Beginning Jan. 27, all students are invited for weekly worship, community, and refreshments near campus at The Vue on 3472 Plaza Ave. every Monday evening at 7 p.m.
This will be the fourth year Bellevue Baptist Church has partnered with the University of Memphis to offer The Vue, a campus ministry for college students taught by Daniel Harris, an ordained minister and student at Southern Baptist Theological seminar. Harris, a UofM alum who discovered his own faith attending The Vue, said the message he preaches is about bringing truth to impressionable and young adults.
“We preach biblical truth in a way that’s culturally relevant to the life of a college student,” Harris said.
Harris said typically 200-300 students attend The Vue on a given Monday night, which includes a full band, preaching, and social time spent together afterwards. Harris aims for diversity and inclusivity in The Vue and encourages students to attend without reservation.
“Regardless of the clothes you wear or the color of your skin, all students belong in Christ and at The Vue,” Harris said.
Harris talked about how pop culture poses a unique challenge to impressionable young adults in terms of faith and emotional wellness.
“Pop culture is all about the celebration of finding your own truth,” Harris said. “The problem is truth is not subjective; it’s objective. We don’t decide what truth is, but pop culture says you can decide. The truth of humans falling into sin and needing a savior is not a popular truth, so it’s often laughed at or dismissed,”
He also said he understands the evolving complexities of mental illness, and the importance of raising awareness on campuses and in society at large.
“There are so many students walking around battling some of the worst things imaginable, and they’re scared to talk openly about it,” Harris said. “We want them to know there’s a better way to live. At The Vue, we don’t want to be fake. We want to be real with who we are and who God made us to be.”
Adam Neely, a master’s finance student from Gallatin, TN, said The Vue helped him navigate the challenges of his undergraduate career.
“Throughout my college experience, it has made a huge difference to have a community of college-aged students who I can fight through struggles with. It’s near impossible to do that alone,” Neely said. “Daniel (Harris) and the guys are amazing to have around campus. It’s such a welcoming atmosphere and we would love for anyone to come hang out with us.”
Dakota Tucker, a junior health science major, said The Vue has a genuinely warm feeling of community, welcoming, and friendship. He also said he remembers the first time he showed up over two years ago. “I walked in, was greeted with a smile, and never felt like a stranger,” Tucker said. “I met some of my best friends at The Vue and we all still go together to this day.”
