By Maddie Crichton
Spring semester has kicked off at the University of Northern Iowa, and Salt Company is underway! Each new semester brings about fresh opportunities to meet people and get them connected. It is not uncommon for college students to move away from home in the fall, seek fulfillment through a new idealized college life culture, and inevitably find out that it doesn’t satisfy. Many freshmen pursue partying and drinking, relationships, obsession over grades and success – the list goes on and on – to search for ultimate joy and identity. The allure fades, sometimes quickly, sometimes more slowly, but a new year usually brings with it a new commitment to make “better choices.”
Salt Company leaders are attempting to make use of this influx of new seekers. We are encouraging staff and student leaders to have more open eyes at our Thursday night gathering. We are trying to utilize our “welcome time” and the time after the service is over to engage with people who seem new or unconnected. One of our staff members, Laura, met a girl, Andrea, a senior, sitting in the back by herself. She said she had come to Salt a few times as a freshman and sophomore, but hasn’t been since then. She and Laura exchanged numbers and will connect again in the upcoming weeks. Another staff member, Stephen, met a new couple, Michael and his girlfriend, Jordan, who were visiting Salt for the first time. After going around the room and sharing stories, we realized almost each of us met somebody who was checking Salt out for the first time.
Students who lead connection groups are being encouraged to also have a greater outward focus this spring. They were recently asked to fill out a survey about current connection group health. Most would report that they pray for unbelievers but recognize they stay pretty comfortable in the spring semester, not seeking to grow their group or extend the gospel. This semester we are making a felt shift to not simply buckle down and close off groups, but make new friends in classes, share the gospel with them, invite them into community through connection groups, and continue to expand kingdom impact.
