Seward churches offer community for students
The steeple of St. John Lutheran Church across from campus.
By Nora Betts
Managing Editor
Photo credit: Nora Betts
When it comes to off-campus worship opportunities, Seward has a lot to offer. There are 15 churches of various denominations within the city of Seward that offer students a place to worship, hear the Word of God, and find community outside of campus.
Concordia’s campus chaplain, Rev. Ryan Matthias, said that church is a great place to find community among different generations, which does not happen as much on a college campus.
“[In college] you’ll have your roommate, you’ll have probably a small group of friends, but then it helps to have intergenerational community also, and this is the best place to find it– in our Sunday morning gathering spaces,” he said.
Matthias said college is a great place to find connections. “If we’ve learning nothing else, this is a grand social experiment — college is,” said Matthias. “The more community we make, the healthier we are.”
Going to church with other students is one practical tip Matthias gave for finding a church home.
“Most students don’t want to go alone, so if you find people that you can walk or carpool with, it helps,” Matthias said.
As a resident coordinator and former resident assistant, senior Eliya Mars said she encourages others to get involved in a church community.
“I definitely encourage all RAs and residents to find a home church while here at Concordia,” Mars said. “It’s so natural and easy to use Sunday morning as an extra day to sleep in, but I believe fighting those urges and getting to church each Sunday is huge in how your college experience goes.”
Mars said that college students can find another great community in church, especially with many options in Seward and beyond.
“I know my church family while at school has been one of the biggest blessings to me in my education, and it is not hard to find one while here at Concordia with the number of churches in the area,” said Mars.
Matthias encouraged students to learn more about local churches at the Student Activities Fair on Sept. 2. The event, from 6 p.m. to p.m. in Janzow’s Cattle Conference Room, features dozens of tables that provide free goodies and information about campus clubs, university resources, local businesses, and area churches.
“Most of the churches show up [to the Student Activities Fair], so at least you can see where they are, who’s representing, and find out what might interest you in the area,” Matthias said.
