Thank you for your interest in praying for the more than 250,000 students who are enrolled in an institution of higher learning in the greater Houston area. Houston is the largest university city in the state of Texas with an incredible variety and number of institutions. According to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, there are over 50 institutions of higher learning in our area.

Students today face many unique challenges and struggles. On the average university campus today, only 10-15% of the students are committed followers of Christ. Often, students who openly proclaim their faith are ridiculed both by professors as well as by fellow students. They quickly recognize that they are in the vast minority and when challenged to defend their faith are often ill-equipped to do so. In fact, they may find that there is a major disconnect between the world of the university with its assumptions and worldview and what they have known growing up in the church. This disconnect is a major reason that somewhere between 80-90% of the students involved in evangelical youth groups while in high school leave the church entirely during their collegiate years. And, unlike the pattern in decades past, they are not returning.

At the same time, those who either accept Christ during their collegiate years or come through the challenges to their faith, tend to be very committed to the cause of Christ. They are willing to do whatever it takes to share Christ with their friends and to follow Christ wherever He might lead. They are active on and off campus in a variety of ministry opportunities and are just as likely to spend their summers being involved in missions as they are in working to save up for a new car. They will often look for ways to incorporate career with a sense of calling to be involved in God's Kingdom and in this perspective are willing to sacrifice much in the way of financial gain for the cause of Christ.

Prayer Points

• Pray for new students who are first confronted with the challenging atmosphere of the university setting. Pray that they will be strong in their faith and willing to do the mental work to meet those challenges.
• Pray that students will be able to differentiate between biblical Christianity and cultural Christianity. Pray that their faith will be their own, even if that means some leaving behind some assumptions of their younger faith.
• Pray that youth groups and churches will equip young believers to think and not just unquestioningly accept what they are told. This will serve them well when confronted with the challenges to their faith on campus.
• Pray that students would find a support network of believers on campus, not as a refuge from the realities and challenges, but as a launching pad and equipping center for ministry.