Great post at the College Transition Initiative blog, gleaning wisdom from William Wilberforce’s book Real Christianity. Here are their four points (modified and generalized, and with my own commentary):
1. They succumb to temptations they haven’t faced before.
The draw of the party lifestyle is stronger when one is away from home and experiencing more freedom–and more loneliness–than ever before.
2. They never learned how to think.
Discernment is crucial. They need to learn how to apply the faith in various circumstances. If the Christianity of a young adult is superficial, there’s a good chance its on its way to being non-existent. For those familiar with The Trivium, it’s helpful if they’ve gotten to the rhetoric stage with regard to the Christian faith. Memorizing the fundamentals (basic catechisms – grammar), interacting and possibly questioning these matters (an important process in owning beliefs for oneself – dialectic), and then being able to state their religious convictions in their own words (rhetoric).
3. They are consumed with the demands of making a living and the desire for success.
These demands becoming increasingly real for college students (see also Luke 8:14).
4. They see right through the charade of those who profess the faith but don’t live the life.
These people don’t expect perfection, but they do insist on authenticity, on Christians sincerely pursuing a changed life.
Read the CTI post.
Related: Raising Teens with Enduring Faith, see also chapters 3-4 of Preparing Your Teens for College.