Why College Faith Needs the Church

Written by Jordan Vinh

If I had to pinpoint a period of my life that was most transformative for my faith, it would be college. I was blessed to be raised in a Christian household, but when you grow up in the church, it can be challenging to delineate between your parents’ faith and your own. I believed in God, went to church every Sunday, and engaged with Scripture and prayer, but it was also easy to do so – if life was a river, being Christian was like swimming with the current.

I think for most people who grow up in a Christian household, college is the first true test of faith. Suddenly, being a Christian is like fighting against the current, because most people aren’t like you. Going to parties and getting drunk is no longer something that just the popular kids do – it’s something that everyone does, and not participating means that you’re missing out on the “college experience”. In certain programs, test scores, extracurriculars, and internships become the measure of one’s worth, and spending time in Scripture and prayer can easily become an afterthought amidst the endless slew of obligations. Every single person who comes into college as a Christian will inevitably be forced to consider whether their faith is worth fighting for. And the sad reality is that about half of the Christians I met in my freshman year are now either Christian only in name or have rejected their faith altogether. 

There is a bright side, though. Those who choose to fight for their faith will find that it grows tremendously. For me, college was where I began to think critically about my faith, engage in discipleship, and serve in a Christian community. If it weren’t for the people I met and the experiences I had in college, I think Christianity would still be something I do and feel instead of something that I am. 

Perhaps the most unique part of being a Christian in college is the chance to join a college fellowship. At different points in my college journey, I was part of Cru, Reformed University Fellowship (RUF), and Asian InterVarsity (AIV). Each shaped and challenged my faith in a different way, and I wouldn’t be who I am today without them. The transformative power of engaging with a campus ministry cannot be understated.

But college ministries have their shortcomings as well. The fact that everyone is experiencing the same pressures from school can make fellowships a bit of an echo chamber, leading to the normalization of things like skipping church or small group to study. A bit of perspective is usually enough to combat this, but the problem is that when all the Christians you know are fellow college students, there’s nobody to give you that perspective. As a result, most people know that they should resist the pressures of college, but don’t know why or how.

I also think that college ministries unintentionally teach students that a strong Christian community means finding people who are similar to you, whether that be cultural background, life stage, or even professional interests. But I think that’s the complete opposite of the Bible’s vision for the Church:

“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body – whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-24, NIV)

I think the reason that we tend to gravitate towards people like us is because we view differences as a source of awkwardness and conflict. It’s hard to relate to those who have different backgrounds or are in different stages of life, and differences can lead to misunderstanding and conflict. But to Paul, they’re absolutely crucial to the effectiveness and growth of the Church and the individuals within it. Differences are a strength, not a weakness.

For me in college, church was a place, not a people. It was where I went with everyone else in my college ministry to worship and listen to a sermon, but meeting people outside my bubble was never a priority. As such, the prospect of making a church my primary community after graduation was foreign and daunting to me. Yet here at Waypoint, some of my closest friends are twice my age, are from overseas, or working in completely different fields than I am. And precisely because they’re so different from me, they’re able to offer me wisdom, support, and perspective far beyond anything I had in college. 

To any college students reading this, I implore you to not only attend a church, but to become part of one. Yes, it’s much easier to just stick with other college students. But God often works best when we step outside of our comfort zones. 

As I step into my new role as a college ministry intern at Waypoint, I am striving towards a future where college students find not only a church, but also a home at Waypoint. To everyone who is reading this, I hope you’ll join me in that mission by engaging with students who visit and take active steps to integrate them into our community.

What’s the Point of Prayer?

Written by Daniel Manilla

Have you ever wondered why we even bother to pray? I grew up deeply believing that God miraculously answers prayer. Every day I would read in the Bible about God’s work through Moses, Jesus healing seemingly everyone he touched, and Paul’s prayer bringing a young man back to life. My family worked as missionaries in Central Asia, and our sending organization had a strong charismatic bent; our friends would constantly tell amazing stories of the Spirit freeing people from demons, causing lame people to walk, and healing every sort of sickness and disease.

And I saw none of it. Not from lack of trying—I would pray frequently for miraculous healing and truly expected it to happen. I’d ask God to speak clearly through supernatural circumstances. But despite both my desire to see God’s direct hand and the lack of dramatic intervention my life (though like many of you, in hindsight I can certainly see God’s work), I remain deeply committed to a life and attitude of prayer. In this blog post, I hope to both explain why and invite you to join me in that commitment. That said, if you’re hoping that I’ll explain why God answers prayers in some places and times and seemingly not in others, I’m sorry to disappoint you. Why the all-knowing and ever-present God wants us to actually speak our requests has provoked nearly endless debate, and frankly I’m not qualified to fully address the question, but I can share why I continue to pray without the answers to those questions.

If you’ve attended Waypoint, or hopefully any church, for even one Sunday, you’ll have encountered the concept of prayer. The dictionary defines “pray” as a synonym of “entreat” or “implore”. Asking God to work forms one important aspect of our prayer life. As one psalmist says, “In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” (Psalm 5:3). In prayer, I reflect my belief that God works in the world today. The Spirit speaks to and through us, and we can see God change situations and transform lives. In Luke 18, Jesus tells the story of The Persistent Widow, who day after day pesters an unrighteous judge into giving her justice—how much more will the Father give justice to his children who call out to him. By asking God to work, I reflect and implement my belief that he loves and engages with his creation to this day.

Yet the modern Christian vernacular uses “prayer” to refer to more than mere requests to God. Prayer means to converse with God. In Psalm 27:4, the psalmist writes: 

“One thing I ask from the Lord,    

this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

    all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the Lord

    and to seek him in his temple.”

In my own life, I have benefited deeply from listening prayer: sitting silently in God’s presence, meditating on scripture or God’s character, and listening for his voice in the Spirit. Even when I hear nothing it gives God a space to speak.

But prayer does more than just connect me to God (though that would be more than enough). Our community group ends most meetings with a time of prayer. That thirty minutes often forms the highlight of my week. By asking the others in my community group to pray for my needs, and in praying for theirs, I get to see God’s work and connect with God’s family.

Prayer serves as a fundamental aspect of our faith and walk with the Lord, not least because it affirms the resurrection and God’s desire for reconciliation. I’ll never forget one small group session from my high school years: a friend new to the faith asked us a simple question: “If this Jesus guy died, why do you all keep talking to him?”. I pray to affirm that Jesus lives, and that he has the power to save all of us.

Come join your brothers and sisters in Waypoint in prayer! Scripture calls us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17), and so much of our life and community centers around it. As a simple suggestion, every Sunday morning, a group of us practice this at Waypoint. We pray for the church service, the pastors and staff, the workers Waypoint has sent out, and whatever else God lays on our hearts. Listening to their requests has drawn me closer to them, and allows me to put into practice my belief that Jesus lives and his Spirit still works. Come join us, at around 10:20 in the corner office near the back entrance to the building. But more importantly, let your conversation with our Lord draw you to love him in new and deeper ways.

The “E” in B.L.E.S.S.

Written by Karen Wilson

There’s a good reason the Bible references food and meals over a thousand times. Food brings fellowship, comfort, and blessing. Meals have a way of drawing people together unlike anything else.

Sharing a meal, whether by dropping off food, picking up groceries, or inviting others to sit down and eat together, is an opportunity to extend God’s love in a tangible way. It also serves as a reminder of His daily provision and care.

After both of my children were born, the thought of having to cook was overwhelming. I never realized the power of simply being blessed with not having to think about planning, cooking, or cleaning up a meal. Each time someone showed up at our door with dinner, I could feel the love of God. It wasn’t just about the food, it was about the thought, the care, and the reminder that I wasn’t alone. Providing a meal for someone meets a very real need. Those who are sick, grieving, overwhelmed, or even celebrating can experience God’s love in a practical way. A meal can quietly say, “You’re not alone. God sees you.”

Meals also have a unique way of breaking down barriers. Sharing food opens doors to deeper relationships and creates space for conversation and connection. In the Bible, meals weren’t only about eating; they were about belonging. Jesus often used meals to welcome, to teach, and to reveal God’s heart for people. When we sit down across the table from someone, listen to their story, and remind them that they matter, we are living out that same kind of ministry. And it doesn’t have to be elaborate. Community can be built over takeout pizza just as much as a home-cooked meal.

The Bible is full of examples of God using meals to display His love. Abraham welcomed three strangers with a meal: “Let me get you something to eat so you can be refreshed…” (Gen. 18:5). Jesus found countless opportunities to dine with others. He prepared breakfast for His disciples after a long night of fishing (John 21:9). He ate with tax collectors and sinners—people others considered unworthy (Luke 5:29–32). And the early church “broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people” (Acts 2:46–47). Meals are woven into God’s story as a way to connect, restore, and remind people of His care.

Even today, gathering around a meal is a natural way to bond. That one meal might spark a friendship or provide the encouragement someone needs to feel connected to the body of Christ. It may even invite a conversation about faith with someone who doesn’t yet know Jesus. When we invite others to our table, we create a space where God’s love can be seen and felt.

And it doesn’t have to be complicated! You can sign up to provide a meal on a meal train. Surprise a neighbor with an invitation to a cookout. Hand someone a DoorDash gift card if cooking isn’t your strength. Tuck a note of encouragement or a favorite Bible verse alongside the food you bring. These simple acts imitate Jesus, who invited people to the table and used meals as a picture of His kingdom. It may seem small, but small things often become the biggest blessings.

The next time you hear of a need, or perhaps just sense a nudge from the Holy Spirit, Think about how you can bless someone with a meal. The food doesn’t have to be fancy or perfect. God uses ordinary circumstances to show His extraordinary love. 

Hebrews 13:2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 

Hebrews 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.