Secular Higher Education is Hostile to Your Student’s Faith, Here’s an Alternative
You don’t have to search very long to find a story about modern higher education that’s concerning.
Christian students entering college are walking out into a hostile, wave-tossed sea. Secular college campuses are no longer content to be “neutral” towards Christianity, they are decidedly against it.
Over the last several decades we’ve seen the secularization and radicalization of colleges and universities. Now, as our culture shifts even further from a biblical worldview, we continue to see humanist philosophies dominating places of higher education.
Preparing your student spiritually for their entrance into college is essential. But are there other options that don’t involve descending into the belly of the beast?
Christian Schools
There are still a number of Christian schools that hold to biblically orthodox beliefs and principles. Sending your student to a Christian university or college can help build their faith as they learn under the instruction of Christian professors and within a community of fellow Christians.
It’s important to do due diligence though. The cultural shifts at work in the wider world are pushing into even some historically Christian schools.
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Alternative Models
Ascend by Unbound is built to prepare young people for impactful lives. This is a double positive. Ascends students are not only free to practice and grow their faith in a supportive environment, rather than a hostile one. They also have the positive opportunity to grow in a community of like-minded Christian young people while learning more about the purpose God created them for.
Ascend is all about real preparation for real life. This of course has much to do with practical life skills and education. Ascend uses project-based education. But Ascend is also built to specifically prepare Christian students for an impactful life of faith.
Through community, leadership training, and practical life training on how to excel in ordinary things like work, rest, and relationships, Ascend is helping students get the tools they need to live life well.
To be clear, Ascend isn’t a spiritual discipleship program, at least not as you might expect one to look like. It’s not a seminary or theological school. But it’s an education program that is built by Christians on Christian principles, helping to prepare students for what God is calling them to.
Preparation for a Hostile Culture
These days, perhaps more than in previous years, our students need to be prepared for engaging a hostile culture that rejects Christian principles and Christians themselves. We need to prepare our students for impactful lives in their communities, helping to touch the brokenness around them.
This is going to require unique training that can’t be found in a classroom alone. It will require real experience with real people. Project-based education isn’t just good for preparing students for a future career. It’s all about preparing them for life in the real world and all that entails.
As the culture around us grows darker, prepare your son or daughter to be a well-equipped light. Prepare them in the right environment, giving them a secure place to make their faith their own and to follow God’s path for them.
Ascend applications are open. Apply today.
Ellie Smith is the VP of Sales and Operations for Unbound. She is a homeschool and Unbound graduate with a degree in Communications from Thomas Edison State University. In 2017 and 2018, she served on the Unbound National Student Cabinet as the Director of Sales and Marketing. In 2019, she traveled to Ecuador with Unbound’s mission team.
When Ellie isn’t working with our awesome students, she’s probably reading too many books at once, working on a graphic design or hand lettering project, or napping. Because naps are awesome. Her favorite meals are street tacos, popcorn, and coffee.
