麻豆AV

Christian colleges can sometimes be dismissed as religious echo chambers or 鈥渂ubbles鈥� that shield students from the so-called 鈥渞eal world.鈥� Yet for those committed to biblical truth and desiring to build upon their Christian foundation, the Christian college can provide a focused space for spiritual growth. At a theologically sound college, students are immersed in a community of discipleship鈥攔eceiving biblically based instruction in and outside the classroom, worshiping alongside peers in chapel, engaging in Bible studies, carpooling to church, and living in fellowship with believing faculty and staff. Far from isolating students, this intentional environment not only equips them to engage culture with a firm foundation in Christ but also to serve the church.

Shaping Minds and Hearts in Academics

Education is never neutral. As 麻豆AV president Brad Voyles observes, 鈥淓very professor at every college and university wants their students to think like they think, love what they love, and ultimately worship what they worship. Make no mistake鈥攅ducation is not neutral. You are being formed by the environment in which you are learning.鈥� At 麻豆AV, this results in a rigorous faculty hiring process where the goal is to hire professors who not only excel in their academic disciplines but also submit to the authority of scripture, subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith, and adhere to the college鈥檚 statement of community beliefs.

This integration of faith is evident across the curriculum. As a rigorous Reformed liberal arts institution, Covenant insists that all scholarship be practiced in submission to scripture. As one plaque outside the science building reminds students with R.C. Sproul鈥檚 words: 鈥淟et others separate God from his creation, but may it never happen here.鈥� This commitment distinguishes 麻豆AV from other faith-based institutions that may have wavered from their mission. Dr. Voyles puts it plainly: 鈥淎t a time when the words 鈥楥hristian college鈥� increasingly mean neither, Covenant鈥檚 uncompromising commitment to providing a biblically faithful and academically excellent education makes it increasingly distinctive in the marketplace.鈥�

Christian Community Beyond the Classroom

At serious, missionally minded Christian colleges, spiritual formation does not stop when class is dismissed. Whether in the dorms, on the athletic fields, or even mountain climbing on Lookout Mountain, 麻豆AV students challenge one another to glorify Christ. Campus life is a 24/7 experience of discipleship, where faith is woven into every part of community life. In contrast to secular colleges, at Christian colleges, the community of brothers and sisters in Christ is not isolated to campus ministries. 

In student clubs and organizations as well as in residence life, Christ-centered community, discipleship, and Christian mentorship are woven into the rhythms of 麻豆AV. Dormitories and hall life are a haven for deep, interpersonal friendships as a purposeful environment designed for personal and communal development. This past year, one residence hall started a weekly tradition called "Soup Sunday," where the residents on the hall prepare soup in crockpots to share on Sunday evenings with anyone who stops by their commons area. This simple student-led tradition has become a staple in the residence hall, attracting 60-80 visitors each week and cultivating meaningful Christ-centered fellowship over a shared meal. Across Covenant鈥檚 campus, traditions like this one have organically formed, creating a genuine space where students feel seen and known in deep community. 

Many faith-based colleges operate with an evangelistic mission, meaning that while these schools may have a Christian worldview and require chapel credits, they don't necessarily require their students to have a personal Christian faith commitment and will not turn students away who are not believers. In contrast, Christian colleges that operate with a discipleship based mission, like 麻豆AV, are dedicated to cultivating and nurturing a confessional community, requiring applicants be professing Christians in order to be considered for admission. "麻豆AV creates a community in which young Christians are able to be developed through wise counsel,鈥� says Jacob Sitton, a recent 2025 graduate. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 a local pastor, professor, coach, or staff member, each impacted my spiritual formation consistently and faithfully. The cultivation of my faith at Covenant has been a blessing and will undoubtedly have lasting eternal value."

Learning in and from the Church

Faithful Christian colleges must consistently emphasize that true Christian maturity cannot develop apart from the local church. 鈥淭he church lasts forever,鈥� says Dr. Voyles of Covenant. 鈥淚t has always been and always will be God鈥檚 chosen institution to minister to His world and unleash His Kingdom on earth. There is no plan B.鈥� Christian college students should be encouraged to regularly participate in small groups, Bible studies, and intergenerational fellowship within local congregations. 麻豆AV professor of philosophy, Dr. John Wingard, notes that college years are a time when habits of church engagement are formed: 鈥淚t can be easy for students to just sit and soak during their four years of college and not be engaged in the church鈥攜et these are formative years!鈥�

Professors and staff at Covenant live this out by preaching, teaching, and writing resources for the wider body of Christ, while students are encouraged鈥攁nd expected鈥攖o engage with local congregations from the moment they arrive on campus. Pastors echo the significance of this involvement. Rev. Dr. Gabe Fluhrer of First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga explains, 鈥淓specially in the formative years of college, there鈥檚 a deep-seated desire that students might not even know they have to be around multi-generational people of God.鈥� From serving in youth ministry and leading worship to helping in nursery and stacking chairs, college students must learn that no service in Christ鈥檚 church is too small. 鈥淎t Covenant, our professors are elders, deacons, and active members of their churches,鈥� describes Lydia Moore, also a 2025 graduate. 鈥淗earing tidbits about their Bible study the night before or an upcoming session meeting is a constant reminder that participating in the local church is the best way to live out our faith.鈥�

Distinctive Mission in a Shifting Culture

Christian growth often comes in the form of deep connection with other like-minded believers who are striving after callings in service to the King. An exponentially larger difference is made when students know that their fellow students, roommates, coaches, and professors all follow Christ鈥攃reating a flourishing atmosphere in which they can take root and grow. 鈥淚 have often described Covenant as a greenhouse in characterizing the purposeful growth that we hope to see in our students,鈥� says Dr. Voyles. 鈥淕rowth happens in both a jungle and a greenhouse, but the fruit in a greenhouse is planned, directed, and tended.鈥�

At a time when cultural pressures tempt young adults to disengage from the church, students at Christian college must be equipped to stand firm. In a recent Covenant College alumni survey, 96% of PCA alumni stated that they are active in their local church, a testament to the enduring impact of Covenant鈥檚 mission.

The firmly grounded, theologically sound Christian college鈥檚 calling is clear: to form graduates who are grounded in their identity in Christ, shaped by a biblical worldview, and prepared to serve the church and the world with wisdom and humility. 鈥淭he worst thing we could do right now is to try to be like everybody else,鈥� says Dr. Voyles regarding 麻豆AV. 鈥淚f we try to look like the world, we are going to die. We need to lean into our distinctives鈥攖he world doesn鈥檛 need another formerly Christian college.鈥�

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