Students are hungry. If you looked at our budget, you’d probably be astonished by how much of it goes toward feeding students. Almost every Thursday at our large group gatherings, we serve a meal. Sometimes it’s homemade, sometimes it’s pizza, and sometimes it’s Chick-fil-A (our students’ favorite). We also host entire events centered on food, like Friendsgiving or build-your-own-taco nights. Every Wednesday morning, we set up on the Oval with free breakfast as an outreach opportunity. Those mornings are filled with the sound of conversation, the smell of coffee and bagels, and the joy of connecting with students.
Outside of large gatherings, our staff loves sharing meals one-on-one with students. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or even a run to Sonic, these times around the table often turn into some of the most meaningful conversations. In my very first semester of campus ministry, someone told me, “If you want students to show up, feed them.”
Of course, students are physically hungry. But more importantly, they’re hungry for something deeper. They may not always say it out loud, but you can see it. You see it during the first week of school as students walk across campus looking for where they belong. You see it at the Fall Organization Fair as they search for a group to connect with. And if you went to college, you’ve probably felt that same hunger yourself, the hunger to belong, to be seen, to be loved, to find meaning.
Students try to satisfy that hunger in all kinds of ways. Some join student organizations and work their way to the top to be noticed. Others throw themselves into academics, chasing perfect grades to feel valuable. Many turn to drinking, partying, or relationships to try and find peace. Some wait for graduation, hoping a career, a paycheck, or a family will finally make them feel enough. But in the end, none of those things truly satisfy.
And the truth is, Campus Christians can’t satisfy that hunger either. Neither can any other ministry on campus. No large group gathering, no small group, no retreat, not even the best preaching will ever be enough. Only Jesus can. He is the one our ministry points to, the one who truly fills our deepest hunger.
This year, we’ve seen students longing for more of Him. We took a record number of students to Fall Retreat, the largest in decades. On Thursday nights, 50+ students regularly gather to worship and hear the Word of God. Other ministries across campus are also experiencing record involvement. Students are searching, and our leaders and volunteers want their classmates to find the only One who can satisfy.
Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35) So many of the 6,000 students at PSU are lonely, tired, and overwhelmed. They are looking for purpose, care, and belonging. That’s why we host events. That’s why we do Bible studies. That’s why we walk onto campus week after week. At Campus Christians, our prayer is that students will discover in Jesus everything they are hungry for and that their appetite for the world will be transformed into a hunger for the Gospel.
Post was written by Chris Hay, College Minister • Campus Christians
Campus Christians
Campus Christians at Pittsburg State University is a non-denominational organization reaching out to believers of all church backgrounds. Our events and programs range from a weekly worship service and in-depth Bible studies and discussion groups to lunches, road trips and coffee houses. Our students have a wide variety of interests and involvement on campus, and it is our prayer that not a day goes by that the students of Pittsburg State are not influenced and encouraged by the ministry of Campus Christians.
