Studying far from home, some students may not have the opportunity to attend their home church on a regular basis while attending Austin Peay.
There is at least one church that is setting up a congregation right on campus to allow those students — and any others that wish to attend — the chance to practice their faith and join in fellowship.
LifePoint Church is in the process of establishing a non-denominational Christian service on campus that is accessible to everyone and is within walking distance of APSU.
Beginning Sept. 19, services will be held every Sunday at 11 a.m. in the auditorium of the Clement Building, which is located right next to the Morgan University Center.
Jordan Smalley, a pastor with LifePoint Church, said the satellite campus hopes to provide a friendly and welcoming environment to all.
The main building for the church is located at 1915 Rossview Rd. in Clarksville, and all of the sermons are streamed live. They also have several satellite churches throughout the area, one of them being placed at APSU.
Jessica Fripp is the faculty representative for the organization. She proudly became affiliated with the program because of her membership with the Rossview congregation.
“I enjoy working with emerging adult and college-aged populations and try to connect with students who are looking for spiritual community, so LifePoint at APSU seemed like a good fit,” Fripp said.
Alex Montgomery is an APSU senior majoring in communications with a focus in broadcast media. He is an active member of the church, which initially started as a small campus ministry.
“I attended the first service LifePoint had at Austin Peay (in) September of 2019,” Montgomery said. “I wanted to get close with God and have a community of believers that I could be surrounded by to do life with.”
When Montgomery was struggling, he relied on his faith and the church to get back on track.
“Life got hard, classes got tougher and I was far away from my family,” he said. “I was alone. Then I went back to what always brought me confidence, peace and freedom; my faith in Jesus Christ.”
“My hope for each student who comes is to find a sense of community, family and deep connection,” Fripp added. “Our approach to each relationship we build is meaningful and with intention. The door is open to anyone who wants to be (a) part of what our organization is doing.”
Editor’s Note: Jon Nelson is a member of LifePoint Church.
