December 11, 2023 by

When I was considering what college to attend, I worried that I wouldn’t have opportunities to evangelize if I attended a Christian college. In high school, you could probably find me either in my Christian home, Christian church, or Christian school. Consequently, I had very few relationships with unbelievers and even fewer opportunities to share the Gospel with them.  

I didn’t want the same to be true of my college years. After all, I knew that sharing Christ is part of my purpose as a Christian, and Jesus’ command to share the Gospel (Mark 16:15) applies to me, too.  

I still have a lot to learn, but praise God that I’ve had more opportunities and felt more equipped to participate in the Great Commission since coming to Cedarville. I want to share with you some things I would tell my high school self and some things I am still learning now — ways to be a light for Christ when you become a Cedarville student. 

Inside of Cedarville 

Jesus commands us to do more than proclaim the Gospel to unbelievers; He commands us to “Make disciples … teaching them to observe all that I’ve commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). Since every Cedarville student affirms a profession of faith when submitting their application, we have an amazing opportunity to build each other up in our faith and encourage each other to obey God’s Word. This may be done in official settings like D-groups (discipleship groups), or it may be done in everyday text messages and coffee dates. Either way, don’t neglect spiritually investing in the believers God places around you — this, too, is obeying the Great Commission. 

Although most students come to Cedarville as Christians, we recognize that it’s possible not all truly are. Odds are you will come across people at Cedarville who have not repented of their sins and placed their hope in Christ’s death and resurrection alone for their salvation. So be ready, even on campus, to give the reason for the hope you have (1 Pet. 3:15) and live in a way that reflects the hope and love God has graciously given you. 

Together With Cedarville 

One of the best things about being surrounded by fellow believers at Cedarville is that we get to serve Jesus together. We all have different gifts and levels of knowledge and experience, and we get to use our differences to learn from each other and proclaim the Good News more effectively. Cedarville has many opportunities for students to join together for the sake of the Gospel. 

Perhaps the most apparent way Cedarville University encourages students to obey the Great Commission together is through Global Outreach (GO) trips. GO sends dozens of teams multiple times each year to share God’s love around the country and the world, and I encourage you to consider going on one of those trips yourself.  

Additionally, there are several ministry-focused student organizations that regularly seek out unbelievers to share the gospel with, and any Cedarville student can join the orgs. For example, CU Outreach goes to evangelize at a local public university multiple times each month, and Pathfinders goes to public schools each week to pour into middle school girls. 

Outside of Cedarville 

While Cedarville’s campus is probably where you’ll spend the majority of your time as a Cedarville student, it shouldn’t be the only place where you grow Gospel-focused relationships. If you have an unbelieving friend from your hometown, don’t neglect that friendship just because you’ve moved to college. Continue to show them the unconditional love of Christ and look for opportunities to share the Gospel with them. FaceTime them, grab coffee with them when you visit home, and, most importantly, pray fervently for them. 

In addition to keeping up with past friendships, you can also form new Gospel-centered friendships with unbelievers as a Cedarville student. Working off campus allows you to be a light to unbelievers on a consistent basis, and odds are, you won’t be the only Cedarville student there with that goal. Additionally, I strongly recommend joining a church near Cedarville and seeking to get involved in the ways the church strategically shares Jesus with their community. 

Conclusion 

In this season of life, your role in the Great Commission may not look exactly how you imagined it, but God will use you for His glory. Right now, pray for gospel opportunities, faithful teammates, boldness, and wisdom — God will give them to you in His timing. And when He does, thank Him! God is good to use weak people to magnify His strength and proclaim His goodness.  

Take courage in God’s promise to go with you as you represent Him (Matthew 28:20), and don’t neglect to spend personal time in the Bible and prayer, for Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5, NASB). These are all reminders I need often. 

You don’t have to attend a secular university to be light for Christ. You just have to look for opportunities to intentionally obey God wherever He places you, and there are plenty of those opportunities at Cedarville. 

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