By Troy Berchoff
Photos by Troy Berchoff, edited by Elizabeth Qualls
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb University’s The Gathering, a weekly student-led faith event, has seen a sizable attendance increase with the arrival of the new freshman class.
Hosted in Tucker Student Center’s Stewart Hall every Tuesday at 8 p.m., the Gathering is a weekly display of community and faith. The event is unique due to its student-run status, which allows students to participate in fellowship via peer-to-peer interactions.
At each edition of The Gathering, a Gardner-Webb student, faculty, or alumni speak on a specific topic related to the Bible or Christ-centered living. The event is currently in its second series of the school year, entitled “The Narrow Road.”
Attendance for The Gathering has seen a notable rise during the Fall 2024 semester due to an influx of new freshmen seeking Christian community on campus. The event, which was previously held in Dover Chapel, had to recently change its location to Stewart Hall in order to accommodate the attendance surge.
Emma Jean Hampton, a sophomore at Gardner-Webb, views the locale change as a positive from an attendee’s perspective. “I’ve really liked the change from the Chapel to the Student Center because it allows more people to be involved in The Gathering, whether it be simply attending or serving,” she said.
Beyond attendance, The Gathering has also seen a notable demographic expansion among the event’s attendees.
While he has been at Gardner-Webb, graduate student Garry Hobbs noted that he has seen more diversity in the audience, coming to include athletic and international students.
Hobbs further added that The Gathering is an open, welcoming space for students with all kinds of relationships with God. “As students, The Gathering provides us with a no-pressure outlet where you can come five minutes late from studying, sit up front, or just praise the Lord with your friends,” he said.
The Gathering’s continuing success on campus is attributed to its unique atmosphere that encourages individual action. Robert Osowski, a senior, noted that “before Gardner-Webb, the only service style I knew was old-school Presbyterian. It showed me how to worship with people intimately, through friendship.”
Osowski continued, “It’s also influenced me to do other activities on campus, like getting involved with Campus Ministries United. I love seeing the community it creates, and the impact it has on those who have never heard the Gospel.”
Through its expansion, The Gathering has allowed students to connect closer to God in their own faith journeys.
Brock Nikkari, a sophomore, shared how attending the event had enriched his life. “The Gathering has helped me grow closer to God by showing me other people on campus who follow Jesus,” Nikkari said. “Through these people, I’ve had interactions and conversations with them that have helped me grow and be discipled.”
The Gathering is set to further grow as more students become connected with the event. Osowski noted that he wants students to know that everyone is welcome.
“If there was one thing I would change about The Gathering, it would be to make it more inviting to those who might not necessarily know what it is. Some might get the feeling that it’s exclusive, but it’s open to everybody on campus,” he said.
Hampton further attested to this openness by adding, “The Gathering is the most welcoming atmosphere you’ll ever experience and will be the best part of your week.”
For more about The Gathering, University Chaplain for Christian Life and Service Josh Parrott can be reached at [email protected].
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