[Part 2] Finding God & Keeping Him in College || Finding Accountability in All the Right Places
Finding genuine accountability in your Christian walk in college is difficult. Like in Part 1, I have failed in the area in order to find success. Here are three places I found accountability in college.
Finding a Ministry
Our first stop is campus ministries. As I shared throughout my four years of college this was a challenge, yet one of the biggest blessings of my college career. I walked onto campus thinking I was going to join a specific college ministry, but found my heart in the Korean Campus Crusade for Christ (KCCC). My friends and I often laugh about the "whitest girl they know" part of an Asian ministry, but the truth is the ministry itself pushed me in my faith in ways no one else could have done. The brothers and sisters I had during the highs and lows of my first few years of college were exactly who I needed in my life at the time.
But college ministry isn't an open-and-closed deal - you should be friends with other ministries too. They all have the same mission - to live a life pleasing to Christ and sharing that news to the campus. We were never in competition with each other, rather a collective unite to reach the unreached together. Not only does it benefit the Kingdom, but it could benefit you, too. I had a relationship with InterVarsity members that led me to helping start a Greek life ministry, which was something KCCC prayed about with me. Those relationships blossomed into ministry.
There is accountability in ministry because you have all come together for the same purpose, at the same place, and at the same time. Find your "missional group" - the group who's heart is in the same place as you. For example, if your heart is to reach the Greek Life community, Muslim students, or drug addicts, find a group of students or ministry who has those same passions. We are all called to disciple different people and that community will hold you accountable to reach your missional group.
Finding a Mentor
Finding a mentor was one of my favorite parts of this journey for me. My freshman year I had a small group leader we called "Grandpa." Grandpa was wise and wanted to share that wisdom with younger students. This vertical mentorship was something that took a very lost freshman and put her on the right track to becoming a wholehearted disciple. But it was the horizontal mentorship with the friends that were walking the same walk (at the same time) as me that helped me stay on that track. We often stop at the vertical mentorship and forget to mentor [and be mentored by] those on the same playing field as you.
Find someone at your home church or community that you can connect with, too. Youth leaders don't stop loving you because you are too old for youth group. They are always there to mentor you through life.
Mentorship gives more authoritative accountability that will help you set and keep on your track.
Finding a Church
Lastly, find a church. This was a big struggle for me. I tried it all from Catholic Mass to Non-denominational I just couldn't seem to find my fit in college. And this is my biggest regrets. Transitioning back into a church family post-grad has been a challenge because I've forgotten what church feels like.
In Acts (2:42-7), Luke says:
"The Fellowship of the Believers"
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.And this is why we need the accountability of a church in college.
