This evening CPYU president Walt Mueller and I will be speaking to a group of students and parents at the annual Engage Conference in Lebanon, PA. The conference brings together hundreds of youth and adults to think more deeply about faith and culture. It is a great event. Last year I spoke to the group about Identity Matters. This year Walt and I are teaming up to talk about faith and technology.
It is a real honor to be a part of events like this one. It’s sometimes easy to decry America’s youth. The news and some research about teenagers can lead one to believe that youth are heading in the wrong direction. On this Monday night, however, hundreds of teens will gather, Bibles in hands, eager to learn and ask good questions. Kudos to the Lebanon Valley Youth Network for putting on this annual event.
CPYU’s College Transition Initiative is pleased to announce an essay contest that will award 4 cash prizes of $1,000! The opportunity is made possible by a partnership with our good friends Dave and Sarah Wolfe of Principle Mortgage Solutions in Lancaster, PA.
The theme for the essay is “following Jesus” after high school. Our hope is that college bound high school seniors will take time to reflect more deeply about the difference their faith will make as they begin the next chapter of their life story.
The deadline for the essays is January 31, 2014. Essays may be submitted at any time prior to the deadline. The winner will be awarded and honored at the annual CPYU Banquet on April 4, 2014.
Please contact me if you have any questions about the contest.
Next Wednesday (October 30) I’ll be speaking at Malone University. I’ll do a chapel presentation in the morning, taking a deeper look at the implications of Colossians 1:15-20 for college students in a talk entitled “The Lord of All Learning.” Wednesday evening I’ll do a workshop with students about the place of doubt in the life of faith in a talk entitled “The Sunnier Side of Doubt.”
This particular sermon was part of a series about the mission of the church. Pastor Ortberg points out that the church’s mission is based on two words: “Go. Bless.” Ortberg then walks through the Biblical story, pointing out how the people of God are “blessed to be a blessing to others.”
There is a bit of surprise (spoiler alert!) during the sermon when Ortberg invites a woman onstage to talk about how she blesses her passengers as a bus driver in San Francisco. It is very moving and quite powerful. Take time to watch or listen to this sermon. You will not be disappointed.
I think the reason I loved this sermon so much was that it resonated with my work very directly. Ortberg begins by talking about Dr. Suess’s popular “graduation” book Oh, the Places You’ll Go! and throughout the sermon compares it to the people of God. God sends us out to be a blessing, wherever we go! I think that’s the vision we need for college.
We often talk about college as something you do in order to open more doors that can lead to a successful career. The message and guidance most students hear is that college increases the opportunity for “success.” There is truth to that vision, of course. I certainly don’t want to undermine the role that college can play in helping others succeed in life. But I offer a different vision: College is a blessing. It is a gift. And a college degree should lead to having more opportunities to bless others. In other words, a follower of Jesus should think about college as increasing their ability to bless.
What I like most about Pastor Ortberg’s sermon (and the CTI vision for college!) is that this basic understanding of the Gospel can be lived out regardless of someone’s educational level, IQ or occupation. We can be a blessing to others, we can “love God, and love our neighbors” wherever God places us.
After a seminar, someone once said this to me: “I think this vision for life and learning changes everything.” I think it does too. Understanding or even grasping the implications of the Gospel, however, is not the tough part. Living it out and making college decisions based on this vision is where the rubber meets the road. Oh, the places you’ll go!
On Saturday, the College Transition Initiative launched a new seminar to help families with college planning. We gathered at the Shady Maple Banquet Center in Lancaster County, PA. I presented a biblical vision for college and my good friends Terry Evearitt and Matt Reitnour shared from their expertise in college financing and college admission. We have received positive feedback from those who attended. Judging from the amount of emails I’ve received from across the country desiring more information about the seminar, this topic is on the minds of many people.
Unfortunately, the seminar was not recorded. We are still trying to figure out the best way to make this information available to a wider audience. We are considering a webinar as well as thinking through other locations to host an event. Please contact me if you have any suggestions or questions about making this seminar available in your area.
To recap, here are a few big takeaways from the seminar:
First, the admissions process is changing, and changing fast. The economic climate in which we live has many people questioning the value and worth of a college degree; colleges and universities are becoming more and more expensive each year; and there are more and more ways to obtain a college degree. Now, more than ever, we need to seek out a variety of wise counselors and college options to make a wise decision.
Second, debt is a major problem facing students today and we need to take it seriously… BUT, debt should not be our only concern when making a college choice. College is about more than getting a degree to get a job (although that is certainly an important aspect to consider). College is also about character and spiritual formation. There is a financial cost to college, for sure, but there are other costs to consider as well. What kind of person do you want to be? With whom will you surround yourself during these formative years? How should we, as Christians, define success? Taking these questions into account should help us to re-frame the “college choice” conversation and help us to think “Christianly” about life after high school.
Third, we can’t be afraid to envision different college scenarios as legitimate next steps for high school grads. We can’t get too locked in to thinking that every student must go to a residential college, to obtain a bachelor’s degree, immediately after high school. For some students, this is still a wise life path. For others, especially those with financial concerns and/or confusion about where to go or what to study, other options are available. All of the speakers discussed the benefits of taking time off before going to college, exploring community college and trade school options, and considering an intentional gap year program.
Most importantly, we were reminded of the value of communication. Every student and every family needs to create space to have more meaningful conversations about life after high school. My hope and prayer is that the College Choice Seminar was used to that end.
“I never would have thought much about how God fit into my plans for college. I would have just gone to class and tried to graduate.”
This was said to me last week by a student, shortly after a talk I gave at Brice’s Creek Bible Church in New Bern, North Carolina. The student’s words were so clear and compelling, I thought he was reading from a script. I even looked over his shoulder to see if someone was behind him telling him exactly what to say to me to encourage me the most! The student continued:
“My head is really spinning. You really have me thinking. The thought never occurred to me that I could serve God or follow Jesus with a career in math and accounting. You’ve given me a whole new way to look at my faith and what I should be doing now to prepare.”
I spend a good amount of time speaking to teenagers, so hearing any kind of feedback is always encouraging. This student really seemed to “get it.” And, as my high school teacher friends like to tell me, if one student says something, he or she is probably speaking for many more students in the room. I hope so!
How does God or faith or the Gospel fit into plans for college? This question is at the heart of the College Transition Initiative (CTI), and it will be at the center of several talks I will be giving this week. Here’s the busy CTI schedule… I hope to see you there! Prayers appreciated.
Monday, October 7: College Fair, Lancaster, PA (details)
Tuesday, October 8: College Fair, Milton, PA (details)
Thursday, October 10: College Fair, Old Bridge, NJ (details)
Saturday, October 12: College Choice Seminar, East Earl, PA (details)
“The rate at which borrowers of federal student loans default on their debt within two years after beginning repayment rose for the sixth consecutive year, reaching its highest level since 1995, according to data released Monday by the Education Department.”
So begins yet another article about the current debt crisis facing current college students and graduates, this time from Inside Higher Ed’s “Default Rates Rise Again.” The image above is from an NPR story worth listening to: “College Student Debt Grows. Is It Worth It?” And this video from Newsweek shouldn’t be missed:
The last thing I want to do is be all “doom and gloom,” as if I’m trying to scare people into coming to a seminar or something. Would that work? Maybe I do want to do that! But the sad reality is that too many families are making bad decisions concerning college debt and many of those bad decisions can be avoided by asking better questions about life after high school. What is the true cost and value of a college education? Is it possible to go to college without going into debt? What are the best strategies for financially planning for college?
The College Choice Seminar will seek to answer these questions (and more!) on October 12 in Lancaster, PA. CPYU’s College Transition Initiative continues to strive to provide resources for helping students and parents make wise decisions about life after high school.
In addition to the new seminar, here are a few more resources to help you in your college planning.
“Graduate from high school. Go to college. Get a job.
Many teenagers feel that is the path they are expected to travel. Times have changed, however, and today’s teens are likewise changing the way they look at their future. Many parents feel unequipped to join their teen in that new vision.
The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding (CPYU) recognizes that parents feel at a loss when it comes to college planning for the next generation. CPYU’s College Transition Initiative (CTI) seeks to help parents navigate this period in their teen’s life so that they can make wise decisions. The CTI provides seminars, books, articles, expert interviews, and events that shed much-needed light on preparing for college from a Christian perspective.
Parents and their college-curious teens are invited to CPYU’s upcoming CTI seminar, titled, ‘The College Choice: Faith, Family, and Finances,’ taking place at Shady Maple Banquet Center, 129 Toddy Drive, East Earl, on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Registration is available online at www.cpyu.org or by calling 717-361-8429. Separate prices have been set for individuals and for families.
According to CTI director Derek Melleby, everything is different about preparing for college in today’s financial climate. ‘The financial cost has changed, obviously,’ Melleby pointed out. ‘Job prospects for college graduates are something that has changed in the last decade as well…
The College Transition Initiative is committed to helping families make wise decisions about life after high school. This fall, I’m excited to be partnering with the North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professionals (NACCAP) as a speaker for 3 college fairs in the Northeast:
By attending a college fair, parents and students have the opportunity to learn about many colleges in one stop. I will be there with a CTI booth and will be making a brief presentation called “College & Calling: Finding Your Place in God’s Story.”
You should also know:
Representatives from many of the top Christian Colleges in North America will be at the fairs.
“Students seem to have no idea what they are getting into.”
My neighbor’s son was recently visiting home after spending a day speaking to classes at his alma mater. He was asked to talk to current college students about his work and how his time in college prepared him for a career in finance. Before diving into the topic at hand, he asked the students about how they were paying for college and how much debt they were accumulating. The above comment was the beginning of our recent, eye-opening conversation on my front porch.
Students have no idea? My neighbor made three helpful observations from his day with college students… First, he was alarmed to discover that the school he attended less than 10 years ago now costs $46,000 a year. He had no idea that the cost had risen so much since he was a student. Second, he was shocked to learn that most students didn’t seem to realize how difficult it would be to pay off that kind of debt in the current economy. (And these were students studying business and finance!) Third, he was disappointed to realize that he seemed to be the only person bringing this up with the students.
I wanted to make sure I was hearing him correctly. Here’s the summary I offered: “So, students are accumulating massive amounts of debt, the job prospects are bleak and no one, before you, has pointed this out to the students?”
Bill Bennett’s introduction should be heard by all students and parents entering the college planning process. No matter what side of the political aisle you are on (and yes, Dr. Bennett is most often associated with the “right”), you should not avoid asking good questions about the value and worth of a 4-year college degree, especially in this economy. At one point during the panel discussion, Ohio University economics professor Richard Vedder makes this observation: “Colleges are too costly; students are learning too little; and employment prospects for graduates are increasingly dismal.” That should, at the very least, give us pause.
Please do take time to watch this short video, read the book and let the conversation begin!
It is because countless conversations like the one yesterday on my front porch and the publication of important books like Is College Worth It? that has motivated me to host the new CTI seminar “The College Choice: Faith, Family & Finances” on October 12 in Lancaster, PA. College costs are going up, students are going into crippling debt and I’m convinced that we need to have better conversations about life after high school. I hope to see you there!
This evening CPYU president Walt Mueller and I will be speaking to a group of students and parents at the annual Engage Conference in Lebanon, PA. The conference brings together hundreds of youth and adults to think more deeply about faith and culture. It is a great event. Last year I spoke to the group about Identity Matters. This year Walt and I are teaming up to talk about faith and technology.
It is a real honor to be a part of events like this one. It’s sometimes easy to decry America’s youth. The news and some research about teenagers can lead one to believe that youth are heading in the wrong direction. On this Monday night, however, hundreds of teens will gather, Bibles in hands, eager to learn and ask good questions. Kudos to the Lebanon Valley Youth Network for putting on this annual event.
