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“It’s your turn to put your faith into action as a Champion for Christ.”
–Dondi Costin, President, Liberty University
As the summer draws to a close, Liberty University will welcome its largest-ever class to kick off the 2024-2025 school year. This week, thousands of new and returning students will take up residence in Lynchburg, Virginia, eager to pursue the calling and passion God has laid on their hearts.
It’s been 53 years since Jerry Falwell Sr.’s vision of a distinctly evangelical Christian university first began to take shape. Initially opened as Lynchburg Baptist College in 1971 with 154 students, the school grew rapidly but also struggled financially.
The spark that ensured that the mission of Liberty University would endure took place on the morning of January 21, 1977, when Dr. Falwell addressed a small group of students and staff outside an old dairy farm in a snowy field on Liberty Mountain and boldly implored those before him to pray together for a miracle. He explained,
“We have come here … today to ask the Lord to do something special on what we believe to be a sacred spot of ground: Liberty Mountain. We are asking God to help us build a college… that with God’s help, we trust will one day be wrapped up with buildings, filled with young people who have come here to train to serve our Lord.”
That prayer was answered, and it was from this miracle that the legacy of the superior brand of Christian higher education was born.
Today, Liberty features over 700 programs of study training the next generation of Christian leaders in critical fields like divinity, business, education, engineering, government, communication & digital media, law, nursing, and even osteopathic medicine.
Liberty’s 7,000-acre campus, drastically larger than the 200 acres Dr. Falwell originally envisioned, also offers incredible recreation opportunities, a multi-functional fitness center, and student support facilities to enhance student learning and support their quality of life.
Incoming student-athletes will make the most of Liberty’s vast intercollegiate athletic opportunities, including 20 NCAA Division I teams and 40 club sports teams. Ranging from football, basketball, baseball, and soccer to swimming, lacrosse, hockey, and crew, these teams give Liberty student-athletes a chance to grow competitively both on and off the field. This enables them to develop a mentality defined by perseverance and strong character that will serve them well in any career, whether they continue to pursue athletics after graduation or not, as well as allow them to apply their faith on and off the field.
Liberty offers other athletic competitions for those not participating on an NCAA or club team through over 20 intramural team opportunities, including volleyball, flag football, pickleball, and ultimate frisbee.
Students can also take advantage of classes at Liberty that feature a unique 18:1 student-to-professor ratio, allowing for individualized attention, mentorship, and personal growth opportunities that may not exist at similar institutions of higher learning.
Additionally, professors at Liberty University incorporate Christian values into each course by opening the learning experience with prayer, including Bible verses within course syllabi, and fostering robust discussion about Christian values such as life, marriage, family, and work and business, as well as the importance of the body of Christ.
Furthermore, students can incorporate and apply those same biblical principles in their coursework, including in weekly discussion board assignments, course term papers, and visual presentations.
Liberty has historically been known for its commitment both to biblical values and politically conservative points of view. Dr. Falwell was the driving force behind the “Moral Majority,” which sought to create a unified movement among Americans from diverse backgrounds and faiths who shared socially conservative perspectives that could help shift the country back in a moral direction through political engagement.
In addition to outstanding career development programs offered by the Helms School of Government, Liberty’s Standing for Freedom Center exists as a “think tank” for students who are passionate about making a difference and shining a light on truth in politics and culture.
During both fall and spring semesters, the Freedom Center offers weekly “Freedom Center Society” meetings each Tuesday evening, giving students a chance to get further involved in the think tank’s mission, learn more about constitutionally conservative approaches to government and civic institutions, and meet new friends who share similar perspectives. A series of “distinguished lecture series” events, which last year featured authors such as Os Guinness, Frank Turek, and theologian Voddie Baucham, provides students the opportunity to apply their Christian faith to the public square.
Both new and returning students should be encouraged to take advantage of Liberty’s growing, vibrant spiritual life opportunities. One of the most unique is Convocation, a bi-weekly event that ranks among the largest gatherings of Christian college students in the world, wherein students hear from a variety of nationally renowned speakers, such as Allie Beth Stuckey, Mark Batterson, and even LU alumni like Toby Mac.
Additionally, Liberty’s Campus Community, a weekly service in which the university community gathers together to both worship Christ and hear teaching from God’s Word, features spiritual leadership both from Liberty’s staff as well as noteworthy outside guest speakers and is followed by weekly discipleship for the over 9,000 students living in on-campus residence halls.
Furthermore, teams and outreach programs through LU Serve, LU Send, and other Office of Spiritual Development initiatives offer students the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ by providing critical aid to disaster-ridden areas, share the Gospel on international mission trips, and even participate in unique study abroad trips offering a one-of-a-kind experience for students enrolled in specific programs. LU Serve provides a unique “Serve Lynchburg” day near the end of each spring semester, in which the entire university community joins together to uplift the Lynchburg community through various service projects benefitting organizations and causes across the region.
Whether you are a student making your way to Liberty Mountain for the first time or a returning student working towards completing your journey, there’s been no better time to put Christ at the center of everything you’re doing here at Liberty. No matter if you’re preparing for a challenging term paper, facing off against a formidable opponent on the gridiron, attending a business networking event, or joining together with your friends to help serve the needs of the community, remember that at Liberty, acknowledging that Christ is the driver behind everything we do is what makes our school stand out from the rest of the world.
In other words, “It’s your turn to put your faith into action as a Champion for Christ.”
That’s what Liberty President Dondi Costin wrote recently in a letter to current and incoming Liberty students, recent graduates, and alumni, before adding,
“The world may push you to live for yourself, but the Word repeatedly tells us that you have been made to live your life for the good of others and the glory of God.
Champions for Christ live differently because they live for eternity. They are more interested in giving than getting. They are more invested in laying up for themselves treasures in heaven than treasures here on earth. They understand that their life began at conception, but the resurrection of Jesus Christ is proof positive that their life never ends.“
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