Still Believing, Barely Attending?

Campus life — filled with late lectures, noisy rooms, wild nights, and students who no longer see church as a priority. A quiet question lingers in the minds of many: do they still believe in going to church? It’s okay to believe in God — but do we still believe in going to the house of God?

Miss Blossom, the Financial Secretary of the Youth alive Region 8 in Lagos and Ekrejeta Abraka and also Assistant Secretary of the ushering unit Living Faith Church, shares her experience with student attendance. She says students do attend church, but during the second semester, parties become rampant and many barely show up. “When they do, during the second service, they often look disheveled,” she notes. Blossom recalls following up with one such absentee who simply responded: “Sorry, I forgot today is Sunday.” To her, distraction is the main issue. “There is nothing a person can do other than advise,” she says. “I advise the person, keep a level relationship, and then leave the rest to God, hoping and praying they return to the house of God — the place of worship.”

In church, some seats remain empty — a silent testament to shifting priorities.

 Ms Ada, a 200-level Mass Communication student and entrepreneur, shares how university life reshaped her spiritual habits. “My parents aren’t here to force me,” she admits. Ada adds that the worship style at school differs from what she is used to back home. “Some people come more to socialize than to truly worship,” she observes.

She says consistency is her biggest challenge. The academic load and campus freedom have disrupted what used to be a steady spiritual rhythm for her. Still, she maintains that religion plays a vital role in her life.

Miss Anita, a Christian and non-student, speaks from a different perspective. She attends church physically but not all the time. When she doesn’t, she joins services online. Though it doesn’t give her the full effect she desires, it still moves her. “You can have a reach while not being in reach,” she explains — meaning that even without being there physically, one can still be spiritually connected. There are moments, she says, when she’s watching online and doesn’t even realize when she begins to pray. Anita plans to return to physical church attendance once she resolves certain personal matters.

Ms. Eniye, another 200-level student, balances academics, business, and church duties. She is a chorister and a member of the church’s media team, while also running an online clothing business. “When I was home, I used to go to church almost every day. So coming here, it’s still the same,” she says. Her sense of commitment drives her. “I need to be there. Work needs to go on in church. If I don’t do it, who will?”

According to Eniye, some of her peers still take religion seriously, while others are nonchalant. Her biggest challenge is avoiding temptation. “It’s not easy,” she admits. Still, she views Christianity not as an obligation but as a lifestyle. “It’s my breathe in, my breathe out.” For her, gathering physically for worship matters deeply. “There’s nothing like the gathering of the brethren — where you commune and exchange words of life with other members like yourself.” Even when she doesn’t attend weekday services, she still makes time to pray and worship. “It’s a lot, though, but you just have to create a balance,” she adds.

From students whose faith has become more personal, to those who remain fully committed, and those who connect through screens, one truth persists: even when routines shift, belief doesn’t always disappear. The paths may differ, but the faith still lingers — reforming, evolving, and holding on.