From Campus to Congregation: The Journey of Finding a New Church Home as a College Student
By MACY WEATHERFORD/Staff Writer
Beep! Beep! Beep! The sound of a blaring alarm clock begins to fill the once-quiet room. A hand reaches out from under the covers to hit the off button. The student pulls the comforter to the side, preparing to get out of bed. They walk across the carpet floor towards the sunlit window to look out to the world. As the student prepares to dress in their Sunday morning outfit, the questioning thoughts of “Could this be the one?” fill their head.
Since coming to a university, the student has searched for a faith connection like the one they had at the church they attended in their hometown. The student grabs a Bible in one hand, car keys in the other, and mumbles, “Amen.”
The search for a new church home begins again.
SOMETHING NEW
Finding a church home can be a struggle for Christian students attending a new university. According to Meredith Morris from ACS Technologies, “The latest statistics on students dropping out of church say that 70% of college-aged students leave the church when they go off to school or join the workforce. Of that 70%, an estimated two-thirds don’t return.”
Tyler is in the Bible Belt, an area where many practice their Christian faith. Because Tyler has many churches of different sizes and dominations, some new UT Tyler students may feel it will be easy to find a church to attend. But some find it incredibly difficult to start over in a church far from the congregation they’ve known so long.
Noah Tew, a graduate student, is searching for a church in Tyler to call home.
Hannah Garcia and Noah Tew. Photo Courtesy of Macy Weatherford.
Tew said, “I am a Christian, and growing up, I went to church every Sunday. I partook in extracurricular activities with the church, and it was really great, but unfortunately, I moved around a lot when I was a kid, but that didn’t stop my faith.”
Around age 10, Tew’s family relocated to Tulsa, and Tew began attending Boston Avenue Church, It became Tew’s spiritual haven for nearly a decade, and he has a profound affection for that church. During his time there, he participated in the youth program, played bells, sang in the choir, and took part in musical productions.
“Not only were the sermons that they gave were so insightful and fulfilling spiritually, it just felt like a home,” he said.
When Tew went to college, he had his Tulsa church experience in his head.
He thought, “‘Oh my gosh, I have to find a church that meets these standards that I have.’ I went to about four or five different churches here in Tyler, and none of them struck a chord. I didn’t have that same similarity with the churches here as I did in Tulsa, and it was a really arduous process of trying to find something that felt the same and unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find that yet.”
Tew has tried denominations ranging from Methodist, Baptist, and nondenominational and has also participated in Bible studies at UT Tyler.
“College feels like just a temporary thing, so that’s kind of the aspect that I’ve taken it. I want to keep trying, and I will continue to go to Bible studies and church, but I don’t think I’ll be able to find that spiritual home till I take that next chapter of life,” he said.
FAITH IN COLLEGE
UT Tyler has many religious organizations on campus, including the Baptist Student Ministry. The BSM provides an outlet for students to gather in a Christian community and offers resources to help newcomers find a church home.
The BSM’s stated goal is “to connect with students on campus and help them grow in community and in their relationship with God! As a community, we grow together through service and outreach, discipleship, evangelism, and missions. All are welcome as we seek to grow towards Christ together and build a foundation that will equip us for life after college!”
Amber Bader, associate director at BSM, says it is vital for college students to remain in a church.
Amber Bader. Photo Courtesy of Macy Weatherford.
“I think it’s super important to have multi-generational communities so you can’t subsidize the wisdom and encouragement that comes from people who’ve been faithful and walking with the Lord for longer than you’ve been alive.”
Every Thursday, BSM hosts Renew, an event where churches come and serve dinner to students. A brief word about the guest church and times of worship, lessons, and small-group meetings are given.
“That’s why we have churches that come on Thursday where the students can connect with them and find out about some of the churches they can attend around the area,” Bader said.
Chandler Dark, a senior, began searching for a new church when he entered college. He turned to the BSM to connect with others who were in a similar place and used the resources BSM offered.
“The BSM has provided me with a community and countless opportunities to have lifelong lasting friendships,” Dark said. “At the same time, there comes the point where that BSM chapter of life closes, and if you haven’t invested in something like an actual church home, then it’s going to get to a point in time when you graduate, it will be very stressful.”
He said he realized the significance of finding a church to call home and that BSM felt like a family and tight-knit community.
“I came to realize that I didn’t really have a church home, and so I’ve been bouncing around trying to find a church because I now know the magnitude that having a church home plays in one’s life,” Dark said.
Though the process has been challenging, Dark said he isn’t giving up hope and is still looking.
Chandler Dark. Photo Courtesy of Macy Weatherford.
The issue of college students not having a church home isn’t just at UT Tyler. Relevant Magazine reported on a study done on the issue by the Survey Center on American Life that found “Before the pandemic, 70 percent of adults aged 18 to 30 attended services; but as of spring 2022, only 57 percent still attend.”
NEW BEGINNINGS
Finding a church home takes effort. College students have a busy schedule, so trying to find a church on top of everything else can add stress.
A senior, Hannah Garcia, struggled to find a church home. Yet she made it a priority and kept looking until she found something suitable for her.
“I lived in Virginia and attended my home church for ten years. I loved my church, and then my family moved down here to Tyler when I got accepted into the nursing program,” she said. “At that point, my family was ready to find a church, and there were so many churches on every corner it’s overwhelming. Like, where do I even start.”
Garcia’s family was determined to find the best church for them. They searched churches’ websites to see if their beliefs aligned with theirs and created a list of churches to visit.
Garcia’s parents found a church home, but it did not offer a lot of opportunities for her and her brother.
“We’re college age, and they didn’t really have anything geared toward our age group like that,” she said,
After searching on their own, Garcia and her brother settled on a different church.
“I found Grace Community Church by the campus, on University Blvd., and it allowed for my brother and I to get involved with the church by going to Bible studies there, and we really enjoy it,” Garcia said.
Finding a new church home is a complex task. Many factors contribute to the difficulty of this journey. However, for some, the joy that comes with finally establishing a sought-after faith connection makes the waiting worthwhile.
“Finding a church home in college provides a good sense of community of believers to have around you,” Garcia said. “You can make plenty of good friends in school, but it’s also important to be around believers as well because I think it helps you to grow in your faith.”
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