College is a time of unique change and growth. Living on your own for the first time brings new opportunities and challenges. For Christian students, it is an important time to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s why it’s such an important time to join a church that is alive and vibrant. The Christian life isn’t meant to be lived alone. It’s not even meant to be lived with just college friends. No, the Christian life is meant to be lived out in the body of Christ with believers of all ages and life situations.

That’s why we’re here. Just a couple of blocks from the University of Louisville (U of L), Third Avenue Baptist Church (3ABC) is a body of believers that loves Jesus Christ and the good news of salvation in Him. We love college students, and we work hard to build them up in Christ. Whether a student has been a disciple for a long time or is exploring the Christian faith, we’re here to help. As we strive to equip students to love and serve Christ, we also want to encourage them to love and serve his people—the church!

To love Jesus a person must love His body. Students should not be tricked into thinking that they can follow Jesus alone. They should make it a top priority to find a church to commit to. Whether you choose to be a part of 3ABC or another gospel-loving church, we hope you become an active part of the body soon!

Here are some great ways for college students to get to know us:

College Lunches

These happen the first Sunday of every month throughout the school year. College lunch is a free meal after the service in the fellowship hall with other students and church members, followed by Q&A with our pastor. This is a great way to get to know other college students, and it’s also a good opportunity to process the sermon together after the service.

Home Meals

A couple of times each semester, students can take part in Home Meals. On these Sundays, college students will be matched up with a church family for a meal in their home. This is a fun way to get to know families of the church and can lead to some meaningful friendships.

Discipleship

There are lots of great people at 3ABC who would love to get to know college students and encourage them spiritually. This can be formal or informal—going through a Christian book or a book of the Bible together, praying together, or maybe just “doing life” together.

Evangelism

College students at 3ABC work together to reach their non-Christian peers at U of L with the good news of Jesus Christ. We do this mainly through relationships, but we also have some on-campus events like book giveaways and lunchtime talks.