By Claire-Marie Scott | LTVN Reporter/Anchor
As a first-year student at Baylor, you receive a lot of advice from upperclassmen and advisers: Go to class, find a study group and say yes to every opportunity. But the piece of advice that has been most impactful to me thus far has been finding a Christian community.
During Welcome Week, many churches and organizations lined up on Fountain Mall, offering flyers with information about their services. As someone who went to public school for 12 years, I was shocked by how many students were genuinely interested in finding a church and deepening their faith. I’m Catholic, so I went up to the St. Peter Catholic Student Center table and was immediately welcomed.
Over the course of Welcome Week, I met a couple of freshmen who were also Catholic and planning on going to St. Peter’s. I connected with them immediately, and it felt so good to already have a small group of people to go to church with. That Sunday, we met up and went to Mass together, which was such a blessing and made me excited for other events throughout the year. Also, when you join a new church, chances are it will provide extra nights throughout the week with activities to help you meet more people. I’ve connected with more Catholic students through freshman nights, church cookouts and even a new student retreat.
Finding a Christian community isn’t limited to church, though. My roommate and I started a small tradition of having women from our hall over a couple nights a week to read a Psalm together and discuss a part of Scripture that stands out to us. This activity helped me build relationships with my neighbors while giving me time to think about something other than school and work. The women who participate in this Bible study come from different Christian backgrounds and have had different walks with God, and one of my favorite parts is getting to hear multiple points of view and each person’s unique story.
According to Baylor’s 2022 Institutional Research Fall Facts, over 30 different religious affiliations are represented at Baylor. Even if you don’t practice Christianity, I highly recommend getting involved with something that you believe in. Whether that be with a different religious group or a club that you are passionate about, it is a great way to get involved and meet new friends, which will give you an outlet to step away from the stresses of school and life and enjoy time with God and your community.
