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Author C.S. Lewis, a devout Christian, was once quoted saying, “Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a good fire?” After trying some of the suggestions below, you may soon get to enjoy the benefit of which he spoke of in that sentiment.
Get Involved with Campus Christian Organizations
Campus Crusade for Christ and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship are two organizations that operate on campuses throughout the world. Many hold weekly meetings that you can attend to see if the group is a good fit for you. Also, because both organizations often hold social events on the weekends, you may find it even easier to find like-minded people who are also looking for friendship.
Don’t Hide Your Faith
It can be hard enough to make friends in general, but almost impossible to locate other Christians if you’re hesitant to announce your own beliefs. That doesn’t mean trying to make new Christian friends by standing in the center of your university’s common area screaming about how people are bound for Hell if they don’t repent; but you can experiment with making your beliefs a bit more obvious to strangers.
Try wearing Christian-themed jewelry, like a cross or deciding to do your daily devotional sessions in a public place. If non-Christians see you minding your own business and reading the Bible, they’re likely to just leave you alone. However, studying the Word somewhere like a library could present an ideal opportunity for other Christians to find you and strike up a conversation.
Talk About Your Beliefs
If you think about all the interactions you have during a given week, there’s a good chance there may have been an appropriate time to talk about your beliefs, even in ways that seem insignificant. For example, if you’re completing a work-study program and your boss asks you to call an asphalt products company to get a quote about replacing a part of the sidewalk, you may get an opportunity to talk about how the weather has been nice enough that you’ve been able to ride your bike to church instead of driving your car.
Although that kind of daily exchange isn’t likely to leave you with a new close friend, it’ll get you used to bringing up your faith during the course of conversations you have with classmates or people who participate in extracurricular activities with you. Over time, that could help you make new friends, and more importantly, it’ll allow you to be a witness to non-believers.
Finally, it’s important to realize the common thread that ties all these suggestions together is the need to be approachable and the ability to interact with people who share your faith, as well as those who don’t. Before long, you should notice that with a little effort, it’s easier than you might think to expand your circle of Christian friends.
