New church targets college students

Faith Griffin

Solomon’s Porch Church of Topeka, which hosts a Christian non-denominational service, is reaching out to young people, ages 18 to 30, and want to get more college students involved.

Their praise and worship service draws the 18 to 30 crowd because they have praise rock music, said Ashley Putthoff, member of Solomon’s Porch church, and wife of Darin Putthoff, the resident pastor. The church members consist of married couples and young adults from all races and ethnicities.

“College students have to make their own decisions. They don’t have their parents to tell them what to do,” said Putthoff, “They may get lost in all of the decisions that they have to make in such a short amount of time.”

The mission of the church is to love God and to love people. This ministry reaches out to those who may feel left out, alone and those who are hurting, and homeless, said Putthoff. Family values are practiced in order to have a good home life. Puthoff and her husband have four children and they stress the importance of family, even if it’s not your biological family.

“In a local church you have the support of the church family,” said Putthoff.

Solomon’s Porch Church wants college students to feel like they belong to a church that they have been looking for.

“Young people, especially college students, reach a point where they say there has to be something more to life,” said Putthoff.

This church wants to also reach out to those who may feel they are burn out on church as well as to those who want to go to church for the first time. According to Putthoff, the church is more than a building, but a community of Christians that want to support one another outside the four walls of the sanctuary.

Wednesday night Bible study is held at 7 p.m. College students that attend Solomon’s Porch services won’t have to worry about getting up on Sunday morning, because they meet Saturday nights at 7 p.m. They meet Saturday evenings because they want to do something new.

Services are held at Whitson Elementary School, 1725 SW Jewell, in the auditorium. To reach Solomon’s Porch Church call 785-608-4982 or visit www.theporchtopeka.com.

“We have a saying,” said Putthoff. ‘What are you doing Saturday night?'”