How Mentoring College Students Can Help The Slow Fade

Editor's Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Reggie Joiner, Chuck Bomar, & Abbie Smith's new book, The Slow Fade: Why You Matter in the Story of Twentysomethings, (David C. Cook, 2010).

College students who grew up in Christian homes are leaving churches at an alarming rate. Research indicates that somewhere between 65 and 80 percent of people who have grown up going to church drop out of church once they reach college age, between 18 and 25 years old.

Why? Too many churches simply don't invest in college-aged people. Churches may offer excellent youth groups for high school students, but then nothing at all once those students graduate. And too many Christians simply leave college students on their own, assuming that they're solidifying their faith while they're beginning their adult lives.

But the college years are a crucial time for people to engage in relationships that give them encouragement and support. During college, young adults face important decisions that affect the course of their lives, like what careers to pursue and who to marry. Adults ages 18 to 25 desperately need Christians who care enough about them to mentor them, so their faith will become stronger - not weaker - during that critical time in their lives. If that happens, their lives can go in the direction God hopes they'll go.

Here's how you can mentor college students:

Understand the questions college students are trying to answer. What drives college students as they seek the wisdom to build their lives well are three key questions: "Who am I?", "What does it mean to be God's son or daughter?", and "How do I fit into the world around me?" They need friendships in which they can safely process those questions. 

Understand the spiritual issues that play key roles in their lives. Any kind of spiritual struggle can be traced back to a wonder for God that's been lost, an identity that isn't yet discovered, or a passion that has faded. So seize moments the moments you encounter to incite wonder, provoke discovery, and fuel passion in college students' lives. If you connect your own journey of wonder, discovery, and passion with their lives, you can help them move closer to God. Also, their youthful idealism, curiosity, and imagination can spark fresh spiritual growth in your life.