I see more college students around the town as college students have returned to SLO. We have been doing college ministry from the beginning as we are located near Cal Poly. Most of them are here away from their families and whenever I come across them as I drive around the town or see them gathered in a restaurant or walking around, I always question if they have a spiritual family.
Everyone needs a spiritual family. Without one, we are orphans. God places His children in a local church for them to be cared for, grow, and do ministry together. There are some statistics out there that say a high percentage of first year college students stop going to church. This is so sad. Like sheep, we must go after them and make sure they find a spiritual family while they are here in college.
Every family is not perfect. We are very imperfect, but we are a family. When (not if) difficulties arise, we acknowledge it and run toward it to work through it like a real family. When we work through it, Jesus is glorified as a peacemaker.
We make sacrifices as a family, too. Bible uses words like father, mother, brother, and sisters to describe that we are a spiritual family. In that family without making sacrifices, we will not be able to remain as a family. We learn to sacrifice from Jesus who came down to earth and died on the cross to give life to all.
This is the beginning of the school year and I want to do everything I can to help them find a spiritual family. Either we be their spiritual family or help them to find one so that every person who used to go to church in their high school has a spiritual home so that they can be cared for, grow spiritually, and do ministry. We will pray and continue to work sacrificially to make this happen.