By Karen Zimmerman
Moving to a new city is full of lots of adjustments. One of my goals since arriving in Waco, Texas has been to find a new church home. I’m excited about worshipping with brothers and sisters, for learning from new friends and to belong to a faith community. I’ve spent the past many weeks church hopping, and Waco is full of wonderful churches!
Looking for a church is an exhausting process, but I’m surprised at how comfortable it’s been for me to be a guest in these spaces. Turns out I enjoy discovering new communities and singing hymns with strangers, and the many years I’ve spent visiting churches and speaking to congregations has helped me feel confident navigating Sunday morning church spaces.
I remember when finding a church was an overwhelming process, though. My college self couldn’t have imagined the ease that I currently feel stepping into unfamiliar spaces. That’s why, this semester, our Open Table college ministry decided to take group trips on Sunday mornings to visit the four local congregations that support this ministry. Together, we’ve been hopping around as guests and getting a feel for what belonging might look like. And while participation has been small (Sunday mornings are hard!), we were able to help at least one student find her new church home. Praise God for new beginnings!”