Have you ever had to search for your own home?
When my boyfriend (now husband) told me he had been accepted to Notre Dame's Ph.D. philosophy program, I was equal parts proud, excited, and heartbroken. I knew that this was such an incredible opportunity, but it would take us both far from our families (in New Mexico and Oklahoma, respectively). I knew, though, that this was where we would end up. It was one of those rare moments when God's plan became absurdly obvious to us. We would pack up our separate, single lives and begin anew in Indiana as a married couple.
What would life be like for us as newlyweds who no longer had a close and immediate community to plug into?
That was all I could think of. We needed community. In the following year, Justin and I got engaged and began the church hunt. As Justin began his first year, he looked relentlessly for a congregation for us to call home. We listened to countless podcasts trying to find a church that upheld Biblical truth, but we just couldn't find a place where we could actually feel the Spirit moving.
Would we just never be excited about our church? Could we ever find one to call home?
We spent a year in this search--while also getting married and moving during a pandemic--and began to lose hope. But after all of that work, God proved to us He truly has a sense of humor. He showed us our home in a bumper sticker on the back of an SUV at a very long red light. The sticker simply read:
"The After Church: The mission starts after church"
After some Googling, we found ourselves there the next Sunday. It was instant, that feeling of knowing that the Spirit was alive in that building. We knew that that bumper sticker had brought us a place that was truly alive in a united mission, a place that also loved with hearts that belonged to God. We've spent weeks in this new home and have already felt ourselves finally being able to put down roots and flourish together. We are finally in a place where truth and love come in the same package. Now I can't help but wonder how many other newlyweds or students who have just moved to a new place need to find this home too.
How can we reach those in need of a spiritual home in a time when we're all more isolated than ever?
The After Church is the only church with a presence on Notre Dame's campus. There are students out there who are looking for this place to call home, a place to dig into scripture with people who will love them fiercely. We just need to let them know we're here for them.
Will you join us in this mission? Will you help us reach the people who need us most?
By partnering with The After Church, you're giving these students and their families the home they've been searching for. I know this because I've felt it myself. I've seen the life it has brought to my little family when we needed it most. Join with us as we reach out into this community, our mission field. You can bring truth and love to the people here at Notre Dame.
Thank you for being a part of our mission,
Kayla B