In a house down the road from Belmont, students gather in a living room. They worship, study the Bible and share in group discussions, and it’s all a part of The Living Room.
Every Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Belmont Heights Baptist Church hosts “The Living Room: a community in Conversation” at “The House,” located at 1507 Compton Ave.
The idea behind The Living Room is for students to have a place to feel welcome and safe. And it combines worship, Bible study and group discussions.
We see it as a place that’s hopefully inviting and as a place to talk about things that matter, Scott Allen, Belmont religion professor and leader of The Living Room, said.
Allen, who agreed to help lead the group’s discussions, put together a team of seven students to develop The Living Room. They were the ones who came up with its concept.
“We want to get them involved in a community with other students centered around God’s word,” John Garner, Belmont Heights transitional pastor, said.
With The Living Room only in its third week, it has just begun to make a presence on campus.
After what Garner called a “soft first two weeks,” a total of 17 students attended the group’s third meeting.
“We’re more concerned with content and input into lives than we are in numbers. We’re going to be here for students,” Garner said. “We’re going to provide a place for them to come and grow, but also for them to come and participate.”
The group hopes to give students a feeling of community and encourages them to come be a part of the weekly gathering.
“That in itself I think has far more impact for students who are back on campus and in classrooms and dorms, if this becomes an anchor and a place for encouragement,” Allen said. “I think they make a difference through their relationships on campus.”
-Rebecca Arnold