By Merlin Quiggle
Associate Vice President

What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

The Words of Jesus Christ
as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew 18:12-14

This is a true story.

A man¹ had one child, only one child, a daughter.

She was a powerful Christian young lady, he has said. After high school, she moved into the dorm of a fine public institution of higher learning.

And self-destructed.

He watched, in great pain, as drugs and alcohol led her to make choices over the following decade that put her in grave personal danger and deeply grieved his entire family.

As a result, he asked himself a question: What impact does the choice
of a college make on a student’s religious commitment?

He had the professional ability to undertake extensive research. He reviewed the summaries of nearly 1,000 articles, books, and research. He thoroughly studied more than 300 of them. He also looked at the responses of nearly 16,000 students attending 133 different colleges and universities.

And he discovered that his daughter’s story was not unusual.

In fact, it was typical.

The Consequences

He discovered, among other things, these disturbing – and heartening – facts:

Attendance at a non-religious college, either public or private, lowers religious commitment.

After three or four years at a secular college or university, 52 percent no longer claim to be born again or have stopped attending church. Students from more conservative religious backgrounds lose their faith at an even higher rate, up to 67 percent.

Attendance at a religious college maintains or raises religious commitment.

Only seven percent no longer claim to be born again, with a very small drop in overall church attendance, after three or four years at a religious college.

And the really good news:

Attendance at an institution that is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), such as Northwest, significantly raises religious commitment.

How Many Lost Sheep?

Another man², a leader in the Assemblies of God (AG), took this research and applied it to the AG, the denomination that sponsors Northwest University.

The latest Church Ministries Report, for 2005, shows there are

315,000 young people between the ages of 13 and 17 in the 12,301 Assemblies of God churches in the U.S.

210,000 (two-thirds) will enter one of the 4,000 colleges or universities in America.

178,500 will enter a non-Christian college or university, while

31,500 (15 percent) will enter one of the 102 CCCU schools, including those affiliated with the Assemblies of God.

In nine years, after these 13- to 17-year-olds have been
in college for four years (and if the same percentages
hold true for those who don’t go to college) up to
189,000 of Assemblies of God youth – out of
315,000 – may no longer be following Christ.

What Can We Do?

If the loss of one sheep out of a hundred galvanized the shepherd into drastic action, what can we do as we face the possible loss of sixty out of each hundred of the young people in our care?

Dr. George O. Wood, the AG leader mentioned earlier, makes the following suggestions:

We must do a better job with apologetics for our junior and senior high youth. In addition to high-energy programs and emotion-focused responses, our kids need thorough grounding.
We must encourage college-bound high school students to consider AG and CCCU schools.
We must ramp up our financial support of AG colleges and universities, even putting the needs of education on a par with the needs of foreign missions.

He has other suggestions as well, but admits the first step is to raise the alarm and to increase awareness.

Our Commitment

Those of us who serve at Northwest University confront the gravity of this reality.

“We are mindful of lost sheep every day as we do our work in recruitment,” says Dan Neary, the Executive Vice President of Northwest University.

“Even though our work shares the techniques of advertising campaigns and sales tactics, we know there is much more at stake. We are motivated by a very real sense that we are dealing with God’s plan and calling in the lives of prospective students. Our work is to help young people respond to God’s call and prepare for lives of service.”

That Important First Year

Many students and parents often undervalue the importance of the first year of college.

“It’s just a time to take all of your prerequisite courses,” the conventional wisdom goes. “The upper-class years, working on your major, are more important.”

But in terms of a student’s spiritual life, the first year is often the most important.

The biggest degree of change is in the first year away from home, the research tells us.

Attending a secular college, where both peers and faculty are critical of and hostile to Christian faith and values, makes the first year difficult for a believer.

On the other hand, attending a Christian college or university provides an environment where peers and faculty encourage students to deepen their faith.

Impact for a Lifetime

I played golf a few days ago with three alumni of Northwest: Rick Enloe, John Vertefeuille, and Jim Heugel. On the drive home, I listened as they reminisced about their days at Northwest.

They talked about how they had met each other and become friends. Their friendships have lasted more than thirty years.

They talked about how they met their wives. Their marriages have lasted over thirty years.

And they talked about how they deepened their walk with Christ. Two of these are pastors, and one is our provost. But none has become a lost sheep. Their lives are richer today, and richer for eternity.

LOST SHEEP

Perspectives from a Pastor and Parent

By Dan Neary
Executive Vice President

At least half and up to two-thirds of our kids will step away from their faith while attending non-Christian colleges and universities. This is the most startling statistic distributed in recent reports published by Christianity Today based on studies by Dr. Steven Henderson. Dr. George Wood, General Secretary of the General Council of the Assemblies of God, goes on to report this statistic in terms of our sponsoring church when he says, “nine years from now, as many as 189,000 of our 315,000 youth could be drop-outs from the faith.” Dr. Wood’s report has been circulated among our faculty and leadership at Northwest; you can access it here http://colleges.ag.org/faculty_resources/articles/index.cfm

University

At our University, we are grateful for the nearly 1,300 students that are in our care this year, but we are also mindful of these 189,000 potential lost sheep.

Reports like these remind us of our stewardship responsibility. The years that students spend at our University are often among their most important years of formation as they become Christian adults. While here at Northwest, students are challenged to think deeply about their faith, employing academic rigor and critical analysis tools in ways that are likely new to their Christian experience. We may challenge them to ask questions they have never asked before. What makes our Faculty members different from their counterparts in secular institutions is that their goal is to drive students toward their faith, not away from their faith. The faithful stewardship of this trust demands that we nurture our students’ faith, building a solid foundation that will stand up against the inevitable attacks they will face throughout the rest of their adult lives.

We are mindful of the lost sheep when we do our work in recruitment. Even though our work shares some of the trappings of marketing campaigns and sales tactics, we know that there is so much more at stake. Our recruiters are motivated by a very real sense that they are dealing with God’s plan and calling in the lives of our prospective students. Recruitment, at least for us, isn’t merely about closing a deal with a student, it is about helping a student answer God’s calling and preparing for a life of service.

Reports like these also increase our burden for fundraising. Cost certainly is not the only barrier that keeps a student from attending our University, but it is one of the toughest barriers to face. Every dollar we can raise that helps keeps our costs low, is a meaningful step toward reaching lost sheep.

Church

This report impacted me as a leader in Christian Higher Education as it reminded me of important principles that have guided my work over the years, but this specific report impacted me even more as a Pastor. For nearly 20 years I have been involved in drawing students to Christian higher education because I know, firsthand, what a difference a place like Northwest University can make in the life of a student. For the last 5 years I have also been involved in sending students to Christian higher education as I have been serving as pastor. As I read the reports from my perspective as a pastor, it occurred to me that this is not merely about the impact of a Christian university on a student, but it is also very much about the way a church like mine disciples students so that they will be apt to choose a Christian university. I need to be more purposeful about leading my church in such a way that the young people under my care are the kinds of young men and women who want to choose a place like Northwest. My church needs to help lead these students to this important choice.

The reports also reminded me how important churches like mine are in supporting Christian higher education with prayer, influence, involvement, and finances. There are all sorts of agenda being advanced at universities across our country by organizations that stand in opposition to the Church. Even our governments advance positions that are contrary to our Christian stance through support of their universities. I need to lead my church in such a way that we are advancing our cause and providing for our church’s future leadership through support of Northwest University.

Home

Beyond the impact on me as a university administrator and pastor, the impact that hit closest home was on me as a dad. My oldest son Alex will be making his choice of a university in just a few short years; his 11 year-old brother Donny will be making his choices soon after. I’m glad that they are already planning on making that choice Northwest, and that I will be able to support them in that choice. A lot can change, of course, as my boys grow up and the crucial time for their decision approaches. As a dad, I know that I will serve my boys best by helping them understand the weight of that choice and providing them with a clear view of the value of choice for a Christian university.

Originally posted on his blog: Leadership Commentary.