The days of sitting in church baffled by long-winded or lofty pastors are over.
Bellevue Baptist Church is now home to the I2 Memphis program that is designed to help college students understand the Bible and how it relates to everyday life with the help of casual ambiance accented by nice tables and a coffee bar.
Rob Mullins, college minister at Bellevue Baptist Church, said he is excited about the new program that will take place every Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of the church.
"We want students to be excited about being a Christian in today's culture," he said.
Mullins said he wants students to understand that being a Christian is "serious fun."
"You don't have to be stoic or stuffy just because you are living a Christian life," he said.
He said students could use this as an avenue to talk to other people in their age group about the everyday issues of being a Christian.
"We are trying to bridge the gap between the church of today and the student culture of today," Mullins said.
He said the topics to be covered would be on relationships, morality and career issues.
"Career issues are a real problem for college students," he said. "After graduation students are sometimes wondering exactly what to do."
Students weighed in on the effects the program may have on people.
Kim Speros, a junior public relations major, said she feels the program will be a great thing for the 18-29 crowd.
"I am definitely going and I think it will be a wonderful experience of worship," she said.
Speros said she thinks it will be a good chance for people in this age group to connect with others as well as the Lord.
"It's nice to have something that is relevant to you," she said. "This program is aimed directly at us and that's helpful."
Zach Thomas, a junior marketing management major, said the program will be helpful for students that just want to learn more about Christ.
"I'm really hoping that this won't just be another church event, rather a community event," Thomas said. "I want people to come just because they want to learn more about the Bible and how it's relevant in everyday life."
He said that he is eager to see people from the community come out and tackle issues together by having discussions.
"I'm really looking forward to talking about problems that are happening to me everyday and people my age," Thomas said. "I want to learn how to be a better Christian."
Mullins said the overall goal will be helping students deepen their walk with God and bridge the gap to the church.
"We want students to know that the church cares about them," he said.
