Collegiate

If you’ve seen any chick flicks recently, you might get the impression that singleness is a sickness to be hastily cured. It’s easy to go with the cultural flow by buying into the frustration of waiting around, hoping to meet someone, and wondering why you’re alone. But despite popular opinion, there’s nothing wrong with being single nor with the desire to share life with a significant other.

Singleness is more than a waiting room to meet Mr. or Mrs. Right, so how can you make the most of this unique season of life? Here’s five ways to invest in your life, relationships, faith, and future — right now — to make singleness a fun and formative experience.

Mentoring is one of the hot-button words floating around college ministries right now. More and more people are realizing that one on one relationships are vital for the mental, emotional, and spiritual health of students. So how can we tell if mentoring is really having an effect on the students within our ministries?

Sure, dating takes work, time, planning, and emotional energy, but it should also be a fun way to get to know someone. Here — to the rescue — are some unconventional ways to spice up the dating doldrums and put the creative back into “What are you doing Saturday night?”

Christmas break for a college student means relaxation, rest, family and friend time, and—let’s be serious—boredom. For the past three months or so, your schedule’s been packed with class, work, and play. And now, all of a sudden, you’re back home for three weeks with Mom & Dad. We know you love ‘em, but being home for such an extended period of time can be a drag. Instead of twiddling your thumbs, hosting a three-week movie marathon, or spending way too much time on Facebook, how about hanging out with and learning from your parents?

Our families are the most influential people in our lives. Depending on who shares your DNA, that can be a blessing or a curse. Most of the time, it’s a blessing. Perfect families don’t exist, but psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott claims that “good enough” families are more common than not. God wired us to be attached to other people. As we mature together, we manage to work out most of the relational kinks.

With Christmas quickly approaching and a long list of people to buy for, your budget could use some help. Enter regifting. It can be reprehensible (partially used gift cards) or truly useful recycling (perfumed lotion + your eczema = gift to roommate). Let’s celebrate the season of regifting with some reuseable tips.

The Winter 2011/12 issue of Collegiate is available, and we hope you’ve ordered your copy! Over the next 13 weeks, we’ll be looking into the Books of Numbers & Deuteronomy. These passages remind us that with Scripture as our map, we can be equipped to live life to the full. As you’re getting started, we recommend that you purchase and download the Winter 2011/12 iMix today, as these songs will enhance your study. Just follow the link below, or you can find it on our Collegiate page at lifeway.com/collegiate. If you’re a Bible study leader, you’ll also want to download and print the FREE teaching plans, commentary, and promotional materials available on the site as well!

CLICK HERE FOR THE WINTER 2011/12 iMIX!

While the call to discipleship is clear, it’s not necessarily easy. Here’s why. And here is some practical help as well.

Ready or not … a new year of ministry has begun (or will soon begin). And the reality is that some of us … are not ready. Many more of us find ourselves much less ready than we’d like to be. Some of us find ourselves in a place of spiritual, emotional or mental distress. We don’t feel ready for a new year. Not for the return of students, the start of classes or the work of serving as pastor to a rapidly moving community. And the bad news is that we can’t do anything to stop time or delay the return of students or the start of another year. But all is not lost … there is good news!

Did you know the average college senior will graduate with $4,100 in credit card debt? Believe me, you don’t want to be one of them. Here are some quick tips on how to stay financially healthy.