers, and lots of great memories.
For others (lots of others), the first few months of college are laced with more drugs and alcohol than they intended, sexual encounters they wish they could undo, and lots of guilt.
In my last blog, I profiled the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. The bottom line is that a growth mindset, one in which you are viewing your experiences as opportunities to learn, is better.
How can you help college freshman filled with a sense of guilt view what’s happened to them in their short time away from home as an opportunity to grow? We’re learning from our College Transition Project that part of the reason youth group graduates stray from faith in college is that once they make mistakes, they feel too hypocritical to connect with a church or parachurch ministry. So they stay all the more separate from Christian community—just when they need it the most.
You and other adults who’ve invested in those students in high school might be their lifeline back to community. How about you make a concerted effort to contact your recent alum and see if any of them want to meet for coffee? When you do, maybe you share that you’ve heard that lots of kids from youth groups like yours struggle when they get to college and see how they respond. If they share any of their regrets, remind them that it’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4).
If Jesus isn’t big enough to forgive some alcohol, then you and I need a new Jesus.
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