“I’m not a Christian, but my friend said she was coming to meet some students from a local church, so I thought I’d come along- and invite all the other Christians I’ve met this week.”
This was one of my favourite conversations of last week. I love fresher’s week (fresher’s flu and the constant swarm of drunk-and-yet-still-hungover students aside) because campus comes alive, everyone becomes super friendly, and suddenly talking about God and church isn’t so strange. I had the absolute privilege of spending my Saturday at a university Fresher’s Fair, and had so many great conversations. Of course, there were a few students who quickly told us that church was the last thing they needed, but with the majority, the conversation looked something like this:
“Have you thought about finding a church at uni?” –
“No I haven’t, but I’d be interested in seeing what it’s like.”
“Well that’s not what I was expecting to be asked, but tell me more.”
“I haven’t, but my housemate is looking for a church- can you give me some information for him?”
“I have, and I’m actually quite nervous because tomorrow I’m going to bring my housemate along to my first week at church, and I don’t know what to expect”
If I’m honest, I was slightly surprised by the curiosity and openness of these students- and they were often surprised by the idea that church was something you could try out at uni, and somewhere you could explore faith. It was a brilliant exchange where I discovered the students were more open to church than I expected, and the students discovered the church is more welcoming of them than they would’ve dreamed. Some of these students will turn up at church this week, some in the next two years after hundreds of conversations with other people they meet, and some we might never hear from again. But I know that each conversation put God on the radar, and for some, changed their perspective on church.
This week has been full of stories. Stories of freshers and returning students inviting friends and housemates to be a part of church community. Stories of students creating a space where people they meet feel able to ask them about what church is like, who God is, and could they maybe try it out? Stories of God and church becoming a normal part of the conversation, a normal part of life.
How are you a part of this conversation?
And if you’ve not tried out church, ask your friends if you can go with them!
