The transition from living at home to living at college is full of new and exciting, yet terrifying and influential experiences. Amidst all the changes of adapting to campus, there is also a certain pressure to find the perfect church home for Sunday worship. This is not a struggle felt by one, but by all who traverse the new terrain at college. Thankfully, there are many who have walked it before and have great advice for finding a church to call home.
One church known for its draw to college students is FRC in Orange City. The church is known for its college breakfast before services and its welcoming community. One student who attends this church is Angel Huisman, an RA in Christy. When she initially went to FRC her first week of school, she didn’t enjoy the experience. She expressed that the church seemed “old and weird” the first time she went. She church-hopped for a while and eventually made her way back to FRC, where she was greeted by their new pastor, Fred De Jong. After this new experience, Huisman committed to making FRC her home away from home.
“Any church can preach the word, but to make a young college student away from home feel a part of the family is something special.” Huisman said.
FRC, like many other churches in the area, does well at preaching the word in a way that’s easy to follow along with and is applicable to the lives of those in the congregation, but their call doesn’t end there. The members of the congregation take time to get to know each other and create a community like God calls us to.
Another church known for its college population is New Hope Church in Orange City. This church stands out from the others with its deep Bible studies geared toward college students and its welcoming community. One student who attends this church is Payton Van Sickle, an RA in Fern Smith Hall. One aspect of New Hope that drew Van Sickle in was its simplicity.
“The building isn’t the greatest, and there is nothing flashy, but the fellowship, attention to the Word, and prayer make it a great body to be a part of.” Van Sickle said.
New Hope keeps the focus on God, and everything else falls into place. Keeping their eyes centered on Christ and allowing Him to work through the services allows for a place of true worship every Sunday morning.
A third church known for its college draw is Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City. This church is on the edge of town, not really walking distance from the college, but still an amazing church to check out. Rhea Cutler, a resident of Christy Suites, is one student who attends there. The church’s style of worship, use of a sermon series and Bible study tailored to college students helped Cutler decide that this would be the church for her.
The environment, as she described it, was “a church that reminded me of home, but was not necessarily copy-paste.” These factors made Trinity a perfect home away from home for Cutler and many other students like her.
A final church from the area that’s worth visiting is Centerpoint Church in Sioux Center. Although it’s not always the first church you hear of for the college community, it’s still a church that should be considered during a student’s church search. One student who attends this church is Madeline Warning, an RA in Christy Suites. Warning has attended Centerpoint throughout her college years, and even has the opportunity to serve on the worship team most Sundays. Something that drew Warning was that the church doesn’t fit into the typical “reformed” box with its modern style of worship and its applicable and down-to-earth preaching style. Warning also appreciates the church’s generational community. A Sunday morning allows her to commune with fellow believers of all ages, even the little ones.
“I know the pastors and other staff well, as they have genuinely and intentionally invested in me.” Warning said.
At the end of the day, there is no one obvious church that stands out from the rest. There are dozens of other churches in the area that could make the perfect home church for a newcomer to Orange City. If you’re searching for a new church, visit many, look at their websites and ask around. There are many resources scattered throughout Orange City. Most importantly of all, pray about which church fits best. God is good, and He will guide students to the church where He will grow their relationship with Him.
