Well, I was hoping for someone else to bite the line, but… I think the gal has said a lot of helpful things.  Let me walk through some strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths: Barth is right that we should be gracious to college students.  We need to realize that we have at some point let down others and not kept our responsibilities.  I know I was very bad at this in my adolescence (I am all grown up now?).  I like that there is a fair warning about trying to make others like us as we spend time with them.  This must be avoided no matter the age group.  

Weaknesses:  Barth does not give college students enough credit or responsibility to live as young adults.  The college years are important for development and I hope Christians would make themselves available for questions, problems, etc.  The church should seek to challenge college students in their faith.  College ministry should not seek to entertain so good numbers show up.  A church should preach straight-forward hard truths from Scripture challenging students to grow in their faith.  Barth talks about expecting to bore them, okay.  What I think we should do is get to know them and raise the bar of expectations for them.  This of course is done with the gospel at the center of every conversation and challenge.  

All Christians should commit themselves to a church covenant that calls for right living in a community of other Christians that will keep you accountable.  This invites others into our lives to help us live in a manner worthy of the gospel.  

All Christians need to be discipled and held accountable in order to help them not live within their own lies and self-created world.  This is what we believe sin does to the heart.  It causes us to lie to ourselves so that we think we are okay no matter what the situation is.  We think the problem is usually someone else’s, but this is rarely the case.  Sinners need to be cared for in such a way that the gospel is present in our lives and our self-deception is corrected.  While college students are maturing and starting to become who they will be for the rest of their lives, they need to be confronted, exhorted, encouraged, and cared for with God’s Word so that they can begin exercising and growing in Christlikeness.  With Barth’s warnings, this seems out of bounds.  High expectations is necessary for all Christians and the gospel must always be part of the conversation so that forgiveness is ready at hand and the true aim is always present.  Otherwise high expectations lead to moralism and self-righteousness.  

Bottom line is we all need correction from others using God’s Word, college students not only fit into “all” but their time in life is important because they are being molded into who they will be as husbands, wives, parents, and most importantly disciples and evangelists of Christ.  

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