Profile
Name: Jarvis Henderson
Occupation: Youth Pastor/College Pastor
Letter from the Expert
Dear Reader,
College is a very exciting time where you have the opportunity to see and experience a variety of things that you may have been sheltered from while growing up. In some cases, you may already be familiar with the things that are commonly done on college campuses but it is important to remember your foundation as a Christian.
College is not the time to sow your royal oats or have fun while disregarding your heritage as a child of God. Instead, college should be used as a platform to spread the gospel, share your faith and develop yourself more spiritually so that once you graduate and enter the world, you can use your education in combination with your spirituality to change the world.
With University of Florida being formerly ranked as the #1 party school in the nation and with many of its students trying hard to reclaim the title, distractions are everywhere. But the bible says that God provides a way of escape for any temptation that we may face.
As believers we are the salt and light of the world and it is our job to stand out from amongst the crowd. Remember that we are in this world but we are not of this world so I dare you to be different and not be conformed to what the world says that every college student does.
My advice to you in order to resist temptation and survive as a Christian student at the University of Florida is to get away from the people who have your problems and get around those who have your answers.
Surrounding yourself with people who can stretch you and cause you to grow in your relationship with God is necessary in order to truly stay strong in faith. To be frank, you may lose some friends once you begin to truly live for God. But they will know who to talk to when they have a problem.
Also find a good campus ministry to join so that you can receive the word of God while on campus. They are several good ones. I myslef am a part of Word Up College Ministry and I invite you to come check us out. We meet Thursdays at 7pm in room 282 of the Reitz Union.
Finally, find a good church home here in Gainesville. Having a church back home is great, but you need a place where you can receive the word of God regularly while still in school.
Don't be afraid or fearful to seek out help. You can do this, and you can survive because God is with you. I love you with the love of the God.
Pastor Jarvis