Adam is a student in Newcastle and this is his story of finding a church through Student Linkup...
Growing up, my church was always a place where I felt comfortable and known. It had been a constant in my life since I was born. In 2021, I moved to Newcastle for Uni. While I was excited about living independently, making new friends, and studying a subject I was actually interested in, I was also aware of the challenges of adjusting to a new life and finding my place in a new church.
Before leaving, my youth leader encouraged me to go to Uni with a plan for finding a church. While I understood the importance of this, I wasn’t really sure where to start. That's when he introduced me to the Student Linkup app. I hadn't previously heard of the app, but the idea of connecting with churches before arriving in Newcastle sounded really helpful, so I decided to give it a try.
Using the app gave me a clearer understanding of the different churches in the city and allowed me to connect with those that I would be interested in attending. I had the opportunity to speak with the Student Workers at these churches, which made me feel more confident and supported. By the time I made the move to Newcastle I already felt I knew some Christians in the city, and when stepping into a new church for the first time, I was recognised. It felt like people were genuinely happy to see me there!
After a few weeks, I felt I had found a church that I wanted to commit to and the community there were great and made me feel welcome. I got involved with a small group as well as football during the week. It has now been nearly two years since I became a member, and I really feel a part of this church family.
I have felt supported and encouraged by people from different life stages, which is particularly helpful when the majority of my time is spent with other students. I have also been challenged by the church in deeper ways, particularly to share my faith more, which was something I had always struggled to do. But prayer, faith and encouraging prophetic words have led to some great conversations with my friends at Uni, leading some of them to even start attending church events with me.
The Student Linkup app has played a huge role in me finding a church and continuing my discipleship journey at Uni!
At Fusion we want to help university students come to know Jesus and commit to being part of his family – the Church. If you are just starting University or already a student, download Student Linkup on the App Store or Google Play to find the church for you.
