University Baptist Church Reaction Paper

Baylor University is known in part for its Baptist affiliation. On my tour of campus as a new student, one of my first questions was, “where is your chapel?” Coming from Loyola University where Madonna Del Estrada was an epicenter for collegiate life and activities, I was surprised to discover that Baylor was lacking its very own place of worship. That fact changed when Elliston Chapel was built in the Fall of 2015, but prior to its completion, Baylor students were forced to outsource their worship. For years, University Baptist Church has been a place for Baylor students to continue practicing their faith. The church serves as a transitional institution, allowing students to be an active member of the Waco community while maintaining close ties within this out pocketing of the “Baylor bubble.” In looking at Baylor students that attend University Baptist Church, I was hoping to learn why and how UBC has become a place of importance to this microculture. As a secular student, I’ve always found religion fascinating. Sunday morning was “holy day,” as I understood it; since religion was a foreign concept to me, that was about the extent of my
As mentioned before, members take communion near the end of service. Hymns were sung and there were also readings during the worship service, such as one from the Old Testament followed by one from the New Testament. Prayer was still a prevalent part of the services that I attended, and so it seemed that all of the main pieces of the Baptist and other Christian faiths were there. Tied into it were these mentions of Tweets and Youtube and Selfies that connected our newer generation to archaic teachings. I think students are better able to relate to the ancient teachings when they’re proposed in this way. By relating scripture to the students’ lives, UBC is able to better communicate the message of God as well as maintain presence and attentiveness throughout the