I didn’t realize how much I missed my church until I stepped foot on Bradley’s campus last fall. I was so used to going to church every Sunday followed by an education hour with my amazing youth group. They were a support system that I had away from school and work. A place I could get away from the pressures of tests and family for just a little bit and have that time to just be with amazing people. Going away to school made me miss everything about my congregation. I missed hearing the Gospel every week and hearing my pastor’s relatable sermons. I didn’t know how I would get through my first year without our youth group. If you find yourself in the same position as I did, here’s how I got through.

Visit during breaks

This is so important. The first time I came home and visited my youth group was during my fall break. It was about a month and a half after moving to Peoria. I tried to be quiet about my presence because I didn’t want to be trampled by my friends until I got downstairs to our youth lounge. That definitely didn’t go my way. My friends found me hanging in our atrium and almost knocked me over when they hugged me. Just know that your presence is missed and you are always welcome in your house of faith.

Find a church close to campus

There is a church of similar faith about fifteen minutes from my campus that I absolutely fell in love with. I’ll be honest, I didn’t want to find anywhere new because I loved my church at home too much and didn’t want to betray them. But I ventured out and found it comforting. Unfortunately, I only visited once during my second semester, but I’m planning on going more often this coming year.

Go to holiday services

If you happen to be on campus during one of the major holidays for your faith, go to a service. I chose not to go home for Easter this past semester (transportation to and from home would have been too difficult), and even though I missed being with my family and doing all the things we like to do to celebrate, staying was probably the best decision I could have made. My RA knew that I was staying when most of our floor was planning on going home, so she invited me to go to Easter service and youth group with her. I’ll be honest, I came at the wrong time for the discussion group (it was the last session of a six-part series) but I fell in love with the church and how it was run. Spending Easter in that church made me feel at home when I was away at school.

Join the campus youth group -

I saw some posters hanging up in my dorm building advertising a bunch of numbers. What was 858? I knew a few of the girls on my floor went and a few other people that I met throughout the year across campus. I joined my RA and it was definitely something I am so grateful I went to. It was a faith-based discussion on certain passages from the Gospels. One of the leaders would explain to us what the passages meant or talked about a parable, and afterward, we would talk through a few discussion questions. This group only met for an hour a week, so it was easy to manage in a busy schedule like I had.

Ask questions

I was a scared little freshman on a big campus with a thousand questions, some being about finding a congregation near campus, and very little motivation to speak out. Definitely, ask those questions you may have about finding a youth group on or near campus, and if you want a congregation to be a part of for services, definitely ask around. Try going to the different locations and feel it out for which one may be best for you. The best part about voicing your curiosities is that if someone (say your RA) doesn't know the answer, they can send you to someone who can help you out.

Keep in contact with your home congregation

I’ve been a part of the same congregation since before I was born, so you could say I’m a little biased and a little too comfortable with my church. I missed them terribly. Before heading off to college, I was given a homemade prayer shawl (which found a home on the back of my desk chair all year), and I gave my pastor my school address in case we wanted to do a pen pal program. Over the course of the year, I would receive little cards telling me to do well on exams or that they were thinking of me during Halloween and spring time.

Finding time to really get involved with a brand new church as a college student can be difficult, but it definitely isn’t impossible. Whether it’s on campus or off, you can always find people to go to services with or just talk about faith. In the end, your home house of faith will probably always take the cake, but you can always find a place away from home while at school.