What a student learns at college can last a lifetime...and beyond
For many people, college is their first taste of real independence. They are starting to make more and more life decisions without parental input, and they are also forming new social circles.
With the pressure to drink or experiment with sex and drugs, it can be easy for an impressionable undergraduate who is outside of Christ to slip into a lifestyle that seems merely adventurous. With little or no sense of determining between right and wrong, much less determining God’s will, an immature student can quickly end up in a situation with consequences that can be serious and even life-threatening.
If a student comes from a family that was not centered around Christ, the young person may bring a multitude of spiritual issues to college. If the issues are left unaddressed, they can grow worse and have a negative impact on the individual’s academic success as well as his or her personal and career relationships for a lifetime.
Without spiritual guidance, a college student has no hope of gaining lasting victory over the many battles that arise in life. And the destructive patterns that form in college can grow worse throughout life. But with God’s Word and a relationship with Jesus Christ, a student can be filled with the certainty of eternal salvation, heavenly wisdom and the Holy Spirit’s power–all of which are needed to successfully navigate the spiritual challenges of life and college.
The most important book on a college campus: God’s Word
Gideon College Testament distribution locations include 2-year and 4-year colleges and institutions, as well as all other post-secondary educational institutions such as trade schools, technical institutes and business schools. As with all Gideon distributions, college campus distributions are made only after receiving approvals from officials.
In 2009, The Gideons distributed 1,855,900 copies of God’s Word on college campuses worldwide with 1,151,800 of those being distributed on U.S. campuses. Praise God for the lives impacted as a result of this program, and for the Gideons and donors who made it possible.
College Testimonies
From hatred for an earthly father to love for the Heavenly Father
My father taught me one thing-to hate him with all my heart. He would chase us around with knives and forks and also beat my mother beyond recognition. When I was four, as a final act against my mom, he planned a mass suicide in which he put my two sisters, my brother and me in the car, and drove at speeds up to 90 m.p.h. He aborted the suicide mission, and upon returning to our home, he packed his clothes and left for good.
The hatred inside of me affected every relationship I had. As a result, I was socially and emotionally immature.
My brother was an exact copy of me. We never got along. He ran away and joined the Air Force. When he came home on furlough, his life had changed dramatically. “Jesus Christ is in my heart,” he said. He shared the Gospel and asked if I would like to receive Christ. I refused.
I was accepted to California Polytechnic State University and participated on three varsity teams. I came home one day, upset because I did not place in a pre-state tournament. A green college Gideon Testament my sister had received was lying on the couch. I picked it up and turned to the last page and read the plan of salvation. Convicted of my sins, I started crying and knelt and received Jesus Christ into my heart.
I am now with Campus Crusade for Christ. It’s my desire to serve Him in every way I can.
Brian
Rescued from Satan’s grip
I was a very confused and emotionally distraught freshman in college. I was in bondage to the sins of the world. I had searched for acceptance through the heavy use of drugs, sexual permissiveness, transcendental meditation and eastern religions.
At this time, I was handed a small, green New Testament from The Gideons. It sat untouched at the head of my bed. Then one night, I awoke in terror with the sudden realization that the Evil One had a vise-like grip on my life and was seeking to destroy me. I could sense the very presence of evil in my dorm room. I was so terrified I could hardly breathe.
Remembering the Bible at the headboard, I inched my hand up until it clasped the Testament in the dark. Over and over I repeated, “The Lord is my shepherd.” This was the beginning of a true conversion to Jesus in my life. I have found in Jesus that love and acceptance that I had searched so fruitlessly for in the world.
Cris
Please pray for our ministry
Please pray that the Gideons will continue to receive approval from school officials for College Testament distributions, and that there would be a spiritual revival across college campuses and other higher education institutions with more and more students putting their faith in Jesus Christ.
“…he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”
James 5:20
- To pray for the specific needs of the Gideon ministry, click here.
- To make a donation online to The Gideons International, click here.
- To contact us for additional information about giving, click here.