FINDING A CHURCH IN YOUR COLLEGE TOWN
My sweet older sister Jayne and dear friends Aubrey, Jaylen, and Moriah are contributors on this post!
If you’ve been looking for a church to attend in your college town, you’re not alone.
This post will go over some basic things to keep in mind when looking for a church as well as the real experiences of five girls that found churches in their college towns.
Because it’s hard to give a step-by-step formula on a topic like finding a church, I thought it would be fun to recruit the help of some friends to talk about their experiences. My prayer is that in reading the following stories, you find something you can relate to as well as something that will help you find a church in your college town.
FIRST, HERE ARE SOME GENERAL THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN LOOKING FOR A CHURCH:
No church will be perfect because people are not perfect.
You can get caught up in finding the perfect church with the perfect building, perfect worship, perfect sermons, and perfect community, but you’re not going to find it. Instead, look for what is healthy. Look for a healthy church with healthy worship, messages, community, etc.
Consider what is essential and what is preference.
For example, teachings being theologically sound and biblical is an essential. What style of worship the church practices is a preference. It’s okay to have preferences! Preferences are not bad in and of themselves, in fact the Lord may give you a preference that is a very good thing to look for in a church (i.e a congregation that has both old and young people), but they shouldn’t become essentials.
Don’t get caught up in what denomination it is simply because it’s not what you grew up with.
Figure out what matters most to you (your essentials) and find a church that values and exemplifies that.
Consider their young adults ministry.
I say consider, because it’s not an end-all-be-all. I know a handful of college students that just attend Sunday services at their church and interact with other college students through a separate campus ministry, and that’s great for them. But I will say- it is SO NICE to be connected to a young adults ministry affiliated with a local church. You’ll see people you know on Sundays, feel more connected to the church, and could even be in a weekly small group with other christian college students that helps you grow in your faith.
Don’t be afraid to volunteer, try out a small group, or attend a bible study even if it’s only once.
I think people are scared to try things out at a church because they don’t want to make a commitment, but no one’s making you sign a paper saying that since you tried something once, you HAVE to go back. While I wouldn’t recommend doing a different small group every week for months, it’s okay to try a few out and not go back.
Now, let’s learn from five different college students about their experiences with finding a church in college. I’ll start with my story.
MY STORY:
Going to college, I was honestly pretty sad to be leaving my church at home. I had been going there since I was in second grade and it’s a really healthy church that I love attending.
While I was sad to leave such a great church (I say “leave”, my family still attends the church and I get to enjoy services when I’m home ;)), I was also excited to explore all the new churches in my college town. I knew that there were quite a few and wanted to try as many as possible to experience different settings and feel confident with whichever one I chose.
The first church I attended was great. It was a young, healthy church with a thriving young adults ministry. It was also convenient because my roommates went to this church and could drive me there on Sunday mornings, since I didn’t have a car.
I always felt like something was “missing” but couldn’t quite name it. I kept going and trying my best to love it, but I just wasn’t. I prayed about it and asked that if God wanted me to try a different church, He would make it clear. Otherwise, I would stay and serve and get more involved at the church I was attending.
Towards the end of my freshman year, The Lord put another church at the front of my mind that I hadn’t thought about since the first week of getting to college. I knew He wanted me to give that church a try again, and I knew a couple people that went there could give me a ride (shout out Ava and Sarah!!), so it was great.
When I went to this church (which had a very similar background to the first church I tried), I really liked it. It reminded me a little more of my church from home and I already felt more at home there. I adored all the young adults I had met and decided to keep going!
From time to time I questioned if it was “the best church” for me, but the Lord has given me peace about going there. It may not have all my preferences, but it is a solid, healthy church where I have found a great community.
At the end of day, I would encourage college students to find a church in their college town but to not get stressed out in the process😅. Yes, find a church. You need it. But also, you’re only there for a few years, so if you’re not absolutely ~LOVING~ the church you’re at, that’s okay!! Pray for a church that will serve you well in your college years and that you can serve in your time there.
AUBREY’S STORY:
I had only been on campus four days when the first Sunday arrived. I was excited to meet more people in my new community. I hadn’t grown up going to church, so I was completely lost when it came to finding a church I was supposed to call “home”. I applied this pressure to myself that I had to find a church I loved instantly, which I later learned was a big request.
I wish I could go back and tell freshman year me that I wasn’t alone in that. Not only was it my first consistent church experience, I went in knowing no one but my roommate I had met four days prior.
That leads me to my first point- find an accountability partner. If I didn’t have my roommate (hey Bailey, thankful for you ;)) I know I would have struggled to find a reason to go. Entering college as a nonbeliever who was curious, it was vital that I had someone to not only encourage me to go, but that I could ask questions to. Bailey was there to debrief the entire experience with me and it helped me discover which churches were preaching biblical truth, and why things were done the way they were at one church and not the other.
I had a car on campus so I always drove Bailey and myself, but sometimes we had older girls in the church offer to drive us and I would advise anyone to take others up on that offer. That was the first way we met other college students at the church, and it’s always nice to have a group of people to sit and connect with at a gathering.
I knew I had found the church for me when I realized it was pushing me to grow in my faith. I immediately started to get plugged in. I joined the college ministry and a small group with other girls my age. This now meant that I was attending some form of church three times a week and I was growing more in my faith in three short months than I had in years.
The biggest thing that helped me in this step was that small group of girls because it was a comfortable space where I could ask questions. Bailey and I were in two separate small groups. which she and I would both advise anyone to split roommates and friends up because it allows you to grow and learn new things apart from each other.
Getting plugged into the college ministry is so important, as the sermons are usually topical subjects relevant to our season of life, and everyone involved loves college students and wants to serve them. Being in the college ministry, I’ve had the opportunity to meet several families and adults in my church who have opened up their homes or discipled me and it’s taught me a lot about what leading a family in faith looks like.
After getting plugged into the various groups and ministries, I knew it was time to give back. I was baptized in late October of my freshman year and was overflowing with joy for the Lord and my new church. I applied for the college ministry leadership team that following school year and spent the remainder of my freshman year growing.
Joining the leadership team was where I learned that all churches are imperfect and while it was hard at the time, looking back I’m thankful to have learned the lesson as it strengthened my prayer life. I got to lead six amazing girls (one of them being Emma ;)) who taught me more than I ever taught them and I found a new passion for evangelism.
In my junior year, I made the hard decision to not join leadership. I instead regularly serve in the kid’s ministry and serve communion on Sundays. Giving back to the church in this way has been refreshing and has brought a lot of gratitude.
Every year I learn something new about what finding a church in your college town looks like but if I had to sum up all that I’ve learned on my walk so far, I would say:
Finding a church takes time, so give yourself grace and pray!
Find an accountability partner who is there to encourage growth, answer questions, and sit next to you in the gathering.
Get plugged in. Find the college ministry, join a small group, serve the church, and meet families.
Know that no church is perfect. Eventually the “honeymoon phase” will wear off and that’s normal, but don’t give up. We are all imperfect under a perfect God.
JAYLEN’S STORY:
I want to start out by saying that by April of my senior year of high school, God narrowed my choices down to two universities both in stereotypically very secular cities. I toured my first choice and loved it. Because my tour fell on Easter weekend, I had the chance to visit a church and attend an Easter brunch through the college ministry there. I was sold on going to this school when several students explained that because the Christian community was smaller, being a Christian there meant being genuinely on fire for God.
A couple days later, I toured the second school. I didn’t even finish the campus tour, as I felt sure I wouldn’t go there. I attended a church but it wasn’t quite what I thought it would be, so I was glad that I had the other school at the top of my list.
When I got home from the tours, I got really sick and felt uneasy about my decision. I prayed about it, talked to wise counsel, and felt like my second choice was actually where God wanted me. So I trusted the Lord and I’m so glad I did.
Once I got to college, it was time to look for churches in this new city.
Some advice I heard from my church back home was to recognize that you are not going to find your hometown church in your college town. It’s going to be different. There are plenty of Christian organizations on campus (even on secular campuses), so use the campus resources to find them, but don’t let it overwhelm you.
My hometown church also shared some Biblical advice:
Hebrews 10:25 explains how even though you can have a personal relationship with God on your own, you need to go to church.
Psalms 1:3 tells us we need to be nourished by God’s Word. Big time.
Proverbs 13:20 says that the friends you make in college have the opportunity to be life friends, not just friends for a season.
Acts 2:42-47 gives you the ingredients of what a healthy church looks like.
Make a friend to go church hunting with! This was one of the MOST important things for me, and the three girls I went church hopping with will be my roomates next year (hi Evelyn, Nikka, and Hannah!)! God answered my worried prayers by allowing me to meet Hannah at my freshman orientation. With her, I met many other people who have positively impacted my faith, and at a worship night hosted by the church I go to now, I met my 4th future roommate! That night, my new friends and I all signed up for a small group and have learned so much through the faith of others.
Make sure to check the sermon with the word of God. If it doesn’t line up, move on. (No joke, I avoided joining a cult because I checked the Bible and realized this church I was attending had their own bible!)
From the couple of churches I tried out, I’ve seen the absolute beautyof how everyone experiences God differently. A church that doesn’t click for you can still be a church where people encounter the Holy Spirit, learn from the Word of God, and have their lives changed!
“A church that doesn’t click for you can still be a church where people encounter the Holy Spirit, learn from the Word of God, and have their lives changed!”
As Emma was saying, focus on the essentials, and don’t worry about your preferences. For me, I wanted a church that allowed me to really feel worship, but God taught me about how that’s not the point of worship, and I have been very grateful to focus on WHO and WHY I am worshiping. Knowing this, I get to enjoy amazing services that go through the word of God and how it is applicable and beneficial to our lives.
JAYNE’S STORY:
Going multiple states away from home for college and starting fresh in a place I had no connections, I knew it would be crucial to find a good community during my college years with the most important being in the local church.
What I did not take into account was how difficult it would be to explore different churches without having a car with me on campus. Being an out-of-state student, I lived on campus without a car for my first three years of my undergraduate degree.
My first year on campus, I tried a few different churches and did not commit to a particular church before we got sent home for spring break and the world shut down. I had been involved in a campus ministry which served as a wonderful church community for me for much of this time; I got plugged into a women’s small group, attended services weekly, and attended extra events put on by the campus ministry outside of regular meetings.
This served me well for the time being and I definitely experienced spiritual growth, but I had a hard time connecting with many of the students who attended our services and small groups since it was such a small ministry and I felt left out of the “in-group”. Right before I left for spring break, a local church was having a college night on campus that I attended. I LOVED the worship, the message, and being warmly welcomed by a girl who was on leadership with the church and invited me to sit next to her. I knew that when I returned after spring break I wanted to try this church’s Sunday services.
We did not end up returning until the following fall semester, but when I returned to campus my sophomore year, I decided to make a conscious effort to try out this church, to attend church regularly, and to get plugged in by serving and attending small groups.
After trying it a couple times, I decided to commit to going there, and although it was difficult finding rides at times, there were a couple of women in particular who regularly drove me to church. My junior year, I got further involved by serving with their kids ministry, and attended their college ministry meetings.
My last year, I was able to get a car with the help of my parents and bring it to college with me. I also lived off-campus and had much more freedom and flexibility to explore the town and try a different church. My senior year roommates attended a church pretty close to our apartment that I heard had a fantastic college ministry and I knew I wanted to try it.
I had great experiences at my previous church, but ultimately felt a lack of connection and a call to try a different church. After trying this church, I knew I wanted to come back because of the sound Biblical teachings that didn’t shy away from “controversial” topics prevalent in culture.
I got plugged into community at this church, and although it was a different denomination than I grew up in and would have considered attending in the past, I received solid teachings every Sunday and was encouraged and challenged in my faith multiple times a week in small groups and weekly college nights.
“Although it was a different denomination than I grew up in… I received solid teachings every Sunday and was encouraged and challenged in my faith…”
Through my involvement in this church community, I was challenged with theological questions and concepts I had never given much thought to in the past and grew in my knowledge of Christ in a whole new way. I ended my time at this church wishing I had gotten involved sooner but being so grateful for the community built there and the way my faith was challenged and deepened.
My main takeaways from my college church experiences are:
It’s okay to go to a church you don’t feel is the “perfect fit”, commit to a church with solid teachings that you can attend regularly considering your car situation and do the best with what you have! The Lord used every college ministry and church I was involved in for a specific purpose in that time even if it wasn’t the best fit for me long-term (see Proverbs 16:3-4).
Don’t be consumeristic and self-centered in finding a church,but consider all elements (worship, teachings, structure, beliefs/doctrine, church members, etc.) and how those elements will help you grow in your faith. Sound teaching, including words sung in worship, was the most important element I looked for (see 2 John 1:9-11, 2 Timothy 4:2-5).
Commit to a regular rhythm of attendance and involvement; pursue pure intention over perfection. Everyone knows college students’ schedules can be crazy (especially if you tend to over-commit yourself like me), but decide on a realistic level of involvement for you and do your best to prioritize those things even when it gets hard. Think about how many small groups, extra events, weekly meetings, social “hangs”, etc. you can plan to be involved in. There is much grace, but you will gain so much more by being a regular member of a small group and church gathering (see Hebrews 10:24-25; 3:3)!
Once you have committed to a church and are familiar with its beliefs through a membership class or something similar, start serving! Many college students already involved in a lot can fear the time it will take to serve in the church, but I promise, this extra time commitment will be so worth it and bring a deeper sense of connection and spiritual growth to your time at the church. There is a role for everyone and all are crucial to forming a healthy church body (see 1 Corinthians 12:12-31).
MORIAH’S STORY:
Heading off to college, one of my worries was not finding a church that I loved as much as my hometown spot. I figured I’d have to do some serious “church shopping” until I landed on one that felt like home.
Lucky for me, I ended up at a private Christian college loaded with resources to link students with local churches. We had all sorts of chances to check out different ministries through connection fairs and chapel services. But let me tell you, nothing beats the good old-fashioned process of visiting churches until you find your match. So, freshman year, me and my girls kicked off our church-hunt adventure.
I went on a church-hopping spree in the area. Some spots, I hit once, and it was a hard pass – just not my vibe. Others, I stuck around for a few weeks, only to realize it wasn’t the one. Then there was this one church I endured for a few months – all for a boy. Take notes, folks, don’t follow my misguided path.
As I neared the end of my freshman year, I finally stumbled upon a church that captured my heart. It mirrored my home church in every aspect – the familiarity, the comfort, just everything clicked. It became my sanctuary, perfectly aligning with the season I was navigating.
I dedicated over a year to attending that church, immersing myself in the enriching teachings and getting carried away by the worship atmosphere. It genuinely felt like I had found my home away from home – and was perfect for the season I was in.
Even though I enjoyed the church services, getting involved was a bit of a puzzle. I had this itch to join a group and serve, but the opportunities were somewhat scarce. Then, in the first week of my senior year, a friend roped me into going to church with her and some friends. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t jumping with excitement. The twist? It was a completely different denomination than I was used to. Though I was initially skeptical, I gave it a whirl. Lesson learned – never tell God what you will and won’t do.
To keep it short, I fell in love with the people and the atmosphere. Now, I’m involved in the church and leading a three-year-old class on Sunday mornings. I’m loving the community and opportunities to get in the mix at the church.
Summing it up, here are my top 3 nuggets of wisdom for your college church quest:
Explore Fearlessly: Don’t hesitate to test the waters with as many churches as it takes to find where you fit in. Keep in mind, though, there’s no such thing as a flawless church – you won’t find a carbon copy of your hometown gem.
Prioritize and Flex: Figure out your must-haves in a church, but also be open to trying something new!
Plug into Community: Seek out a church where you can dive into the community. Let’s be real, when school life has you in its grip, a church family offers a refreshing escape from the university bubble.
Emma here! I pray that this post encourages you as you find a church in your college town! Share your story below and let us know your thoughts!
Post from Simply Emma Laree, a relatable, honest, practical, and encouraging blog for college students desiring to seek Jesus in the every day.
