Connecting Church and Campus

By: Becky St. Clair

NPUC Freelance writer

If you were to visit Natashia McVay, Moscow Church pastor in Idaho, and her husband, Marshall, at home on a Friday evening, you would enjoy a meal and Bible study with a group of local college students. On another day, you might find them in the middle of a game night or out skiing with a group of students.

“Over the six years we’ve been here, we’ve had well over 400 different kids come through our home,” McVay said. “We try to create a safe space for them, especially during Sabbath hours, as most have no options for God-focused activities available to them.”

Moscow is home to the University of Idaho, a campus of 25,000, and is 15 minutes away from Washington State University, a campus twice as large. McVay was specifically hired to reach out to the students in the area, which she has done by establishing Adventist Christian Fellowship as an official club on each campus. Through ACF they can hold campus events, hang posters and generally establish a visible presence.

“We can’t make people do things they don’t want to do,” she pointed out, “but if we provide opportunities for them to be involved and meet other young people their age interested in spiritual things, we give them a chance to continue or start a relationship with them and with God.”

"These efforts, completely funded by the church, have impacted the congregation, as well, who have become more open to new things such as guitars up front and young people involved in the service — a significant shift for a smaller, more rural church," said McVay.

“It has been incredible to see church members talk to every student who comes on Sabbath, instead of just letting them sit in the back, unseen,” McVay said. “We love seeing older generations not just acknowledging the importance of this ministry, but loving it and being excited about what’s happening. We want to see that continue well into the future.”

This article is part of a larger story that ran in the March/April issue of the Gleaner. For the full story, see https://nwadventists.com/feature/one-small-word-six-women-who-said-yes-god.