At Fairmount Ministries, we are passionate about creating an environment that:
fosters relationships
encourages community
creates conversations around faith and life, including doubts, questions, and struggles that young adults face today.
Our number one goal is to help students at the University and our surrounding community grow in faith and walk closely with Jesus.
While we offer a lot of in-depth opportunities for people to grow through Bible study, one of our biggest outreach opportunities is to provide a ministry of presence to our community.
Being present to our community is quite simple, and anyone can do it!
We walk with our community, encouraging them as Christ encourages us (Psalm 90:17), build one another up (Romans 15:5), and carry each other's burdens (Galatians 6:2). It is our role as the Holy Spirit has empowered all Christians, as members of the royal priesthood:
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful Light" (1 Peter 2:9).
At our recent Finals at Fairmount events, we created opportunities for our student community to rest and take a study break in our coffee shop, offering free coffee and puppy cuddles with a Teddy the Therapy Dog in partnership with Risen Savior Lutheran Church, one of our ministry partners.
We also hosted a late-night pancake night one evening, and throughout the week set up a station where students could build their own finals kits with sweet and salty snacks, school supplies, and encouraging cards and bookmarks with truths from Scripture.
While these activities may seem simple, they provided opportunities for us to converse with students as they stopped by to get some loving from the therapy dog, a treat of pancakes and a late-night study space, and to encourage students from afar, offering sustenance and tools to help them in their studies, and let them know that they are cared for.
A recent study by Barna and World Vision on the Connected Generation (Millennials and Gen Z) surveyed 15,000 18 to 35-year-olds from 25 countries around the globe. The study found that 1 in 3 respondents shared that they often felt deeply cared for by those around them (33%), or that someone believed in them (32%). Issues that respondents claimed to be faced with included anxiety about important decisions (40%), uncertainty about the future (40%), and pressure to be successful (36%). 1
This is why the outreach of Fairmount Ministries is so important, and your partnership is vital! We are excited to walk with our community, building one another up in Christ and are committed to equipping others to do the same. Thank you for partnering with us in outreach to students at WSU and other colleges, and our surrounding community.