Graduate with more than your degree

As you prepare to start uni, ask yourself this question:

What do I want to graduate uni with?

It might seem like a strange thing to ask. Isn’t it obvious? Don’t you want a degree? Yes! But what if you could graduate with a whole lot more?

What if you could graduate knowing God better? What if you could be trained and equipped as you read the Bible with other students? What if you could ask tricky questions of experienced, equipped staff who know and love God and His Word?

What if you could leave uni, ready to share your faith? What if you could see your friends speak boldly about Jesus, and be encouraged and trained to join them? What if God gave you the opportunity to see one of your classmates come to saving faith? What if these experiences equipped you to share Jesus in your future workplace?

What if you could graduate, having seen the vastness of Gospel needs around the world? What if you could be spurred on to think more deeply about how you could let God be the focus of your life and decisions, not just a consultant in them?

What if you could graduate with a circle of like-minded friends? The type of friends you keep for life. The ones who become your house-mates, and the bridesmaids and groomsmen at each other’s weddings. Friends who ‘get’ how busy you are, with 3 essays due by Friday, and an exam next week. Friends, bonded together by shared experiences.

How is it possible to graduate with all this? You can start by joining your campus AFES group.

I speak from experience, or, more to the point, lack thereof. I didn’t join an AFES group when I was at uni. Well, I kind of did. I attended a couple of Bible Studies, but I wouldn’t say I really ‘joined’. I had reasons. I wanted to focus on my studies. The group on my campus was small, so I couldn’t always attend Bible Studies at the limited times scheduled. I could have taken the free shuttle bus to the other campus, where there was a bigger, stronger AFES group, but I didn’t. I could have kept meeting to read the Bible one-to-one with an older girl, who I’m sure would have been happy to work out a mutually convenient time, but I didn’t. No, I didn’t join an AFES group when I was at uni, because I wanted to focus on my degree.

Do you know what? I wish I had joined. I wish I had really committed. I wish I had grown in God and His Word while I was at uni, and become equipped to share Him. I wish I had seen, back then, how great the worldwide need for the Gospel is. I wish I had made more Christian friends at that time. I wish I had joined my campus AFES group, and graduated with so much more than my degree.