Local Church Involvement

At BJU we desire that every student follow Christ by their eagerness to be vitally involved in the life and ministry of a local church. That’s why we encourage you to attend local churches. We hope that you will connect with local congregations beyond college, wherever God may lead.

In Students’ Lives

Every year our students follow Christ in getting involved and seeking to grow in their local churches. Senior mathematics education major Esther Simonaire gives her time weekly by serving in the Kids for Truth program at Suber Road Baptist Church. “I’ve learned to take the initiative,” she says. “It is easy to sit on the sidelines, but in order for me to get involved and use the gifts that God has given me, I must take the first step in asking how I can get involved.”

For junior biblical counseling major Deleah Foster, singing in the choir, playing offertories and working in the junior church department has made the local church much more important over the past three years. “My involvement at Suber Road has caused me to realize that serving others is key to growth in Christ,” she says. “Christ came to serve others, and in gratitude for what He has done for me through salvation, I must do the same.”

For senior engineering major James Moreno, his involvement in Community Baptist Church with special music and both nursing home and jail ministry has proved invaluable. “I believe that I have grown far more as a leader because of my involvement in the local church,” he says. “I have grown in accountability, responsibility and discipleship by God’s grace because of the opportunities I have had to minister to others through the local church.” James hopes that his fellow students would make every effort to get involved in a local church, even if they already have a home church elsewhere. “The Lord has made it very clear to me these past four years that spiritual growth and accountability are incredibly difficult without a deep immersion in a local church body.”

Our Local Church Community

There are more than 50 Bible-believing, Bible-preaching churches in the area surrounding BJU. These churches are great places to get involved in preaching, singing and ministering to others. Some churches even offer associate memberships for students who want to become more involved or have additional accountability. Whether you connect to a large church or a small church, there’s a place for you here.