rebelling against low expectations

One Thing Christians Often Miss When Picking a College

By Melody Zimmerman
March 16, 2015
284 comments
O

Where to go to college? That’s a big question facing many teens today.

Our culture places huge importance on a college education, and the college years are often a time when many grow tremendously in their faith.

Choosing whether or not to attend college in the first place is a major decision to consider.

But if you’ve decided going to college is the wisest choice for you, many more hard decisions are ahead. How many schools to visit? Where to apply? And most importantly — where to attend?

We can get all the advice we want about the best academic programs for our majors (if you’re looking at music schools, check this out), the best dorms, the best distance from home, the best size, the best parties, the best location, the best transportation, the best food, and even the best campus ministries.

Youth get advice about whether to attend a Christian school or not and how to make sure there is a strong Christian community on campus.

We visit millions of schools before applying (or a least before deciding) and try to find the “right fit.” But what if we’re missing something significant in our considerations? What if our growth in Christ during the college years could be even more tremendous? And what if there’s something more important than our own personal growth?

I think we are, I think it can, and I think there is.

God has already appointed a place for our primary spiritual growth to take place: the local church.

Yes, a campus ministry is a part of the church of Christ (the people are the church!), but there is something unique about the expression of the body of Christ in a local church: a community of believers submitting together to the leadership of a shepherd or shepherds and gathering to worship, hear the Word of God preached, share the Lord’s supper, and fellowship.

Even a strong campus ministry should not be a replacement for the local church. If you make it one, you’ll be missing out on a lot!

For one, the intergenerational aspect of a local body can benefit you tremendously. Sure, we can learn from our peers, but older, wiser examples are also important. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:17-20:

“If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.”

We need the diversity.

But as I alluded to earlier, there’s much more than our own personal growth involved. When we accept the gift of God in Christ and submit our lives to his authority, we’re joining something much larger than ourselves. And it’s not mostly about us. It’s mostly about God.

One way to glorify Him with our lives is to join the visible church and mark ourselves as belonging to His people. As we hear repeatedly throughout the New Testament epistles, a distinct characteristic of members of the body of Christ is love (Romans 12:10, Hebrews 13:1, 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, 1 Peter 1:22-23, 1 Peter 3:8-9).

Getting plugged in with the local church will involve much more than attending a service Sunday morning.

If we are really seeking full integration into the body of Christ, involving both what we can receive and what we can offer, it seems that we should consider a church to attend when we’re deciding where to go to school.

It appears to me like we often think of ourselves as primarily college students who happen to be Christian (so we do the Christian college thing) instead of as primarily Christians who happen to be in college.

So often we choose a church as a second thought. We move to a new town because of a school or a job, and upon arriving, look for a decent church where we can grow and serve.

But what if that was the biggest priority? What if we chose where to go because of a church instead of chose a church because of where we went?

I strongly encourage you to visit churches, not just colleges, when considering where to attend. Let that be one of the deciding factors.

I realize it’s hard to visit more than one church in an area without being there for an extended period of time (unless they have services at different times). Make use of the resources available to find out about churches and visit the one(s) that look(s) most promising.

Christian colleges and campus groups might provide a list of churches in the area, and there’s always the internet. If you have personal connections, that’s even better! Ask your current pastor if he has any connections or recommendations.

When you have found a church, get plugged in! College is so busy that it’s easy to go to church on Sundays, slip in and out, and never get to know people — or just plain skip church to sleep in or do homework.

I encourage you to make the effort to really become a part of the local expression of the body of Christ. Talk to people. Meet families. Start serving. Accept lunch invitations. Join a home group!

You might be surprised, but I would actually encourage this even at the expense of being regularly involved in a campus ministry. Do both if you can! But make church a priority.

(I encourage you to read all of 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 if you get a chance too!)

Share Your Thoughts in the Comment Section!

There are currently 12 Comment(s)

Photo courtesy of Phil Dragash and Flickr Creative Commons.

signup_for_email_updates_banner

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

About the author

Melody Zimmerman

is a sophomore piano performance major at Ithaca College and fellowships with the local body at New Life Presbyterian Church. She teaches piano privately and recently launched a website and blog where she shares what she’s learning about music teaching, practicing, and performing.

View all posts

284 comments

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Oh wow, Melody, this is very insightful 🙂
    Thank you for writing on something that is so directly impacting a lot of us!

    Reply

  • Thanks! Yes, we’re sisters. 🙂 You’re right. It’s so easy to think we’re not *really* part of the church until_____(fill in the blank with some point in the future… when we go to college, when we graduate, when we get married, when we have kids, whatever). But we are just as much a part of the body of Christ right now, and we need to embrace it! How we relate to the church during our teen years will lay the foundation for how we do in the future too.

    Reply

  • Great article! I also want to ask everyone else on here…am I the only one who feels a little weird planning to live at home when I go to college? Everyone else seems to love to brag about going to such and such a school in some awesome place. I can’t help feeling a little embarrassed when I say that I’m going to live at home, anyone else know what I’m talking about?

    Reply

    • Hi SF! I know right? A lot of my (local) friends have lived at home while going to college and I’m doing a program to become a medical transcriptionist from home. But almost everyone I know from the one-year Bible school program I did is at another college and I feel a little weird not being “away at college”–which people view as normal. Even people in my church comment on it sometimes. But don’t get discouraged! Being at home is definitely HARD but it can also be such a blessing! My youngest sibling is 9 and because I am home I am not missing out on more of him growing up. And God designed us to live in families, not as loners. College is a really artificial environment; family is real life. ~AnnaGrace

      Reply

      • Thanks for your comment! Yes it is hard but I agree that it really can be a blessing in disguise. It’s also especially hard for me because I am somewhat of a introvert and would also immensely enjoy living someplace awesome and far away. I’ll just trust that my parents know better than me on this one 🙂 And who’s to say that after school I can’t move somewhere else? Anyways I’m glad to know I’m not the only one!

        Reply

    • I get you! Yeah, I’m thinking of being either an engineer or a music major (total opposites, I know) and I have two great engineering schools within driving distance, so I’ll probably be staying home for college. That and the fact that out-of-state tuition is absurd…. 😛

      Reply

      • Hey, that’s cool! I was thinking of being an engineer but no schools around here offer the degree I want, so I’ll just stick with finance 🙂 That’s another reason I kinda wish I wouldn’t have to stay home in pursuing my degree, I might take a much more serious look at engineering if I could study somewhere else.

        Reply

        • Hi! I’m beginning to think about college too, but I still have a couple years to decide. I was just wondering why you personally “have” to stay home?

          Reply

          • My parents won’t give me any other options, they told me that there’s no way for me to do anything other than live at home. I could try to set it up behind their backs, but that’s a pretty low idea and they simply wouldn’t provide the documents needed.

          • Hey, just wondering: Are you really struggling with the fact that you’ll have to stay home, or is it more of a “I just feel weird about it” sort of thing?

          • Both. I think it’s kinda strange to stay home but I’ve always wanted to live someplace awesome like NYC or even Cincinnati or Pittsburgh…anything that’s not Cleveland 🙂

          • Cincinnati is definitely awesome! I’m kind of biased though, because I live in the area 🙂

          • Aw. I know it’s not really the same, but maybe you’ll have opportunities to live in those places after college. Do you at least have a good selection of colleges close to your home?

          • That’s good. 🙂 I’m (pretty much absolutely for sure) going to a private Baptist (is that redundant?) university that’s about three hours from where I live. I had a few other colleges under consideration, but at this point there’s no question. We have at least five colleges within an hour of us, so I think my mom is a little disappointed that I’m not going to one of those (she was all for the idea of commuting). I’m taking a gap year, though, so I think that helps make up for it. 🙂

          • Lol maybe a private Baptist school is redundant! Hey I’m taking a gap year of sorts, I’m going to do online courses for a year and then transfer into a local university. So that way you get a lot of flexibility 🙂 Haha my mom is freaked out just with the thought of me doing something other than homeschool! Maybe it’s just a mom thing….

          • Haha 🙂 That’s cool! I thought about taking some classes at a community college during my gap year, but it turns out that if you spend too much time at the community college, they count you as a transfer and you wouldn’t get freshman scholarships (which I really need). In the end I just didn’t want the hassle. 🙂 I’m sure it is a mom thing, but to be honest it freaks me out too! I would have liked to be closer to home, but three hours isn’t bad.
            Have you been home schooled all your life?

          • I know what you’re talking about with needing the scholarships 🙂 Neither me or my parents have enough money to pay for school out-of-pocket, so that’s kinda important for me too. I hate all the hassel as well and originally wanted to just go to the local college for 4 years but my dad put together a different plan I just was telling you about. He did all the work so that was nice, lol.
            Hmmm…maybe it’s a girl thing 🙂 I’d have a blast living three hours away from home, but that’s not crazy far away. You’ll be ok, just be tough and I’m sure it won’t be too big of a deal ajusting to living away from home.
            Yes I have been homeschooled all my life. What about yourself?

          • Does anyone have enough money for that?? Most colleges are ridiculously expensive. 😛 That’s nice! What are your thoughts on taking online courses?
            Lol, I don’t think its a girl thing, it’s just a me thing. 😉 I’m just super attached to my family, and I get home sick somewhat easily. But you’re right, I’m sure I’ll adjust…eventually! 🙂 And I do think the experience of living away from home will do me some good.
            Pretty much! I did a couple years of kindergarten at a Methodist school (*gasp*! Lol but it was a good school, I think) where my dad was teaching. My parents started home schooling me because I was ahead of the other kids (and that sounds really vain, lol, but it’s what I’ve been told). I think I did 1st and 2nd grade in one year, which is why I’m a grade ahead. 🙂

          • College is so expensive because their prices are over inflated by student loans! I’ve never taken online courses but I think it’ll work to knock out the gen-ed courses. The upper-level courses I’d rather take at an actual school.
            Haha a me thing…that’s funny! I could see it would be hard to live away being super attached to your family. I’m not sure what that’s like since I’m not too attached to mine but I bet it’s hard. The experience will do you good 🙂
            No way! I’m a grade ahead too because I skipped second grade! In hindsight, this might not of been the best idea (I have trouble naming colors and distinguishing left from right) but it sure is nice to have some options being a year early.

          • Yeah…hopefully I’ll be able to totally avoid student loans! And that makes sense. 🙂 My dad got his master’s online…but I still have no idea what an online program is like, haha. 😉
            lol, I’m glad to hear that! Yeah…I think it’s mostly my mom. She hasn’t worked for most of my life (though she actually got a job just last week:) so I’m used to being around her a LOT. I guess for some people that would be a bad thing, but we get along really well. 🙂 Plus I have three cats that I love to death, so that’s going to be tough. (Pet-friendly dorms, anyone?)
            Cool! Lol, that’s a shame. I don’t think I’ve ever really been affected by squishing those grades together…maybe I just haven’t noticed it yet. 🙂 It is nice! And people consistently think I’m older than I am. Part of it is my being a senior, but it’s also because I’m really tall, and more mature than most people my age (and I’m not trying to brag. In fact, I could say that about everyone here on the Reb, which is awesome!). It’s always fun to see the look on people’s faces when they find out I’m 16. XD

          • I see…that would be hard for your mom to start working when you’re use to her staying home. Hope you can adjust to that without too much trouble. I love cats too, I have the most adorable 1-eyed cat you’ve ever seen! She has a super funny personality and will be chasing string one moment and sleeping the next. I know what you mean, people used to think that I was alot older than I am, but not so much anymore. I thought you were 17! You are a REALLY young senior, a gap year is probably a good idea 🙂 Yeah I also get people thinking you’re really mature, It’s really sad how low most teens act. Just out of curiosity, how tall are you? I’m 6′ 1″ so that’s taller than usual too.
            (BTW sorry if I seem a little distracted…I’m watching a basketball game as I type this 🙂

          • Thanks, I appreciate that. The good thing is I basically teach myself anyway, so I just have to get used to being alone all day (and cooking for myself, haha). Aw!! And that shows something, that you love her even though she isn’t perfect. Why does she only have one eye? LOL, I think all cats are just crazy, in the best possible way. =)
            Hahaha! It even happens on the Internet! XD Yeah, my age is the biggest factor in the gap year, although my mom said she was ok with my going right off to college if I chose one that was closer. Yeah, absolutely…. It’s a shame there aren’t more Rebelutionaries in the world.
            Wow, it took me like five minutes to write that last sentence! The whole thing just kind of puts me into very deep thought… Anyway, you are tall! I’m 6′. =) I’ll remember not to wear heels if we ever meet in person, lol. 😉
            Not at all, enjoy the game! 🙂 Ok, I have a random question for you: Do you think I overuse emoticons? I know it’s kind of a weird question, but I’ve begun to think lately that maybe I do, so I’m just curious. 🙂 (ah, there I go again…lol!)

          • Yep teaching yourself is important. If you can do that you’re already 1 step ahead of everyone else. Looks like you’ll have to teach yourself cooking 😀 We rescued our cat from a barn and she had an eye disease when we got her. She’s kinda lucky to be alive! I posted a picture of her of Instagram…I know you don’t use it but I have a link in my G+ profile if you want to see it.
            Six feet?!? That’s crazy! You need to play tennis…I just checked and 2 of the top 4 female tennis players in the world are 6′ or over. Nope you actually probably should never wear heels 🙂
            I don’t think you overuse emoticons. You use them alot (and you come across as a very gracious and happy person) but not too much. Don’t use any more though or you’ll start to come across as insecure and cheesy.
            I, on the other hand, have to force myself to use them to not sound like a grouchy New Yorker!
            Random question: have you listened to Britt Nicole’s new album The Remixes?

          • Yeah, it’s a good thing. Requires a lot of discipline, though-something I’m running short on lately. 😉 And thankfully my mom is an awesome cook, and I’m picking it up pretty easily.
            AW!!! She’s so cute!! And that’s such an awesome story. 🙂 I have a blog with a bunch of photos of my cats, if you want to check it out: https://willowispoofy.wordpress.com
            Lol 🙂 I was not expecting that! Most people say I need to play basketball. That’s a cool fact, though! Yeah, the only really ahtletic thing I do is swing dance. I’ve dabbled in volleyball, though. HA! I shall wear heels anyway. Lol XD I almost never wear heels more than two or three inches, though. I just enjoy wearing heels, and to be honest I’m so much taller than everyone else that it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference anyway.
            Thanks for your honesty! That’s really nice of you to say. I smile a lot when I talk in real life, so I guess emoticons are my way of saying, If we were talking face to face right now, I would be smiling. =) But yeah, I try to be cautious about potentially overusing them.
            LOL! It would never have crossed my mind to think of you that way.
            No, but I’ve been meaning to! I’ll go check it out now.

          • Aww your cats are really cute too 🙂 We also have a dog but there’s something I just love about cats. By the way, I’m probably going to get some dwarf rats next month…I know you’re thinking that I lost my marbles but they actually make great pets and are really smart.
            Yep basketball would work. Not sure why I didn’t think of that! You probably could almost beat me, I’m use to playing with my siblings and neither of them are over 5′. I usually beat them pretty bad though 😀 I’m not too athletic either…I’m trying to get up to 100 push-ups, so far no luck 🙁 If you like heels then wear them, I’m just saying that tall people like me can tell quite a difference even over a few inches. If you hang around short people then don’t worry, they won’t be able to tell a difference, lol.
            I guess it is a nice thing to say…but then again, you come across as happy so it’s true more than anything! I smile alot too – something that I need to cut down on since it doesn’t fit my personality well. Not to say I’m never happy, but I’m just a quieter sort of fellow, you know what I mean?
            The Britt Nicole album is awesome…you gotta listen to it!

          • Thanks! 🙂 What kind of dog? Part of me wants a dog, but then the crazy cat lady (lol) part of me says…Nah, that won’t work. 😉 I just Googled them, they’re actually pretty cute! I’d just be worried about having them in the same household as a cat!
            Haha, I haven’t played basketball in ages, though. The good thing is I have an excuse for not being athletic. 😉 I had back surgery a couple of years ago, so people don’t really expect me to be playing sports and stuff. Part of that makes me kind of sad, though. It’s like nobody knows the side of me that likes to go crazy from time to time. XD
            Lol, I do know a lot of short people. But one guy at my church is 6’6″ or something, so there’s that. 🙂 I think, growing up, I just had to learn to embrace my height. Now that I have (mostly!), a few inches aren’t a big deal to me.
            Cut down on smiling? That kind of makes me sad. 😮 But I guess I can see what you mean. I’m usually pretty quiet too. Would you say you’re an introvert or an extrovert?
            It was amazing!!! There were maybe one or two that I didn’t like, but most of the songs were incredible. Thanks for reminding me to check them out! =)

          • We have a Red Bone Cooonhound. She’s really cute I’ll have to post a picture of her too. Yeah…you gotta shut the cat (and the dog) out of the room before letting the rats out 🙂 Worth it though!
            That’s too bad! Tall people like us do tend to have back and knee problems. Mine aren’t awful yet but I’m dreading what they’re going to feel like when I’m 40 🙁 Our driveway finally dried up so I got out and finally shot a few hoops yesterday. I was inspired to work on my dunks from a video of a football player doing it…I can slam it at 9 feet but not quite at 10′. I think I found a new summer project!
            So you have that same annoying problem I have of being a quieter person but smiling at everything? I think it’s kinda weird, that’s why I’m trying to not laugh as much. Honestly, I’m very close to a 50/50 mix of extrovert or introvert. Usually in public or with new people the introvert side comes out, and with people I know well the extrovert side comes out. It’s kinda a strange mix but it works nicely for me.
            What was your favorite song? For me it was a toss-up between “The Lost Get Found” and “Like a Star” (but the latter is already my favorite Britt Nicole song…I’m a little biased, I know 🙂

          • I looked at a picture (Google, yay!); it looks like a gorgeous breed! I’d love to see a picture of her. 🙂
            Yeah…thankfully I don’t really have any pain. My dad, on the other hand, is 6’4″ and has a lot of back and neck pain, so I hope I won’t have to deal with that in the future. Cool! You’ll have to let me know when you reach your goal. =)
            I think one of the problems is I feel really weird about jumping into a conversation. I’ll go up to a couple of friends who are talking and just stand there smiling and feeling like an idiot. I think I just need to practice joining conversations. And I know what you mean! Around a bunch of random people, I get so drained, but (most of) my friends kind of energize me.
            I like “The Lost Get Found” too, but “Like a Star” was probably one of my least favorites (I do like the original, just maybe too much–I didn’t like the changes to it, haha). My favorites were probably “All This Time” and “Set The World On Fire”, and “Glow”. Is it just me or did it seem like they barely changed “Ready Or Not”? I didn’t listen to the original to check, but that was the impression I got.

          • Hey Christy I’m having computer issues over here. I’ll try to get a reply back to you when I have the time and a computer that works…mine is acting totally weird right now. Hopefully I’ll get back to you tomorrow, but no guarantees 🙂

          • Got my computer more or less working this morning…as long as I have a working browser and my Instagram app I can hold out until I can return this computer to Best Buy 🙂 I also had another huge piano event on Saturday so I was exhausted the whole weekend…another reason for the slow reply!
            Yes those dogs are really cute! I was thinking the same thing, I’ll post a photo of her either tonight or tomorrow, assuming my computer lets me upload it. No worries, it’ll be a while before I can dunk it at 10 feet!

            That happened alot at my old church, where I’d just randomly join the conversation and simile and nod at everything. That doesn’t happen so much any more, I probably need to work on the actual conversation more than joining it. I’ve come a long way though! Always room to grow, right?
            “Set the World on Fire” was really good too! I love the original “Like a Star” too but the remix made it feel totally different which is kinda unusual, but I liked the concept of it. All they did for “Ready or Not” was speed up the tempo a little bit and add a little extra synthesizer. Not that it sounded bad, but for a remix that’s pretty lame 🙂
            Have you ever heard of Fireflight?

          • Great! What’s wrong with your computer? I gave up on mine a long time ago; I use an iPad for everything now. And that’s so awesome that you have events like that to participate in!
            Cool, I’ll look forward to seeing what she looks like. 🙂 That’s good that you’re open to growth. Just a few years ago I was really (really, really) shy, but I’ve seriously challenged myself to overcome that over the past few years. I’m still a quiet person, I’m just wouldn’t consider myself shy anymore. Do hard things, right? 🙂 In fact, I probably do things like stepping outside of my comfort zone to make new people welcome at church than the “outgoing” people there do. Anyway, I rambled quite a bit there, haha. 🙂
            Cool! Yeah, I’m usually not a big fan of remixes, but the good ones on the album may be changing my mind a bit. I think a lot of the remixes I heard before that were just like you described. Faster with a few funky sound effects. No point, really.
            I have! I’m not really familiar with them, but I blame that mostly with the fact that I constantly get them mixed up with Flyleaf. (I also mix up Jason Gray and Josh Wilson, and Newworldson and NEEDTOBREATHE. I wish knew why!). I guess you’re a fan of theirs? 🙂

          • I’m not sure. Sometimes it doesn’t work very well and like right now it’s working great. I’m still gonna return it to Best Buy…why not? It crashed two hours after I got it so that doesn’t inspire much confidence! I would get an iPad because they’re so durable but I can’t stand Apple’s OSX, that’s the tech side of me 🙂
            I posted a photo of her on Instagram a couple days ago. I like that, quiet but not shy! Yep, doing the hard thing is the best way. I don’t know about welcoming new people though…you’re probably farther along than I am! All I know is that it’s something that I need to keep working on.
            Nope, I usually don’t like remixes either, but I’ve ran across a few good ones. Just yesterday I ran across the Adam Young Remix of “Good Time” by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepson. That one is awesome!
            Maybe you mix Fireflight and Flyleaf up because their names sound so similar 🙂 Yep I really like them alot. “Unbreakable”, “For Those who Wait”, “Stay Close”, and “Resuscitate” are probably my favorites, but “Unbreakable” and “Stay Close” are the best ever! They came out with music videos for both of them on Youtube…they’re worth watching, but I’m a little biased 😀

          • What don’t you like about it? After a year or two of struggling with a really finicky laptop, I’m just happy it works! Lol
            I saw it, she’s gorgeous! What’s her name? Well, I guess the scariest thing about welcoming new people is the fear that it will be awkward (and it usually is). What I do to get over that is I tell myself I’m going to go up, introduce myself, and try to chat with them a bit–ultimately, just do my very best to make it a pleasant conversation. In my opinion, if they also try their best, then we’ll have a nice, non-awkward conversation! But if they don’t try and it is awkward, I can tell myself that I did my best and it wasn’t my fault that it turned weird. It’s kind of a strange way of looking at it, and I’m not sure if it will make any sense to you; but it helps a lot because it seems to take a burden off my shoulders. I’ll know that whatever happens, I did my best and that’s what counts.
            (that was super long, sorry!)
            I just listened to it–cool remix! So the Owl City guy remixed his own song? That’s pretty neat. 🙂
            Probably. Those songs were awesome! I’m pretty sure I’ve heard Unbreakable before. And the video for Stay Close…my brain feels scrambled but that was really cool!

          • Apple’s OSX is just not as flexible as Windows and does not offer as many options. They’ve gotten better over the years but they cannot beat Microsoft 🙂
            Unfortunately I can’t say her name…internet safety. I guess hackers can hack a lot easier if they know the names of your pets – not like I’m paranoid on the Rebelution, but still. You’re right, just try and leave the results up to God! Thankfully for me we haven’t had many new people to our church lately so I haven’t had to worry about it. I think though I’d probably do even better this time around if someone new came though. Working with people is a skill and I think we can all get better, great job at working at it!
            I guess he remixed his own song…pretty talented if you ask me. I’m sure you’ve heard “Unbreakable” since that’s their biggest song, haha. Yes that video is really cool, I think that it fits really well with the lyrics. Another really good video is “Sick of It” by Skillet…probably my favorite all-time and the ending nearly made me cry 🙂 and I’m not a very emotional person!!!

          • Ok, I’ve heard people say that before. I guess it’s just not that big of a deal to me. 🙂 What about compared to Samsung? (That’s what my phone is.)
            Of course. *facepalm* I don’t know why that didn’t occur to me. Yeah, when we have to use pet’s names for secure stuff, we don’t use the names of the ones we post online.
            Practice makes perfect! 🙂 We had a new girl at church last week, and it seems like we have a lot in common, so hopefully something will come of that. And thanks! It also helps to have people who are working toward the same goal and can sympathize/encourage. =)
            That was a cool video! I remember them doing that song at the concert…intense. 🙂 And I see what you mean, it was pretty powerful. Lol, all it takes to get me to cry is a movie with an animal that dies. How good the movie is affects how much I lose it. XD Hmm… I wonder what Cooper would sound like singing normally…

          • Samsung runs Android which is owned by Google. Honestly, it’s worse than OSX, but since it’s Google it has some some pretty cool features for people who use Google for almost everything (like me). In the end, it’s a wash in my book.
            Good luck with the new person at church! I’m rooting for you 😀 Yeah that was a really good video. Two other really good ones are “Not Gonna Die” by Skillet and “Get Well” by Icon for Hire, more of my favorites. Have you seen Lindsey Stirling’s new video for “Take Flight”? THAT was amazing. What do you mean by Cooper singing normally? That’s how he sounds all the time.
            Random question: why do you think so many people on here have blogs? I now feel kinda guilty about not having one 🙁 I just don’t have the time though. What’s in it for you guys?

          • Hm, interesting. I never really considered Windows as an option because their App Store is said to be much smaller, and that’s a big deal to me. Good to know, though! 🙂
            Haha, thanks! I can’t watch videos right now, so I’ll get back to you on those after school. 🙂
            Aw, don’t feel guilty! Yeah, I was shocked by how many Rebelutionary bloggers there are. Personally, I started blogging because I read Do Hard Things, so maybe the Rebelutionary movement is really a blogger-generator? XD But for people who love to write, blogging is an incredible thing. Whatever you write about, there will be a community of bloggers out there interested in the same thing, and they will hunt you down and support you!! (On WordPress, anyway, which I completely recommend if you ever do get into blogging.) And for those of us that write about the Christian life (which I’m sure is the majority of bloggers on here), people will encourage you in your faith. Back when I had back surgery, I blogged about it, and the support from everyone was amazing. Beyond that, there are a lot of other fun aspects to it. I loved the challenge of making my blog look professional and, well, nice to look at. 🙂 And stats are totally addictive.
            Can you tell it’s something I’m really passionate about? 😀 Unfortunately, I know exactly what you mean about not having enough time. I haven’t written a post on my blog for almost three months. But I plan on writing one this weekend. 🙂 Maybe if I can get steady posts going on my blog again, I’ll write something for the Reb!
            Ok, I hope that wasn’t way too much! I’ll sign off for now. 😉

          • Windows does have a lame app store, but I got around it by installing Bluestacks on my Lenovo Yoga and it lets you run Android apps on it even though the OS runs Windows. Cool, huh?
            Nope, that wasn’t too much! I sometimes like to write and I’m actually OK at it but I just don’t have the time. I also think I’d say the same things as the rest of you 🙂 I agree those are alot of benefits! Yeah…from what I gathered just looking at various blogs, WordPress is the way to go. I know what you mean about the stats, I am addicted to them too! For me time is the biggest issue though, which is why I use Instagram and put the “picture-worth-a-thousand-words” principal to work for me. BTW do you ever take article submissions? I might write a few posts if I could use someone else’s blog 🙂
            Can’t wait until you see those videos, you’ll like them alot! Just out of curiosity, how’s school going for you?

          • Lol, that does sound cool but waaay over my head. 🙂
            I’m glad. 🙂 Out of curiosity, do you use Instagram more as a place to share your photography or as a social media platform? I have actually been considering opening my blog up to submissions. Well, there are a LOT of things I would like to start doing, but I need to get into the habit of blogging again and build my traffic back up before I can start trying new things. But I’ll definitely let you know when that day comes! Soon, hopefully. 🙂
            Those videos were all really good, but the Lindsey Stirling video–wow!!! Some of that looked like it should have been in a trailer for a sci-fi movie or something!
            Ok…my turn. 😉 It’s not like what you usually listen to, but look up Wake by Hillsong Young and Free. There should be a live music video in the results. It’s one of my favorite songs ever. 😀 (but, that being said, it’s totally cool with me if you don’t like it:)
            School is…meh. I’m behind. Math is confusing me. I mean, I’m doing well in everything, but I’m just so ready to graduate. What about you?

          • I use it for both social media and photography. Not like I’m good at photography (just take a look at my page 🙂 but I immensely enjoy fiddling around with my Adobe Photoshop Express app. I also enjoy connecting with my favorite celebrities! Once you get your blog back up and running let me know. Sounds cool!
            Yea the Lindsey Stirling video was one of the best I’ve ever seen. Just out of curiosity is Hillsong Young and Free the same as Hillsong? I have no idea 🙂 I’ve heard the song before. Parts of it could of maybe been a little musically better, but overall I like it too! Have you ever listened to Lorde?
            Well I’m going to finish english and history tomorrow! I’m behind on math and physics but I’ll be able to really work on those once english and history are done. You use Saxon Algebra 2, right?

          • Cool! I usually avoid social media just for the sake of social media because I would probably obsess over it too much. (Does that make sense? Because WordPress is social media, in a way, but I use it first and foremost as a platform for my writing.) But the photography aspect is somewhat tempting. 🙂 I definitely will!
            Maybe the only thing I didn’t like about the video was that there weren’t any actual shots of her playing the violin. I can understand why they didn’t; I guess they didn’t want to distract you from the coolness of the video…? But it’s so awesome watching her play the violin. Plus, in watching the video, I kind of forgot why I was watching it and I think I just tuned out the music and watched what was going on about halfway through. XD so there’s that. Well, it’s kind of a spin-off of the original Hillsong. So is a group called United (which used to be Hillsong United). And I think they have something called Hillsong Worship now. It’s confusing. But they’re all connected; I know that some of the singers overlap between the groups. I’m glad you liked it! Well, I’ve heard “Royals” on the radio and I’ve watched the Pentatonix cover of it. Is there a song you recommend?
            Congratulations! I’m so jealous. XD Yeah, English, History, and Economics are the only subjects I’m not behind on, but that’s because they’re really just reading. No, I’m doing Saxon Advanced Mathematics. I did Algebra 2 last year…it was actually one of my easiest years in math. It just clicked really well for me. What about you?

          • Yeah that makes sense 🙂 I was surprised too that they didn’t show shots of her doing the violin but they do that so much that they probably decided to do something different. I kinda tuned out the music too because the video itself was so cool, I hope she keeps turning out amazing stuff like that. I see, so they have a bunch of groups under the general name of Hillsong, kinda like Apple owning Beats and QuickTime? That’s how I’m thinking of it. Yep it was a pretty good video! Another good song by Lorde is “Everyone Wants to Rule the World”. She’s in charge of the music for the Hunger Games and that was one of the songs she made for it. I don’t know what your opinion of those movies are, but I think it’s amazing that an 18-year-old is heading up such a large part of a huge series! She’s amazing 🙂
            Yes Saxon Algebra 2 isn’t really hard, for me it’s just being diligent and doing it! I love reading so I always finish those kinds of subjects early. Sometimes I say a quick prayer for you guys on here so I’ll make sure I include you finishing school 🙂
            BTW I’ve been working on increasing my vertical jump to dunk a basketball…I’ve only been at it a week and my jump is probably 3-4 inches higher and I can touch the rim now! I’ll keep working on it…

          • Yeah! It was still amazing. It was less of a complaint and more of a “hmm, that’s odd”. Haha, idk. Well, Hillsong is a church, and these groups are all branching out from that church, if that helps.
            Woah! I just listened to the song, it was…intense! Tears for Fears, wow! Lol XD I just wasn’t really expecting that. I really like the Hunger Games–movies and books! (I haven’t seen the third one yet). What do you think of them? Wow, that is young! Good for her. 🙂
            Aw, that means a lot to me! So what do you think was the hardest year in math for you? For me it was pre-algebra…for some reason it was a really difficult transition for me, but after that everything just clicked.
            Congrats! Wow, that’s a lot of progress in just a week! 🙂

          • I haven’t seen or read any of the Hunger Games. My parents can’t stand them so if I was caught watching/reading them I’d probably be grounded until I was 30 🙂 Maybe not, but since I haven’t seen them I don’t really have an opinion. I’ll watch the series someday and form my own opinion – but I hear that the technicalities (like soundtrack/plot/character development/cinematography) is amazing!
            For me the hardest year was Algebra 1 because I never took pre-Algebra. Algebra is so different but once you get it it’s not really hard. Is the Advanced Mathematics like a pre-Calculus course? I just know the very basics of Calculus and have never taken a course on it, and it seems totally different but insanely powerful 🙂
            No worries…I still need another 6 inches on my vertical jump or so. I’ll be a while working on it 😀 One last thing: pardon my ignorance, but what do the emoticons XD and <3 mean? I never figured that out…

          • Apologies for randomly jumping into this conversation, but I wanted to save you some awkwardness…the <3 is a heart, symbolizing love haha (would have been kind of awkward for a girl to explain that to you =P) and XD is a laughing face – the x is the closed eyes and the D is the mouth. =)

          • I can understand that. They are good, though. 🙂 Personally, compared to a lot of other YA dystopian movies (Divergent and The Maze Runner, that I’ve seen), I feel like the Hunger Games did the best of job of doing the book justice, so that’s a plus for me.
            So I guess we have the same reason for it being hard! Yeah, pre-algebra kind of shocked me, but algebra did end up being pretty easy. Yeah, pre-calculus. 😛 It’s actually supposed to be taken over two years, but I had no idea till I got to this year, so…yikes! But my grades are good, so I guess that’s the important thing.
            Cool 🙂 so I saw that @josh_whatshislastname:disqus replied to your question. Now I feel a little silly for using XD. But <3 …yeah, that's not one you just throw around, lol.

          • There you are! I had to scroll way down through my inbox because I got a ton of upvotes and comments from tormenting the people who fell for Brett’s prank. I got a little carried away 😀 You all are so gullible! Maybe if you lived up in the northern jungle like I do you’d think twice before falling for Brett’s tricks, lol.
            ANYWAY, I’ve heard that Divergent is good too. Have you seen those? I just don’t watch alot of movies so I really don’t know. I’ve also heard though that the Hunger Games movies toned down the violence in the books, is that true too?
            Well I guess as long as you understand what you’re learning and making good grades you’re good. Keep working! Yep @Josh A helped me out a little bit. I don’t know all the little symbols you guys use so don’t get mad with me if I don’t know one 🙂 It’s kinda foreign territory to me but I’m learning OK!

          • Hi! I’m a little upset right now because I wrote my whole response to you and then it disappeared, but…oh well! 😛
            That was a ton of fun!! I don’t know if I actually would have fallen for it. I saw someone’s comment before I saw the actual article, so… But the gullibility club looked fun, so I jumped in. 😉 And that comment area was like an upvote generator! Just leave a comment and *boom* instant upvotes!
            I’ve seen the first movie and I’ve read all the books. I didn’t like the Divergent book-to-movie adaptation as much as I did the Hunger Games’, but it was still a good movie. I really enjoyed the books, and the ending of the last book blew me away–super impressive! I guess as far as the violence goes it depends on how you look at it. The books weren’t excessively violent (considering the subject matter). I think the movies have an appropriate level; they certainly could have taken it further. Same with Divergent; they cut out the scene where some guy got stabbed in the eyeball. 😛 That was definitely a good thing.
            Lol, that’s cool. 🙂 I have no idea where I pick them up. I think I just have an eye for figuring out what they mean. (Can I put that in my résumé?:) “XD”, for example, was love at first sight, haha. So please do ask if I use something you don’t recognize!

          • Sorry for the slow reply…a crazy weekend leading worship on Easter and my new computer crashed 🙁 So I did some research on iPads and they’ve come a long way in terms of compatibility…I think I’m going to give one a try! Anyways I think it’s a good thing for you that April Fool’s is only once a year, haha. I do like instant upvotes though!
            That’s good to know 🙂 That’s the general consensus I hear – violent but not excessively violent. I’ll have to watch both the Hunger Games and the Divergent series someday. Sounds cool!
            Um…I’m not sure I’d like to put “Eye for deciphering emoticons” on my resume (unless I was applying for a job with Facebook). I will ask if I don’t recognize something! You’d think that I’d know more being as computer-savvy as I am 🙂

          • That’s fine! I’ve taken a long time too! 🙂 Easter weekend is always crazy. Cool! Which one are you thinking about getting? They’re so expensive… 😮
            Yup! Are you into any of the Marvel/DC movies/TV shows?
            Lol XD. And Google is also nice to have when you can’t figure something out. Or anything else. I’m not sure how I lived before I discovered Google (and the Internet…). 😉

          • I’m gonna get the Air 2. It should work for all my digital sheet music. Plus, it has an awesome camera so I should be able to take better photos for my Instagram page 😀
            No I haven’t watched anything from Marvel. Didn’t they make Captain America? I’ve heard that’s good. BTW, what exactly does 😮 mean? Another symbol I don’t know…

          • Cool! That’s what I have. 🙂 The camera, yes…I love it but I feel sort of ridiculous taking photos with a tablet, lol.
            Yup! Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, The Avengers…basically any superhero thing that isn’t DC. If you ever do get the chance to watch them, they’re really good. I might be slightly obsessed…lol. 😉
            😮 “:” this is the eyes, “o” this is the mouth. I guess I kind of use it as a surprised face, or…like, when your jaw drops. (“It’s so expensive… 😮 [jaw drops]”). If that makes sense. 🙂

          • It is kinda ridiculous but at least it works and is a good alternative for the odd people like me who don’t have a cell phone. OK that’s good to know! I’ll add those to my ever-growing list of movies to watch someday. Did you ever watch the Narnia movies? Those are really good too, I was obsessed with them when I was 13 or 14. Thanks for explaining 😮 ! That’s kinda what I thought but I wanted to verify from a trusted source, lol.
            Btw, I have a super crazy next couple of weeks so I just decided to not use Disqus for around that long. No worries, I’ll be back! So if you could tell people who are wondering what happened to me that I’m just taking a break and focusing on other things I’d appreciate it alot 🙂

          • Yeah, same here. I mean, I have a camera on my phone, but the tablet camera is a million times better!
            Cool! Yes, I have! They’re really good. 🙂 I know some people got frustrated because of deviations from the books, but I love the books and it didn’t really bother me, so… 🙂 Which one is your favorite?
            That’s fine! And I’ll let the wonderers know. 😉 I’ve been trying to cut back too; at the very least, not commenting so much during school. Anyway, I hope you have a great couple weeks; talk to you when you get back! 🙂

          • WHAAATT?? How is everyone so tall?? I’m barely 5’4, and I’m taller than most of my friends. :-/ I know a lot of short people though, obviously!

          • LOL 🙂
            That’s cool! No, I know what you mean. So often, when I’m explaining my home schooling, I have to add, “and I know that sounds like I’m bragging but it’s not what I mean!” That’s neat that you learned to read so early! I started when I was four, and I’ve loved it ever since. =)

          • 😀 A perk of being homeschooled, I guess! That’s cool, reading at 4 is still quite young. *Shocker* now English is my favorite subject and I also love to read! 🙂

          • And, it’s funny how there are toddlers who really want to communicate, talk, read, that kind of stuff early on, while others are more focused on walking, climbing, and jumping first. I guess it’s just the way God made each person unique. 🙂

          • Historical fiction, novels, and biographies are usually what I go for, but I’ll read about anything as long as it’s well-written. You?

          • Nice 🙂 I’m with you on the well-written thing. I read those, as well as classics (which could be included under novels, I guess), some Christian non-fiction, and whatever catches my eye when I’m in the library. Favorite authors?

          • Oh, I forgot about Christian non-fiction and classics! Not many authors come to mind… Gloria Whelan (historical fiction), C.S. Lewis, Francis Chan, and John Piper? I tend to read books rather than authors. What authors do you like?
            (Sorry it took me so long to respond, I’ve been getting over the flu :P)

          • I know what you mean. I ask because authors are generally more recognizable than individual books, but I don’t have a good answer either. So let’s forget “favorites”. 🙂 I enjoy reading Jane Austen, Shannon Hale, Ted Dekker, Frank Peretti, Beverly Lewis…that’s what pops into my head at the moment. I like C.S. Lewis too! And I’ve read one of Francis Chan’s books. What are you reading at the moment?
            That’s okay! I had the flu a few weeks ago. It’s no fun. 🙁

          • Right now I’m reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan. It’s the only book I’ve read from him so far, but I would totally read more! He’s great. I’m also reading Kisses From Katie (to get info for a school research project). I love it!!! It’s one of those books I’ve been wanting to read for awhile, but never got to it. What are you reading?

          • Cool, that’s the one I read! It’s been a while. I just remember that I appreciated the message, but just didn’t totally agree with it. I can’t remember the specifics now, though. I think I’ve heard of Kisses From Katie; I’ll add it to my list of books to read! I’m currently re-reading Through Gates of Splendor by Elizabeth Elliot, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, and hopefully I’ll start Dante’s Divine Comedy today (I’m on a classics binge, lol). I also requested a bunch of books from the library labeled as “Christian dystopian fiction”, which sounds pretty cool. 🙂
            I was wondering, was it you that was talking about that book Before You Meet Prince Charming?

          • Awesome! I haven’t read much of Crazy Love yet, so I don’t know if I’ll agree with everything yet. I like his style of writing though.
            Yes, it was me. 🙂 Have you read it? I didn’t really like it; I guess it had some good ideas, but I feel like I disagreed with it more than I agreed with it. Strange, but I’ve never found a Christian dating (or courtship) book I really like.

          • I have! I actually read it because someone on The Reb recommended it, but I think that was before you started commenting. Anyway, I totally agree with you. I wanted to like it; there were a couple passages that struck me pretty deeply, but that was about it. I know that it was a book written to be appropriate for young girls as well as young women, but the whole “fairy tale” thing felt too childish (although it was an interesting idea), for the most part. And plus, I felt like the book was telling me to avoid any kind of friendship with guys, aside from having acquaintances. That was just waaay too out there for me. But I do admire the author’s intentions and respect her opinions.
            Anywaaay…I know what you mean! Most of the ones I’ve read are pretty “meh”, but there is one that I absolutely LOVE. It’s The Cinderella Rule by Bethany Jett. I literally go around recommending this book to everybody. XD If you want, you can read this review I wrote https://theteentheme.wordpress.com/2014/07/10/book-review-the-cinderella-rule-by-bethany-jett/ but either way it is really worth reading. It’s not just my favorite Cristian book on dating, it’s one of my favorite books, period. 🙂
            Okay, I’m going to stop before this gets too much longer. XD I could talk about that book forever!

          • I’ll check out The Cinderella Rule, thanks! Haha yeah, I know the feeling of loving a book so much you just want to share it with the world. 🙂

          • Awesome! Any books you really love that you would recommend? I’m always looking for more books to read. 🙂
            Yes, it is! Thank you, that means a lot to me!! 😀

          • It is…I really do appreciate the prayers! Btw, I heard something about adding a “Prayer” tab on the Rebelution, what’s up with that?

          • Yep! But beware… April 4th is not a promise!! I think we can do it, but we will know closer to then.
            🙂

          • I like it!! i’ll be praying for ya’ll as you finish to complete it 😀
            ~Madeleine

          • I can’t wait @programguy:disqus I’m glad ya’ll finally chose a name and all 😀 please send me the link when you get up and running
            God Bless,
            ~Madeleine

          • Hmmm… @Ethan__H:disqus, @programguy:disqus, or Dominic could tell you more about it. It’ll be its own website, “Revive”. I can’t give a very good description, because I’m not in on everything that’s going on 🙂 One of the others could tell you better.
            If they don’t answer here, just reply to one of their comments and ask about Revive.

          • Just so you don’t feel alone, I know plenty of young people staying home while they go to college, so it is not that “weird”. 😉

          • Yes! I’ve been following it for a while and I read you all’s comments a lot. But I have never participated. 🙂

          • Hey! @ruthie_c:disqus says she’ll be praying too 🙂 Didn’t know if you saw that…

          • You’re welcome 🙂
            Yep, I changed my username.
            It was really tempting to tell you that no, I’d actually been hacked, but I decided against it!

          • Ugh.. I’m sorry! I’ll pray for your situation. Just wondering, how old are you? Have you voiced your opinion to them?

          • Thank you! I’m 17 and going to be 18 in August. I have not directly voiced my opinion but they told me that there really aren’t any other options so I figure no point in wasting time in something that can’t be changed.

          • Yes! I have been following the blog for quite a while, but never took part in the discussions. Thanks @disqus_0EPlfBsVWj:disqus, I am glad to be surrounded by such a godly group of young people!

          • (How did I not see this till now?) Cool, you have a blog! Same here! Are you able to give me the link? I’d love to check it out!

          • May I randomly jump into this conversation? 🙂

            I’m not DancinginHisReign… but oh my gosh do you use Sonlight too?? I *love* the books and, well, everything else ^.^ Have you ever read the scholarship giveaway segment of their catalog? The testimonies from the graduates are really inspiring and rebelution-appropriate. I’ve also read “Before You Meet Prince Charming”! I didn’t agree with all of it, but Sarah Mally does have some good ideas.

            Wow, both your blogs are great!

          • Yes Ruthie… I didn’t agree with everything either, but it is still a profound and very helpful read!

          • Sonlight fans unite!!! 😀 LOVE Sonlight.
            Yeh same – I don’t agree with everything, but a lot is really solid stuff. I got a lot out of it.

            Thank you!!

          • You have an inspiring blog! No…. I have never done Sonlight but I have heard that they use a lot of the same books as I have read!

            haha… Oh and I subscribed to your blog too:)

          • I really like your blog! Have you ever read “Sir Malcom and the Missing Prince”? It’s my favorite Lamplighter book. 🙂

          • Yes! The whole college thing is really confusing though… I really don’t even know how to get started… Thanks:)

          • Yeah. I’ve got a lot of mail from everyone, but I don’t know anything about which colleges are possibilities.
            I like your username, BTW 🙂

          • Me too! 🙂
            What do you like best about being homeschooled? What do you like least?

          • Hmmmm…. that’s a hard question, I’m not sure I can narrow it down to just one thing… 🙂 I would say one of my favorite things about being homeschooled is the opportunities it provides (educationally, socially, morally, in pursuing personal passions…etc.).

            The least… I would say, at certain times I have felt rather isolated from other like-minded kids, but I think it is normal for that to happen in any setting.

            What about you? (haha I feel like I should ask you something else, but I am terrible at starting conversations!) How long have you been on the Rebellution?

          • Haha I thought I already answered you! Thanks! And yes I am a sophomore. 🙂

      • That’s so funny, my cousin majored in both those things! XD He’s a total math/music nerd, and keeps finding all these clever ways to connect them.

        Reply

      • Right now MY cousin is deciding whether to major in engineering or music… @prayerwrrior:disqus are you sure we aren’t somehow related?? haha

        Reply

      • My brother would love to double-major engineering and music, too! Therefore, I conclude that they are not opposites 🙂

        Reply

    • Hi, I’m really glad you mentioned this. I actually live at home with my family and commute to school. It’s been one of the best decisions! I encourage you to rejoice in the opportunity. I know it’s easy to feel embarrassed, but there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It only feels weird because or culture tends to be so individualistic. God designed us to live in families–first and foremost His family, the church, but also our physical families.

      Reply

    • That’s not weird AT ALL! No need to feel embarrassed 🙂 If it’s what God and your parents want, then just roll with it, and be confident you are doing the right thing 🙂

      Reply

  • Hey, that’s really cool! Being a sophomore myself, my parents and I have been looking into colleges and the process and everything. And since I am planning on not attending a Christian college, it would be all the more important for me to find a church in my college’s town. What do you think the best way to go about that is? I’m asking because in big cities, there can literally be hundreds of churches in a given area, and it’s not practical to go to every single one. I have somewhat of an idea, but I’d like to hear your thoughts, if you’ve got the time.

    This is really good insight, and thank you!

    Reply

    • Hey man! Probably the best way is to find the dominations faithful to the scriptures and ignore the rest. That will narrow your search drastically since a lot of churches are really liberal. I would say that the PC(USA) and United Methodist are the most liberal and can be safely ignored in your search. Eliminating those will cut your list waaaayyyy down.

      Reply

      • I completely agree. I know you’re talking about churches, but on a similar note, we went to visit a Methodist college once, and… Well, we were all thinking something along the lines of, “Really? And they claim to be a Christian school?” It was pretty sad.

        Reply

          • Hey even schools like Princeton and Harvard had Christian foundations…if I remember right, both of them were founded to train ministers. How far have they fallen…

          • You’re not kidding! Liberal places don’t scare me (a by-product of living in Cleveland) but Ivy League schools are a step beyond liberal…

      • I totally agree. I don’t have experience with United Methodist, but PC USA just does NOT teach the Bible. My family’s old church (that my mom even went to as a kid) had a *huge* split because they decided to join PC USA… the church we now go to (as well as another church in the area) was started by people who just couldn’t tolerate their ideas. It was very, very messy. 🙁

        Reply

      • Thanks bro! What is PC(USA)? I probably have heard it by another name. My denomination is pretty conservative (at least they seem that way). I’ve been in AG (or you may know them as Pentacostal) churches all my life, so anything different would probably really mess me up. 🙂 So does being a Steelers fan mean you live in Pennsylvania? I know it doesn’t mean that, but do you live there?

        Reply

        • PC(USA) is a really liberal Presbyterian denomination, like they allow lesbian female pastors to preach. I never knew Pentecostal churches were called AG, what’s that stand for? No I actually live in the Cleveland area…I got tired of the Browns loosing 🙂

          Reply

          • AG = Assemblies of God. And wow lesbian and female = double no-no. And equations = fun. 😉

          • Don’t take that the wrong way, there’s nothing wrong with being female lol. It’s just you’ll never be “the husband of one wife.” =)

          • So… you think female pastors are okay? I think I might sense a friendly debate coming up (if you want) 🙂

          • No no, sorry, what I meant is it’s ok to be a female human being (duh) but no, female pastors are not OK – the point I oh-so-uneloquently tried to say was a female pastor will never be the “husband of one wife” like it says you have to be in ?Titus?. =)

          • Oh, okay. I wondered, because you seemed like you would ascribe to the male-pastors-only idea. There’s also the verse in… I think it’s one of the Timothy’s?… where Paul says he wouldn’t allow a woman to have authority over a man. A pastor would have that sort of authority. I hadn’t thought of the “husband of one wife” piece of that, though.

          • 1 Timothy 2:12 is one reason…
            I’d love to talk more about this if you want 🙂

          • Okay, awesome! I’ll be free in a little bit; go ahead and talk, I”ll answer when I can 🙂

          • So I go to a Presbyterian Church, and, for about 15 years, we have had a woman pastor. I have a little bit of evidence: Galatians 3:26-29. 28-29 in particular. those verses seem to state that man and women are equal. Billy Graham’s daughter seems to believe that too. I recently read an article about one of her messages. She supports this as well only she uses Genesis 1:27-28. here it states that man and women are created as an equal image of God. there’s some. your turn 🙂

          • Okay, so here goes… 🙂

            So you take Gal 3:28 to be saying that female and male don’t make a difference in Christ, if I see your reasoning correctly. Looking at the history of the times, I think that Paul was saying that we shouldn’t put each other down; then, there was a lot of feeling similar to the racism in the earlier 1900’s where most of each half of society despised the other for what it was. Jews and Gentiles each looked down on one another as barbarians, slaves and freemen saw each other as lazy scum. What I think Paul was saying here is, “Yo dudes, stop thinking that people who are different from you are worthless and undeserving of God’s help. Just forget that you’re different – God doesn’t think any of you are more valuable than the others!”

            I agree, men and women are of the EXACT same worth in God’s eyes; I’m looking at the different roles men and women are called to fulfill. Women are called to “love their husbands and to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, homemakers, kind, and submissive to their husbands” (See Titus 2:4,5); the Bible says for the older women to teach the younger women (Titus 2:3). Men are to be the elders/pastors (See 1 Timothy 3:1-13), and their wives will indeed be involved in their husbands’ ministry; it’s just that they will not be the ones “in authority”.

            I don’t want to slam you with a great big long argument that is really hard to address point-by-point, so I’ll stop here…

          • in that case take a look at Deborah (Judges 4: 1-18). She was called by God to be a judge. In those days this meant that she was in charge over men, women, and children. Also, when God told her to command Barak, A MAN, to go take ten thousand men and lead the way to Mt. Tabor. “Barak said” If you go with me, I will go but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” So even if women are called to love their husbands. they still can do great things without yielding to them!

          • Okay, so I looked at her. And you have a point. I would say, though, that Barak’s saying “I’ll go only if you will” was more a manifestation of his disbelief than anything else; her response seems to suggest that.
            Would you look at 1 Tim 2:11-13 for me? I wonder what your take on it is…
            I agree, we are called to love our husbands. But would we be truly showing love if we didn’t yield to them?

          • This comment showed up at the bottom of the page, and it pulled me over here…

      • Yeah! Totally agree – PCUSA and United Methodist are kinda in a class all their own… What is the other Presbyterian denomination? I can never remember…

        Reply

        • There are actually two others! There is the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) which we go to now. They’re a moderate denomination (they allow women elders but not pastors) but really have a heart for the Lord. The other one is the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA – not to be confused with the PCUSA). We used to go to a PCA church and all their doctrine is spot-on but those churches are deader than a door nail. So the Presbyterians kinda run the whole spectrum 🙂

          Reply

          • I never heard of EPC… sounds like a nice church. We almost ended up going to a PCA church, but we decided not to because we disagreed with this specific church on some doctrine, and the one pastor took scripture out of context to reinforce his point.
            Glad you found one that was doctrinally sound!

    • Yes, it’s not easy! I encourage you to do some research on churches before you visit the area so you have a plan of where to visit. Talk to your current pastor and see if he has any connections or recommendations. I would also recommend getting in touch with leaders of campus ministries at the colleges you’re looking at. They may have some recommendations. It’s ideal if you have a place to go before you get there, but visiting churches once you’re there is also a possibility since it gives you a chance to explore a little more. I would just encourage you not to “church hop” for too long, and really get plugged into a community ASAP. I hope that helps!

      Reply

      • Hey thanks! I’ll definitely look into what you’re talking about.

        And by the way, you seem to be very good at music! Do you have anything online that I can listen to by you?

        Reply

        • Hey, Martial Artist, thanks for asking that question about narrowing down churches! I was going to ask a similar question myself 🙂

          Reply

      • I plan on attending a Christian college in a town with probably hundreds of churches within a 45 mile radius. I have some relatives there that each attend different regular Baptist churches. I want to be where God wants me, but how can I know where that is?

        Reply

        • That’s difficult to answer without knowing you, but I encourage you to talk to your parents and pray about it. Ultimately, it’s not about finding some “will of God” that you could accidentally miss. As long as you’re pursuing Him, there isn’t necessarily just one right place for you.

          Reply

          • Wow, thanks, Melody! Yeah, sorry i kinda put you on the spot :/ This is really good advice 🙂

    • Why are you looking at a secular college? I’ve been weighing the pro’s and con’s of secular vs. Christian colleges myself… I’d like to hear your thoughts!

      Reply

      • So, in my experience, Christian colleges don’t really offer the kind of education I’m looking for. I want to become a chemical engineer, so I need to get into a college with a top of the line engineering department, and most of those Christian schools just don’t cut it. Now there are some schools, like Baylor, which say Christian, but have actually been more secularized. Then you have schools like SAGU and Liberty, that are very, very Christian. So mainly, it just comes down to the type of education that I’m looking for. And honestly, I kind of want to experience what it’s like being out in the world in a secular environment. I don’t mean that in a bad or rebellious way, but I’ve lived the sheltered homeschool life and I want to experience the world. However, I have nothing against the Christian schools, it just comes down to the education.

        But if I was going to school to become a minister or preacher, then I would definitely go to Liberty or something like that.

        Reply

        • Have you looked at places like Cedarville? I really don’t know anything about engineering or their program but I do know they strive to have their programs be both at a Christian college and on par with other secular programs out there. The cost is a little hindering, though. ~AnnaGrace

          Reply

          • Hey thanks! This school looks like it has more to offer than some other Christian schools I’ve seen, but still not quite what I’m looking for. But thanks all the same!

        • Oh, I see. Yeah, Christian colleges tend to be less academically good. And the experience is something I’ve wondered about myself.
          Well, so far as academics — Cedarville University and LeTourneau University are good in math/engineering. Just an FYI 🙂

          Reply

          • I’ve looked up Cedarville already, and they seem to be pretty good. I’ll have to look into LeTourneau. Thanks, I’ll have to keep these in mind. 🙂

          • I’ve considered Cedarville, but right now I’m leaning towards Spring Arbor (arbor.edu) which sounds really awesome. I haven’t looked at their engineering stuff, but it’s worth looking into. 🙂 I’ve also heard good things about Cornerstone University (cornerstone.edu).

          • I know several 🙂 you could email me the name…maybe it’s the same person! By the way sorry I’m taking so long to work on the blog. I’ll get to it. I’m just busy. 🙂

          • Cool stuff. I’m looking at the University of Texas myself. That’s why I was saying I hadn’t looked into many Christian universities. In my opinion, getting a job in the field I want to go into will be easier since I could say I earned by degree at UT. What do you want to go to college for?

          • LeTourneau is much more expensive, FYI… That’s why my brother chose Cedarville. The atmosphere and classes seem to be great for him so far, and you remind me of him a lot. 🙂 Which means it’d be great for you, right? 😉

          • Hmm…I think I’m flattered, but I’m not sure. 🙂 Just kidding. What’s your brother trying to do in college? And what about me makes me remind you of him?

          • Yes, that is a big compliment 🙂
            He’s going into engineering. Let me think… your dogmatism, your political views, the fact that you’re a guy, how good you are with math (I think?) and a host of other little things, like how in-depth and excited you get about things 🙂

          • Well thank you. 🙂 We do sound pretty similar. I am pretty good at math, and I’m doing a math that’s already over my grade level (Pre-Cal in my sophomore year). And I do get excited, but only about certain things. I’m usually a very serious person who tries not to get excited about any one thing, mainly because I don’t like being disappointed if the thing falls through. But I am excited about this movie. Thanks! You seem like a cool person too, based on what I’ve seen of you on here. But, it’s sometimes difficult for me to tell a lot about a person through messages, other than interests and passions. I learn more about a person when I see them face-to-face. But hey, thanks again.

          • Whoa, Pre-Calc in you sophomore year?! I’m only a year behind you, but Pre-Calc sounds so much higher!
            Yeah, I guess really I meant how passionate you get about things… You have to meet my brother someday! Wow, I can just imagine you two together… *laughs uncontrollably*
            Thanks! I sometimes wonder if I appear cooler on here than I actually am; on here I’m a spiritually-minded, smart person who can always edit what her big mouth says. In real life… not as much.

          • Did you just change your username? I was confused for a little bit there! How long did it take me to notice? 😛

          • I think I changed it the day before you asked. I didn’t mean to confuse you!

          • lol…and now you changed your profile picture on us too. It’s a good thing you didn’t do both at the same time or no one would have recognized you! 😛

          • Yeah, I did 🙂 I considered doing both at once, but I decided to have mercy on y’all 😛

  • YES!!! This is so often overlooked by Christians today, but the church is such an important part of our walk with God! Thanks for writing this, Melody 🙂

    Reply

  • I can’t make a long comment as I’m running short on time, but I just wanted to say THANK YOU to Ms. Melody Zimmerman for this piece. My mother has told me several times that one of her biggest regrets in college is that she “church-hopped” and didn’t really invest and serve in any one church. Excellent article and reminder for me; as I am a sophomore looking for a college (with a good music program!). I will definitely consider churches as I continue to look.

    Reply

  • Great article! I was the only undergrad who attended my church in South Bend while I attended Notre Dame. That meant I became friends with moms, dads, little kids, babies, older people, grad students, etc – people that I would have never developed relationships with if I had exclusively attended my campus ministry. That diversity of ministry is SO important, especially at a time in your life where you are figuring out what kind of adult you want to be. Thanks Melody for starting this discussion!

    Reply

  • I never really thought about this topic before. I’m a sophomore in high school, but am considering college. I will be very sad if I went out of state for college(I live in West Florida, so moving in any direction for 4 hours is pretty far) because I really love my church family!

    Reply

    • You live in West Florida? That’s so cool! Would you happen to know anyone by the last name of Rosario? Most of my dad’s family lives in the Florida area.

      Reply

  • Thank you for the link to music college! I still have a few years to think about it but I was considering Oberlin… Anderson is closer to where I live though… 🙂 Great article too – never thought about it that way before. 🙂

    Reply

        • Oh Cool! are you on point yet? i do ballet, contemporary, and point. i also love jazz, hip hop, modern, and lyrical. I love to dance so much!!
          how long have you been dancing? were do you dance? one more question 😀 were do you live?
          God Bless,
          ~Madeleine

          Reply

          • Yes, I’ve been on pointe for a little over three years. I like lyrical, but modern/contemporary and jazz don’t come naturally to me. 🙂 I’ve been dancing for seven years (since I was nine) starting at Ballet Society of Colorado Springs and now at Denver Academy of Ballet. I live in Denver. What about you? Where do you dance/how long?

          • Oh cool! i’ve been on point for two years! and i’ve been dancing for 11 years since i was five. I danced for seven years at Perimeter church then i switched to The Still Point Studios and i’ve been dancing their for 4 years know. so you live in Denver Wyoming?? (i just looked at my map). I live in Georgia! I love to dance!!

          • Actually, Denver, Colorado. It’s a rectangle like Wyoming. 🙂 I love Georgia! I’ve only been there once, but it was so pretty. Do you have a southern accent? Because I think southern accents sound really cool. 🙂

          • nice, Colorado! Glad to meet someone else from the same state! Do you swing dancing?

          • I haven’t tried swing dancing before, but so many of my friends do it that I think I need to take some classes and go for it sometime. Do you swing?

          • yeah, my school has an after school group that gets together and just swing dances.

          • When I lived in Colorado Springs, a lot of people at my school, College Pathways, went to swing dances. Not as many people in Denver seem to do it though.

          • nice! A lot of people at Rampart HS seem to think it’s fun. Hope you find some people who swing! 🙂

          • My friend Brendan is #44 on the Rampart Basketball Team. Random factoid. Thanks for the well wishes. 🙂

          • I think that after break I will try to find your friend. Will he know you by name? or is this a fake name?

          • OH ok sorry about that 😀 it is really pretty! and no i don’t 🙂 at least i don’t think i do! they do sound cool don’t they! 🙂

        • I do ballet to! This will be my 3rd year doing ballet. It’s so cool to know that other people on hear like to do the same things that I do!

          Reply

  • Great article @melodyzimmerman. Thanks for sharing!

    Btw: I actually visited your church a year or two ago when our church in Cortland was canceled.

    Reply

  • Great article @Melody Zimmerman:disqus . Thanks for sharing!

    Btw: I actually visited your church a year or two ago when our church in Cortland was canceled.

    Reply

  • Great article @melodyzimmerman:disqus. Thanks for sharing!

    Btw: I actually visited your church a year or two ago when our church in Cortland was canceled.

    Reply

  • Can anybody recommend any conservative, Bible-believing Christian colleges? Preferably that have an education major:)

    Reply

        • Yeah. Personally my first priority is not whether the college I go to is Christian or not; I mainly want someplace close to my home and inexpensive. But if I could find a not-so-pricey Christian school that lines up with the Bible AND is nearby, that would be awesome!

          Reply

        • Ok, well I am planning on go to Mississippi College. It’s a Baptist college near Jackson. http://www.mc.edu I’ve actually met some people from LA who go or plan on going there. 🙂

          It’s a beautiful college with a large selection of good programs (including education). It’s conservative and all the faculty seem to be very sincere about encouraging you to grow as a Christian. It’s also quite affordable for a private college. I would absolutely recommend visiting them. Maybe you’ll fall in love like I did! =)

          Reply

    • I have a friend that goes to Bob Jones University in South Carolina so it wouldn’t be super far (I saw that you live in Louisiana) but I’m not sure if they have an education major. :-/ Also I have another friend that goes to Toccoa Falls in GA, but ditto on the education major.

      Sorry that probably wasn’t much help. =)

      Reply

    • If you’re just looking for elementary ed, Appalachian Bible College (ABC) in West Virginia has a program. Good conservative college. You get certified with the state of WV by the end of the program. It looks like a really good school and I’d go there in a heartbeat if they had what I was looking for. ~AnnaGrace
      http://www.abc.edu/academics/bachelor-of-arts.php

      Reply

        • Also, I know they are very theologically sound (of course, some of this depends on your point of view but I’ll just say they’ve got all the fundamentals right and in my opinion everything else. 🙂

          Reply

    • Spring Arbor (arbor.edu) somewhere in southeastern Michigan I think…it sounds good and I’m thinking of going there

      Reply

      • No! Don’t go there! They say they’re Christian but they’re not… my sister went there. Like, they’re really mixed-up.
        (FYI that was my immediate reaction when I saw your comment, I feel really strongly about that specific college…)

        Reply

        • Oh thanks for telling me! I’ll have to look it up. Did you hear any specific things they believed that were untrue?

          Reply

          • I don’t really remember, but I do remember that my sister got really frustrated with anything they taught regarding the Bible… and the art class she had to take was hideously, blatantly sensual.
            I’ll email her and see what specifically 🙂

          • My sister had to take a Old Testament class, where the professor raised a lot of hard-to-answer questions about the validity of the text, then didn’t answer them. Basically he used the class to debase the Bible… that was waht my sis remembered most.

    • Hey! Not to undermine what Amanda said, but my sister went to Spring Arbor… It’s one of those colleges that’s Christian in name only.
      Maybe they qualify as a really Liberal Christian college, but conservative is the last word I’d use to describe SAU.

      Reply

  • Wow! I’m feeling a little silly=P considering a church should be a no-brainer! Great post! Does anyone have church suggestions for the Nashville TN area? Belmont University is one of my top school choices. I really want to get a degree in songwriting:)

    Reply

    • I looked at Union College in TN, don’t know how close it is to Nashville:) It’s really nice, and the people seem genuine. The thing is that it’s pretty steep if you don’t have scholarships:/

      Reply

  • Great article, Melody! This is so true…

    I used to live, church, and work all in the same area. But recently I’ve had to find a new church. Although the church I now attend is farther away, it is definitely worth the drive! Church should never be an afterthought… or a convenience.

    Reply

  • After finding a place to stay, a church to be at home.
    When me and my family moved, we spent a month church hopping until we’ve found a church where we can grow.

    Reply

Read more

By Melody Zimmerman March 16, 2015
284 comments
rebelling against low expectations

The Rebelution is a teenage rebellion against low expectations—a worldwide campaign to reject apathy, embrace responsibility, and do hard things. Learn More →