One of the ‘firsts’ that students experience when coming to college is picking a church community they can be part of. For most, if they grew up in church they attended the one their family did.

So how do you go about finding a community that can help you grow and that you can use your gifts?

First, think about what you consider important: music and preaching style (although I would caution you not to make this the sole decision maker), size of the community, small group opportunities, missions and outreach opportunities. Are you hoping to find a community within the tradition you grew up in or are you hoping to explore some others?

Second, visit a church more than once to get a better picture of the community. It’s difficult to determine if a church community is for you after a couple of hours. Do some research online. Ask questions from others who attend.  Make sure you understand what a community is about before making your decision.

Next, find your community first…then use your gifts.  Many students choose a church because they have the opportunity to lead worship or teach a Bible study and later find the community is not the best fit theologically. Gt connected and then look for opportunities to serve. College students have a lot to offer their church communities!

Finally, be persistent. There is a chance you won’t find your new church home in a month. Let me encourage you to keep looking. It’s easy to get discourage and just give up.  But finding a church requires your engagement in the process. Keep at it until you find it!

If you are looking for a church and need a place to start, check out www. belmont.edu/university-ministries/churches for a list of local congregations or stop by University Ministries and let us help you!

Christy Ridings, Associate University Minister and Director of Spiritual Formation

Photo by Ronni Kurtz on Unsplash