At one West Coast college with a reputation for academic excellence, Christianity is often dismissed as anti-intellectual. Sometimes well-intentioned Christians from churches in the area do "drive-by" evangelism on the small campus, leaving students with a protective layer of skepticism, or downright antagonism, to Christianity.

But on this campus a faithful band of Christians stands out. Why? Because they are committed to loving and serving each other. And, on this predominantly white campus, this small community of believers has a high percentage of Asian, Latino and African-American students. They love to be together, often cooking meals for each other that reflect the ethnic diversity of their homes. When they meet for Bible study, prayer or fellowship meetings, their unity is too real to dismiss. InterVarsity students are able to talk about real things in a genuine way, and they sometimes hear other students say, "I like your community . . ."

One student who came to a Bible study last year was close to becoming a Christian when she transferred to a different school. Over the summer she wrote a letter to the InterVarsity staff member saying, "You have no idea how important you were to me, and how much I learned about God through you and the group. I felt welcomed by the group. Now I've become a Christian because you and the others helped me listen to God."

Another unbelieving student had a Christian roommate who was depressed. She told her unhappy roomie, "Why don't you read your Bible or pray. That usually helps you feel better." Her roommate said she didn't want to read her Bible and pray alone; could they do it together? They did, and the student became a Christian.

God lives in and reveals himself through the community of his people. Students need to see the gospel lived out in our fellowship groups. Here are some places to start:

1. Listen. As people tell you about themselves and their life journeys, it's as though they were opening windows to let you see their inner lives. You will soon discover the dark corners where the light of Jesus needs to shine.
2. Share yourself. People will not only hear of the work of Christ from you, but see its results in your life. Don't worry that your own "house" is not in perfect order yet. You're drawing people to Jesus, not to you.
3. Prepare to answer questions. People wonder about the reasonableness of Christianity. They raise questions in the context of a friendship, as each step of trust frees them to ask for greater understanding. If they're completely clueless about Christianity's claims, you may have to be patient in answering questions over and over. Some helpful books are The Universe Next Door by James Sire and Know Why You Believe by Paul Little (IVP).
4. Place your witness in community with other believers. The dynamic of an open, loving fellowship says volumes about Jesus. Indeed, most of the people I've watched come to Christ will tell me later that they were drawn to him first by seeing how Christians interacted with one another.