Lubbock churches cultivate Tech students through free meals, spiritual guidance

By Mackenzie Sams

When Texas Tech student Abigail Smith converted to Catholicism six months ago, she didn’t know where to begin finding a church in Lubbock. She started calling churches one by one, asking to talk to a priest.

She isn’t alone in her struggle. College is a time of transition and for religious students, spiritual transition is just another change that comes with moving to a new city.

Smith eventually found a spiritual home at St. Elizabeth’s Catholic University Parish, located just across the street from campus on the other side of University Avenue at 2316 Broadway St.

“It felt nice to get someone who saw who I was and wanted to see me again,” Smith said.

Still, Smith said she had to visit several churches before finding the right one for her.

Students gather for bible study. Photo by Mackenzie Sams.

This sort of “church hopping” is common for religious students at Tech. Mackenzie Ward, a non-denominational Christian, went to three churches over the course of a year before finding “The Way,” or the Indiana Avenue Baptist Church’s college ministry services which she now regularly attends.

Located at 9507 Indiana Ave., IABC offers worship services specifically for college students on Sundays at 4:15, 6 and 8 p.m., according to its website. Free meals for students are also offered on Sundays at 5:15 and 7:15 p.m.

Ward used a combination of listening to friends’ recommendations and driving around to find churches when deciding to stick with The Way.

“There’s just so many options,” Ward said.

Factually, she’s not wrong. According to 2020 census data compiled by the Association of Religion Data Archives, there are 345 churches in Lubbock County. And though Ward said she prefers non-denominational churches, that would still only narrow down her search to 61. 

Though she wasn’t overwhelmed by the process, Ward said she felt her spiritual health strengthened once she found a stable church community.

Michael Spaulding is the college ministry director at First United Methodist Church. He believes that finding a church can help students who are dealing with homesickness by giving them a place where they can feel they belong.

“We’ve had a lot of students in my year and a half of being here who have expressed the thing that keeps them coming is the sense of belonging and camaraderie with people,” Spaulding said. “And I think that doesn’t replace — and they still miss — home, but it kind of allows them to start creating a new home here.”

IABC offers free meals for students on Sundays at 5:15 and 7:15 p.m. Photo by Mackenzie Sams.

When it comes to church hopping, Spaulding said he understands the struggle. It took him six years to end up where he is now.

He started by making a list of every church in Lubbock and then visiting each one. He joined the Texas Tech Wesley Foundation, a campus ministry sponsored by the United Methodist Church, and attended Aldersgate Church, located at 10306 Indiana Ave.

In addition to its various programs directed at providing worship services for Tech students, Wesley is dedicated to organizing and supporting mission trips to various locations around the state, country and world, according to its website. Since October 2015, Wesley organized trips that sent volunteers to Haiti, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Ukraine, among other places.

It wasn’t until Spaulding graduated and began looking for a job in youth ministry that he found First United Methodist Church.

“As a young adult college student, you are leaving the life you’ve known for eighteen years,” Spaulding said. “So, I think there can be a choice overload.”

Though college students are a significant demographic for churches in Lubbock, many shy away from using social media. Others lean into it.

College is a time of transition and for religious students, spiritual transition is just another change that comes with moving to a new city. Photo by Mackenzie Sams.

“I think what got me consistently going to The Way as well is that they have a text message you can get,” Ward said. “You can put your phone number down and they remind you every Sunday afternoon the times that they have both the services and what food they’re serving.”

Free meals for students are yet another common denominator in the churches’ college outreach strategies.

When Smith was going through a hard time and struggled to afford groceries, she said people at her church encouraged her to go back for second helpings.

Still, the main way both Ward and Smith discovered churches was through word of mouth. Ultimately, they ended up staying at the ones that made them feel the most welcomed and comfortable.

In his advice to students, Spaulding emphasized the importance of church as community.

“Look for a church that loves well,” he said.