Myth: “Since I go to a Christian university, attend chapels on a regular basis and am required to take Bible classes, there’s no need for me to find a home church while I’m at Biola.”

Truth: Just because you are surrounded by Christians at school and receive an influx of the Word in Bible classes does not mean you can be complacent about your faith. According to Ken Berding, associate professor of New Testament, attending a church is crucial.

“At Biola, you will benefit from good biblical teaching, times of prayer and fellowship, and some outreach,” said Berding. “But a church brings plenty that Biola does not: a church includes both older people and children. As a young adult, you need to be learning from people who are older than you and ministering to those who are younger. A church provides spiritual leadership and the potential for church discipline. Every Christian should be under spiritual leadership.”

In a speech to freshmen students last weekend, Berding also noted the difference between Biola and churches: most church communities are more stable than the Biola community, with one-fourth of the Biola community changing every year (because of graduating and incoming students).

The question is…how do I even find a home church? I don’t know where to start looking!

There are a lot of Biola students who go to church off-campus. While many Biola students already have “home churches” which they have grown up in, there are a variety of churches to attend close to school.

According to a list given to new Biola students by the department of Spiritual Life, there is an assortment of churches located in close proximity to Biola. While this list is designed to help new students find a “perfect fit” as far as churches go, returning students can also make use of it if they are still looking for a home church or simply want to try out a new one.