Going to college at Washington State University in Pullman, WA is a great time to gain that first time independence as an adult. You finally have the freedom to make your own decisions. In that freedom, you have a great opportunity to begin or continue your spiritual journey. Ask those deep faith questions. Or step away from your family to make your faith yours. There are so many great churches in Pullman that you are sure to find one that is right for you. Although there are many churches in Pullman, here are 5 churches that I appreciated during my time as a WSU student.
Resonate Church is all about being a body of Christ that connects the Gospel to people, people to community, and community to mission. I can confirm that this mission has been realized over and over on many college campuses. Starting as a church of 5 in my second year of college has grown to 15 college campuses at the time of writing this. The sermons are Bible based and spot on for college students. Small group meetings provide a chance for students to make friends, share a meal and learn about Jesus in a super comfortable way. To further build community, you will find Resonate sponsored events such as picnics, a Christmas party and a conference. Although Resonate’s large gathering moves around in buildings on campus, they are currently meeting weekly in Daggy Hall.
Hills Church is another somewhat recent church plant in Pullman. After going to school in Pullman for a while you will learn to appreciate seeing and talking to people outside of your age group. There is simply a huge college demographic in Pullman and seeing other ages is refreshing. Hills Church is not strictly a college church although they do love college students. So if you were hoping for a church with generational diversity along with your peers – this is a great one. Hills Church meets in The Bell Tower Building Sunday mornings at 125 SE Spring St.
After college, I moved to Spokane and attended Real Life Church in Spokane. Although I have not been to the Pullman Real Life Church I know that this is a great church for personal growth. They have a joyful atmosphere and great sermons that instantly apply to current life. Real Life meets Sunday mornings at 1234 S. Grand Ave with small groups meeting throughout the week.
You can find these great college ministries through Real life or on their own: Young Life, Navigators, Athletes in Action, and CRU.
E-Free is another multigenerational church that offers specific college age related small groups. I love E-Free’s sermons and deeper look into the Bible. This is a great home-like church family. E-Free’s motto is: “Raising worshipful, caring, disciple-making servants of the Lord Jesus Christ as we reach our community and the world.”
Emmanuel Baptist was where I first started going to church in Pullman. This is a loving multigenerational church that has a traditional home church feel. I loved that Emmanuel Baptist also fed college kids after church. It was nice to meet new friends and have a free homemade meal. Emmanuel Baptist also hosts Northwest Collegiate Ministry. If you are an international student looking to learn English, this church offers great conversational English classes.
You will find many Christian ministries in Pullman as well. There are many more groups than what I have listed below. But these are the big ones you may already be familiar with.
If you have ever been to a Young Life event in high school, you know that this will be a blast!
Weekly meetings, small group gatherings, friends, and get away events make CRU a fun place to be.
Athletes schedules are often all over the place and as such, this is a great place for athletes to deepen their faith and meet other like-minded peers.
I have not personally attended the churches below with any regularity but they are found near or practically on campus.
As with any search for a church, be sure to go to try a few. It is also a good idea to research and see if a churches values and beliefs align with the Bible.
At the end of your college career I would love to hear how it went by being your WSU Graduation Photographer! As a licensed photographer since 2015, I love sharing in the joy of WSU and graduation and look forward to meeting you 🙂
If you are recently engaged or getting married, I would love to hear from you as well. I look forward to photographing your wedding whether it is in Pullman, Spokane or anywhere in the PNW!
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