According to George Barna, a noted church research guru, only five percent of African-American college students attend church on a regular basis. This figure seems even worse when one considers that “regular” church attendance is defined as attending Sunday service twice a month.

Isn’t it interesting that we find time to do everything else but attend church? We party, go to games, take road trips, get high, get drunk, go shopping, etc., but on Sunday morning we cannot get up the energy to attend a worship service. Think about how much energy we put into other things and then think about how much time we give God. When you consider that God is the source of everything we have then we should be excited to go to the house of the Lord on Sunday morning and give God praise for what he has done in our lives.

Yes, I know that attending church does not mean anything if you have no desire to live out what you hear. However, how can you grow spiritually if you are not in a place where you can hear the word of God? How can you find your purpose in life if you are not able to understand how to discern God’s voice? How will you know whom to date and marry if you are unsure about what God says on marriage? Simply, without God’s direction during this formative period in your life you will be drowning without a life preserver. Here are five reasons why active church attendance is important for college students:

1. Church attendance puts you in a family of believers.
2. Church attendance will allow you to hear a fresh word from God on a consistent basis.
3. Church attendance will help you grow spiritually.
4. Church attendance will help you navigate the treacherous waters of college life.
5. Church attendance will ensure that you stay grounded and rooted in the word of God.

This Sunday get out of bed and attend the church of your choice. You will be glad you did.

Dr. Leonard N. Moore is an associate professor of history at LSU and the founder and pastor of Phat Church.

Contact him at LMoore@b-now.com