When I started college, I knew that I wanted to find a church home. What I didn't know was that my church home would come in the form of 200 or so other college students, a handful of adult staff, a toddler and a school that wasn't my own. Not exactly what I was expecting.

1. You gain a whole new family - whether you wanted one or not.

During the school year you spend more time with the people in your ministry than you do with your actual family. They are who you call when you need a dinner date, when you're having car problems or when you just need someone to listen. They quickly become the family you never even realized you were missing.

2. You can't hide your emotions.

These people see you when you have those humbling, come-to-Jesus moments, when you're sobbing at small group and when you can't contain yourself because you are on fire for Jesus. Don't even try to hold back all of the emotions, just let them flow.

3. Honesty is abundant.

If you don't want friends that are brutally honest, don't join a campus ministry. The people that are in your ministry tell you exactly what you need, but don't necessarily want to hear. They do this because they genuinely care about you, not because they think they're better than you. It's not always easy to hear when you've messed up, but those are the types of friendships that you need.

4. You are challenged on a daily basis.

Don't become a part of a college ministry if you don't want to be pushed. You are challenged more than you ever thought possible by your friends, your leaders and Jesus. You step up and do things that you never could've thought possible before. You take leaps of faith that take your relationship with Jesus to an entirely different level.

5. You become a different person.

If you throw your whole self into your campus ministry, there is no possible way that you could come out as the same person you were when you went in. You also realize that you wouldn't want to be the old you, anyway. Being a part of a college ministry plays a major role in molding you into the person Jesus is calling you to be.